Unit 4222-328 Work in partnership with families to support individuals

1. Understand partnership working with families

1.1 Analyse the contribution of families to the care and/or support of individuals

When individuals can no longer live on their own due to physical/mental poor condition,
family members are the first who become aware of the changes. It is family who provides
help, support, advice, love and affection to vulnerable individuals. The family members
are first contact with them, they may ask for professional assessment, make appointments,
even make decisions on behalf of them.

1.2 Identify factors that may affect the level of involvement of family members in care
and/or support

First and most important thing in establishing how much involved are the family
members is the relationship they have with the individual – they may be very close, or
just keep in touch every now and then, or even not getting along at all. Other factors
might be the availability (job commitments, own family obligations), distance, means of
transport, own health condition etc.

1.3 Describe dilemmas or conflicts that may arise when working in partnership with
families to support individuals

Sometimes the care workers, the individuals and the family members can have different
opinions concerning the food provided (preferences vs. dietary requirements), the
personal care routine (special requirements from family members which are not always
possible or available), using of funds, activities, accessing services etc.

1.4 Explain how the attitudes of a worker affect partnership working with families

If the care worker is always open and positive, willingly to do the best to improve the care
provided and considering all suggestions, then the individual will have all benefits from
this partnership. Courtesy and respect is to be added, for family members as well as for
the individual.

2. Be able to establish and maintain positive relationships with families

2.1 Interact with family members in ways that respect their culture, experiences and
expertise

As care workers we have to make sure we provide the care according to the individuals’
needs, but also respecting their choices concerning their beliefs and preferences. This
means sometimes contradictions with our own beliefs and values, but we must act in the
clients’ best interest. Being open and ready to learn or discover new cultures can only be
beneficial to both sides.

2.2 Demonstrate dependability in carrying out actions agreed with families

Once we agreed on providing care with individuals, we must ensure we keep our promise
and act according to our duty. The individuals as well as the family members trust in care
workers, and the care workers must prove themselves trustworthy. In other words, care
workers must carry on their responsibilities in the agreed way – for example providing the
agreed type of food, using the agreed equipment, administering the agreed medication etc.

2.3 Describe principles for addressing dilemmas or conflicts that may arise in
relationships with families

In this context, principles are connected to confidentiality. Simple rules such as keeping
good records, asking for permission and/or consent before sharing information, being
always neutral and diplomatic, always referring to care plan/risk assessment can make the
difference.

3. Be able to plan shared approaches to the care and support of individuals with
families
3.1 Agree with the individual, family members and others the proposed outcomes of
partnership working with a family

From the very beginning, all parts must have a clear view of the care process that follows
– individuals must be aware of their needs and of the ones who contribute to have them
met; family members must be aware of the full range of services provided by the care
setting; care workers must be aware of the individuals’ needs, choices, beliefs, as well as
the family members’ (reasonable) requirements concerning these aspects. Once all is
acknowledged, all parts must agree on a plan and respect it.

3.2 Clarify own role, role of family members, and roles of others in supporting the
individual

Care workers have an important role in supporting individuals. Among the

responsibilities there are: protect their rights and promote their interests, establish and
maintain their trust and confidence, promote their independence and protect them as far as
possible from danger or harm, respect their rights and ensure their behaviour does not
harm themselves or other people, uphold public trust and confidence, be accountable for
the quality of their work and take responsibility for maintaining and improving their
knowledge and skills.

Family members are usually the ones who individuals refer to most often. Their role is to
encourage their relatives to accept the care provided, to support them, to provide certain
items required (belongings, documents, finances etc.), all in all to be a part of their
relatives’ life.

Other professionals may have a role in the care provided to a vulnerable individual. These
may be doctors, nurses, advocates, social workers, pharmacists, therapists, other service
providers etc. A good communication can be the key to a high quality care, being open,
respectful, courteous may contribute to the individual’s well-being.
3.3 Support family members to understand person centred approaches and agreed ways
of working

Care workers have the duty to make sure family members understand that the care
provided respects the person centred principles of care (individuality, independence,
dignity, respect, choices, privacy, rights, partnership). About the agreed ways of working,
family members must have access to care plan/risk assessment and understand that all
care provided is accordingly.

3.4 Plan ways to manage risks associated with sharing care or support

This subtitle relates to the idea above, all sides involved in the care process must be aware
of the risk assessment in place and act accordingly. It is important for the individuals to
realise that both care workers and family members have the same opinion concerning
risks related to all activities, and act in a way that avoids them.

3.5 Agree with the individual and family members processes for monitoring the shared
support plan

The best way to do this is involving the individuals and their family members in updating
the care plan/risk assessment on a regular basis – active participation, promoting
independence and encouraging it. Care workers have also the responsibility to keep good
records of any changes that may occur.

4. Be able to work with families to access support in their role as carers

4.1 Work with family members to identify the support they need to carry out their role

When all sides involved in care process work together from the very beginning, they can
discover how to support each other to carry out their role and proceed to do so. Like it
was mentioned before, a good communication is essential – for example care workers
may need support from family members to find out which are the individual’s needs
(assuming the individuals are unable to make themselves understood), they may also need
the family members to make certain supplies. The family members may need guidance to
choose the best care for their relatives, to access certain services or to seek for legal
advice.

4.2 Provide accessible information about available resources for support

The care workers have to make themselves available to family members who look for
support for their relatives. They have the duty to provide all information available
(redirect to supervisor/manager/other professionals, access the guidance leaflets/websites)
as well as not to exceed their responsibilities.

4.3 Work with family members to access resources

Sometimes it is necessary that the care worker has to be directly involved in accessing
resources, such as attending meetings/appointments, participating in accessing services
and facilities etc. In these situations both family members and care workers need to have
the same goal – the individual’s best interest. This way the individual can see the support
coming from both directions and will increase the self-confidence.

5. Be able to exchange and record information about partnership work with

families

5.1 Exchange information with the individual and family members about:

- implementation of the plan

In our daily routine, we as care workers have the opportunity to directly influence how
the care plan is carried on. We are the first to put in practice all the agreed ways of
working stated in the plan. Our duty is to give complete information about what we do in
order to gain consent and to perform the task safely.

- changes to needs and preferences

All changes that may occur are also part of daily routine and care workers are usually the
first who notice them. They need to be monitored all the time as they may indicate some
important information about the individuals. Informing family members about these
changes may be helpful in order to adjust the routine.

5.2 Record information in line with agreed ways of working about:

- progress towards outcomes

Keeping good record is one of the most important aspects of our activity as care workers.
When the individual has to deal with certain problems, monitoring is even more important
as it can provide an overview on all the situation, and is also a valuable source of
information for further references.

- effectiveness of partnership working

This aspect is directly connected to feed-back the individual may have concerning the
care provided. The best way to see if the care is effective is to observe the individual’s
reaction (preferable long-term monitoring) to people, services, facilities, activities etc.

6. Be able to contribute to reviewing partnership work with families

6.1 Agree criteria and processes for reviewing partnership work with families

Evaluation criteria are agreed with the individual and family at the time the care is
discussed and planned. Evaluation criteria should based on:

▶ the individual’s agreed needs

▶ the individual’s aims and goals.

Processes are the way things are done – duty of care and agreed ways of working. When
agreeing how support is to be evaluated, the processes for agreeing support should also be
confirmed.

6.2 Agree criteria and processes for reviewing support for family members

Care workers need to work with individuals and their relatives to agree criteria and
processes for evaluating support. The evaluation criteria depends on the individual’s
needs, as well as aims and goals for the individual as set down in the care plan (recovery
from illness, re-enablement, re-gaining independence, settle down and get used to a new
care home etc.).

6.3 Encourage the individual and family members to participate in the review

We can do this by involving them in the whole process, by asking open questions to find
out preferences, choices, beliefs, by promoting self-management and independence as
much as possible, by personalising the care we provide. The result can be only improving
(health and well-being, care and quality, financial sustainability and efficient allocation of
resources).

6.4 Carry out own role in the review of partnership working

When reviewing the partnership working, we as care workers have the responsibility to
provide all information required, to update and record any changes, to keep
confidentiality in handling and sharing information. All these aspects will contribute to an
accurate evaluation in order to maintain and/or improve the quality of care.

7. Be able to provide feedback about support for families

7.1 Provide feedback to others about the support accessed by family members

A social care worker comes in contact with others when providing care to an individual,
especially when the individual is committed in a social care setting. The care worker has
the duty to provide feedback to other co-workers (mostly in handover, when starting and
finishing the shift), to the supervisor/manager, to other professionals. They must be aware
of the support accessed by family members, record it, use it for further reference.

7.2 Report on any gaps in the provision of support for family members

This is another important aspect, an essential step in improving the quality of care
provided. For example, one of the care workers is unable to provide support, but by
reporting the situation, there can be found another option to fulfil the need as soon as
possible (e.g. another supplier, another contact liaison, another care worker available).

7.3 Describe ways to challenge information or support that is discriminatory or

inaccessible

Challenging and eliminating discrimination is one of the major responsibilities of a social

care worker. We can do this verbally (in a polite manner though, but firmly and providing
valid proof), in written (an official complaint following the procedure), or even in court if
the situation is unchanged or escalates. We should not forget that the individual’s best
interest must be served first, it is not a matter of personal offense.