Bronwen Williams and Lorraine Morris describe the qualities and skills staff need to develop a successful partnership and how it helps in the delivery of family work interventions

For patients experiencing psychosis, family work is an effective and important intervention and it is recognised that two co-workers are needed for interventions to be successful. While the co-working relationship is identified as an essential factor in the effectiveness of family work, there is less detail available about developing and maintaining the co-working partnership, and the work required to do so. This article examines the co-working partnership, and discusses how to choose a co-worker and develop the relationship. It also explains how the principles of co-working can be used in other areas, such as early intervention teams.