Families
At Hft, we’re firm believers in working in partnership with the relatives of the people we support. We recognise the central role you play in your family member’s life and how yours is an important and lifelong relationship, which is why ‘Families and other Partnerships’ is one of the key segments of our Fusion Model of Support.
We also know that good communication is critical to ensuring a positive relationship between you and Hft; you’re likely to want to take a deep interest in what is happening at Hft, because you care about your relative – we want to ensure that you’re kept informed and know where to go or who to speak to when you have a question or request.
If you do have any questions about the support your relative receives, your local Hft service will likely be best placed to help.
If you have a question about the information or resources held on this section of our website however, please do get in touch.
Covid-19 (Coronavirus)
Protecting your family member – Covid-19 Coronavirus
We are aware that Covid-19, the coronavirus, will be of concern to you and your family, along with any measures Hft is taking to protect your relative at this time.
We have a Pandemic Response Committee in place, and we are reviewing our guidance on a daily basis, in line with government advice, which, as you are no doubt aware, is changing rapidly.
Our regions have created locally tailored business continuity plans, based on local requirements and the unique needs of the people we support, so for specific queries regarding your relative’s service, please contact the local support team.
Our concern, first and foremost, is for the people we support and our staff, so we are regularly communicating with our teams on the ground, to provide them with updated guidance on the best way to protect your family member during this outbreak.
Current guidance for families (23/7/2020):
Relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions
As you know, Hft’s Pandemic Committee has been closely following government guidance to inform our response to the threat of Covid-19. It is essential that we interpret and apply this guidance in a way that ensures the utmost safety of those we support and in ways which allow our services to continue to function effectively.
We understand that many of you have been unable to see your relatives for some time due to lockdown and shielding and that, with the ease of restrictions, many of you are eager to resume contact.
There are a number of things that make this complex. For instance, the need to continue with infection controls, and minimise exposure to the virus, for all the people we support in a service, as well as protecting their staff teams.
We also understand that some people we support are at greater risk due to certain health conditions, and that social distancing must always apply, which can be difficult for some people, and tricky in some locations.
Our colleagues have worked very hard to keep people safe, and minimise the spread of infection so far. So, it’s vital that at this crucial stage that hard work is not compromised by allowing ourselves to become complacent. Covid-19 is very much still active within the community, (with a potential upsurge in the winter months) and our teams are preparing to manage local spikes or even localised lockdowns where they arise.
For all these reasons, we cannot find a ‘one-size fits all’ solution.
Person-Centred approach
As with everything we do, we therefore believe that an individual, person-centred approach is the only option. So, in light of the relaxation of restrictions, we have been reviewing individual support plans and looking at how the guidelines will impact the day-to-day lives of each person we support. We have introduced an additional ‘Covid-19 support plan’ in each of our services so that we can identify an approach for each individual.
We are also working with our Local Authorities to follow their locally nuanced guidelines, some of which are very clear in the direction they would like us to take.
If you would like to discuss the person-centred plan for your relative, please contact your local service manager.
Thank you
Hft Pandemic Response Committee
Please see latest family factsheet below.