Family Council Membership: What Makes A Good Family Council Member?
by Family Councils Ontario
Family Council success is strongly dependent on its members, so it’s important to consider not only Council membership as a whole (e.g. relevant legislation, recruitment planning), but also the individuals who make up your group.
We’re often asked: what makes a good Family Council member? While the answer to that question is unique to each individual Council, there are key traits that effective Council members have in common:
- Is a team player: Effective Council members are committed to the Council, reliable, and take an active role in doing the work required to undertake the Council’s mission, vision, goals, and activities. Team players follow through when asked to complete a task and support each other in a manner that is appropriate. Team
- Has a willingness to listen: Listening is at the core of effective team work. It is essential that Council members listen to what is being said by all people, even if they do not agree with the statements. It is also important to actively listen to understand, not just to respond.
- Is an active participant: Being an active, engaged member means committing to the Council, attending meetings whenever possible, being attentive, asking questions when necessary, and respecting the rules, processes and guidelines put in place by Council.
- Is respectful: Respect for all residents, families, staff, visitors, students, and others in the Home is integral to being a good Family Council member. It is essential that all members treat all people with respect and civility.
- Understands Council’s role in processing concerns: it is essential to understand the role of the Council in processing concerns. Individuals concerns should be handled through the Home’s complaints process, not the Family Council. Family Council processes collective or shared concerns. Councils can support members in handling individual concerns, but do not take them on as Council issues. Effective members understand and respect this difference.
- Is kind: effective Council members remember that each person they meet in the Home is unique, with skills, challenges, strengths, experiences, and journeys that may not be obvious and treat everyone with kindness. Good Council members treat people with kindness and assume the best of people until they know otherwise.
- Understand that LTC Home and the LTC system are complex: Effective Council members recognize that the LTC system and Homes are complex settings, seek to understand those complexities, are understanding when information cannot be shared with them (e.g. Human Resources decisions or other confidential information), seek to work with stakeholders to better the system within the current realities, and are optimistic about opportunities to improve the system as a whole.
- Has an awareness of and respect for diversity: LTC Homes are places where people from a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, needs, skills, desires, etc… come to live, work, and visit. Being aware of and respecting the various diversities of the people Council members come into contact with is essential.
- Is there for the right reason: Good Council members attend meeting and participate in the Council because they want to make the LTC Home a vibrant place where everyone thrives. They don’t seek to achieve a personal agenda or bring up resolved issues from the past. They work in collaboration with residents, families, and staff because they care about the Home.
Is there a trait missing from this list? Share your thoughts with us by email (info@fco.ngo) or on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/FamilyCouncilsOntario/).
Join us tomorrow, Thursday November 23rd 2-3pm, for our Family Council membership Webinar. Full details and registration here: https://www.fco.ngo/updates-and-events/updates/family-council-membership-webinar-november-23-2-3pm.