Preamble
BigDog Support Services Pty Ltd (BigDog) upholds the legal and human rights of all clients. This includes the right to receive services that protect and promote client’s safety, wellbeing, participation and choice whilst adopting suitable methods of communication and encouraging engagement with family, friends and the community.
1.1.1 Legal and Human Rights
Each client’s legal and human rights are understood and incorporated into everyday practice.
BigDog follows the ideals of the National Disability Strategy, which emphasises the importance of people with disability participating in decisions that affect their lives along with family, friends, carers and advocates. The strategy promotes active participation in decision making to safeguard and advance the human rights, wellbeing and interests of people with disability.
The Human Rights principles are:
• Respect for the inherent dignity, independence of persons and individual autonomy, including the freedom to make one's own choices
• Non-discrimination
• Full and effective participation and inclusion in society.
• Respect for difference and acceptance of persons with disabilities as part of human diversity and humanity.
• Equality of opportunity
• Accessibility
• Equality between men and women.
• Respect for the evolving capacities of children with disability and respect for the right of children with disability to preserve their identities; and
• Active partnerships between services and people with disability, and where appropriate, their families, friends, carers and/or advocates.
BigDog actively works to ensure that each client’s legal and human rights are upheld and respected through:
Complying with all legislation
Investigate any claims of human rights breaches in a timely manner.
Treating all individuals with fairness, without discrimination based on disability, race, gender, age, sexual orientation, religious belief, or any other characteristic.
Recognising and respecting the inherent dignity of every individual, ensuring that all interactions are conducted with respect and empathy. Encouraging and facilitating the participation of people with disabilities in decisions that affect their lives, promoting their inclusion in all aspects of society.
Accountability and Transparency: We are accountable for our actions and decisions, ensuring transparency in our operations and the services we provide.
Privacy and Confidentiality: We respect the privacy and confidentiality of all individuals, ensuring that personal information is protected and handled appropriately.
1.1.2 Communication
Communication with each client about the provision of supports is responsive to their needs and is provided in the language, mode of communication and terms that the client is most likely to understand.
BigDog recognises that for a client to have choice and control over their supports, they must be informed of all aspects of the support delivery.
For this to happen, BigDog: takes reasonable steps to educate and support workers to communicate in a form, language and manner that is accessible and appropriate for the client. Workers can use a range of communication tools to communicate with the people they support, using assistive technology and alternative forms of communication, such as email, text messages or symbols.
confirms that the client and their families, carers or advocates (where relevant) understands what has been explained and is aware of potential benefits and risks associated with any part of a proposed plan for the delivery of supports and services. responds to the will, preferences and concerns of the person with disability in relation to their supports and services and addressing requests or complaints where necessary.
where possible, provides consistent workers, so that they can build a good understanding of individual communication preferences and needs, particularly where an individual has complex communication needs. provides an option of an ‘easy read’ service agreement if this is required by a client.
The choices and decision making of clients is integral to successful participation in service delivery. Clients will be supported in having appropriate communication assistance to communicate their choices and decisions. This also extends to augmented and alternative communication methods.
Some of the different Person-Centred Thinking skills provide a framework for conversation, feedback and recording learning about what’s working and not working in relation to different goals a client might have as well as how to support them in a way that makes sense to them.
NGO Communication
This course will provide workers with an opportunity to check and improve the effectiveness of their communication skills. Both Verbal and Non-Verbal communication will be explored by breaking down exactly what leads to communication problems and what results to successful communication. Workers will also be introduced to communication aids.
After this lesson workers will be able to:
1. Define and explain effective communication
2. Describe the best practices for effective written and verbal communication
3. Understand how a person’s body language influences communication
4. Recognise some of the different Communication aids they will come across in their role.
Course duration: 29 minutes
1.1.3 Additional Supports
Each client is supported to engage with their family, friends and chosen community as directed by the client
BigDog recognises the role that services can play in enabling the contribution and inclusion of people with disability, and their valued participation in the community, including work and learning. BigDog actively supports and encourages individuals to connect with family and friends and to feel included in their chosen communities. This is based on the client’s interests, identity, heritage and aspirations over time. Importantly, the focus on ‘valued role’ needs to be one of the individual’s choosing. BigDog also works with the wider community to promote participation and inclusion.
BigDog acknowledges the importance of:
• promoting a valued role for people with disability in public and private life;
• connection to family, friends and chosen communities;
• economic and community participation and associated benefits to the individual and the broader community;
• participation based on an individual’s interests, identity, heritage, preferences, goals and aspirations (which may change over time); and
• the role of family, friends, carers, advocates and other organisations in promoting participation and inclusion.
Many BigDog clients may lack the opportunities to easily integrate with the community on a regular basis because of their disability, frailty, or other factors. BigDog undertakes to assist this process by helping clients develop and maintain social skills or fostering some activity in their lives that keeps them in touch with the rest of the community. Clients are involved in choosing how this is done. They are encouraged to search for or continue with a meaningful range of activities that gives them life choices.
BigDog services are designed and delivered in ways that offer clients opportunities for physical and social integration in the general community. Wherever practicable, clients will have access to the same places as the rest of the community, receive their services in community settings alongside other members of the community, and have the opportunity to socialise and build relationships with the wider community.
Procedures
Person-Centred
Talking with the client
Planning with the client
Focused on strengths, abilities and skills
Finding solutions that could work for anyone, preferably community based
Things are done that way because they work for the client
Family and community members are seen as true partners
Summary
Person-Centred Thinking
Service or System Centred
Talking about the client
Planning for the client
Focused on labels, diagnosis or deficits
Creating supports based on what works for people with ‘that diagnosis
Things are done that way because they work for the support workers or the service provider
Family members and community are seen as peripheral
Person-Centred Thinking skills were developed by The Learning Community for Person Centred Practices and are used to challenge us all to actively listen to the clients we serve and to those who know them best in order to understand what they want for their lives. This enables us to help support the client in ways that will increase their success at living as independently as they are able and allows them to contribute to the extent they choose to in their community.
BigDog produces information about our services and activities in a range of formats suitable for the full range of people who may need to access them. These include Brochures and Fact Sheet packs. General information about BigDog and our services and activities are available via publications, newsletters, and our website
Person-Centred Active Support
Within this course workers will get an in-depth understanding of what Person-Centred Active Support is. They will also learn how to use Person-Centred Active Support when supporting their client, how to provide the right amount of support and lastly we will share five strategies to ensure success.
After this lesson workers will be able to:
1. Know what Person-Centred Active Support is.
2. Apply the right amount of support.
3. Successfully apply Person Centred strategies when supporting your customer.
Course duration: 31 minutes
Person-Centred Practices
Person-centred practices are used by BigDog to ensure that the focus is on what matters to the clients receiving support and their families and pays attention to how to support staff as well.
A promise to listen
To listen to what is being said (verbal and non-verbal behaviour)
To keep listening
A promise to act on what we hear
To always find something that we can do today or tomorrow
To keep acting on what we hear
A promise to be honest
To let others, know that what they are telling us will take time
When we do not know how to help them get what they are asking for.
When what the person is telling us is in conflict with staying healthy or safe and we can’t find a good balance between important to and important for.
Supporting Documents
Policies
1.0 Rights and Responsibilities
1.1.2 Communication Policy
Forms
Client-Centred Description (Person-Centred Thinking)
My Donut Activity
One Page Profile
Information Sheets
Human Services Quality Framework October 2021 Version 8
NDIS Practice Standards November 2021 Version 4
NDP Person-Centred Approach
Service Information
NGO Training
Communication
Person-Centred Active Support
Legislation
Child Protection Reform and other Legislation Act 2022 (QLD)
Disability Services Act 2006 (QLD)
Disability Services and Inclusion Act 2023 (Cwth)
Human Rights Act 2019 (QLD)
National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013
NDIS (Provider Registration and Practice Standards) Amendment Rules 2021
NDIS Practice Standards and Quality Indicators
BigDog Support Services Pty Ltd (BigDog) is a registered NDIS provider and is required to apply the scheme’s practice standard and quality indicators.
The standards have been developed to create an important benchmark to assess provider performance and ensure that high quality and safe supports and services are provided to NDIS participants.
The four core modules are:
1.0 Rights and Responsibilities;
2.0 Governance and Operational Management;
3.0 The Provision of Supports; and
4.0 The Support Provision Environment.
1.1 Person-Centred Supports
Each participant accesses supports that promote, uphold and respect their legal and human rights and is enabled to exercise informed choice and control. The provision of supports promotes, upholds and respects individual rights to freedom of expression, selfdetermination and decision-making.
1.1.1. Each participant’s legal and human rights are understood and incorporated into everyday practice.
1.1.2. Communication with each participant about the provision of supports is responsive to their needs and is provided in the language, mode of communication and terms that the participant is most likely to understand.
1.1.3. Each participant is supported to engage with their family, friends and chosen community as directed by the participant.
Human Services Quality Standards
The Human Services Quality Standards set a benchmark for the quality of service provision. Each Standard is supported by a set of performance indicators which outline what an organisation is required to demonstrate to meet that standard.
3 Responding to Individual Need
The assessed needs of the individual are being appropriately addressed and responded to within resource capacity
3.1 BigDog uses flexible and inclusive methods to identify the individual strengths, goals and aspirations of people using services.
3.2 BigDog formulates service delivery that respects and values the individual (e.g. identity, gender, sexuality, culture, age and religious beliefs).
3.5 BigDog has a range of strategies to ensure communication and decision-making by the individual is respected and reflected in goals set by the person using services and in plans to achieve service delivery outcomes.
Delegation of Authority
Steven Paull Director
Courtney Carroll Director
David Burrett Operations Manager
Monique Paull HR Lawyer
Authorise review and implementation
Authorise review and implementation
Ensure information dissemination
Ensure compliance by workers
Version Details
This policy will be reviewed every twelve (12) months unless circumstances deem it necessary to review earlier. The review process will involve an analysis of the usefulness of the policy and to note any changes which are required to improve the policy. If minor changes are made in wording or to clarify the intent, the version number will indicate this by adding a ‘point’ i.e. Version 1.0 indicates the original version and 1.1 with the first round of minor changes made. A significant change or intent of the policy will be indicated by a whole new number i.e. Version 2.0.
The following rules also apply in interpreting this policy:
• Headings are for convenience only and do not affect interpretation.
• A singular word includes the plural and vice versa.
• A word that suggests one gender includes the other genders.
Date V Details
January 2021
January 2022
January 2023
January 2024
Front cover updated to Standards colour identification
Supporting Policies updated
5.1 Updated Responsible Officers details
Introduction of BigDog Training Portal and modules
5.2 Updated Responsible Officers details
The term “Participant” is returned to “Client” to allow for policies to cover NDIS and Child Safety.
6.0 Included Human Services Quality Standards and Child Protection Act and the term “Participant” is returned to “Client” to allow for policies to cover NDIS and Child Safety.
6.1 Disability Services Act 1986 replaced with Disability Services and Inclusion Act 2023 and policy review process included.