Elements and Performance Criteria
- Identify and address the needs of carers and families
- Work with carers and families of clients with complex needs to clarify their needs and identify available support options
- Provide information as required to assist and meet identified needs of carers and families
- Recognise the multi-dimensional and dynamic nature of caring relationships and respond appropriately to support individual relationships with each client
- Observe changes in the caring relationship over time and respond appropriately to those changes to address needs of carers and care recipients
- Recognise the key factors in risks to the care relationship continuing and respond appropriately to these
- Ensure that each person's carer/s and family are treated with dignity and respect and with sensitivity to cultural issues and expectations in the caring relationship
- Take steps to ensure all service providers are aware of and respond appropriately to address specific identified needs of carers and families
- Where appropriate, identify needs of children of parents with complex needs and apply strategies to address these needs, including where children adopt the caring role (young carers)
- Involve carers and families in assessment and care planning processes
- Consult with care recipient to clarify the role and involvement of primary carer/s and other family members in the decision-making and service delivery processes
- Ensure assessments are undertaken in the context of the care relationship and address the needs of both care recipients and carers, and address any areas of conflict
- Ensure carers are well informed about their role and rights in assessment of the care recipient and care planning decision-making and that they are aware of their right to a carer assessment, which may be undertaken separately
- Ensure carer assessment is empowering and builds carer relationships with service providers over time
- Provide carers with clear understanding of available services and choices, so they are informed participants in the care planning process
- Consult with all organisation representatives involved in assessment and care planning in complex situations to ensure carer and family involvement is clear
- Ensure services are provided in a manner that recognises and optimises the caring relationship to maximise each person's potential for achieving their goals and addresses identified needs
- Maximise agreed involvement of carer/s and family in assessment and care planning processes and decision-making
- Ensure mechanisms are in place to support sharing and updating of information with carer/s and family
- Involve carer/s, family and other informal support persons in monitoring client care plan implementation
- Ensure carer/s have a clear understanding of client-identified goals and the role planned services, support and resources have in achieving those goals
- Ensure carer/s have identified their own goals and the role planned services, support and resources have in achieving those goals
- Listen to observations of client, carer/s and family about aspects of care and services provided in relation to achieving those goals
- Maintain appropriate level of rapport and communication with carer/s to support disclosure of information about delivery of services and resources in line with care plan
- Maintain collaborative relationships with carers and other informal supporters e.g. neighbours or friends, to ensure they can continue to provide the desired support to people with complex needs
- Involve carer/s in identifying problems with implementing care plans and potential adjustments to best meet each person's needs