Relationships
are at the Heart of Everything We Do
"I
think my mother would be pleased
to know I am in good hands."
Person
at the Centre
What
This Element Means
Loving, caring
relationships are the key to a good life. Planning for the future
demands that we look beyond the practicalities of will and estate
planning to address the isolation that plagues so many of our relatives
with disabilities. When we do not, the consequences are grave. Without
friends and family, health suffers, choices are diminished and vulnerability
increases. Without caring relationships, people with disabilities
risk being cast adrift into an impersonal service delivery system.
Our emotional
and spiritual well-being is intertwined with the relationships we
create. Most of us cannot imagine a life with no one to share our
closest thoughts, dreams and fears with. Yet the truth is that people
with disabilities are frequently lonely and the most significant disabling
condition they face is their isolation.
In supporting
families to secure the future, we have created one of the oldest and
largest programs in the world to address the loneliness and isolation
of people with disabilities. PLAN focuses on creating caring committed
relationships within and across the organization. Our founders recognized
that PLAN will always be as strong as the relationships it has with
all its stakeholders. PLAN thrives on the quality of its "personal
network" as surely as our relatives do. PLAN's organizational health
depends on vibrant threads of connection between people at the centre,
families, staff, facilitators, network members, funders, volunteers,
associates and supporters.
To assess PLAN's
capacity to realize its investment in relationships, this Accountability
Report considered whether personal networks are making a difference,
how PLAN communicates with families, facilitators and people at the
centre, and the overall satisfaction with the quality of relationships
at PLAN.
The
Findings
(Percentages are based on the number of people who
responded to the survey)
1. Personal
networks are making a difference
32%
of PLAN networks are two years old or less
46% are
three to five years old
22% are
six years or older.
- People at
the Centre
100% (22 of 22)
like having a network
96% (22
of 23) report their networks help them make decisions
82% (17 of 21) report their networks help plan for the future
- Families
98% believe relationships form the foundation for a
safe & secure future
83% believe that with a personal network in place the quality of
their relative's life has improved
70% are satisfied with their relative's network
Families
identified that personal networks are making a difference by:
Providing companionship (61%)
Providing opportunities to meet other people (57%)
Helping to develop their relative's strengths and interests
(51%)
Supporting decision making (49%)
Monitoring programs and services (37%)
Two memberships
were terminated as the person at the centre passed away and three
were terminated for other reasons.
- Facilitators
97% believe the person at the centre's quality of life has improved
since having a network
91% believe the person at the centre's quality of relationships
have improved.
2. PLAN communicates
clearly about the roles and relationships among families, facilitators
and people at the centre
- People at
the Centre
98% (21 of 22) find their facilitator helpful.
- Families
97% feel comfortable contacting their facilitator
73% agree that for the most part PLAN communicates clearly about
roles and relationships
78% rate facilitator communication with the family as effective.
Facilitators
3% feel they have often met with unclear expectations from PLAN
28% feel they have often or very often met with unclear expectations
from families.
- Staff
100% (10 of 10) reported an overall clarity about their job description
and PLAN's expectations.
3. Overall
satisfaction with the quality of relationships at PLAN
- People at
the Centre
100% (22 of 22) have fun with their network
62% (13 of 21) say they have enough people to do activities with.
- Lifetime
Members
100% feel they are treated with respect and consideration by PLAN
staff
87% are satisfied with overall quality of the relationships they
have within PLAN.
- Facilitators
Range of 95 to 100% satisfaction with relationships with person
at the centre, family and network members.
- Staff
90% (9 of 10) say they are satisfied with quality of relationships
within PLAN
80% (8 of 10) feel they are treated with respect and consideration
by other PLAN staff.
Analysis
Overall, the data
suggest relationships are thriving amongst the key stakeholders of
PLAN. Personal networks are making a difference in a variety of ways
and it is clear that people at the centre are very happy with their
networks and facilitators. In the comments, however, some noted they
would like to have more people in their networks and would like to
see people more often.
Families strongly
indicate (83%) that personal networks have improved the quality of
their relative's life. However, a lower percentage (70%) is satisfied
with their network. Data suggest three plausible explanations. One
is a lack of clarity in communicating about roles and relationships.
Family rating of PLAN's effectiveness of communication in this area
is 73%. Facilitators echo this figure as 28% of them feel they have
met with unclear expectation from families. A second influencing factor
is likely the rate of facilitator turnover (35%). Lastly, the age
of the network (32% of networks are less than two years old) is likely
to impact a family's assessment of its impact and effectiveness. Normally
networks take two years before relationships are consolidated.
PLAN faces a challenge
in communicating about roles and relationships within networks. A
network is a living organism whose tone, activities and direction
are determined by the members and their evolving relationships within
it. Each network is unique, reflecting the particular hopes and wishes
of families and people at the centre. Expectations of networks are
often very high as families look to them to act in the parents' place
when they are no longer there. PLAN has learned it is impossible to
ever fully replace families but believes networks are the next best
thing.
All groups surveyed
indicate a high level of satisfaction with the overall quality of
their relationships at PLAN. Comments made by both facilitators and
staff indicate it is relationships that keep them at PLAN.
To more fully
explore this element in the future, it would be valuable for PLAN
to extend the scope of its audit to include network members.
Targets
for 2004
- 80% of families
will be satisfied with their network
- 80% of families
and facilitators will rate PLAN's communication about roles and
relationships as effective
- 75% of people
at the centre will report they have enough people to do things with
- Develop more
consistent documentation regarding goal attainment.
NEXT
ELEMENT
BACK
TO TOP
