Posted by 14 on the 21st May, 2012
In the latest Newsletter of the National Parent Forum of Scotland, parents spell out how they need professionals to behave
In the spirit of sincere partnership, we ask that you:
- Make us feel comfortable and ensure that we know the team around our child, in name and in person
- Look at the whole situation and the family around the child.
Many different things will affect how we and our child cope with
learning e.g. transport, housing, respite, other family circumstances
- Share all the information you have about our child, in a
format and in a way that we can understand, in good time for meetings or
telephone discussions. Please check that we have understood it or been
able to read it
- Are clear with us about whom we should contact when we seek
information, wish to raise a concern or share information about our
child, and how we should do this to not cause unnecessary inconvenience
- Allow enough time for meetings or phone calls
- Ask us what range of times/dates would be possible for us
for meetings – we may have childcare to organize, or several other
appointments relating to our child
- Are specific about the topics of discussion at meetings in advance, and ask us if we have anything we would like to talk about
- Let us know who will be at meetings, in advance, and describe what their role is in relation to our child
- Ask us if we would like to bring someone to support us to meetings
- Arrange meeting rooms so that they are as informal and welcoming as possible. A row of professionals can be really scary
- Try to understand our situation if we become upset or angry
and make provision for us to have a bit of space/time/privacy. Remember
it is because we want the best for our child that we may get emotional!
It’s not personal!
- Are kind and understanding of our situation – it takes us
many years to come to terms with, and to understand, our child’s
learning difficulties and the challenges in their lives
- Understand that our lives change, our child’s needs change
and our expectations have to be continually readjusted. Plans have to be
reviewed and changed to allow for this
- A cup of tea and a box of hankies would be really, really nice!
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