Here are some things that you'll want to consider if you're just getting started.
Know what you want to achieve and take a tailored approach
- Which elements of the Health and Justice Charter for Families and Carers do you particularly want to address for your service or site? What is the change you want to see happen?
- You know your site, service and team best: how can you maximise your strengths? How can you align your family involvement work with the prison’s Family Strategy?
- How can you gather data and feedback to help you narrow down the best area of focus?
- Be clear about how much time and resource you might need to have an impact.
Make sure you have clear processes to ensure safety and protect confidentiality
We recognise that seeking consent to involve families and carers can be a complex and time-consuming process.
Do you have clear arrangements for consent and contact details to be recorded and accessed when needed?
Consider which patients would benefit most
Evidence suggests that involving families and carers may be particularly beneficial for certain patient cohorts, including patients who are:
- Neurodivergent
- Have mental health needs,
- Have a long-term condition or serious illness,
- Are pregnant or have recently given birth
- Are self-isolating or vulnerable
- Are receiving end-of-life care.
How can you make sure that family involvement is routinely considered for patients in these cohorts?
Embedding proactive family involvement as routine
Rather than waiting for crisis point to involve families and carers, consider how they can be brought into the process in a routine way.
Early Days in Custody is an important opportunity to healthcare teams to demonstrate 'family curiosity' and to consider any family relationships that may be helpful.
Most staff agree that the initial healthcare screening on the day of reception is not the best time to ask patients these questions. However, the secondary screening undertaken within a week is the perfect opportunity to find out more.
Follow-up could be undertaken by a combination of: existing routine appointments, additional visits to cells by healthcare or linkwork/navigator staff, targeted support from peer workers, or even via digital communication systems where available.