Introduce
Effective family engagement can be split into the following steps:
- The process of making contact with a family and motivating them to want to interact, attend the service or work together
- Enabling the family to recognise the benefits, goals and expectations of engagement
- Establishing and maintaining a relationship between the practitioner and the family which allows input which is meaningful, supportive and meets the needs of the individuals within that family unit
Develop
The barriers faced by families can be categorised as the following:
- Awareness barriers: lack of knowledge regarding the availability of support or lack of recognition of the need for support
- Accessibility barriers: time, cost and location of interventions
- Acceptability barriers: feelings of personal failure associated with seeking help
Engaging Disadvantaged and Vulnerable Parents (2019) Early Intervention Foundation
Look at the image below and see if you can define which are awareness, accessibility or acceptability barriers:
Image source: Lorna Colter
What other factors may play a part in holding parents back from engagement? How have you worked effectively to overcome these and engage families in your setting? What has worked well?
In the next video, Dr Madeline Marczak, Principal Clinical Psychologist from Manchester Foundation Trust, helps us to think about what effective engagement looks like from the very beginning and how we might overcome barriers.
Reflect
Stop and Reflect: Take some time to reflect on your own experience:
– Make a list of the key challenges that you face in promoting family engagement
– Which of these factors are the most difficult to address in your role and setting? Why?
– What changes could be made to overcome these challenges in your own practice and wider setting?
– How might this learning influence the way you engage with families moving forward?