Build Trust Without Creating Dependence

Be warm and predictable and use skill building without crossing the line into personal relationships.

Relationships of support are important. When a worker listens and acts, they can establish safety, confidence and momentum.

Trust can be undermined when one worker is the only one who knows, when informal contact expands beyond scope or when work is regularly completed on behalf of, not with, the person.

Why this matters for support workers

Quality for support workers is measured in hundreds of little decisions taken in someone's household and community. Plan and consent are important, as are respectful language and observation, and a desire to stick to role. Consistency need not be rigidity if workers have an understanding of the purpose of a routine and the person can guide what support is provided.

What better coordination looks like

Healthy support is a blend of authenticity and reliability, and is transparent and focused on the individual's own abilities, relationships and team members.

Be dependable

Be ready, communicate changes early, keep suitable promises, and follow the support plan.

Share capability

Explain how the routine works, how another worker can support the person to lead, and how to share knowledge, so that it isn't kept by one person.

Build independence

Use the minimum support necessary to achieve success and acknowledge when support can be lessened or a skill can be practised.

Make the change last

A helpful change is specific, it can be practised, it is small enough to review. Coordinate who is going to take the first step, where to record the decision, and when to ask the person if it helped. Where multiple services are involved, clarify each portion of the approach individually, and don't assume that an agreement during the meeting means it will be operational during the event. Keep what's working, tweak what isn't working, and eliminate (or rethink) what no longer serves the desired result.

Questions for the next review

What would “be dependable” look like from the person's point of view?

What is resolved and what is unresolved, or is still a request?

What observable evidence will show whether this approach is helping the person and team?

Keep the boundary clear

Don't withhold information, give gifts or contact that breaks policy, make a relationship that is too exclusive or use language that implies that they can't function without you. Raise boundary pressures early with your supervisor.

A practical example

A worker was the only person accompanying someone to a weekly group. They developed a basic travel pattern and added a second worker over time. When the original worker left, the participant continued the activity.