These NDIS Practice Standards apply to NDIS providers who are registered to provide early childhood supports to NDIS participants.
The child
Outcome: Each child participant accesses supports that promote and respect their legal and human rights, support their development of functional skills, and enable them to participate meaningfully and be included in everyday activities with their peers.
To achieve this outcome, the following indicators should be demonstrated:
- Knowledge and understanding of each participant’s legal and human rights, and incorporation of those rights into everyday practice.
- Implementation of practices and procedures to manage risk with a focus on creating a safe environment for children.
- Compliance with all relevant state and territory legislation relating to the reporting of risk of harm to children.
- Facilitation of the active involvement of the participant’s support network in the participant’s development.
- Alternative arrangements for the continuity of supports for each child participant, when changes or interruptions are unavoidable, are:
a) explained and agreed with them (taking into account their capacity to understand and agree to alternative arrangements) and their family; and
b) delivered in a way that is appropriate to their needs, preferences and goals.
The family
Outcome: Each family receives family-centred supports that are culturally inclusive, responsive, and focus on their strengths.
To achieve this outcome, the following indicators should be demonstrated:
- Each support plan is based on child and family choice and control and is undertaken with the family.
- The family’s expertise and knowledge about their child is recognised and respected.
- The family’s strengths, needs and priorities are identified by working in partnership with the family.
- Each support plan is flexible and individualised to reflect the child’s and family members’ preferences and learning styles.
- Each support plan is culturally responsive and respectful of the family’s cultural beliefs and their community.
- Information and supports are provided in a clear, easy to understand and flexible manner by integrating the support into the child’s everyday routine.
- The strengths of the family are promoted and developed, and the family is assisted to develop their own network of formal and informal resources, with recognition that positive outcomes for children do not rely solely on therapeutic child-focused programs.
- Work is undertaken with the family to inform and strengthen their participation in, and contribution to, the child’s learning and development.
Inclusion
Outcome: Each participant accesses supports that engage their natural environments and enable inclusive and meaningful participation in their family and community life.
To achieve this outcome, the following indicators should be demonstrated:
- Assessment of each child’s development focuses on the child’s functions in their everyday routines and activities in their natural learning environments.
- A child’s inclusive, meaningful and active participation in their family life, community life and natural environments is promoted.
- Links with each family’s community and other support agencies are enabled and built upon.
- Each child’s inclusion through participation in daily routines in their natural learning environments is promoted.
Collaboration
Outcome: Each participant receives coordinated supports from a collaborative team comprising their family, the provider and other relevant providers, to facilitate their development and address the family’s needs and priorities.
To achieve this outcome, the following indicators should be demonstrated:
- If the family wishes to engage a key worker, work is undertaken with the family and other providers to identify a suitable key worker.
- Close collaborative links with the family and other collaborating providers are established to coordinate the team around each child.
- With the consent of the family, information, knowledge and skills are communicated and shared between the family, the provider, and other collaborating providers.
- Where relevant, collaboration between supports and services is undertaken to ensure that transition/exit planning meets the needs of each child and their family.
Capacity building
Outcome: Each participant receives supports that build the knowledge, skills and abilities of the family and other collaborating providers in order to support the child’s learning and development.
To achieve this outcome, the following indicators should be demonstrated:
- Work is undertaken with the support network in each child’s life to build their capacity to achieve the functional outcomes identified in the support plan.
- Each family’s confidence is built to understand how their family routines and everyday activities can support their child’s development.
- The capacity of the child, family and collaborating providers involved with the child is built through coaching, capacity building supports and collaborative teamwork.
- Collaboration is undertaken to affirm, challenge, and support the child, family and collaborating providers to further develop their skills and to improve practice and relationships.
- Feedback and learnings from the child, family and other professionals is used to improve support delivery.
Evidence-informed practice
Outcome: Each participant receives evidence-informed supports from providers with quality standards and validated practice.
To achieve this outcome, the following indicators should be demonstrated:
- Intervention strategies are based on explicit principles, validated practices, best available research and relevant laws and regulations.
- Appropriate information, knowledge, skills and expertise are in place to deliver quality supports to each participant’s support network.
- Knowledge and skills are maintained through continuing relevant professional development, ongoing self-reflection, self-assessment and monitoring of practices.
Outcome-based approach
Outcome: Each participant receives supports that are outcome-based and goal-focused.
To achieve this outcome, the following indicators should be demonstrated:
- The functional outcomes for the child and their family are based on their needs and priorities, and the skills needed to achieve those outcomes are identified through collaboration with the child and their family.
- Each child has a documented support plan that describes the interventions and their functional outcomes.
- The family is actively involved in the assessment of the child and the development and review of the support plan.
- A copy of the support plan is provided to the family in the language, mode of communication and terms that they are most likely to understand.
- The functional outcomes support the child’s meaningful participation in family and community life.
- The assessment, intervention planning and outcomes for the child and the family are measured, evaluated and reported in ways that are meaningful to, and understood by, the family.