Matching Support

Getting a good match between the person supporting and the person being supported - whether paid or unpaid - is crucial. The matching support tool is a simple way to record what is needed to create the best match.

It gives a structure to look at which skills and support and which people and characteristics match well together. The matching support tool has four sections. The first is the support that the person wants and needs. The next is the skills required to support them, followed by personality characteristics and finally shared common interests. The most important part of this is personality characteristics.

It helps you to think about the paid support that people want and need, to use either in matching to existing staff or for the person specification for recruiting staff or volunteers.

For many people it works better for them to be supported by different people for different things. For example if somebody is looking for a job, the support they need will be from a job coach and very different from when they want to go to the theatre or dancing and different again to the support they need to prepare meals or for personal care.