Contact with families

The more parents and carers can be involved, the better the outcomes for siblings are likely to be. Families are there for siblings when the group has long finished; if they are aware of the purpose of the sessions, they are more likely to support the progress that siblings have made in the groups. Group leaders need to maintain a balance between parents and siblings needs. Parents need information about the group; siblings need to be free to express feelings openly in the group, especially the negative ones, without worrying about them being reported home. Be clear with parents and siblings about the type of information that will be passed onto families.

Before you invite individual siblings to a group you will need to visit them at home with their families. You will get to see their personal circumstances, identify their key needs and build rapport with them before the group. Visits are essential so that you can decide if a group will be right for the sibling. Allocate 90 minutes to allow time with the sibling and parent. Parents will want to feel confident about the group before you speak to the child. A lot of the discussion with parents can be done by phone, or by visiting before the child gets home from school.

The functions of the home visit are:

To obtain fuller information about the whole family
To assess the need (if this is one of your requirements)
To clarify expectations about the group.
To give the sibling a clear picture of what the group will involve
To introduce the sibling to one of the staff, so they will be certain of knowing at least one person when they come (photos of other leaders could be useful)
To give the parents a clear understanding of the group and what it can achieve
To get consent forms signed.
To collect evaluation data

During the home visit:

Introduce yourself and explain about the work you do supporting siblings

Talk to the sibling about themselves( hobbies, school, etc)

If a group is appropriate to this child give him/her a leaflet about the group, encourage questions about the group, and give information about the first session and date. Discuss who else will be coming to the group and who the leaders will be. If the group is not appropriate, explain what other support you can give.

Discuss confidentiality – how much will be reported back to parents! It is important that the sibling is free to express their feelings about problems at home without worrying that it will be reported, but there may be issues which have to be discussed with parents.

Ask the sibling to fill in a This is my life form

Offer written and verbal information about the group

Obtain information from the parent about how he/she feels disability impacts on sibling, both positively and negatively

Check on the sibling's age and characteristics

Talk to parents about the type of information that will be discussed in the group and that their child will learn more about the condition their brother or sister has. If there are things about the condition that they have not told a sibling (e.g. that it is life limiting), a sibling may pick this up from another child in the group. You will need permission from parents to answer siblings' questions honestly and factually. Encourage parents to talk about disability in an open and honest way, prior to group attendance.

Clarify with parents that the group is only a supplement to what they as parents provide, not a substitute

Complete consent form for attendance, transport arrangements, emergency medical attention, specific activities, sharing of information about the sibling's disability, and taking photographs. See Consent form

Send a programme of activities to the parents. Parents often comment that siblings have enjoyed the group but they do not have any idea of what happened in it.

Families may be able to clarify any issues that siblings raise during the sessions

Siblings may appreciate workers taking on the role of an impartial intermediary between themselves and their parents/ carers if they have issues that they wish to address

If you are transporting siblings this is a good time to pass on small bits of information, especially praise about how they have been in the group. Beware of leaving other children alone in the car while you have a long chat though.

During the group

Make a call to families after the fourth or fifth session. This can be very helpful if there is no chance to talk when picking up/dropping off, or if there is a need to talk in a bit more privacy

After the group

Visit the family at the end of the group to undertake evaluation See Evaluation

Some sibling group leaders write a report on sibling progress to show parents/ carers. The content of the report should be agreed with siblings before workers share it with families.

Back to Sibling Group Leader Manual contents