VITALITY CLUB

Participation and Inclusion Policy

Vitality Club is committed to increasing opportunities for community participation for people with disability and to exploring ways in which we can play a role in this.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is clear that people with disability have a right to ‘full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.’

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) principles recognise that people with disability have the right:

● to realise potential for physical, social, emotional and intellectual development

● to participate in and contribute to social and economic life to the extent of their ability

● to exercise choice, including reasonable risks in the pursuit of their goals

Vitality Club staff will play a facilitating role, supporting people with disability to access mainstream and community services. New NDIS functions such as Information, Linkages and Capacity Building and Local Area Coordination will also play a significant role in connecting people within their communities and Vitality Club will support service users to utilise these functions.

People with disability and families should always be as involved as possible in the thinking, planning and implementation of ideas and services which meet their goals and lifestyles.

Many people with disability may not previously have experienced real choice or been asked to consider possibilities outside of their immediate experience. Some may not be aware of how to achieve certain goals, or even describe them. People may need specific supports to engage in conversation – or use alternative and augmented forms of communication.

Vitality Club will engage, listen and work in partnership with people with disability and their families to design and implement ways to participate in the community.

Community participation includes such things as:

● working

● going to the shops

● going to school, or places of further education

● travelling using public transport or their own transport

● seeing and talking to friends, family, colleagues, strangers, shop assistants, café and bar staff and other professionals

● volunteering or joining clubs and groups with others who share similar interests and where they feel like they can make a contribution and belong

Vitality Club staff will focus on assisting service users to be part of their local community with emphasis on developing life skills, employment opportunities and independence, within the guidelines of their NDIS plan and Individual Service Agreement.

This may include increasing the number and quality of encounters with others. It might be talking to a barista whilst buying a coffee, catching up with people after a yoga class, engaging in a conversation with the hairdresser, being introduced to someone new at work, or even helping someone with directions. ‘Encounters’ can be seen as a step towards developing relationships and friendships. They can turn into a person being recognised and greeted and perhaps invited to other things. An encounter one day can become a connection, and then a relationship and maybe a friendship. This breaks down isolation, segregation and leads to participation. However, an encounter can also be a good thing in itself. There is pleasure and a value in interaction with other people in the world and in our community.

An important factor in community participation is doing things that are meaningful to you. Meaningful can mean different things to different people, for example “meaningful” can mean…

● A sense of contributing

● Having purpose

● Acceptance

● Belonging

● Recognition

● A sense of pleasure

Meaningful roles might include: partner, parent, family member, worker, friend, volunteer, home keeper, student, religious, spiritual or political participant, hobbyist or member of a civic, political or sporting organisation.

Meaningful roles can lead to good outcomes for people:

● helps build community connections

● increases friendships

● promotes a sense of achievement and self-respect

● contributes to good physical and mental health

● contributes to learning new skills

● Increases independence and reduces reliance on others

● allows people to exercise their rights and encourages self-advocacy

● Increases lifestyle options

Vitality Club support workers will think broadly about all the different roles a person can have in life and build their capacity over time for decision making and risk taking. They will look out for opportunities where people can pursue their interests, increase their social networks, learn new skills or contribute through volunteering. The work of Vitality Club staff should reflect their understanding of their role as a facilitator and community connector. They should be building the service user’s capacity to function with reduced support.

Recreation and leisure are great ways to build skills and confidence and build networks. Service users can take on volunteer roles which help them to practice their skills and realise their strengths and interests. Helping people find meaningful work is really important. Even two or four hours a week of employment can make a difference.

Disability service providers play an important role in community development by working with local businesses, sporting organisations, mainstream services, local government and others to create connections, support relationships and build bridges between specialist and regular community settings. It is important for Vitality Club staff to continuously reflect on how they support people to be valued members of their local community.

Vitality Club will support service users to access NDIS ILC services which include information, linkages and referrals to connect people with disability, families and carers with appropriate disability, community and mainstream supports (Ability Links).

Vitality Club team meetings will encourage staff to report and celebrate successes in community participation and to utilise examples of difficulties with community participation to workshop ideas and solutions and as learning opportunities.

Vitality Club staff will always put the person at the centre of decision making and use a strengths-based approach based upon human rights. They will seek to provide just the right amount of support to enable education, employment, recreation and lifestyle choices and know how to reduce support as independence increases, always respecting culture and diversity of people and their families.

Vitality Club staff will seek to be team players who learn from professional development opportunities and take responsibility for their own work practices, learning and skill development. They should reflect on their own practice and make appropriate changes to achieve continuous improvement. They should understand that they are a facilitator not a “special friend”. They play an important role in presenting disability positively to the community.