COURSE OVERVIEW:

Welcome to the Promoting Autonomy, Choice & Control in Disability Support course. This program has been developed to guide disability support workers, team leaders, and service providers in upholding the fundamental rights of people with disability to make their own choices and lead lives that reflect their goals, preferences, and identities. Rooted in the principles of human rights and aligned with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), this course explores how to support autonomy while navigating ethical, legal, and practical realities in disability service delivery. It provides clear strategies to ensure that supports promote self-determination, uphold dignity, and respect individual values in every interaction.

Autonomy in disability support refers to a person’s right to make their own decisions about their life, support, and daily activities. This course begins by introducing the concept of informed choice—where decisions are made voluntarily, with full understanding of available options and potential outcomes. It explains how informed choice differs from passive decision-making, and how independence, dignity, and control are essential to quality support. The section also links autonomy to international human rights law, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), which underpins Australia’s legal and policy obligations in disability services.

The NDIS Practice Standards and Code of Conduct provide a clear ethical and compliance framework for supporting autonomy. This section outlines how service providers must promote participant rights, freedom of expression, and individual control. It explains how staff are required to uphold dignity and avoid coercion, and details provider obligations to build participant capacity and align supports with personal goals. The section also addresses safeguards that prevent undue influence or restriction of choice—particularly in high-dependency or complex care environments.

Supported decision-making is a key principle in modern disability support. This section explains how to assist participants in making their own decisions, rather than making choices on their behalf. It introduces practical tools such as visual aids, simplified language, and guided prompting. Importantly, it reinforces the principle that all individuals are presumed to have capacity unless proven otherwise, and that support workers must avoid substituting their own judgment in place of the participant’s wishes.

Respecting cultural, religious, and personal values is a cornerstone of person-centred care. This section explores how to support diverse forms of decision-making that reflect participants’ beliefs and identities. It emphasises avoiding the imposition of mainstream or personal values by the worker and explains how cultural safety should be embedded into everyday practice. By allowing space for cultural expression, support workers can ensure their practices are inclusive, respectful, and empowering.

Choice should be present in every aspect of daily support. This section focuses on how to promote participant choice in routines, meals, personal care, recreation, and social participation. It explains how to customise support schedules around personal preferences and adapt to change over time. The section also discusses the importance of flexibility in service delivery and the value of allowing participants to take reasonable risks as part of genuine autonomy.

Support workers must be mindful not to cross the line between guidance and control. This section explores the subtle ways in which control can be exerted—such as making assumptions, leading questions, or discouraging options. It offers strategies for stepping back, actively listening, and ensuring the participant remains the lead decision-maker. The importance of self-reflection and awareness of personal biases is also addressed.

Consent is not a one-time event—it is an ongoing process. This section defines informed, voluntary, and ongoing consent in the context of support delivery. It explains the participant’s right to refuse services, even when others disagree, and provides strategies for managing situations where refusal creates safety concerns. Documentation requirements and procedures for revisiting decisions over time are also covered to ensure ethical and transparent practice.

Advocacy plays a vital role in protecting autonomy and enabling voice. This section introduces the role of independent advocacy services and support coordinators in assisting participants to make informed decisions and challenge unjust outcomes. It explains how to facilitate access to advocacy support, promote understanding of rights, and include participant voice in service planning, complaints, and feedback mechanisms.

Autonomy is strengthened through capacity building. This section outlines how support workers can use everyday interactions to teach skills, build confidence, and promote independence. It includes examples such as encouraging participants to manage personal schedules, make small financial decisions, or explore assistive technology. The section also highlights the value of collaboration with allied health professionals—such as occupational therapists and behaviour support practitioners—to develop individualised skill-building strategies.

Balancing participant choice with duty of care can present ethical dilemmas. This section addresses how to respond when a participant’s choice involves risk or goes against recommended support plans. It introduces tools for collaborative risk assessment, outlines legal escalation pathways, and explains when formal guardianship involvement may be necessary. The focus is on reducing risk through planning—not removing choice.

The right to autonomy is supported by a clear legal foundation. This section explores the relevant legislation, including the UNCRPD and the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, that affirms the right of people with disability to participate in decisions affecting their lives. It explains the implications of these laws for daily support practices and outlines the worker’s legal responsibilities in upholding these rights.

Support planning must be personalised to reflect each participant’s choices and evolving goals. This section provides guidance on co-designing support plans that are meaningful, flexible, and participant-driven. It explains how to regularly review and adjust plans as circumstances change and how to ensure participants remain central in every decision affecting their care.

The concept of “dignity of risk” recognises that individuals have the right to make decisions that involve risk. This section explains how to support informed risk-taking while still fulfilling duty of care obligations. It provides strategies for safety planning, open communication, and balancing support with freedom, particularly in contexts such as community access, independent travel, or lifestyle choices.

Effective communication is essential in supporting autonomy. This section outlines how to use clear, respectful, and person-centred language. It includes practical techniques for adapting communication to suit different abilities, such as visual supports or communication devices. The importance of active listening and giving participants time to consider and express choices is also emphasised.

Restrictive practices must only be used as a last resort. This section defines what constitutes a restrictive practice, the ethical concerns involved, and the requirements under the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Framework. It outlines least-restrictive strategies and the importance of behaviour support planning to ensure that participants’ rights and dignity are preserved.

Disagreements between workers and participants may arise when choices differ. This section provides guidance on navigating such conflicts with respect, open dialogue, and documentation. It outlines when to escalate issues to supervisors or behaviour support specialists and how to maintain professionalism even when personal values conflict with participant preferences.

Information is power—and sharing it supports autonomy. This section explores how to educate participants about their rights, available options, and the implications of their decisions. It includes guidance on providing information in accessible formats and promoting confident, informed decision-making through regular engagement, trust, and empowerment.

By the end of this course, you will be equipped with the skills, knowledge, and ethical frameworks needed to support autonomy, promote informed choice, and empower people with disability to take control of their lives. Your role in facilitating independence, upholding rights, and respecting the voices of those you support is central to delivering high-quality, person-centred disability services in Australia.

Each section is complemented with examples to illustrate the concepts and techniques discussed.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of this course, you will be able to understand the following topics:

1. Introduction to Autonomy and Informed Choice in Disability Support

·       Definition of autonomy in the context of disability support

·       What is informed choice and how it differs from general decision-making

·       The importance of promoting independence, dignity, and self-determination

·       Relationship between autonomy and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD)

2. NDIS Practice Standards and Code of Conduct

·       Overview of NDIS Practice Standards relevant to participant rights and autonomy

·       How the NDIS Code of Conduct requires workers to respect freedom of expression, choice, and control

·       Provider obligations to build participant capacity and ensure support aligns with their goals

·       Safeguards against coercion, undue influence, or restriction

3. Supported Decision-Making Principles

·       What is supported decision-making and how it empowers participants

·       Difference between supporting a decision and making a decision for someone

·       Ensuring capacity is assumed unless proven otherwise

·       Tools and techniques to support decision-making (visual aids, simplified language, prompting)

4. Respecting Cultural, Religious, and Personal Values

·       Allowing space for cultural identity and personal values in decision-making

·       Supporting choices that may differ from the support worker’s own preferences

·       Avoiding cultural bias or imposing mainstream values on participants

·       Cultural safety in everyday practice

5. Promoting Choice in Daily Activities and Support Delivery

·       Encouraging choice in routines, meals, clothing, community access, and recreation

·       Customising support schedules around participant preference

·       Allowing flexibility and avoiding "set and forget" care routines

·       Enabling participants to take risks as part of real autonomy

6. Boundaries Between Guidance and Control

·       How to avoid unintentionally taking control under the guise of helping

·       Recognising signs of subtle coercion or overprotection

·       Strategies to step back, listen more, and let the participant lead

·       Reflecting on personal biases and communication habits

7. Consent and the Right to Refuse

·       Understanding that consent must be informed, voluntary, and ongoing

·       Right to refuse services or support, even if others disagree with the choice

·       How to manage situations where refusal poses a risk

·       Documenting refusal and revisiting choices over time

8. Advocacy and Participant Voice

·       Role of independent advocacy in supporting choice and protecting autonomy

·       Helping participants understand their rights to challenge or appeal decisions

·       Facilitating access to advocates or support coordinators where appropriate

·       Ensuring participants are heard in service planning and feedback loops

9. Capacity Building for Greater Autonomy

·       Using support time to teach new skills instead of doing everything for the participant

·       Building confidence, decision-making capacity, and communication skills

·       Collaborating with allied health professionals

·       Encouraging technology use and digital literacy

10. Ethical Dilemmas and Balancing Duty of Care

·       What to do when a participant’s choice creates safety concerns

·       Balancing autonomy and dignity of risk with duty of care obligations

·       Using risk assessments and collaborative planning to reduce risks without denying choice

·       When to escalate for clinical input or formal guardianship involvement

11. Legal Foundations of Participant Rights

·       Understanding key legislation underpinning autonomy in disability services

·       UNCRPD and the Disability Discrimination Act 1992

·       Implications of legal frameworks for support workers’ daily practice

12. Personalised Support Planning

·       Collaborating with participants to co-design support plans

·       Aligning supports with participant goals, preferences and values

·       Adjusting support plans as choices or circumstances change

13. Risk, Autonomy and the Dignity of Risk

·       Understanding the concept of dignity of risk in disability support

·       Balancing informed risk-taking with safety planning

·       Strategies to support choice while managing duty of care

14. Effective Communication to Support Choice

·       Using person-centred language and respectful tone

·       Adapting communication methods to support understanding

·       Listening actively and allowing time for decisions

15. Minimising Restrictive Practices

·       Understanding what constitutes a restrictive practice

·       Ethical concerns and participant rights

·       Least restrictive approaches and positive behaviour support

16. Navigating Conflict Between Support Worker and Participant Choice

·       Handling differences in opinion respectfully

·       When to escalate issues or seek guidance

·       Documenting disagreements and outcomes appropriately

17.Empowering Choice Through Education and Information

·       Helping participants understand options and implications

·       Providing accessible information in multiple formats

·       Encouraging informed and confident decision-making

COURSE DURATION:

The typical duration of this course is approximately 2-3 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

You must have access to a computer or any mobile device with Adobe Acrobat Reader (free PDF Viewer) installed, to complete this course.

COURSE DELIVERY:

Purchase and download course content.

ASSESSMENT:

A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.

CERTIFICATION:

Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital “Certificate of Completion”.