This Practice Standard is also available:
Intent
The Practice Governance Standard sets out how providers should create and maintain safe living environments through good governance and practice leadership that upholds a participant’s rights, dignity and freedoms in the home. Workers delivering support in SIL environments should have the skills and knowledge required to deliver evidence-based practices including person-centred practice, trauma-informed approaches, active support and supported decision-making.
Participants living in SIL environments should receive safe, high-quality support consistently across workers and shifts. Providers and workers should demonstrate their workforce management systems translate into consistent, observable practice in the participant’s home, ensuring support meets the participant’s individual needs, preferences, communication style and cultural considerations.
Expectation statements
Participant statement
I am confident that workers supporting me are trained and assessed as competent in evidence-based practices and procedures. They recognise my rights and demonstrate knowledge of my unique needs and preferences when supporting me.
Worker statement
I recognise and value that my workplace is first and foremost a participant's home. I build my skills and knowledge to deliver person-centred and rights-based support that meets the needs and preferences of participants I support in their home.
Provider statement
We ensure our workers and team leaders have the knowledge, skills and support to deliver quality and safe supports, uphold participants’ rights, and promote participant outcomes. We use data, feedback and evidence-based practice to drive continuous improvement in practice quality.
Outcome statement
Each participant is supported in their home by workers that have the necessary training, knowledge and skills to support them, and that have the knowledge of, and guidance to use, evidence-informed practices that are tailored to the participant’s needs and enable the provision of safe and high quality supports.
Quality indicators
To achieve this outcome, the following indicators should be demonstrated:
- Policies and procedures are in place for planning, delivery and evaluation of worker development and training, ensuring workers have skills and competency to deliver supports and services to participants in their home. This includes appropriate mentoring, supervision and training for workers in relation to cultural safety and positive behaviour support.
- Each participant is supported in a positive, comfortable and safe home environment by implementing trauma-informed practices in the delivery of supports and services in a participant’s home and daily life.
- Workers are trained and assessed as competent in evidence-based practices including person-centred and trauma-informed practices, active support and supported decision-making, to create a participant centred and safe environment for the delivery of supports and services in a participant’s home and daily life.
- Policies and procedures are in place that document a vision, values, objectives and strategies for the delivery of supports and services in the home that reflects contemporary practice and prioritises participants’ rights, safety and wellbeing in the participant’s home.
- Each participant is provided the opportunity and encouraged to participate in and make decisions about their home including who they live with. This includes consultation with impacted participants before placing new tenants in the home and ensuring that participants are matched with co-tenants that they feel safe to live with.
- Appropriate governance oversight of emergency planning is in place in shared living. All impacted participants are consulted to ensure emergency arrangements are coordinated, rehearsed and tailored to individual needs to ensure participants can respond safely to emergencies.
Best practice for practice governance
National Disability Services (NDS)
- Community inclusion for participants, zero tolerance training (violence, abuse and neglect)
- 'Ready to go home' hospital guide
- Case reviews for participants in different NDIS settings
- Supported decision-making
National Disability Services (NDS) Resources
Practice reviews – NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
- Planning and conducting practice reviews that help to prevent incidents from occurring
- Equipping workers to manage incidents
- Supporting and developing a culture of good practice
Best practice resources are intended to support continuous improvement and promote good practice.
External resources are provided for information and educational purposes only. Their inclusion does not constitute an endorsement by the Commission or alter applicable legal obligations.
External links provide general information to assist NDIS providers to understand obligations that may arise under some relevant legislation and frameworks. It is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
Practical examples of practice governance
June, Matthew and Sarah are co-tenants living in a home where they share SIL support. They all have different interests and abilities. Workers need to be able to work with each participant depending on their preferences and support needs.
How support is provided:
- The provider considers which evidence-informed approaches to practice may work best for a participant, for example where a participant may benefit from positive behaviour support, active support or a specific approach to establish cultural safety.
- The provider ensures teams understand and consistently follow participants’ plans, accounting for the needs and interests of all the participants residing in the home.
- The provider proactively supervises and observes workers and delivers feedback on workers’ practice.
- The provider gives opportunities for participants to provide feedback about services.
- The provider monitors incidents and other records to help identify patterns of potential abuse or neglect.
Outcome:
- Participants have their own individualised plans and services that are understood and followed by workers.
- Participants feel comfortable talking to someone if they have concerns about their services.
Leo is receiving SIL supports in shared accommodation. Leo has a good relationship with his workers and enjoys the time he spends with them. One of his workers has got another job and will be leaving in two weeks. Leo can find change hard and is anxious about new workers starting work with him.
How support is provided:
- Providers plan for workforce changes to ensure continuity of supports and wherever possible, provide participants with forewarning about changes and choice over their workers.
- Providers ensure new staff are inducted and familiarised with individual participants’ plans.
- Providers ensure Leo has opportunity to give feedback about new workers, especially if there are signs things are not working out.
Outcome:
- Leo becomes more comfortable about the transition with his new support workers.