The Power of Listening: Why Family and Advocates Hold the Missing Pieces
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Blog 3 of 7 – Part of our series on involving families and advocates in person-centred planning.
Scroll to the bottom for links to explore all seven blogs in the series.
Person-centred planning means more than asking someone what they want — it means making sure their circle of support is heard too. Family members and advocates often know the person best, especially when communication is complex, history matters, or long-term insight is key. This is exactly what commissioners look for in learning disability tenders and domiciliary care bids.
But their voices are often missing from assessments and reviews. Not out of bad intention — but due to time pressure, confusion about roles, or assumptions about capacity and representation. Addressing this gap can be a strong differentiator in your home care submissions.
🔍 Why Family and Advocates Matter
- 📖 Historical insight: Families and advocates often have years of experience understanding what works, what doesn’t, and how the person communicates needs and emotions.
- 🛡️ Protective oversight: They notice subtle shifts in wellbeing or behaviour that others might overlook.
- 🔗 Consistency: Their involvement across services helps build joined-up care and avoid duplication or conflict.
✅ In Practice: Embedding Their Voices
It’s not just about inviting family and advocates to meetings — it’s about actively building their views into the plan. That means:
- 📝 Using structured family input tools or questionnaires
- 💬 Capturing quotes or recorded feedback directly in care plans
- 👥 Allowing family to review and comment on draft assessments
- 🔍 Being transparent about how input is used and what can’t be changed
This is particularly important during key transitions, risk assessments, and annual reviews where shared understanding reduces friction and enhances quality of life outcomes.
📄 In Tenders and CQC Evidence
When writing tenders, highlight how your service:
- 🤝 Actively involves family and advocates at every stage
- 📊 Gathers and records their feedback meaningfully
- 🚀 Uses their input to improve outcomes and inform service development
Use real-life examples and explain how your process empowers the person while still valuing external insight. Many providers strengthen these submissions with our bid proofreading and review service, ensuring detail is expressed with clarity and impact.
📚 Explore the full series on involving families and advocates in person-centred planning:
- 👥 1 – Involving Families in Person-Centred Planning: How Much Is Too Much?
- ⚖️ 2 – Balancing Autonomy and Support: Involving Families Without Undermining the Person
- 👂 3 – The Power of Listening: Why Family and Advocates Hold the Missing Pieces
- 💬 4 – Care Planning Conversations That Count: Making Meetings Inclusive
- ⚔️ 5 – When Families Disagree: Navigating Conflict in Person-Centred Planning
- ⏰ 6 – Making Time for Families: Why It’s Worth It (Even When You’re Busy)
- 🤝 7 – From Tokenism to True Partnership: Families as Equal Voices in Care Planning