How you can provide superior Practice Excellence
What is practice excellence really?
Essentially it is the combination of many interconnecting elements, tailoring the service a Support Worker provides to their customer, enabling their quality of life, facilitating their fulfillment as well as essential needs and requirements around health and safety. These are it holistic and particular to the customer needs and preferences.
Sounds easy right? However, there are number of dilemmas inherent with providing an exceptional service that no doubt many of you have experienced over time.
Ok, let’s explore the fundamentals and then move onto the challenges with some general hints and tips.
Historically, people with a disability have been denied a voice, or an inclusive place in society, as have other minority groups. Atrocities have been committed within institutions wherein people with a disability were placed, (prior to 1940), which were inhumane.
The United Nations therefore decided to define and promote equality, inclusion, and the rights of those who were marginalized, such as those with disabilities, refugees, women and children to ensure everyone had civil rights. This eventuated in the United Declaration for Human Rights to promote the importance of safety, respect, freedom, and free expression for all. This was pioneering work and was followed in 1996 by CRPD which specifically outlined for people with a disability to be or have
A. Part of the community.
B. easy access to a building and information within.
C. Equal opportunity for education and employment.
D. Free from abuse – these rights are now legal to ensure fairness.
As you may be aware the Royal Commission is currently investigating some of the issues of the past so we can learn and improve good practice overall in our industry.
Why are am I writing about this? Well, this provides context and provides the foundations for a successful role as a Support Worker – essentially the areas to be aware of, and why it is critical to both understand some of the nuances that may exist when dealing with your customer, and crucially the importance of enhancing their life.
Overall, it is your responsibility to enact all these principles, upholding the human rights of your customer, ensuring they are safe, their privacy is upheld and that they are treated equally. We can help them live the life they wish whilst having a voice to ensure they are treated fairly and equally in society. Facilitating their choice and control is key to this and is a major element of the NDIS framework.
What are the essential elements of good Practice Excellence?
Ensuring your customer’s human rights are upheld
Set goals together to measure success and learnings
Supporting proactive health and wellbeing whilst managing any current medical conditions
Keep customers safe, both physically and emotionally at all times
Focus on their ability, not disability and explore their potential – every moment has potential
Allow your customer to take risks whilst balanced with your duty of care – this can be challenging!
Empower and support your customer to make informed decisions – maximize choice and control
Engage in meaningful activities
Understanding and managing behaviors in a positive way, leveraging the expertise of Positive Behaviors Clinicians, and other professionals according to a tailored plan
Teach and coach them in new approaches and skills
·Avoid restricting their life choices unless this is required for safety – this must be approved
Reporting any VANE – Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation, that you become aware of.
Strive to improve their quality of life to achieve their hopes and dreams
Enable them as a person, consistently be person centered
Continually improve the service you provide
Guest Blogger: Ursy Murray