Sharing this plan and staying connected

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

When sharing the plan, it's important to connect with the people involved. Most importantly, the participant. And remember to keep everyone engaged on an ongoing basis.

The core to success is having a really strong communication plan and building trust.

And if you haven't already done so, take a look at our video on Yarning.

If you include the right people and this includes the person with disability and then you keep your communication promises, that will go a long way toward an effective, connected team and a successful plan.

And part of that is making sure they know how to contact you too.

To start with, show people what they need to do to implement the plan. Demonstrate the strategies and provide coaching. Don't rely on people reading reports.

And, also, remember that people forget – and staff come and go – so touch base regularly. Find a system that works well for staying in touch with your participant and their trusted people so that you know how they're going.

If you can't be with the person and the entire team on a regular basis, consider options like short videos for the person and staff – kind of like this – so they can watch you speaking directly to them about their plan in a personal way.

And this is a great way of engaging by distance and reminding people that you're there. It also helps them remember how to use key strategies and why they are so important.

I find it also makes you more accessible, which is essential in cases where things may not be working so well. And you need that information to flow back to you so that the plan can be amended and you can get back on track.

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