Leading Practice Guidelines

Supporting Inclusion & Community Participation

Type: Inclusion

Guideline: The organization supports the person to seek and pursue opportunities, experiences and activities that are available to all people.

The organization is proactive in identifying and facilitating opportunities for people to participate in their chosen community in real and meaningful ways. People are supported to use ordinary community settings at the same time and in similar ways to other people.

What does this look like?

The organization helps people, as necessary, to define their interests and capacities, often by helping them discover, try and evaluate a variety of new experiences.

The organization promotes valued roles for people by seeking and creating opportunities where they can:

  • Share space and time in ordinary places with others from their community of choice who share similar interests, skills or passions;
  • Act as good neighbours, co-workers, or classmates;
  • Discover, connect with, navigate around and actively participate in their neighbourhood, workplace or community;
  • Engage in positively regarded activities that enhance their image;
  • Join and participate in community associations;
  • Engage in cultural or political activities;
  • Use community resources available to other people in your area or community;
  • Exercise their rights, privileges, and responsibilities as full members of their community including forming or joining advocacy groups.

The organization provides people necessary assistance or facilitation to identify community settings, resources and activities, to get to and from places safely, and to participate effectively. Support is provided in a manner that works to enhance others’ perception of the person.

The organization supports people to ensure they have access to transport that meets their needs and ensures ease of access outside their home.

The organization helps identify barriers that may reduce or restrict active community participation and helps to develop strategies to reduce and/or eliminate them.

People are supported to gain necessary skills to participate fully and positively in activities of their choice.

Staff are knowledgeable about community resources and activities and how to identify opportunities that are accessible for people.

Staff have been trained to facilitate social inclusion.

How would you know this is happening? (Evidence)

What you see in systems:

  • There is strong evidence and focus on inclusion and community participation within person centred planning and support plan documentation.
  • Staff training records and content

What you see in actions:

  • People spend time in ordinary places they chose with others who share interests, passions or skills. People are seen, known, welcomed, accepted, connected, cared for and valued in their neighbourhood, workplace and other places they spend time in. People participate in meaningful ways.
  • Staff are confident and competent in facilitating social inclusion and community participation for people they support.

Resources to support achieving guideline:

< Back