# 4. Supportive Conversation & Trust Assessment

Once it’s clear that someone wants to move forward, and we have at least one potential team member in mind, we arrange a face-to-face visit. 

This isn’t a formal assessment, it’s a supportive conversation. 

This is a chance to get to know the person properly, and to start building something that feels safe, clear and tailored.

This is also the point where we complete the **Trust Assessment**, which helps us understand what kind of risks or responsibilities need to be considered, and where trust needs to be built.

***

## Who this is for

A face-to-face visit is **required** when the support involves:

* Personal care (such as washing or dressing)
* Help with taking or managing medicines

For other types of support, the visit is optional — but it’s often still helpful in setting the tone and giving the person a chance to shape how their team will work.

***

## What we do in the Supportive Conversation

The Supportive Conversation is a guided but flexible process. It’s about co-creating a shared understanding of:

* What good support looks and feels like to the person
* What routines, relationships and rhythms matter day-to-day
* What kind of communication works best (and what doesn’t)
* What would help someone feel safe, respected and in control
* What’s important culturally, emotionally, or practically

We don’t treat this as a box-ticking exercise. It's about seeing the person in their context — and letting them shape the story from the start.

***

## Completing the Getting Support profile

From this conversation, the Team Starter creates a written **Getting Support profile**. This is a living document that describes how support should work, from the person’s point of view. It might include things like:

* Preferred ways to begin and end visits
* Health or mobility needs
* Approaches to mental wellbeing or sensory sensitivity
* Routines, rituals or triggers to avoid
* What helps them feel seen, heard, and respected

The profile is then reviewed with the person (or their chosen advocate), and **only shared with consent**.

***

## What the Trust Assessment is (and isn’t)

The Trust Assessment helps clarify where things could go wrong — and what needs to be in place to reduce that risk. But we approach it from a place of partnership, not suspicion.

It might include:

* Risks around lone working
* Clarity on mental capacity or safeguarding concerns
* Boundaries and expectations for team members
* Physical or emotional risks in the home or environment

It isn’t about denying support. It’s about understanding what’s needed to create safety — for everyone involved.

***

## Signing off

Before anything is shared with potential team members, we ask the person to:

* **Review** their Getting Support profile and Trust Assessment
* **Sign the Getting Support Promise** (a short agreement about how we work together)
* **Give consent** for these to be shared with their prospective team

This moment is about transparency and mutual respect. The person is in control of how their story is told and who it’s shared with.


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