This leaflet explains what happens at family meetings within secure care services. Family meetings offer a safe, supportive space for families to talk with staff, share concerns, and explore ways to move forward together during a loved one’s mental health care.
When someone is admitted to hospital with mental health problems, it affects not just them, but also those who care about them – including partners, relatives, close friends, and important others.
Family meetings provide a chance for you to discuss the situation with a staff member in a relaxed setting. These meetings focus on identifying people’s strengths and exploring new ways to tackle challenges and move forward.
Family meetings help families to:
- Support members facing stress
- Use each other’s knowledge and experience
- Share ideas and information
- Collaborate on new ways to understand and tackle problems
- Talk about future plans and hopes
Staff who meet with you understand that distress in personal and family lives often stems from social injustices. So, we aim to work in a way that acknowledges the impact of gender, age, race, culture, ethnicity, religion, sexuality and disability.
The family meetings will be hosted by a member of staff.
The meetings let staff and families discuss concerns together. They aim to create a relaxed and safe space. This environment helps families think differently and find new ways to address their challenges.
Every family’s situation is unique, so there isn’t a set agenda. Typically, family meetings last about an hour. There may be just one meeting or several, depending on what the participants need and prefer.
No paperwork is required, and there are no specific questions. It’s just a conversation about what matters to your family.
It helps when the whole family or those concerned come together. However, it’s important that no one feels pressured to join. The meetings can still be very useful even if not everyone is there.
The location of the family meeting will be agreed by you and the care team when arranging the meeting.
In general, what you say in the meeting stays private. We will discuss any exceptions with you. In rare cases, if there are serious concerns about someone’s safety, we must share this information with the right professionals.
Please ask if you have any worries about confidentiality.
Please speak to any member of nursing staff on the ward who will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Further information about the family meetings is available on the Association for Family Therapy website, along with a copy of the Professional Code of Ethics that staff adhere to.
Website: www.
If you want to make a comment, suggestion, compliment or complaint you can:
- talk to the people directly involved in your care
- ask a member of staff for a feedback form, or complete a form on the Trust website www.cntw.nhs.uk/contact/complaints/
- telephone the Complaints Department Tel: 0191 245 6672
- email complaints@cntw.nhs.uk
We are always looking at ways to improve services. Your feedback allows us to monitor the quality of our services and act upon issues that you bring to our attention.
You can provide feedback in the following ways:
- the quickest way for you to do this is to complete our short online survey at www.
- complete a Your Voice survey, available on wards, reception areas or from staff
- other options for sharing your feedback and experience www.
Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
PALS provide confidential advice and support, helping you to sort out any concerns that you may have about any aspect of your or your loved ones care.
We act independently when handling patient and family concerns, liaising with staff, managers and, where appropriate, relevant organisations, to negotiate prompt solutions. If necessary, we can also refer patients and families to specific local or national-based support agencies.
PALS
Tel: 0800 032 0202
Email: pals
Post: FREEPOST PALS
South of Tyne
Tel: 0800 328 4397
Text: 07825 061 035
Email: pals@
Post: Patient Advice and Liaison Service, Garden Lodge, Hopewood Park, Ryhope, Sunderland, SR2 0NB
9.00 am – 4.30 pm, Monday to Friday
An answerphone is available at all times for you to leave a message. A member of the PALS team will aim to return your call as soon as possible.
Further information about the content, reference sources or production of this leaflet can be obtained from the Patient Information Centre. If you would like to tell us what you think about this leaflet please get in touch.
This information can be made available in a range of formats on request (eg Braille, audio, larger print, easy read, BSL or other languages). Please contact the Patient Information Centre on telephone 0191 246 7288.
Published by the Patient Information Centre
2025 Copyright: Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
Ref: PIC/935/0725 July 2025 V1
Website: www.
Review date 2028