Working with Couples (1-2 days)

Whilst workers are generally aware that they are required to provide a service for the named service user, this work is often challenged by others involved in the service user’s life. Working in isolation from service users’ personal relationships is therefore unrealistic and in some cases may be seen as inappropriate. Workers need to achieve the right balance between serving the service user’s interest as independent people and the context within which they live.

The content of this workshop will largely be defined by course participants. In advance of the workshop participants will be invited to provide the facilitator with a rage of scenarios that they wish to examine and work on. They will also be invited to notify the facilitator in advance of any theoretical, good practice guidelines that they wish to review in the context of working with couples.

Learning objectives:

By the end of this workshop participants should have understood:

• What we mean by a ‘couple’
• Who might be involved
• Who the key service user is
• Our responsibilities to the primary service users
• The difficulties in providing this support without taking account of context
• How much we need to take into account the needs of partners
• How our interventions could undermine relationships and service users’ support systems
• How we can develop an approach that protects the relationship between ourselves and the service user
• What boundaries need to be set in order to protect the professional relationship with service users
• The complexity of Confidentiality in this context

Working Methods:

• Tutor presentations
• OHP/PowerPoint
• Group work
• Handouts
• Case scenarios provided by the learners

CP177/5.9