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GEN103 Establish, sustain and disengage from relationships with the families of individuals with specific health needs
Overview
This standard is about establishing, sustaining and disengaging from working relationships with the families of individuals with specific health needs as part of an overall programme of work.
The standard covers initial contact with families where requirements and expectations are discussed and agreed. The standard also covers sustaining and developing the relationship and deals with how the worker eventually disengages from their relationship with families.
This standard applies to those workers who have specific responsibility for working with the families of individuals with specific health needs.
Users of this standard will need to ensure that practice reflects up to date information and policies.
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Knowledge and Understanding
You will need to know and understand:
- the nature and structure of families and how these differ according to context and culture
- the significance of the relationships between families and the individual
- the particular features of spousal relationships
- the family's role in the welfare of the individual and cultural expectations and beliefs which may shape this
- the wishes that families have for the care of the individual and the extent to which these are realistic
- the impact that caring for an individual with specific health needs for a long period of time, and in a co-resident situation, can have on the health of the carer
- your responsibilities in relation to balancing and dealing with conflicts between the needs and wishes of the family and those of the individual with specific health needs
- the different forms and range of effective communication and How culture, gender and beliefs can affect attitudes and behaviour and how it may be perceived by others and why it is important to recognise and challenge this in oneself
- behaviours which demonstrate value for others and those which do not
- working methods and styles which may be used in developing, sustaining and enabling individuals to move on from relationships with you
- the impact of the broader social environment on families and the individual
- physical, social, psychological and emotional development of the individual and how the ageing process can impact on and be affected by their health
- the relationship between the physical, social, psychological and emotional aspects of the individual's health and their behaviour and associated needs for support
- the effect of family relationships on the physical, social, psychological and emotional state of the individual
- the impact on the individual and family of coming to terms with ill health and the potential loss of independence and social contact which this can engender
- the effects on the individual of families' own issues and needs
- when and why the individual with specific health needs may be considered to be a vulnerable adult and your role in relation to the prevention and notification of abuse
- the issues that specific health needs which affect mental capacity and decision making raise for families at several levels, from management of finances and advance directorates to the general authority to act reasonably when making every day decisions about particular issues
- how to use legislation, guidelines of good practice, charters and service standards in work with individuals with specific health needs and their families
- the role of the agency and its services and how they relate to other agencies and services in the sector
- the agency's policy and procedures regarding confidentiality of information and the disclosure of information to third parties, and the specific circumstances under which disclosure may be made
- your own role and responsibilities and from whom assistance and advice should be sought if you are unsure
- how you have applied the principles of equality, diversity and anti-discriminatory practice to your work
- the options you considered in your work and the reasoning processes you used in relating to different families and individuals within those families
Performance Criteria
You must be able to do the following:
- gather and review relevant information to familiarise yourself with the family's background, circumstances, and needs before making initial contact
- explain clearly:
- who you are
- why you have made contact
- the nature and extent of your role
- any information that will need to be shared with other workers and agencies and how confidentiality will be maintained
- explore with families and individuals:
- what they expect from yourself and the services you can assist them to access
- what their personal goals are and what they hope to achieve
- their preferred names and how they wish to be addressed
- interact with families and individuals in a person-centred manner which:
- models good behaviour and communication
- is appropriate to the family's and individuals' background, culture, circumstances and needs
- encourages an open exchange of views
- minimises any constraints to communication
- is free from discrimination and oppression
- enables individuals to make their own contribution
- acknowledges the knowledge and skills that families offer in relation to supporting the individual with identified health needs
- find out from individuals, and discuss with them, whether there are any issues that they would wish to keep confidential from their families and from others, explaining clearly any existing protocols which need to be followed with regard to the sharing of information
- explore with families their and your own expectations and understanding of future contacts and agree with them when and how these should take place
- explore with families and individuals, their needs for support and for information regarding the nature and implications of the individual's health needs and agree with them how that support and information is to be provided
- challenge constructively attitudes and behaviour that are discriminatory or contrary to the expressed wishes of the individual
- keep accurate and complete records of contacts, only disclosing information to those who have a right and need to know it, once proof of identity and right to disclosure has been obtained.
- interact with families and individuals in a manner which:
- demonstrates respect for the family and individuals within it
- recognises their circumstances and experiences, but which is not judgmental
- provides a positive example and model of person-centred attitudes and behaviour
- emphasises the family's responsibility for their own actions and behaviour
- encourages their motivation
- is free from discrimination and oppression
- explore with families their concerns about the individual, and any impact on their own health and well being, reflecting these back to confirm that you have understood them correctly
- offer constructive support and positive regard to families, acknowledging the difficulties that can be faced in relation to the care and support of people with specific health needs
- give accurate and relevant information in ways that families are likely to understand
- encourage families to seek further information and advice on the issues and difficulties they face
- maintain contact with families at a frequency and using methods that are consistent with your role, agency and statutory requirements
- provide prompt and accurate explanations in instances where you or the services fail to meet agreements
- challenge individuals and families when they make assumptions or are prejudiced against individuals or agencies
- seek appropriate advice and support when the needs and issues which families have are beyond your role and competence
- refer families to appropriate other workers and agencies when they have needs beyond your role
- record information provided by families accurately, consistent with agreements regarding confidentiality, and in ways that distinguish facts from opinions
- explain clearly to families why there is a need for disengagement
- explore and acknowledge families' feelings about disengaging from the relationship
- clearly and accurately summarise the outcomes of the work and review them with the family in relation to the original reasons for making contact
- offer appropriate support to families to enable them to engage with other services and networks where relevant
- alert appropriate workers and agencies to issues that the family may experience due to disengagement manage your own feelings about disengagement in a constructive and appropriate manner
- maintain accurate and complete records of the work with families, outcomes achieved and the situation at the point of disengagement
Additional Information
This National Occupational Standard was developed by Skills for Health. This standard replaced MH10.
This standard links with the following dimension within the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (October 2004):
Dimension: Core 1 Communication and HWB4 Enablement to Address Health and Wellbeing Needs