Supported Decision Making

Supported decision making means giving a person the help they need to make their own choices and stay in control of their life. In this lesson you will learn what the approach looks like in everyday support work, how it differs from simply doing what we think is best, and why it applies to small daily choices as well as big life decisions. Key points: the person is the decision maker, our job is to support rather than decide, and every decision, no matter how small, is an opportunity to build confidence and skills.

Supported decision making is grounded in human rights. Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recognises that people with disability have legal capacity on an equal basis with others, and that governments should provide access to the support people need to exercise it. Australia is a party to the Convention. In this lesson you will learn how this right shapes the NDIS and aged care, and why a disability, age or diagnosis is never, on its own, a reason to take a decision away from someone.

The NDIA's Supported Decision Making Policy is built around four principles: every adult has an equal right to make decisions that affect their life and have them respected; people must be able to access support to communicate and take part in decisions; decisions are directed by the person's own will, preferences and rights; and there must be effective safeguards against violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation. This lesson also introduces the presumption of capacity and the dignity of risk, two ideas that shape how you respond when a person makes a choice you would not make yourself.

Good decision support starts with knowing the person well. This lesson explains how to learn what matters to someone, how they communicate, and what helps or hinders their decision making. Key points: read the person's support plan and communication profile, notice their preferences and routines, talk with the people they trust if they agree, and learn the times and places when they are most comfortable. The better you know someone, the easier it is to offer support that fits them rather than a one size approach.

People can only make real choices if they understand their options. This lesson covers practical ways to share information so it makes sense to the person. Key points: break information into small parts, use plain words, pictures, objects or Easy Read materials, show real examples where possible, explain what each option would mean in their daily life, and check understanding by asking the person to tell you in their own way. We also look at how to avoid steering someone toward the option you prefer while you explain.

Once a person understands their options, they need the chance to tell us what they want. This lesson looks at how to give people time, space and the right tools to express a choice, and how to recognise undue influence from others. Key points: never rush, offer choices in a way the person can respond to, watch for pressure from family, friends or staff, and remember that people can change their minds. We also cover what to do when a person does not want to make a decision right now.

In supported decision making, the person makes the decision with help. In substitute decision making, someone else makes the decision on the person's behalf. This lesson explains the difference, why supported decision making should always be tried first, and why a substitute decision should still be based on the person's will and preferences as far as possible. Key points: substitute decisions should be a last resort, limited to specific areas and reviewed, and even when a substitute decision maker is in place, the person should be involved as much as they can be.

You will sometimes support people who have formal decision making arrangements in place. This lesson describes common roles in general terms: NDIS nominees, registered supporters under the Aged Care Act 2024, guardians and financial administrators appointed by a state or territory tribunal, and people appointed by the person under an enduring document. The names, rules and bodies differ between states and territories. Key points: find out what arrangement is in place and what it covers, never assume a family member has legal authority, and ask your team leader if you are unsure.

Some situations test supported decision making: a choice that carries serious risk, disagreement between the person and their family, a person whose ability to decide changes from day to day, or concerns about abuse or exploitation. This lesson gives you a practical approach. Key points: decision making ability can depend on the decision and the day, disagreement is not a reason to override the person, serious risks should be raised with your team leader, and suspected abuse or exploitation must always be reported under our incident management policy.

Clear records show that a person was supported to make their own decision and that their choice was respected. They help the next worker continue the same approach, protect the person if a choice is later questioned, and show that we meet our obligations under the NDIS Practice Standards and aged care requirements. Key points: records should describe the person's own words and wishes, the support you provided and what happened next. Records are confidential and must be stored in our approved systems.

A useful decision record answers a few simple questions: what the decision was, what information and options were shared and how, what support the person received, what the person said or showed they wanted, what was decided and by whom, and any concerns or follow up. This lesson gives you a clear structure, examples of well written notes, and common mistakes to avoid, such as recording your opinion as fact or writing that staff decided when the person did. Wherever possible, record the person's own words.

Decisions and decision supports are not set and forget. This lesson explains how records feed into support plan reviews, when to share a decision with your team, and how to tell your team leader when a person's needs or wishes change. Key points: update the support plan when a decision changes how we support someone, raise it when the person seems to need more or less help than planned, and respect the person's right to change their mind. It ends with a summary of the whole course before you complete the final assessment.