Engaging participants on shift

I have been a quality management professional for almost 20 years, and I truly believe that we have an important place in human services. But I saw something today that reminded me that we are only a piece of the pie, there to *support* organisations to provide good services.

I decided to go to my local library to work for the morning. I watched a support worker come in, leading an older person who was using a wheelie walker - actually walking in front of them, holding their walker. The person had an uneven gait, so this practice seemed unsafe to me, along with not being person-centred.

The support worker then sat down with the individual, sitting opposite to them, and pulled out her laptop. They sat there for at least two hours (until I left), the worker using her laptop, and the individual doing....nothing. They were not asked if they would like to do anything, see anything, hold anything. The individual was vocalising softly, but perhaps could not use full sentences. I do not know if they could agree or disagree to any entertainment. But maybe with some support, they could have looked through a book or engaged in a puzzle. Instead, they sat there, with essentially no support at all - just a guard, essentially.

I think for most of us working in the sector seeing this is upsetting. We've all seen support workers and clients sitting at cafes while the support worker is on their phone. We know it's not right.

So what can we do, as providers and the quality staff that support them, to reduce this practice? There are a lot of methods that seem aspirational and unrealistic - hiring great people for example. How someone seems on paper can be very different to how they behave when alone with a client for four hours. More training - all good if someone wants to learn, but not much use when the job is just a job to them.

So what IS realistic? I know margins are really tight, especially for NDIS providers. But spot visits and observation are good tools to ensure staff are behaving in a way that supports the rights and personhood of people accessing services. Reviewing shift notes is another way - really look at what is being described. If there's not enough information, take the time to talk to your staff, and ask them for more details. If you can, randomly verify the service with the client. This is why having multiple methods of feedback is so important. Providing feedback should not be the privilege of some of your clients - EVERYONE has the right to let you know how their service is.

I know the job of a support worker is not easy. I know the human services sector is experiencing worker shortages. But I also think people accessing services deserve the dignity of someone seeing them as human, as an individual, and to pay attention to them when services are being delivered.

Do you have any other tips? Let me know.

Thanks for reading,

Clarisa