A receiving node in a wireless communication system, the apparatus comprising: at least one transceiver; and at least one processor operatively coupled with the at least one transceiver, wherein the at least one transceiver is configured to: receive signals including at least one codeword of a spatially coupled low density parity check, SC-LDPC, code from a transmitting node, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: decode the at least one codeword by using a sliding window, wherein the sliding window comprises a subset of protograph sections on which the decoding is performed, determine that a stopping rule is satisfied if a partial syndrome check passes or a maximum number of iterations is reached, output a decision for variable nodes, VNs, in each of S protograph sections of the sliding window if the stopping rule is satisfied, move a location of the sliding window by the S protograph sections, and determine whether to cease the decoding based on the location of the sliding window, wherein the partial syndrome check comprises a check for a syndrome associated with a subset of at least one check node, CN, in the sliding window, wherein the sliding window is selectively moved in a forward direction or a backward direction wherein the at least one codeword comprises a first SC-LDPC code block, a second SC-LDPC code block and one or more divider protograph sections between the first and second code blocks, wherein the one or more divider protograph sections consist of m consecutive protograph sections, where m is the memory of the SC-LDPC code, and wherein the one or more divider protograph sections carry information bits and parity bits that have a smaller bit-error probability than the other bits in the at least one codeword using unequal error protection methods. at least one transceiver; and at least one processor operatively coupled with the at least one transceiver, wherein the at least one transceiver is configured to: receive signals including at least one codeword of a spatially coupled low density parity check, SC-LDPC, code from a transmitting node, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: decode the at least one codeword by using a sliding window, wherein the sliding window comprises a subset of protograph sections on which the decoding is performed, determine that a stopping rule is satisfied if a partial syndrome check passes or a maximum number of iterations is reached, output a decision for variable nodes, VNs, in each of S protograph sections of the sliding window if the stopping rule is satisfied, move a location of the sliding window by the S protograph sections, and determine whether to cease the decoding based on the location of the sliding window, decode the at least one codeword by using a sliding window, wherein the sliding window comprises a subset of protograph sections on which the decoding is performed, determine that a stopping rule is satisfied if a partial syndrome check passes or a maximum number of iterations is reached, output a decision for variable nodes, VNs, in each of S protograph sections of the sliding window if the stopping rule is satisfied, move a location of the sliding window by the S protograph sections, and determine whether to cease the decoding based on the location of the sliding window, wherein the partial syndrome check comprises a check for a syndrome associated with a subset of at least one check node, CN, in the sliding window, wherein the sliding window is selectively moved in a forward direction or a backward direction wherein the at least one codeword comprises a first SC-LDPC code block, a second SC-LDPC code block and one or more divider protograph sections between the first and second code blocks, wherein the one or more divider protograph sections consist of m consecutive protograph sections, where m is the memory of the SC-LDPC code, and wherein the one or more divider protograph sections carry information bits and parity bits that have a smaller bit-error probability than the other bits in the at least one codeword using unequal error protection methods.