Working alongside families

What families can tell us about what works, what a change in mood is signalling, and what has already been tried and failed, goes into the plan and shapes it. That is not a courtesy. It is the fastest route to a plan that fits.

It works as a loop. What families know shapes the plan. We record what happens. We share what the data shows. The plan is reviewed together. Then it begins again. Families see the same picture the clinicians do, at every turn of the loop.

We have qualified social workers on the team who work directly with families, offering counselling and family-centred support. It is a service in its own right, with time set aside for it, because a family running on empty cannot be a good partner in anyone's care.

That support might look like:

• A regular conversation with a social worker, separate from planning meetings
• Help working through the guilt and relief that come with handing over daily care
• A straight answer when something is worrying you, rather than a reassurance

Families are part of planning, and part of reviewing how the plan is going, with the same picture of the data that the clinicians have. Support workers record what happens on every shift, and we check it against the plan. That record is not kept from you. It is the basis of the conversation.

When something is not working, we would rather hear it from you early than discover it late. And when something is working, you will see that too, in the small and specific things: a calmer week, a routine that held, an appointment that got finished.

If you are a family member weighing up supported living, or already living with it and feeling unheard, talk to us. Call 02 9556 9500 or get in touch.