Social Care Research Wales – Family Support Services (priority setting in association with the JLA) Top 10

1. How can families be supported to problem-solve for themselves and take more control over their lives?
2. How can practitioners make more use of trauma-informed practice in their day-to-day work? (By ‘trauma-informed’ we mean practitioners who are able to recognise and understand the signs and symptoms of trauma in the individuals and families they are working with).
3. What are the best ways to support children and family members who are experiencing mental health difficulties?
4. How can practitioners motivate and support work with families for more successful engagement with strength-based approaches?
5. What is the best way to support families where young people display violence and aggression to their parents/carers?
6. How can practitioners best be supported in working with children and/or parents with neurodevelopmental disorders? (e.g. ADHD and Autism)
7. How can practitioners work best with men and fathers?
8. What works best to build trust and rapport with families so families feel respected and listened to and there are quicker and longer lasting outcomes?
9. How can services work better together to ensure a more consistent experience and better outcomes for families?
10. What is the best way for families to access real practical support, helping them to balance the pressures of everyday life (such as housing, tidying, cooking, bills, being short of money)?

The following questions were also discussed and put in order of priority at the workshop:

11. How do practitioners balance the use of research evidence and models with their experience and wisdom when supporting and forming relationships with families?
12. What should be explored further in the role and use of person-centred approaches? (By ‘person-centred’ we mean when individuals and families are placed at the centre of the service and are involved in making decisions about their life)
13. What are the impacts of regular change in teams and support workers on children, families and social work support?
14. How can social opportunities (eg. local groups and clubs, day trips) be increased to support families who are isolated?
15. How can family time/contact between adopted children and their siblings and/or parents be better managed?
16. How can we ensure the voices of non-verbal clients are heard within service provision?

Document downloads

For full details of all of the questions identified by this PSP, please see the document below.