In our own industry we know the importance of educating students so they can provide the best possible service, but have we completely prepared practitioners in the area of family relations? As more and more people require in-home or residential care, workers will have to work within the dynamics of the family involvement and with families who, until the point of formalised support, have been the sole providers of care?
So the question is: are workers adequately equipped to deal with this new dimension of service provision and are we, as a community, keeping an eye on who works in the sector and their industry experience and qualifications? It is unfair on workers to be left unprepared for some of the situations they will have to face from consumers and their families who will expect a higher and higher level of service.
Health workers in residential care are formally registered, but on the community in-home side there is no such requirement. A combination of a thoughtful education, continuing professional development and registration will give consumers, family carers and employers the information they need and ensure that the relationships between service providers and consumers and their families does not break down to the extent where either people are banned from residencies or services are withdrawn from those who need them.
Practitioners who feel they need to develop skills in this area are encouraged to undertake professional development that will assist them to manage this challenging aspect of their work.
