Practical tools to support work with families

Practical tools can help children and families tell their story, identify strengths and relationships, explore concerns and develop a shared understanding of what may need to change.

This interactive course develops practitioners’ confidence in using genograms, chronologies, timelines and eco-maps within whole-family assessment and relationship-based practice. Participants will have opportunities to construct and apply each tool using realistic family scenarios.

The course emphasises using tools collaboratively with families rather than completing them as professional exercises. Participants will consider how to explain their purpose, use sensitive and inclusive language, involve children and family members, and check that the information recorded accurately reflects different perspectives.

The programme explores how tools can support professional curiosity, analysis and planning. This includes identifying family relationships and networks, patterns and significant events, sources of support, gaps in information and possible risks or protective factors.

The course reflects the ambitions of Families First by supporting holistic assessment, meaningful family participation and greater involvement of family networks.

_{Learning outcomes}

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Explain how practical tools can support engagement, assessment, analysis and planning.
• Select an appropriate tool according to the family’s circumstances and the purpose of the work.
• Construct and use genograms to explore family relationships, patterns and significant experiences.
• Develop chronologies that identify patterns, cumulative concerns and important changes over time.
• Use timelines to understand experiences from the perspective of children and family members.
• Construct eco-maps to explore professional, family and community networks.
• Identify strengths, protective factors, unmet needs, risks and gaps in support.
• Use tools collaboratively rather than doing them to or about families.
• Include children’s voices, experiences and important relationships.
• Use professional curiosity to explore gaps, discrepancies and different perspectives.
• Apply culturally sensitive and inclusive approaches to different family structures and relationships.
• Recognise when using a tool could be distressing and adapt the approach appropriately.
• Translate information gathered through tools into analysis, outcomes and whole-family plans.
• Record and share information appropriately and proportionately.

_{Who is the course for?}

This course is suitable for practitioners across Family Help, Early Help, Best Start Family Hubs, children’s and adults’ social care, education, health, housing and voluntary or community organisations.