We were in shock when our daughter died. It was surreal. Then a friend who used INQUEST herself gave us your details. When we contacted INQUEST it was like a door was opened for us...the pressure was taken away from us. – Family member
An action plan is a way of organising the things you need to do and put an idea into practice. It is a way of being clear about what tasks are important, what support you need, and the best time to carry out each task.
You can use an action plan for almost anything, no matter how simple or complicated it is.
There are four key stages to action planning
- First of all you need to decide on your aim – what it is you want to get done. This could be anything from becoming more organised in your personal life to writing to your MP to holding a community event.
- Next decide what tasks you need to carry out to achieve your aim. List the tasks, including any information or resources needed for them.
- Next, work out what support would help you get things done. You might need information, advice or help from other people. Work out who can help and then contact them. They could be individuals like friends, family, INQUEST case workers and lawyers, or bereavement organisations, trade union representatives, church or faith groups etc.
- Finally you need to decide when you are going to carry out each task. It is useful to set yourself a deadline for each task, so you have targets to aim for. Work out when you can do things and how long they will take. Be clear about how much time you can set aside. If you are not sure about timing, talk about it to other people who can help.
You might want to get started by using the example below:
| What I want to get done | ||
| Tasks | Where to get support | Finished by (date) |
| Further information / notes | ||
Click here to download a copy of the “Action Planning” table as an editable WORD document.
