How Windermere’s Practitioner Coaching Framework strengthens families

“I feel I can now parent the way I want and my ADHD tendencies don’t set me back.”

A busy working mum of two boys, Tara enjoys a successful career in aged care while juggling the multiple demands of everyday life with her husband Ray. When her younger son Cody who has autism and ADHD, began displaying a change in behaviour, Tara knew she needed urgent support.*

Connecting to the right supports

Working in aged care, Tara understands all too well the ins and outs of caring for others. In her home life, her sons Clayton, aged 13 and Cody aged 11, make up a packed schedule which included Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy appointments for Cody.

A confident professional and a loving mum, Tara herself has ADHD and keeping track of schedules, appointments and dates often elude her. Meeting multiple demands in her day to day life left her overwhelmed, and she relied on others to remind her of her commitments.

When Cody’s school alerted Tara that he was displaying low self worth and expressing comments that raised serious concerns about his mental health, Tara was alarmed.

“I didn’t know what to do as he only had OT and Speech in his NDIS plan and all of a sudden he was going through this change in personality,” says Tara.

Tara was anxious to reach out for help and as recommended by the school, turned to The Orange Door for a referral. Tara requested for Windermere, as she had already been in touch with the not for profit to commence NDIS services for plan management, psychology and dietitian services for Cody.

“The first time I turned to Windemere, they took my concerns very seriously and the person who took my call was like a shining star. I cannot tell you how good she was. She did everything in her power to help me and my family and to relieve my anxiety. All the interactions I’ve had with Windermere have been positive,” says Tara.

Support that empowers

On the back of her positive experience, The Orange Door linked Tara with Windermere’s Integrated Family Services (IFS) for parenting support. IFS offers weekly visits with a practitioner who supports families using Windermere’s Practitioner Coaching Framework (PCF). The PCF helps build an individual’s strengths and capacity to problem-solve, break difficult cycles and overcome everyday challenges.

Tara’s practitioner worked with her to identify three main goals to better manage her day to day life. The first goal was to implement routines for Clayton and Cody and create more stability.

Her practitioner guided her through the six step framework. It aimed to better understand the problem, set goals, seek input from others in the family for solutions and explore the different ways to address the problem. Tara then created her own plans and resources to implement her strategy.

“It was so helpful. We would monitor how well something was being implemented to make sure we are all on the right track and how to deal with any ups and downs,” says Tara.
Her practitioner also guided Tara to stay on course and complete each step instead of skipping ahead.

“Previously, even though I’d know the problem and the solution, it wouldn't work because I hadn't gone through any steps to fully implement it. Now, I've worked through it slowly and I can apply what is right for everyone.”

Being able to organise herself to better support her family was another important goal for Tara.

“Life just gets away from me as I have trouble remembering things, but it’s not anyone else’s responsibility to remind me,” she says.

As Tara was gaining the confidence to rely on herself, she came up with her own solution. A text message system proved to be an effective work around for her lapses in memory and ensure she doesn’t miss important dates or appointments.

“As soon as I make any appointment, I immediately text Ray about it and then I can forget about it. At dinner time we sit together and he relays it back to me to add to my diary. Every night we check what’s on for the next day, so I’m always aware of what’s happening. It’s a system that works perfectly,” says Tara.

From the outset, Tara simply needed someone who would listen and help her formulate her own plans. At the time of reaching out for support, Tara was struggling to cope with limited amounts of energy. The coaching framework helped her find clarity and draw from her own strength and wisdom.

“It’s absolutely allowed me to see things from a different perspective. I always felt I had the tools, but something was always missing and my practitioner helped me bridge that gap to make it work,” Tara explains.

Strengthening the family

One of Tara’s main goals was to create stability in the family and she took her practitioner’s advice to involve the whole family to implement changes. Working with Ray and the boys to understand what’s best for everyone, she developed a wall roster structured for every night of the week.

“Before, Clayton and Cody didn't do anything. No chores. As mum, I’d do everything. We worked very slowly implementing a routine which included homework, minor chores, a set shower time and bedtime.”

As Cody often struggled with change, Tara designed it as a visual roster with pictures to keep him engaged. The roster was laminated to serve as a fixed reference for everyone.

“The routine is working really well and gives the boys rules to follow. Cody is a lot calmer when he knows what’s coming next and he’s more comfortable now and makes me feel more in control,” says Tara.

Meal planning was another aspect that also relieved the stress as Tara needed to prepare three different meals due to Cody’s limited diet. Planning ahead allowed Tara to share the meal prep time with Ray and work around their shift work.

“It’s been much easier to shop and plan for the week. Before it was a daily struggle to come home and rush to put a meal on the table,” says Tara.

By the end of the eight weeks of support, Tara was successfully completing tasks which a few weeks before would have been overwhelming to even consider. Tara found that having someone to validate her thoughts, the most useful.

“I feel like I can now parent the way I want and my ADHD tendencies don’t set me back. I have a way to break things down, do me and still be successful,” she says.

*Names have been changed to protect privacy.