This is an excellent opening for a rich discussion!
- This discussion can help you understand your service user’s perceptions of where they are and their needs, and help your service user be realistic about where they are and what they need to do to achieve their goals.
- The disagreement may be a result of you thinking that the service user is doing better than they do. If this is the case, explain why you feel that way. They may appreciate this encouragement.
- The disagreement may be the other way round – the service user may feel they are doing significantly better than you do. In the early steps of the scale, the service user is likely to be less self-aware and this can result in a higher personal rating. There may also be a honeymoon period when a client joins a new project when they may be very positive about their life.
- In either case, listen to their arguments – you may have missed something!
- If, following discussion, you and your client still disagree, then both scores can be recorded on the form.
- If the client and worker scores are both used, we recommend that it is the worker's scores that are input into the database and used to collate and analyse the data across the service. The client can choose whether or not to engage meaningfully with the scores on the Star; the worker has a duty of care so cannot choose.
Author: Triangle Consulting for the London Housing Foundation
Updated: 2 January 2008