Getting to Know the Person You’re Supporting

You don’t need to figure everything out straight away. Getting to know someone takes time.

You can use this as a guide in whatever way works best for the person and the way you support them.

Learn what matters to them

A good starting point can be finding out how the person likes to communicate and what helps them feel comfortable.

It’s okay for this to happen over time.

How do they communicate?

People communicate in different ways.

They might use:

How do they like people to communicate with them?

Some people prefer:

When it comes to physical touch

Everyone is different.

Some people prefer:

Preferences can also change depending on the activity or the day.

When being supported

Some people prefer workers to:

And what they may want can differ depending on the activity, the day and how they are feeling.

What helps them feel comfortable with a worker?

Examples might include:

What can make support harder?

Understanding this early can sometimes prevent stress later.

Things like:

When things aren’t going well

It can help to know what usually helps the person in those moments.

For example:

What does a good day with a worker look like?

For different people, a good day might include things like:

Knowing what someone enjoys and what they’re good at often makes support easier and more enjoyable for both of you.

Let support follow what you learn

As you spend more time together, you’ll naturally start to notice what works best.

Support often becomes easier once you begin shaping it around what matters to the person.