ROLE DESCRIPTION:
SELF EMPLOYED SUPPORT WORKER
STATUS:
Self Employed
SUPPORTING:
Hugh Spence
RESPONSIBLE TO:
Hugh Spence & Access to Work
(Role wholly dependent on Access to Work funding, which is
awarded to Hugh Spence to appoint & engage a Support Worker to
assist him undertake his job role)
ROLE PURPOSE:
Enable Hugh Spence to undertake the full range of his duties and
responsibilities by assisting him to complete those elements of his
tasks that require the use of sight, including his work related travelling.
CORE TASKS THAT REQUIRE ASSISTANCE
Task (Hugh Spence)
Client advice & support
Talking to community groups / third parties
about NAB’s work and generic sight
loss/eye health awareness raising (times
and locations variable inc’ evenings hence
working days and hours will vary from
week to week)
Indicative Assistance
- Transport to/from
- Take and transpose notes
- Be my sighted Guide throughout visit
- Log and update client database
- Transport to/from
- Assist in preparing material for visit
- Be my sighted Guide throughout
- Assist with set-up/pack away of materials &
practical exercises/demos.
- Log and update Talks admin system
Notes on above
There are, broadly speaking, two types of ‘visit’. One focussed on advice, information and
support on all matters relating to independent living and wellbeing to visually impaired clients in
their own home/that of their carer/family, the other on giving visual impairment awareness
raising talks (including some practical exercises and specialist aids/equipment demonstrations)
to groups of individuals ranging from primary school children to members of a local WI.
For both types of visit the Support Worker acts as Hugh’s ‘eyes’. This is critical given the nature
and purpose of the visits - especially given the accepted role that non-verbal behaviours (see
attached) play in how people communicate.
Basically as Hugh cannot see non-verbal behaviours he needs a Support Worker to do that for
him so he can correctly interpret what’s being said to him – and how, in turn, what he is saying
is being interpreted. Also to potentially prompt him to modify his style of delivery if it is
obviously not effective with a particular client. Doing this in an appropriate and supportive way
‘at the time’ is challenging but may be necessary, whilst it is always necessary after the event
e.g. to ensure the resultant assessment of the client’s needs and how best to assist is accurate
and effective and, regarding talks, to adapt his style of delivery/content as appropriate.
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Task (Hugh Spence)
Run visually impaired client interest
groups at the Northampton Sight Centre
e.g. Computer Group
Basic administrative tasks associated
with my job.
Client advice & support (office based)
Indicative Assistance
- Be my sighted Guide if and as necessary.
- Assist me with group administration if and
as necessary e.g. recording attendances.
- Extract information from databases e.g.
client telephone numbers so I can call a
client.
- Assist manage online calendar
- Log and update client database
Notes on above
Support Worker role is not to do Hugh’s job, but to assist him by undertaking those aspects
that require the use of sight e.g. whilst Hugh will always do client calls the Support Worker
will have to access the client database to extract contact numbers and, afterwards, update
the system with the outcome of the call as directed by Hugh.
Need for office based assistance variable as volunteers may be available to provide the
necessary assistance.
General Note
As self-employed (appointed by Hugh Spence) and funded by Access to Work you must
comply with their requirements over submitting invoices for work done. Work related
expenses e.g. mileage costs associated with transporting Hugh Spence to be claimed from
NAB, payable on the basis on NAB’s expenses policy.
Attached
Non Verbal Behavior Guide
(Document Produced 06.01.2015)
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NON VERBAL BEHAVIOURS
Interpersonal communication not only involves the explicit meaning of words, that is the
information or message conveyed, but also refers to implicit messages, whether intentional or
not, which may be expressed through non-verbal behaviours.
Non-verbal communications include facial expressions, the tone and pitch of the
voice, gestures displayed through body language (kinesics) and the physical distance
between communicators (proxemics). These non-verbal signals can give clues and additional
information and meaning over and above spoken (verbal) communication.
A great deal of recent research indicates the importance of having your nonverbal behaviour
consistent with your verbal behaviour. Employees who were surveyed expressed confusion by
the mismatch between the verbal and nonverbal messages of their managers.
They reported that when they were confronted with a mismatch between verbal and non-verbal
messages, they almost always responded to the non-verbal portion of the message – the voice
quality and the facial expression – rather than the words.
Even a small child can learn to lie with words, but since their nonverbal behaviour is much harder
for them to control, it almost always gives them away. This is why most of us tend to trust the nonverbal message much more than the verbal one when the two don’t match.
Often called non-verbal communication (NVC), this forms 85% of our ‘message’. When
somebody walks into a room, we immediately start reading their non-verbal signals – their
physical appearance, posture and the clothes they are wearing (or not wearing!).
Within 4 seconds we have started to make some assumptions about the kind of person they are
and whether there is anything about them with which we can identify with. If there is, we are more
likely to want to get to know them. If there isn’t, we probably won’t bother.
Non-verbal messages allow individuals to:
 Reinforce or modify what is said in words. For example, people may nod their heads
vigorously when saying “Yes” to emphasise that they agree with the other person, but a shrug
of the shoulders and a sad expression when saying “I’m fine thanks,” may imply that things
are not really fine at all!
 Convey information about their emotional state.
 Define or reinforce the relationship between people.
 Provide feedback to the other person
 Regulate the flow of communication, for example by signalling to others that they have
finished speaking or wish to say something
When we communicate, non-verbal cues can have as great as an impact on the listener as the
spoken word
There are many different aspects of non-verbal communication including:
Body Movements (Kinesics)
Body movements include gestures, posture, head and hand movements or whole body
movements. Body movements can be used to reinforce or emphasise what a person is saying
and also offer information about the emotions and attitudes of a person. However, it is also
possible for body movements to conflict with what is said. A skilled observer may be able to detect
such discrepancies in behaviour and use them as a clue to what someone is really feeling.
Emblems: Gestures that serve the same function as a word are called emblems. For example,
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the signals that mean ‘OK’, ‘Come here!’, or the hand movement used when hitch-hiking.
However, be aware that whilst some emblems are internationally recognised, others may need to
be interpreted in their cultural context.
Illustrators: Gestures which accompany words to illustrate a verbal message are known as
illustrators. For example, the common circular hand movement which accompanies the phrase
‘over and over again’, or nodding the head in a particular direction when saying ‘over there’.
Affect Displays: These are facial expressions or gestures which show the emotions we feel.
These are often unintentional and can conflict with what is being said. Such expressions give
strong clues as to the true emotional state of a person.
Regulators: Gestures used to give feedback when conversing are called regulators, for example
head nods, short sounds such as ‘uh-huh’, ‘mm-mm’, and expressions of interest or boredom.
Regulators allow the other person to adapt his or her speech to reflect the level of interest or
agreement. Without receiving feedback, many people find it difficult to maintain a conversation.
Adaptors: Non-verbal behaviours which either satisfy some physical need such as scratching or
adjusting uncomfortable glasses, or represent a psychological need such as biting fingernails
when nervous. Although normally subconscious, adaptors are more likely to be restrained in
public places than in the private world of individuals where they are less likely to be noticed.
Adaptive behaviours often accompany feelings of anxiety or hostility.
Posture
Posture can reflect people’s emotions, attitudes and intentions. Research has identified a wide
range of postural signals and their meanings, such as:
 Open and Closed Posture: Two forms of posture have been identified, ‘open’ and ‘closed’,
which may reflect an individual’s degree of confidence, status or receptivity to another person.
Someone seated in a closed position might have his/her arms folded, legs crossed or be
positioned at a slight angle from the person with whom they are interacting. In an open posture
you might expect to see someone directly facing you with hands apart on the arms of the
chair. An open posture can be used to communicate openness or interest in someone and a
readiness to listen, whereas the closed posture might imply discomfort or disinterest.
 Mirroring: Notice the way a loving couple relate to each other. You might like to observe a
close relationship in person or on television. You will see that the partners’ postures will
match, as if one partner is a mirror reflection of the other. For example, if one partner drapes
an arm over the back of a chair this might be replicated in the other person’s position. If one
partner frowns, it could be reflected in the other partner’s facial expression. This ‘mirroring’
indicates interest and approval between people and serves to reassure others of interest in
them and what they are saying.
Eye Contact
Eye contact is an important aspect of non-verbal behaviour. In interpersonal interaction, it serves
three main purposes:
 To give and receive feedback: Looking at someone lets them know that the receiver is
concentrating on the content of their speech. Not maintaining eye contact can indicate
disinterest. Communication may not be a smooth process if a listener averts their eyes too
frequently.
 To let a partner know when it is their ‘turn’ to speak: This is related to the above point.
Eye contact is more likely to be continuous when someone is listening, rather than speaking.
When a person has finished what they have to say, they will look directly at the other person
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and this gives a signal that the arena is open. If someone does not want to be interrupted,
eye contact may be avoided.
 To communicate something about a relationship between people: When you dislike
someone, you tend to avoid eye contact and pupil size is often reduced. On the other hand,
the maintenance of positive eye contact signals interest or attraction in a partner.
Paralanguage: relates to all aspects of the voice which are not strictly part of the verbal message,
including the tone and pitch of the voice, the speed and volume at which a message is delivered,
and pauses and hesitations between words. These signals can serve to indicate feelings about
what is being said. Emphasising particular words can imply whether or not feedback is required.
Closeness and Personal Space: Every culture has different levels of physical closeness
appropriate to different types of relationship, and individuals learn these distances from the
society in which they grew up. In today’s multicultural society, it is important to consider the range
of non-verbal codes as expressed in different ethnic groups. When someone violates an
‘appropriate’ distance, people may feel uncomfortable or defensive. Their actions may well be
open to misinterpretation.
As you can see, non-verbal communication is an extremely complex yet integral part of overall
communication skills.
People are often totally unaware of the non-verbal behaviour they use. A basic awareness
of these aspects of communication strategies, over and above what is actually said, can help to
improve interaction with others. Knowledge of these signs can be used to encourage individuals
to talk about their concerns and can lead to a greater shared understanding.
We've all heard the statistics several times before, that body language accounts for more than
50% of our communication (Mehrabian (1971)). It is fair to say that both verbal and non-verbal
communication impact on the success of our relationships.
For a start, if you want to communicate sincerely then your verbal and non-verbal communications
have to be congruent with one another. In other words, you cannot growl "I love you" whilst
standing arms crossed and eyes rolling. Inversely, you cannot stand with arms open as if inviting
a hug as the words "I'm finding you insufferable lately" leave your lips. Well you can do all of the
above if you are merely indulging in a spot of humorous sarcasm but if you are not saying or doing
any of the above in jest then the mixed message will leave the recipient feeling unsure of where
you both stand.
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