Accepting support requests

When a family sends you a support request, you will receive a notification. The request includes the family's message and basic information about their situation. You have the option to accept, request more information, or decline.

Reviewing a support request

From your Advocate dashboard, open the Requests tab. Each request shows:

• The family's message
• Their child's age and the stage they are at
• What kind of support they are looking for

Read the request carefully before responding. Consider:

• Is this a case type I have experience with?
• Do I have capacity to take this on?
• Is there a potential conflict of interest?
• Is the family's situation something I can genuinely help with?

Responding to a request

Accepting: if you are ready to take on the case, accept the request. This opens a message thread with the family and activates the connection.

Requesting more information: if you need more context before deciding, send a message asking specific questions. This does not commit you to accepting.

Declining: if you cannot take on this case, decline with a brief explanation. Where possible, suggest where else the family might seek support (another advocate, an organisation, IPSEA, SENDIASS). A gracious decline is better than silence.

Managing capacity

Do not take on more cases than you can serve well. When you are at or approaching capacity:

• Update your availability status to "Not currently accepting"
• Decline new requests promptly so families can look elsewhere
• Set a realistic timeline for when you expect to have capacity again

Overcommitting leads to poor outcomes for families and is one of the most common causes of poor reviews.