Including my support network in my plan workbook
Engaging participants’ support networks in behaviour support planning
The Including my support network in my plan workbook (download Word version for desktop) is a tool for behaviour support practitioners and behaviour support participants to work through how best to engage the participant's support network in their behaviour support plan.
The goal is to unite the right people as part of the plan, to help the participant reach the goals for their behaviour support plan and progress toward their goals for a good life.
The workbook can be edited as needed to suit your participant’s unique situation.
The workbook can also form part of the formal documentation demonstrating engagement with the person at the beginning of the planning process and how you as a behaviour support practitioner gained consent for others to be involved. However, the workbook is designed to be the person with the behaviour support plan’s record and behaviour support practitioners should consider leaving them with the original and taking a copy for official records.
Tips for effective engagement during the consent planning process
Remember the following tips for effective engagement:
- focus on rights – keep the poster My communication rights prominent in the space.
- remind the participant it is okay if they have a different opinion and you care about what they think and feel.
- show the person you respect them and their choices by listening, responding to their ideas and thoughts, and taking them seriously.
- work at the person’s pace – respect their needs and make decisions across multiple sessions if needed.
- use trauma-informed language – gentle, validating and strengths-focused.
- avoid assumptions – check in regularly to confirm, ‘Is this right?’ or, ‘How does this sound to you?’.
- be curious – demonstrate interest in the person and what’s important for them. Try phrases such as, ‘That’s interesting, tell me more about that.’.
- celebrate their choices – this is a real plan to support their life goals, not just paperwork.
Workbook sections
This workbook is a guide to help you as a behaviour support practitioner work through who is best suited from the participant’s support network to help with their behaviour support plan. Each step includes a focus on understanding and consent.
1. About me
This section builds the participant’s ownership and connection to the plan.
2. My most trusted people
Before you start this section, consider using the Hand of Trust and My support network: What does it look like? from The Right Direction website if these tools are useful in talking about who the participant trusts most in their support network and why.
These can be helpful tools for discussing who is in the person’s support network, who the most trusted people are, why they are trusted people and who will be best to help with particular needs and situations.
Consider if using photos might help the person better understand and talk about who might be involved. You could ask the person to draw their own picture of each person they want to have involved. These images can then be included in the workbook.
The activity in this document differs from these 2 activities in that it progresses the planning process by focusing specifically on identifying the trusted people who will be involved in their behaviour support plan to help meet the participant’s behaviour support needs.
3. Other people in my support network who can help me
Building on the discussions you have had with the participant about their behaviour support needs, for example by using the discussion mats on our website (communicating about behaviours of concern and – only if needed – communicating about restrictive practices) list what the person needs help with and how others can support them best.
4. Do I consent (understand and agree)?
You will need both the participant’s and the people in the support network’s permission for others to be involved in the behaviour support plan.
To do this, you might:
- explain to the participant why you need permission from others to be involved in the behaviour support plan (eg: you could say, ‘Before anyone helps with your plan, they need to know what they will be asked to do and to say ‘yes’ to helping. You help choose who that is.’
- fill in the names together and ask if it’s okay for this person to be involved and asked for their permission. Again, photos or the person’s own drawing could be helpful to use at this point.
- if the participant wants to ask the people in their support network’s permission, support the person in doing this. Alternatively, you can ask the key people from the support network’s permission on the participant’s behalf, with their consent.
- if the participant is able to sign their consent, ask them to do so and keep the documentation private and safe. Alternatively, you might record audio or video of the session, if appropriate; or you might have an advocate or independent person involved, who can help to establish consent in line with the participant’s rights and wishes.
Download the Including my support network in my plan (download Word version for desktop) workbook to get started.
Next steps
Also see:
- What a good life looks like for me
- Toward your goals
- Preparing for and conducting inclusive behaviour support planning
- Revisiting the behaviour support plan
- Reviewing my behaviour support plan
- Including my support network in my plan
- Sharing this plan and staying connected
Other useful links (external sources):
- Positive behaviour support as a team approach (opens PDF), by Promoting Positive Behaviour Support Practice
- NDIS resources on Evidence-informed practice and Person-centred practice outline what is expected of NDIS providers, including: what the practices are; why they are important; how they can be implemented by NDIS providers; and where to find further information
- Your Service, Your Rights: Conversation cards, by Inclusion Australia
- NDIS participant resources also include easy read versions about:
- Choosing a specialist behaviour support provider
- What to expect from your specialist behaviour support provider, and
- What to do if you are not happy with your specialist behaviour support provider
- Deciding with Support includes further worksheets on this topic and information for participant support networks about supporting participants to make their own decisions throughout the behaviour support process