Workbook - Careerforce · 2018-07-01 · Welcome to this workbook for unit standard 23382: ... 4 growing in relationships. 5 having the dignity of valued social roles. These five

Workbook

Support a person to participate as a member of the community in a health and disability setting

US 23382

Level 3 Credits 3

Name:

Careerforce – Issue 2.0 – Jul 2014 US23382 Support a person to participate as a member of the community . . . 3

Contents

Before you start ................................................................................................................ 4

What is community participation?..................................................................................... 7

Background to community participation ........................................................................... 8

Supporting community participation ............................................................................... 12

Putting it into action ........................................................................................................ 20

Monitor and record progress .......................................................................................... 32

Evaluating ...................................................................................................................... 34


Before you start

Welcome to this workbook for unit standard 23382:

Support a person to participate as a member of the community in a health and

disability setting.

For this unit standard you will have:

this workbook.

an assessment.

In this workbook you will learn more about:

what community participation is.

supporting community participation.

community resources.

putting community participation into action.

How to use this workbook

This is your workbook to keep. Make it your own by writing in it.

Use highlighters to identify important ideas.

Do the learning activities included throughout this workbook. Write your answers in

the spaces provided.

You might find it helpful to discuss your answers with colleagues or your supervisor.

Finish this workbook before you start on the assessment.


Workbook activities

Learning activity

You will come across learning activities as you work through this

workbook. These activities help you understand and apply the

information that you are learning.

When you see this symbol, you are asked to think about what you

know. This may include reviewing your knowledge or talking to a

colleague.

When you see this symbol, it gives you a hint, tip or definition.

The glossary and study hints book has study hints for

all trainees. It also explains key words and phrases

from the compulsory unit standards for Foundation

Skills and Core Competencies.

You can download it from www.careerforce.org.nz or

order it from http://shop.careerforce.org.nz


Check your knowledge

Think about community participation

What is it that makes you feel part of a community?

Why is community participation important?

What are the skills you need to support someone to be an active member of their

community?


What is community participation?

Community participation is about being involved in the social life of the community

through a network of personal relationships. A community has two parts:

1 the physical community – where people are, work and live.

2 the social community – where people are involved in the activities of the community.

“Community is not a location – it is about groups of people and their lives and includes

a sense of belonging or being accepted. Non-disabled people move between different

communities, which reflects different aspects of life. It’s an essential component of living

a socially valued and ordinary life.”

From: To Have an Ordinary Life. www.nhc.health.govt.nz

However you define the term ‘community participation’ it has to do with the interaction

between people. Even the most modern communities (such as online) are all about

interaction. So, feeling part of a community is about relationships and interaction. Thus,

deliberately helping people build connections with others is a key task of supporting

people with disabilities or people with reduced abilities, for example when getting older.

Some of the things that contribute to participation in the community are:

1 sharing ordinary places and activities.

2 making choices.

3 contributing.

4 growing in relationships.

5 having the dignity of valued social roles.

These five aspects, developed by the

international theorist John O’Brien, lead to

inclusion and participation. If people are to be

included in their communities then it is

important to focus our support on the five

areas – either encouraging people to do those

things themselves, or providing support so

that they can.

Community participation should not be treated

as a special ‘activity’ that is scheduled into a

person’s life, but should be an ongoing way of

living. As much as possible all activities

should take place in ordinary places, people

should always be encouraged and supported

to make choices and to contribute in whatever

they are doing, to develop relationships and to have valued roles to play.

To meet this in full can be challenging for support workers and organisations that support

people. However, we should do our very best to get it right, so that the people we

support can live full and happy lives.

http://www.nhc.health.govt.nz/


Background to community participation

“For much of the 20th century in most western countries, people thought that the best

way to care for those with a learning disability was to place them in institutions,

separated from society.

In the second half of the century … institutions began to close, and people were moved

to large group residential houses or hostels, then into four and six-bedroom group

residences. By the end of the century only one large institution was left in Aotearoa,

New Zealand.”

from Seeking Community: he ngakau aata kitea: living with a learning disability.

“At 21, the welfare people stopped looking after me. I suppose I had nowhere else to go

so I was given a choice of a hospital in Wellington or Nelson. I didn’t know what they

were talking about and thought I must have been sick.”

Murray Priest, from Breaking Barriers: IHC’s first 50 years.

“In the community, instead of being ignored, denied, hidden, or changed, human

differences are celebrated as gifts.”

from The Different Drum.


Important reference documents

There are several reference documents and websites that explain and outline what is

expected of agencies and organisations to support people to participate in the

community. These include:

Ministry of Health. (2001). The New Zealand Disability Strategy. Making a World of

Difference. Whakanui Oranga. Wellington. www.odi.govt.nz

Ministry of Health. (2008). Health and Disability Services Standards. Wellington.

www.health.govt.nz

National Health Committee. (2003). To Have an Ordinary Life. www.nhc.health.govt.nz

NZ Health and Disability Commissioner. (Code of Health and Disability Services

Consumers’ Rights) Regulations 1996 (The Code of Rights). www.hdc.ord.nz

The New Zealand Federation of Vocational and Support Services Inc. (VASS). Best

Practice Guidelines. www.nzvass.org.nz

Remember also your organisation’s policies and procedures, especially those related to

individual planning, risk management, or support plans.

Recommended reading

Here are some publications that are recommended reading for gaining a greater

understanding of assisting people to integrate into the community.

Peck, M. Scott. (1998). The Different Drum. Self-published.

Busch, Glenn. (2007). The man with no arms and other stories. Lyttleton: Dinard Press.

People First. (2007). Seeking community: he ngakau aata kitea: living with a learning

disability. Standards Plus.

Millen, J. (1999). Breaking Barriers: IHC’s first 50 years. Wellington: IHC New Zealand.


History timeline of changes

1800 Families were expected to provide for people with disabilities, and there was

no government-funded support.

1854 Institutions were established for people with mental illnesses, to provide custody

and prevent offences of ‘dangerously insane’ people, and care and maintenance

of ‘persons of unsound mind’. These people were initially housed in jails and later

in designated institutions.

Early

1900’s Growing medical knowledge and technical advances of the time increased the

emphasis on medical treatment, rather than social inclusion, of people with

disabilities.

1930s The invalids benefit was introduced for those permanently unable to work and the

sickness benefit for those temporarily experiencing ill health.

1940s The general population became increasingly aware of mental illness and physical

impairments when soldiers came back to New Zealand after the world wars.

There was a need for better services, including psychiatric treatment,

physiotherapy and plastic surgery. Rehabilitation into society was emphasised. It

was argued for the first time that people with disabilities should have the same

rights as others.

1950s/60s People started to question whether large institutions were good or useful.

Groups, such as IHC in particular, set up day care centres, occupational groups

and residential homes.

1960 Sheltered employment opportunities for people with disabilities began with the

Disabled Persons Employment Promotion Act 1960.

1970s The Government acknowledged people’s rights and the importance of being part

of a community. The government started to fund small residential facilities.

1980s De-institutionalisation, people moved from institutions into the community.

Government support for community-based services increased.

2000s The government developed the New Zealand Disability Strategy.

2010 Supporting people with disabilities to lead an ‘ordinary life’, as much as

possible.


The move from institutional thinking to community membership

Adapted from: To Have an Ordinary Life


Supporting community participation

Many people with disabilities have lives that focus on the services that they use. This can

lead to people becoming isolated from their communities and only having social

connections with family members, other people with disabilities, or paid support workers.

A support worker can help to maintain existing relationships by encouraging the person

they support to keep in contact with their friends, for example, writing letters, sending

emails.

As people age and their family are no longer as available, they are in danger of losing

their social contacts. Being an active member of a community helps people to feel part of

something, to be able to contribute and therefore be valued and feel valuable, and have

fun! This can help increase self-esteem and enjoyment of life. It can help prevent people

from becoming isolated and lonely, two problems that are common for people who have

limited social networks. Some common themes are captured in quotations given.

“Putting residents in a van, driving them to the shop, getting them to wait in the van while

you buy ice-creams, eating the ice-creams in the van, and then driving home, is not

community participation.

from To Have an Ordinary Life.

Supporting community participation is about:

visibility, normalisation and acceptance.

ensuring participation.

promoting relationships.

knowing what resources are available.

accessing resources.

having the right support at the right time.

having choices.

helping to create an inclusive society.

providing equal opportunity.

The benefits of community participation include:

feeling valued.

having a wide circle of contacts and friendships.

being valued for playing a particular role.

having other people look out for you.

not feeling isolated.

access to a range of local services.

improved self-esteem.

better mental health

less likelihood of exhibiting challenging behaviour.


Growing relationships

Maintaining relationships makes

people feel valued, increases

self-esteem and gives enjoyment.

Relationships/friendships/contacts

make us feel we are part of a

community. It is this aspect of

community participation that is the

measure of success for most

people, whether they have a

support need or not. For example, people who move to a new city often only feel

‘at home’ in their new place once they have developed a circle of friends in the local area

– until then people often feel lonely and isolated.

“We live in the community but don’t feel part of it.” This is a sentiment echoed by many

adults with intellectual disabilities in the publication To Have an Ordinary Life.

What a support worker can do

Network, network, network – the more people you know in the community, the better you

will be able to help people to build their own networks.

You might need to purposely introduce yourself and the person you support to particular

individuals or groups, so that they become known and the person you support can start

to participate.

Introduce people in ways that gives information about their strengths, not their difficulties.

Help people to maintain existing relationships. For example, support people to send

birthday cards, make regular phone calls or send an email, or help with arrangements to

meet others.

Help people identify who they would like to get to know better and facilitate the

relationship where necessary. For example, you may need to help people to stay in

touch, extend an invitation for a coffee, or make a phone call.

Keep records of who is in the person’s network, their contact details (as appropriate) so

that the people you support can maintain contact with their networks into the future.

People with disabilities may lose contact with friends because details aren’t recorded, or

the knowledgeable support worker changes jobs.

Teach skills so the person can build and maintain the relationships that they develop.

Some people may not have well-developed skills in this area.


Having the dignity of valued social roles

“It is through sharing ordinary places that we become known in our communities. Most

people are known as students, co-workers, parents, friends, sports people, and club

members, neighbours, volunteers and so on. In these roles they contribute to

communities and meet others who share their interests. Some people they meet become

their friends, and through them their lives are enriched.” John O’Brien.

Having ‘a role’ has double value. It is usually valued by the person who holds the role,

and also helps others to see the person in a positive light and be ’valued’ and ‘valuable’

to others. This in turn increases self-esteem, sense of belonging, and happiness.


Help the people you support to identify their strengths and the roles that they could play

in existing and new situations. Often the people we support are already using ‘ordinary

places’ but don’t feel ‘part of the community’. Taking on a role can be a way to do this.

Some roles could be adapted so that the person

you support could do them, for example, someone

might be able to take a turn on the morning tea

roster at their church if they had the right support,

and someone else might be able to collect money

at the school car-wash fundraiser even if they

could not physically wash the cars.

Find out what is required of a role, so that you can

help the person you support to prepare or practice.

Help the people you support to fulfil these roles –

encourage and provide support as required.


Making choices

Choices can be small choices (such as what to eat for lunch, what clothes to wear to the

movies, or what time to catch the bus to the rugby game), or big choices (such as where

to live, who to live with, what job to do, when to retire). People need to have the

opportunity to make the small choices as well as the big choices. Making choices

improves community participation because:

it gives people a chance to have their say and participate in the ways that they

want. This makes it more likely they will want to take part and want to do it again.

it ensures that the people you support are able to stand up for themselves when

required (empowerment).

it’s a way for people to show their character and personality, and more easily meet

similar people.

a person’s choices can give us clues about the types of activities and situations that

they would like to do more of.


Give the people you support opportunities to make choices about all of the things that

influence their lives

Provide them with the information they need to make informed choices.

When people are not able to make their own choices, make sure that someone who

knows them well and can advocate for them is involved in the decision making.

It’s hard for people to make choices about significant things,

if they have never been given choices about small things.


Community resources

There are many community resources that offer support to people with and without

disabilities. Some of these are included in the following list.

Total Mobility scheme offers parking permits so that people can legally use accessible

parking spaces. This can make the community easier to access. Contact your local CCS

Disability Action for more information. www.CCS.disability/mobilityparking

Maps highlight where there are accessible car parks, toilets, or facilities in the

community. For example, Wellington City Council has one available on their website, as

well as information on accessible accommodation options (motels and hotels) for people

visiting the city.

Discount cards make community activities more affordable for people with disabilities or

limited incomes. For example, Christchurch City Council offers the ‘Kiwiable’ card, which

provides discounts to many activities and services.

Disability Information and Advisory Services (DIAS) in your local area will be able to

provide information on issues such as public transport options, accessible eateries,

discounts, and directories. www.health.govt.nz

www.weka.net.nz is a government run website that contains information on all aspects

of disability and support – it has links to regional disability information centres.

Yellow Pages is a directory of businesses, organisations and services. This can be a

good place to search for information on what is available in your community.

www.yellowpages.co.nz

Citizens Advice Bureau is in most main cities and towns. Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)

staff are able to help with enquiries about the local community and services – or point

you in the right direction if they are unable to provide assistance. To find a CAB near you

go to www.cab.org.nz

Internet is also a great resource for finding out what is available in the community.

Find out what else is available in your community.

“People with a learning disability are still outsiders, their communities remain closed to

them. Very few belong to sports clubs, craft groups, or service clubs. Many Maori remain

in isolation from their marae. These places where people become known, make friends

and take part in the community life remain out of reach.”

from Seeking community: he ngakau aata kitea: living with a learning disability.

http://www.ccs.disability/

http://www.weka.net.nz/

http://www.yellowpages.co.nz/


What a support worker can do Comments

When activities can take place in community environments

(rather than segregated environments) make sure that

they happen. Shop at the local supermarket, use the local

library, go to the local pool, join a sports team instead of a

segregated club, use a supported employment service and

get a regular job in the community.

Being physically in the

community makes it easier

to develop connections.

Know the community – know what activities and services

are available and who can help you or give information.

Either get to know the

community yourself or find

someone who already

knows it.

Local, regular, and targeted – doing things locally, often,

allows people to ‘bump into’ people locally and start to

build a connection over time. Going on ‘outings’ might

provide an experience but does not build community

membership.

Your local council might

have information about

discounts or schemes to

help people with

disabilities.

Help open the door – familiarity helps people break down

barriers about people with disabilities. Provide enough

support so that unskilled community members don’t have

to take on more than they can handle – later you might not

need to offer so much support.

Contact the local DIAS for

information on community

resources.


Sharing ordinary places and activities

Here are some places and activities you might consider when assisting the person you

are supporting to meet other people.

Cafes, bars, restaurants.

Museums and art galleries.

Sports clubs, sporting fixtures.

Picture theatres and concert venues.

Swimming pools, gyms.

Library.

Church, temple, mosque.

Shops, malls, markets.

Parks, walkways, beaches.

Schools, polytechnics and universities.

As an example, here are some activities that people can do at a park or on a walkway.

Walk.

Exercise.

Play games.

Take photos or paint a picture.

Collect things such as stones, leaves etc.

Meet friends.

Have a picnic or BBQ.

Read.

Relax in the sun.

Feed the ducks.


Learning activity

Think about a person you support and answer the following questions.

What ‘ordinary places and activities’ does the person you support participate in?

What community resources do they use?

How do they choose what they do?

Who do they have relationships with because of these activities that they would not have

otherwise?

How does this participation make the person feel valued?

How does participating in the community enable the person to live a ‘full and happy life’?


Putting it into action

Now that you know why community participation is important it is time to explore how to

plan for it and make it happen.

Remember that many people with disabilities have had some negative experiences of

community participation. Sometimes this is because careful planning hasn’t taken place,

the wrong environment was chosen, the person was ‘thrown in’ without the skills they

needed to participate, or they weren’t given the support they needed. This can lead to

people being worried, sticking to their comfort zone, not wanting to try new things, or

being less motivated to try again. For these reasons it is really important that you plan

your support well, to avoid negative experiences for the people you support.

Being an active member of a community means ‘giving’ (contributing something) as well

as ‘receiving’ (using services, resources).

Encourage the people you support to do something for others, so that a mutual

relationship is developed.

Encourage the people you support to do things that benefit individual community

members and/or the whole community – for example, community improvement days

replanting trees, neighbourhood watch.

Emphasise what people can contribute and encourage people to make use of their skills

so that they are seen in a positive light.

Making a contribution improves a person’s participation because:

other people notice the person, value them, and are more likely to invite them to

participate next time.

the person will probably get positive feedback about their contribution, which makes

them want to continue.

it’s a way to build long lasting relationships and connections within the community.

it’s a way to be seen in a positive light and alter the way that people might think

about others with disabilities.

If you have completed the unit standard about learning plans

(US 23383) you will already know how to help the person you

support develop their goals into a plan. You can use the same

process to support someone’s goals in the community.


There are many aspects to consider. It can be helpful to have a table or chart to fill in.

Name: Date:

Key support person:

Person’s learning outcome (goal

or aspiration), choices and

abilities.

Community environment.

Name the environment(s) where

the plan will be implemented.

Resources required. Costs,

aides, equipment, transport.

Adaptations. Outline any

adaptations required to make the

activity achievable for the person.

Learning/teaching strategies.

List specific learning strategies

required, eg encouragement,

teaching (learning one step at a

time, whole task), how to provide

feedback.

Preparing the individual.

Changes to the environment,

making the situation easier.

Exit plan. Describe how to leave

the environment if required.

Possible risks and management

strategies. List possible risks and

what will be done to lessen or

eliminate them.

Other. List any other relevant

factors or support requirements.


Identifying aspirations

Information about a person’s wishes and aspirations can often be found in their support

plans. There is usually a section where the person explains what they want for their life,

their general goals or dreams, and what is important to them. However, it is also

important to make sure that information is up to date – people’s aspirations change over

their lifetime and what someone is interested in as a child is usually different to their

interests and aspirations as an adult. Community participation is still an important part.

There are probably many things that a person is interested in which are not recorded in

their support plan. Some of the people you support will be able to tell you what they are

interested in doing or learning. There will be other people you care for who are not as

able to explain this. Involve the family/whānau and the person’s friends to help you to

identify the person’s aspirations and wishes. Support workers and staff often know the

person well.

Take into account:

what the person likes and doesn’t like.

their interests.

things like activities, situations and experiences that would make a positive

difference to their life.

Sometimes dreams, aspirations and wishes may not be realistic or achievable, just as

our own dreams and aspirations are not. With discussion, support, analysis and creativity

the support team (including the person you support) will be able to find realistic starting

points that are related to the person’s aspirations and wishes. Consider the level of

support. Remember that one person may need assistance to do a task, whereas another

just may need a reminder and can then do it themselves.


Keep promises.

Encourage the person so their self‑esteem and confidence develops.

Let the person stay in control.

Be flexible with options.

Promote independence.

Have a ‘can do’ attitude.

Believe in community participation.


Know the person you support

Because everyone is an individual, everyone has different support needs. It is important

to find out about the person so that you know what is going to work best for them.

Consider the following.

What helps them to participate easily?

For example, do they like to do things on their own and use you as a ‘back-up’ if

required, would they like you to help introduce them to new activities and then leave, do

they want you to stay with them as a support for the whole time, do they like a place to

be quiet so that they can concentrate and hear other people, do they need time to get

used to something new? Find out what makes participating easiest for them and try to

include those factors in their support plan.

What makes participating difficult for them?

Try to avoid the things that make participating difficult or find a way to adapt/change a

situation to lessen the difficulty. For example, a noisy environment might be a problem

for someone, someone else might get tired easily if an activity is very physical, and

another person might find it hard to work with a particular person that they don’t get on

with.

What time of day do they have the most enthusiasm and attention?

This is a good time to try something new. Try to avoid the times of day when someone is

tired.

How long can they stay focused for?

You need to know how long someone can stay focused or actively involved, and make

sure that you don’t expect too much. If the activity takes too long the person may get

frustrated, stop paying attention, or not want to take part next time.

What motivates them?

It’s good to know what encourages someone and makes them want to do things – you

can use this to help them.

What frustrates them?

Try to avoid the things that make someone so frustrated that they want to quit.

Participating and trying new things is supposed to be fun, not a chore.

Is there anything specific about their condition that you need to consider?

For example, someone who uses a wheelchair might need you to make sure that any

tables used are at the right height, someone who has autism might need to know exactly

what to expect during an activity so that they don’t feel anxious.


To find out this information you can:

ask the person you support to let you know what works for them – some people will

be easily able to tell you this information, and will probably be more motivated to

take part if they have been included.

look in their individual plan or file.

ask others who know the person well what has worked well in the past. Support

workers and staff often know the person well.

look at previous plans to find out what strategies worked well and what didn’t.

observe the person doing their everyday activities and take note of how they

approach tasks, and what seems to work well for them.

involve the family/whānau and the person’s friends.

And remember:

you need to have a positive attitude so that you can encourage the people you

support to take risks and have a go.

remember that the people you support might have had bad experiences of being in

the community or trying new things – they might need their experiences to be

extra–fun before they will take part.

develop a good relationship with the people you support and be respectful. People

lose confidence if they feel intimidated, anxious, or unhappy.

stop if frustration creeps in – you can try again later.

find ways to be successful at every opportunity and reward success too. Look for

what the person is doing well and let them know about it.


Choose the right environment

Participating will be more successful if the best ordinary environment is chosen. Every

person is different, and not every place in the community will suit every person. Some

places will be perfect for the person you support and others will never be right. Some

places will be challenging. It is important to help the person you support choose

environments that suit them.

Completing an ‘environmental audit’ is a good way to find out what’s positive and

negative about a particular environment, or to compare similar environments.

For example, physical access might be important for someone who uses a wheelchair or

has limited mobility, whereas finding out about sensory distractions or predictability

would be more important for someone who has autism spectrum disorder.

You will then be able to:

identify which environment best suits the person you support.

plan how to prepare the person you support to use that environment.

plan how to manage any weaknesses that have been identified.

A particular ordinary place that suits one person may not suit someone else. For

example:

Jane loves shopping at Mitre 10 – it is close to her home, has wide aisles so she

can manoeuvre her wheelchair easily, the staff help her get things from high

shelves, and it has good accessible parking outside the front door.

Mitre 10 is not as good for Peter – he gets overwhelmed by the size and becomes

highly anxious when the loud speaker is paging staff members. Because of the size

it can be difficult to help him exit in a hurry because doors can be far away. Peter

prefers to go to the local hardware store near his house, which is smaller and has

less choice, but is less noisy, has easy exits and the staff know him well.

Careerforce – Issue 2.0 – June. 2014 US23382 Support a person to participate as a member of the community . . . 26

Aspects of a community environment


Level of support

The onset of a physical disability, whether from an accident or ageing, can have a

devastating effect on the person. Encouraging the person you support to continue with

activities they did before the onset of their physical disability can help them build their

self-esteem, independence and achieve some of their aspirations and goals.

There are lots of things that can help community participation be successful. It is

important to make sure that you are prepared and can give the people you support the

best chance of being successful.

Plan to manage any weaknesses, negative aspects, barriers, risks or difficulties.

There are usually ways of providing support, for example:

adapting the tasks/activities so that they are easier for the person you support, for

example, reducing the expectations, making it a shorter task than originally planned,

developing aids or supports to help the person better understand what to do.

planning the activity to take place at alternative times, for example, when it is less

busy, less noisy.

teaching the person you support the skills that they will need, for example, how to

complete a bank deposit slip, how to wait in a queue at the supermarket, how to ask

for help if it is required, how to use an EFTPOS card.

ensuring that the person you support knows what to expect, for example, talking

quietly in a library, what others are expected to do for you and not expected to do,

how long it will take, what will happen when it’s time to leave.

allowing more time for the activity, for example, allowing extra time for unexpected

barriers or difficulties, so that the activity isn’t rushed.


Resources

Organise any resources that are needed. There are lots of different kinds of resources

that you might need to prepare to support someone in the community. The exact

resources required will depend on the needs of the person you support.

Make sure that all of the items required for the task are available. For example, if the

person is going on a picnic make sure that they know what to pack – such as a rug, food,

drinks, sun hat and sunscreen, and a frisbee.

Develop any support materials that might be needed. For example, adding a picture of

the task to the person’s usual visual schedule so that they know when they will be doing

the task, or writing a list of steps in the task for the person you support to follow

themselves (if they are able to read).

Think about the paperwork that you may be required to fill in. Some organisations have

special documentation that needs to be completed for ‘learning activities’, outings and

risky activities. The paperwork may differ depending on the activity or situation so it is

important that you know you are required to complete when supporting someone in the

community. Check with your supervisor if you are unsure of your organisation’s

requirements

Complete any planning forms so that

everyone involved knows exactly what

to do, and there is a record kept.


Learning activity

Think about the paperwork that you may be required to fill in when

supporting someone in the community and then answer the questions

below.

What documentation does your organisation require for community participation?

Where is this kept?

Who needs to approve it and/or sign it off?

Where does the completed documentation go to?


Risks

There can be risk involved in supporting people in the community, but it is important to

balance the risk with the person’s rights to be part of their community. There are many

other things that you can do to minimise risks, but it takes careful planning.

Risks to the person you support, for example, being physically injured or hurt, being

emotionally damaged, being bullied, getting lost, being treated badly and not wanting to

participate again, loss of confidence, not being welcome in the environment again if

things don’t go well.

Risks to yourself, for example, being physically injured or hurt, or having personal

property damaged.

Risks to members of the public or others in the environment, for example, being

physically injured or hurt, trauma, their property being damaged. For example, being in a

busy environment, with more people than usual, more noise, and unfamiliar events could

create anxiety and lead to challenging behaviour. However, this could be managed by

ensuring that the person you support is well prepared and knows what to expect in the

new environment, by ensuring that visits take place at the least busy times, that you

develop a plan for recognising when you might need to leave the environment, and that

you know how you will exit if necessary.

Managing risks

The organisation that you work for may have a policy about managing risks – if you are

unsure of what this policy is, talk to your supervisor.

Manage risk and be proactive

Record any possible risks and management strategies.

Record any adaptations that may need to be made to the task to suit the person.

Record a possible exit plan based on what you know about the chosen environment

and who is participating.


Prepare the person

Different individuals will need different amounts and types of preparation depending on

the nature of their disability, their skills and support needs, their experiences, their

familiarity with the people, ordinary places and activities that they are going to participate

in.

Talk to the person regularly about their chosen activity. Remind them about it. It’s hard to

stay motivated and interested if no-one mentions it or encourages you.

If there is going to be a specific time to focus on something they want to do, make sure to

include it in the person’s schedule. If they have a visual schedule you will need to take a

new photo or develop a new picture for it.

Ensure that the community activity is as predictable as possible – this means that the

person knows what to expect, what is expected of them, when it will happen, when it will

finish, what they will do there.

This may require you to slowly introduce them to the environment/activity – perhaps

initially just driving past without going in, then having a short two minute visit, then

gradually extending the time until the person is comfortable. This can help prevent

anxiety, frustration, and challenging behaviour.

At the beginning of the task explain

what is happening so that the person

knows what to expect. You may need

to say how long it will take, and what is

happening when they finish.


Monitor and record progress

It may take several weeks or months for the person you support to achieve what they set

out to do. During this time you will probably have supported them many times. To make

sure that you are supporting them in the best way, and that the plan is working, it is

important to monitor and record what is happening.

Your organisation will have policies and procedures about recording and monitoring

progress. For example, there may be a form to complete to record progress on support

plan goals. If you are unsure of your organisation’s policies and procedures you should

talk to your supervisor.

Tips for monitoring and recording progress

You may not need to keep a record every day, but keep a mental note and record on

paper every few days (use the format that your organisation expects of you). Your whole

support team needs to agree on how often a written record is kept.

Be discrete with recording – it can be off-putting to have someone standing by and

writing down what you are doing – it alters how someone performs, makes people

nervous and isn’t helpful. You will probably be able to remember what happened and

then record it later, or be very discrete about it, or have the person you support help you

do the recording.

Keeping a record will help you work out when

you need to make changes. For example, if

you notice that there is no progress, or there

is a pattern of errors, you may need to adapt

something, change the prompts you are

using, or simplify the task.

Your record may also help you recognise

when the person has made really quick

progress and might want more of a challenge!


Learning activity

Answer the following questions about monitoring and recording progress

in your organisation.

How does your organisation expect you to record/document the progress of the person

you are supporting?

Is there a format you have to follow? If so, what is it?

Where do you record/document this progress?


Evaluating

Congratulations to you and the person you support. When a particular outcome has been

achieved, or a plan completed, you should consider what went well, what you could

change next time, and what the person you support wants to do next!


Evaluate the way that you provided support – take note of what you did well, and

what could you improve on in the future. It is always useful to reflect on your own

practice.

Ask other people for feedback – this helps you to learn and develop your own skills.

Evaluate the plan – take note of what worked well for that person, for that outcome

and what wasn’t as good.

Evaluate the impact that the outcome had for the person you support –

Has it made a difference to their life?

What do they think about it?

Consider where to next.

This is not the end, it is just the beginning.


Completion and assessment

Congratulations!

You have come to the end of the workbook. Please check over all the activities in this

workbook to make sure you have completed them.

Your assessment is next.

You need to complete the assessment successfully to be credited with this unit standard.

Acknowledgements

Careerforce thanks the people who have contributed to this workbook by:

researching and validating content.

providing advice and expertise.

testing the activities.

sharing personal experiences.

appearing in photographs.

The images contained in these workbooks are visual illustrations only and are not representative of

actual events or personal circumstances. Image courtesy of photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net on

page 18.

Creative Commons

This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial Licence. You are free to

copy, distribute and transmit the work and to adapt the work. You must attribute Careerforce as the

author. You may not use this work for commercial purposes. For more information contact Careerforce

www.careerforce.org.nz

Careerforce – Issue 2.0 – Jul 2014

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Workbook - Careerforce · 2018-07-01 · Welcome to this workbook for unit standard 23382: ... 4 growing in relationships. 5 having the dignity of valued social roles. These five