Conversations should happen somewhere where the person you’re supporting feels comfortable.
- Choose somewhere familiar, quiet, and relaxed.
- Make sure the person feels safe and at ease.
Sometimes these conversations may be planned, but not always.
Planned conversations
A social worker doing an assessment, or a key worker in a supported living house, may have to plan a conversation before it happens.
These will often be in the person’s own home. But it's important to think about privacy and anyone else who may be able to hear, as the person you’re supporting may be sharing personal information.
Informal settings
People often have great conversations while driving, going for a walk, or somewhere free from distractions and other people.
Think about the person and the environment.
Do they feel overwhelmed by noise or crowds?
Would they be more comfortable with someone they trust?
Comfort and privacy
The most important thing is that the conversation happens in a place where the person feels most comfortable and that it’s not forced.
In some situations, such as during a crisis, conversations may need to happen in places that may not be the person’s first choice.
Always try to support the person to be in places that are most familiar to them.
Remember
Think about the conversation from the supported person’s point of view:
- “always try to have these conversations in a place where I feel most comfortable and relaxed”
- “I may share things that are personal and private – so I may not want some other people to hear what I’m sharing”
- “I may be more relaxed and share more when I’m out of my home, maybe just going for a walk or out in my car”.