Articles

Operationalising Family and Advocate Involvement in Person-Centred Planning for Acquired Brain Injury Services

Family and advocate involvement in ABI planning must be structured, proportionate and translated into daily delivery rather than treated as informal background input. This article explains how providers use auditable...

Complaints, Escalation and External Oversight in ABI Services

Complaints in ABI services often arise from uncertainty, inconsistent communication or disputed risk decisions, not simply poor care. This article explains how to run a defensible complaints and escalation pathway,...

Using Independent Advocacy and Representation Well in ABI Services

Independent advocacy can stabilise ABI placements, improve decision quality and protect the person’s rights — but only when roles, information flows and escalation routes are clear. This article explains how...

Supporting Family Understanding of Risk, Progress and Setbacks in ABI Recovery

ABI recovery is rarely linear, and families often interpret setbacks as service failure or risk escalation. This article explains how providers can help families understand risk, progress and fluctuation, using...

Managing Family Disagreement and Conflict in ABI Services

Family disagreement is common in acquired brain injury services, particularly where insight, risk and independence are contested. This article explains how providers can manage conflict constructively, protect the person’s rights,...

Information Sharing With Families in ABI Services: Consent, Capacity and Safe Boundaries

Families often want detailed updates, immediate escalation and full visibility of leading decisions after an acquired brain injury. This article explains how ABI providers can share information safely and lawfully,...

Involving Families in ABI Reviews, Capacity Changes and Best Interests Decisions

Acquired brain injury support plans rarely stay static. Capacity can fluctuate, risks shift and family perspectives can change over time. This article sets out how ABI services can involve families...

Supporting Families to Understand Risk Enablement in ABI Services

Risk enablement is central to independence after acquired brain injury, yet often misunderstood by families. This article explains how ABI services can support families to understand positive risk-taking, evidence proportional...

Managing Conflict and Disagreement With Families in ABI Support Services

Disagreement between families and providers is common following acquired brain injury, particularly around risk, independence and perceived safety. This article sets out how ABI services can manage conflict constructively, maintain...

Consent, Capacity and Information Sharing With Families and Advocates in ABI Services

Information sharing after acquired brain injury is complex, particularly where capacity fluctuates and families are closely involved. This article sets out how ABI services can lawfully share information, involve families...

Working With Families After Acquired Brain Injury: Roles, Expectations and Boundaries

Following an acquired brain injury, families often become central to support, decision-making and day-to-day oversight. This article explains how ABI services can work constructively with families while maintaining clear professional...

From Tokenism to True Partnership: Families as Equal Voices in Care Planning

It’s not enough to “consult” families — true person-centred planning means working with them as equal voices. Here’s how to move beyond tokenism.

Making Time for Families: Why It’s Worth It (Even When You’re Busy)

It’s easy to say “we involve families” — but how often does that fall by the wayside? Here’s why making time matters, and how to build it into practice.

When Families Disagree: Navigating Conflict in Person-Centred Planning

Disagreements happen — but conflict doesn’t have to derail planning. Here’s how to manage tensions between families, advocates and services with dignity.

Care Planning Conversations That Count: Making Meetings Inclusive

Meetings can feel overwhelming or tokenistic — unless they’re planned with care. Here’s how to make sure families and advocates are heard, not sidelined.

The Power of Listening: Why Family and Advocates Hold the Missing Pieces

Care plans become more meaningful when they include the voices of those who know the person best. Learn how to embed family and advocate input into assessments and reviews.