Talking to participants about restrictive practices

Kabir is a 22-year-old man with an intellectual disability. Kabir who loves the Parramatta Eels football team and lives with two other young people with 24/7 NDIS support.

On four recent occasions, Kabir has threatened his housemates with a knife, after they moved or took his football memorabilia without permission.

Kabir is now being supported by Anna, an NDIS behaviour support practitioner. Anna is getting to know Kabir and developing an Interim Behaviour Support Plan (BSP). Anna thinks that in the short term, Kabir’s should not have access to sharps. This will be reviewed when Kabir's behaviour support assessment is finished. This is an environmental restraint.

Anna goes onto the NDIS Commission website and downloads a copy of the Restrictive Practices and Me Easy Read discussion book. She removes the pages about chemical restraint, mechanical restraint, physical restraint, and seclusion because they are not used with Kabir. She keeps the background information and section with questions about environmental restraint.

Anna works through the Easy Read discussion book with Kabir. They are joined by Jon, his support worker. Anna shares information about restrictive practices in two visits to Kabir's home.  

Together they answer the questions about:  

• the environmental restraint
• what this means for Kabir
• other ways he will be supported.  

Kabir explains how he feels about the practice and shares things he would like his workers to do differently. Anna writes this down and later uses this information to inform Kabir’s BSP and daily supports.