Ecomaps

What is an an Ecomap?

An Ecomap is a visual tool used with children and families to illustrate and understand the various personal and social relationships in their lives. Unlike genograms, which focus solely on family connections, Ecomaps capture a wider network of social and support systems. They are strengths-based and most effective when created collaboratively with the individual or family.

Completing an Ecomap can strengthen your relationship with the child or family by encouraging joint discussion and exploration of existing support and the quality of those relationships. This process is particularly valuable when working with children or young people, as it helps them identify the types of support they have and what they may need. For those who feel isolated, an Ecomap can reveal who is already available to offer help, while also highlighting gaps in support. These insights enable practitioners to plan early interventions and provide targeted assistance.

Why use an Ecomap?

ANALYSE RELATIONSHIPS

This visual tool helps to examine the nature and intensity of various relationships which extend beyond just family connections.

Identify support and stress sources

Ecomaps can make it clear where support or stress sources can be found and highlight positive and negative influences which may not have been previously identified.

Provide overview of lived experience

Ecomaps offer a wide-ranging view of a child, young person or family’s interactions with their surroundings and overall engagement with their external environment.

Enable customised intervention

Ecomaps help to identify areas needing more resources or support and check for any overlap in services to ensure efficient assistance.

Creating an Ecomap

1. Start with the focus individual or family 
   Draw a large circle in the centre of the page and place the child or family at the centre.

2. Add surrounding relationships 
   Draw smaller circles around the central circle to represent key relationships—such as family members, friends, groups, organizations, or other significant people or factors in the individual’s life.

3. Connect relationships with lines 
   Use lines to link each smaller circle to the central circle. 
   • Line style: Different types of lines can indicate the nature of the relationship (e.g., strong, weak, stressful).
   • Line thickness: Thicker lines can show stronger or more intense relationships.

4. Show direction of influence 
   Add arrows to the lines: 
   • Double-ended arrows indicate mutual support.
   • Single-ended arrows show one-way influence or support.

5. Add brief notes 
   Include short descriptions or phrases near circles or lines to clarify or emphasize important details.

6. Date the Ecomap 
   Record the date of completion for future reference.

7. Keep it updated 
   Ecomaps are dynamic tools and should be reviewed and updated regularly to reflect any significant changes.

You can find Ecomap template here.

Example of Ecomap:

Source: Ecomaps: Guide For Social Workers, Examples and Templates - Free Social Work Tools and Resources: SocialWorkersToolbox.com

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