Friendships can’t be forced. But there are things we can do to increase the chances of friendships forming. Janet Klees proposes 5 Ps Janet Klees is a Canadian expert in building relationships between people with and without disability. She proposes these 5 Ps: Person – know in depth the interests, Read more…
Building friendships for our family members with disability isn’t easy. How we define what a friend is will be really important for how we go about supporting friendships. If we don’t know what a friend is, then how can we know if we have them or not and our strategies Read more…
It’s a scary thing leaving your vulnerable loved one in the hands of others. We have all seen those stories in the news. It sure leaves a terrible fear in my stomach when I think about it. But being there every day, day after day to make sure things are Read more…
Participative v Authoritarian Do you believe your staff love their work and take pride in doing the best possible job? Or do you think that they see it as a burden, and just do it for the money? These assumptions can influence how you deal with people. Douglas McGregor in Read more…
As a leader part of your role is to help your team to be very clear on their purpose and where they are heading. Writing a manifesto can help you clarify what you believe and what type of contribution you want your team to make to your family member’s life Read more…
Trust is Key When your family member’s support workers feel you trust them, they will be more willing to voice concerns and offer suggestions to improve on the way things are done. If there is trust among team members they can focus on delivering the best outcomes without the worry Read more…
Good life building takes work doesn’t it. It’s more stuff on our plate. Our to do lists get long and overwhelming and we can get so overwhelmed we stop cause we don’t know where to start. Often when we are not getting anything done, we can start blaming factors that Read more…
If the only interaction you have with circle members is at the meetings themselves, you run the risk of the circle members not forming strong relationships with each other or your family member and losing the momentum of being part of something great. So here are some tips for keeping Read more…
Asking people to join a circle of support is often the thing that people find the hardest. What if they say no? Here are some tips for asking in a way that is likely to get a yes and what to do if they say no. Tip #1 The first Read more…
The purpose of a circle of support is to help your family member with a disability to build the good life they want. It’s going to be important that your family member is supported to get involved. This isn’t easy if your family member experiences anxiety at meetings, doesn’t read Read more…