ABSTRACT

This chapter demonstrates how families can also research their actions to find ways to enhance their happiness, growth and family life. It explores whether the latter can be encouraged through particular counselling processes. The service folder is the record of intervention and is owned by the client. Where possible it is written by clients, kept in their possession and individualised to suit their particular needs. St Luke’s holds a duplicate copy of the work the client undertakes with the agency. There should be no information stored on the agency file that is not also in the client’s service folder. A report was produced and circulated within the agency to inform internal training and professional development. Service folders had been introduced into the agency in 1998, more than two years before the research was undertaken. An important principle guiding any research conducted by St Luke’s incorporates the commitment to ensuring that all those involved in research should benefit from the process.