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Everyday work practices and supported decision making

A document with a person talking to support worker. They have a speech bubble showing a tick and a cross.

In bulletin 17, we looked at supported decision making.

Someone supporting a person to read a document. There is a speech bubble above them with a tick and a cross inside of it.

Supported decision making is when someone supports a person with disability to make important decisions about their life and how they live.

A provider and a behaviour support practitioner holding a clipboard.

For example, a provider or behaviour support practitioner.

2 people looking at a document together. Next to them is a document.

Behaviour support practitioners work with a person to create a behaviour support plan.

This plan might include restrictive practices.

They follow the rules in our policy about restrictive practices.

In this bulletin, we just call them practitioners.

A person pointing to themself. Above is a document.

A behaviour support plan is a document that explains what support a person with disability needs.

A person pointing to themself with their hand raised. They have a speech bubble showing a tick and a cross.

People with disability have the same rights as others to:

  • make their own decisions
  • get support to make decisions
  • know what they want for themselves.

2 people looking at a document. One has a speech bubble showing a tick and a cross.

Providers and practitioners need to make sure they support people with disability to:

  • make decisions
  • do things the way they want to.

A thumbs up next to a person pointing to themself and smiling.

Supported decision making helps providers and practitioners make sure people with disability have choice and control.

What providers and practitioners can do

It’s important that providers and practitioners make sure that everyone in their organisation:

list with 2 items

2 people shaking hands below a rights icon which is a set of scales.

bullet respects the rights of people with disability

2 people having coffee together and talking. Both are smiling.

bullet has time to get to know the people they support.end of list

A document showing a person talking to support worker above a tick and a cross. The person has a speech bubble showing a tick and a cross.

Providers and practitioners can create rules about using supported decision making with people with disability.

A support worker writing on a clipboard. They have a thought bubble showing a person supporting someone.

They can make sure they think about supported decision making in all parts of their work.

Someone holding 3 different documents.

Providers and practitioners can collect information about when and how they use supported decision making with people.

A person writing on a clipboard. Above is a thumbs up and a problem icon which is an exclamation mark in a triangle.

This will help them check what:

  • works well
  • needs to be better.

2 people working together on a document.

Providers and practitioners should work with the person with disability to make sure the behaviour support plan includes what the person wants.

Supported decision making and behaviour support plans

A practitioner showing a document to 3 people standing behind a panel.

Practitioners need to show a Quality Assurance Panel how they worked with the person with disability and their supports to create the behaviour support plan.

A document above 2 people at a desk. One is using a computer.

A Quality Assurance Panel is a group of people who must:

  • check a behaviour support plan
  • decide if the restrictive practice can happen
  • follow the rules in our policy about restrictive practices.

2 people looking at a document, one has a speech bubble. Above is a restrictive practices icon.

Practitioners should also show how they supported the person with disability to:

  • understand the restrictive practices in their plan
  • have a say about the restrictive practices in their plan.

Someone writing on a document showing a person next to an open lock.

This can help providers:

  • use less restrictive practices
  • stop using restrictive practices.