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Communication rights in behaviour support planning

Upholding the communication rights of people with disability through engagement

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Communication rights in behaviour support planning

Transcript

Dr Jennifer Frean, Communication and Inclusion Specialist
(The University of Melbourne; Melbourne, Victoria)

Something that was really clear when we started this project is that people's rights can easily get overlooked in the behaviour support planning process.

One way we can overcome this is by talking with participants about these rights, which strengthens engagement and trust between practitioners and participants.

Many participants aren't even aware that they have rights in this process.

It's your role as a practitioner to share these rights with them and uphold them. And remember that engagement is communicating with the person, not at them.

We have this poster on our website, which can help you to speak with people about participants’ rights.

Some of the rights that they have that are worth talking about in particular... They have the right to have information about behaviour support planning and understand it. They have the right to have choices and to say no. And they have the right to be spoken to and about with respect.

Something that we hear from a lot of people involved in the behaviour support planning process is that people speak around them rather than to them. And that can be very dehumanising when you're sitting in the middle of that conversation.

And so, it's important to give that dignity to the person as you have these discussions and remember their communication rights.

So just, perhaps, printing this out, keeping it somewhere prominent... So that you can keep engagement, communication and the participants’ rights at the heart of everything you do.

Closing credits (text presented on screen)

How will you use these ideas to improve engagement in your behaviour support practice?

What are communication rights?

The Right Direction resources focus on improving effective engagement between behaviour support practitioners and people with disability during the behaviour support planning and implementation process.

Rights ensure people can participate and can do so fairly. They help to protect people from exploitation or abuse. They also provide clarity for all people involved in a process.

These communication rights apply to every person you work with to create or implement a behaviour support plan.

While these rights are not legislated, they should underpin all positive behaviour support work, especially – as is the focus of this portfolio of resources – behaviour support planning and implementation.

What are the communication rights for behaviour support planning?

Everyone has the right to:

  • be listened to
  • express your feelings and needs
  • have your choices heard, respected and considered
  • say ‘no’
  • ask questions about what is happening and why
  • ask for information you can understand
  • be part of making their behaviour support plan
  • information to help them take part in making their plan
  • be spoken to and about with respect
  • have information about behaviour support planning
  • learn how their plan will improve their life
  • learn about how others will keep them safe
Example image from My Communications Rights poster

Download My communication rights poster to use as part of your behaviour support planning process.

How can I make sure I uphold these rights?

As a behaviour support practitioner or as anyone in a person with disability’s support network, there are several things you can do – and should do – to ensure the person’s rights are upheld throughout the behaviour support planning and implementation engagement process.

  • Help the person with disability understand that they have communication rights, what they are, and that they are important and apply throughout the planning process.
  • Repeat their communication rights, mentioning them where appropriate, preferably multiple times and every time you meet.
  • Highlight relevant communication rights as you undertake different parts of the planning and implementation process.
  • Advocate for these communication rights, as part of your support for the person with disability and remain alert to any activities that might violate their communication rights.
  • Raise awareness of these communication rights with people in the person with disability’s support network and other relevant people.
  • Make space for questions from the person with disability (and others) to ensure they understand their communication rights.

Next steps

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