12.3 Principles and skills

Five Principles of Family Work

Principle 1     Partnering with families

    • Working together with families in partnership - collaboration

Principle 2    Being “whole of family” minded

    • Viewing the family as a whole system. Understanding that any change for one family member will affect every other family member in some way

Principle 3    Understanding family reactions

    • Being able to put oneself in the shoes of the family members and make sense off their reactions, such as confusion and fear, distress and anger

Principle 4    Treating families with respect

    • Recognising different beliefs family members may hold because of culture, religion or social background, and meeting their various needs without judgement

Principle 5     Empowering families using a strengths-based approach

    • Focusing on the strengths and abilities of family members, rather than their problems and weaknesses