Service provision: a proactive approach
What You As A Service Provider Can Do
As a service provider you can:
- identify current needs and available services
- accept responsibility for the co-ordination of services
- assure ongoing liaison between consumer and various service personnel
- work toward achieving a more stable service delivery
In providing support to parents with disabilities you should consider certain strategies when determining level of support, such as:
- least restrictive options
- previous experiences in the parent’s life
- age of the parents
- the parent’s skills
- the parent’s motivation to learn
- the different environments the parent operates in/lifestyle
- the use of concrete examples, material, or adaptive equipment to assist parents
- the importance of consistency between those people supporting the parents
Furthermore:
- You can provide each person with a disability with a service that is designed to meet, in the least restrictive way, his or her individual needs and personal goals.
- You can provide each person with a disability with the opportunity to participate as fully as possible in making decisions about the events and activities of her or his daily life in relation to the services that she or he receives.
- You can help parents with a disability to feel that they have more control over community services (such as Protective Services);
- You can help parents with a disability believe that their opinions are treated more seriously;
- You can help parents with a disability share in more acceptable recreational activities where they can participate with other parents who have disabilities;
- You can help parents with a disability have access to an emergency specialised telephone service that deals with issues surrounding parenting and disability.
As a service provider you should assure that parents with disabilities have access to up to-date information on parenting to enable parents to make informed choices on such things as conception and contraception.
You should also assure that parents have access to generic counselling, and appropriate training, support and advice as required, to support them to be competent parents.
Service Provision - A Proactive Approach:
Parents with a disability