Policy 3 : Decision Making and Choice

Community Enterprise Inc. is a non-profit organisation established for the purpose of supporting people with disabilities and their families living in the Shire of Hidden Valley.

The services offered by Community Enterprise include group home accommodation, in-home respite, out-of-home respite, home help and community access. 

Community Enterprise is a non-profit, community organisation which is governed by a management committee elected annually by the members. Community Enterprise receives all of its operating funds from the Western Australian Government in the form of an annual grant.

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that consumers of the agency's services have the opportunity to participate as fully as possible in making decisions about their daily lives and the services that they need, want and receive.  The policy has been framed around Standard 3 of the Disability Services Standards (1993).

This policy applies to all of the agency's programs and activities.

The following procedures are to be implemented to enable the agency to meet its policy objective of ensuring that clients have primary involvement in, and influence over, decisions that affect them.

The agency will:

1. Structure its programs and services to be as flexible and responsive to the individual needs and preferences of current and future clients.
2. Advise the client, family members and/or advocates of the full range of services that the agency currently provides.
3. Commit the agency to exploring other service delivery options within the constraints of available resources.
4. Involve the client, family members and/or advocates in the development of an individual service plan for the client and invite them to state their preferences with respect to the services that they would like to receive.
5. Make every effort, within available resources, to accommodate the client's service preferences and choices in the individual service plan.
6. Seek the formal authorisation of the client, family members or advocates by having them countersign the agreed individual service plan.
7. Jointly review the individual service plan at least annually and make any agreed amendments.
8. Involve clients, families and advocates in the agency's strategic planning activities.
9. Involve clients, families and advocates in the development of the agency's service policies and procedures.
10. Involve clients, families or advocates in the selection and induction of new staff and volunteers.

The following performance standards must be met to ensure that the procedures specified in Section 4 are implemented effectively:

1. All clients and their families or advocates have been provided with a copy of the agency's Policy on Decision Making and Choice.
2. All employees have been provided with a copy of the agency's Policy on Decision Making and Choice and a staff copy of the policy is kept in each service outlet.
3. The agency's programs and services have been structured in a way as to permit maximum flexibility and responsiveness to individual clients' preferences and choices.
4. The agency's full range of services has been portrayed in an easy-to-read hand-out which is provided to all current and prospective consumers.
5. A written, current individual service plan has been held for all clients in accordance with the Policy on Individual Needs and a copy has been provided to the client, family members and advocates.
6. Written individual services plans have been countersigned by the client, family members and/or advocates.
7. Individual services plans have been jointly reviewed at least annually, or more frequently if requested by the client, family members or advocates.
8. Clients, families or advocates have participated in the agency's strategic planning activities.
9. Clients, families or advocates have participated in the development of the agency's policies and procedures.
10. Clients, families or advocates have participated in the selection and induction of agency staff and volunteers.