Assessment and Action

Addressing Money Management

Doing a budget will give a picture of where the family’s money goes, but it’s also important to understand the context of the family’s financial issues. As in any family support concern, the effectiveness of your assessment will depend on:

• How much do family members trust you?
  
• Do they believe you have a capacity to help?
  
• What external pressures are present?
  
• Is this a priority for them?

Topics to consider in assessing the money management context include:

• What is the family context?
  
  
• How has the family's current approach to money reflected life pathways and patterns?
  
  
• What are the family's money management strategies?
  
  
• What does the family want?