Video, telephone and text

Infoforwellbeing
National
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Effective communication using remote technology requires: 

Good communication skills PLUS good skills in using the available remote technology.

Remote technology enables people to access systems, information and people when they are physically remote from them.  It includes:

  • Video calls and conferencing
  • Telephone
  • Text and email

Click on each of the following icons to find out more:

Video conferencing Telephone Text
VIDEO CALLS TELEPHONE CALLS TEXT BASED

 

 

1. Key considerations

  • Your skills and confidence in using remote technologies
  • The person’s access to remote technologies
    • Do they have a smartphone/laptop/desktop PC and wifi?
    • Be mindful that the small screen on a smartphone may not work well for one-to-one or group discussions.
  • The person’s skills and confidence in using remote technologies
  • Your organisation’s support for remote technologies

2. Technology options: security and confidentiality

  • Follow your organisations security and confidentially guidance
  • Reassure the person that they will not be overheard or overseen – consider using a headset
  • Advise the person not to log into MS Teams or Zoom with a work account as there will be a record that the call was made held in their work system
  • To ensure that a video-call is private ask the person to keep their camera ON during the session. If they are uncomfortable with seeing themselves on camera you can advise them to turn off self-view or to cover their image on screen with a post-it
  • For group sessions:
    • Use a generic work email address to sent the invitation and to log into the platform so that participants can’t access your direct email address (unless you want them to)
    • Reassure participants that their email addresses will not be shared or visible to others via the platform
    • If using a downloadable app, suggest that people join without signing into the app and enter their first name only
    • Remind participants that any comments they enter into Chat will be permanently saved on your (the facilitators) platform.
    • Use ‘End Meeting’ function to disconnect everyone at the same time so that there is no risk of people continuing a conversation unmonitored

3. Most common remote communication technologies - Zoom

This video from Zoom introduces you to using this communication technology.

Remember to practice and test using Zoom before you use it to help support people.

4. Most common remote communication technologies - Teams

This video from Microsoft introduces you to using MS Teams.

Remember to practice and test using MS Teams before you use it to help support people.

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