Your service will need to work with the child and their family to share information, understand the child's abilities and plan individual support.
Information your OSHC service needs from the family
- the child's strengths and interests
- the child's disability, safety and participation support needs
- the child's behaviour and support needs
- the child's health and personal care support needs
- the child's methods of communication
- medical documentation or support plans
- how the child's support needs are changing over time
- feedback on the child's experience at your service and the support they are receiving.
Information the family needs from your OSHC service
- the program and types of activities being run
- the staff's capabilities, training and experience
- the resources, facilities and equipment your service has access to
- your capacity and plans to include and support their child
- how their child is taking part, behaving and working towards their goals
- any incidents that occur to their child at your service.
You may also need to work with others in the child's support team (such as the child's school, disability workers and medical/health workers) to get detailed, specialist information about the child's needs.
How to help build the family's confidence
Some families may be nervous about sending a child with a complex disability to OSHC. They may have limited experience with mainstream services, be unsure of what to expect or be concerned about whether staff can provide complex support.
Communicate well with the family to address any concerns as this will help give the family confidence your service can support and keep their child safe.
Here are important questions to discuss with the family to help build confidence
- what inclusive policies are in place?
- what training has the staff received (have they had general training on how to include children with complex disabilities or specific training for providing individual medical care)?
- what activities will be run and how will their child be able to take part?
- what adjustments have been made to the environment to make sure their child will be comfortable and safe (for example, what hazards have been removed and how will noise levels be managed)?
- what support can they reasonably expect their child to receive (for example, what equipment do you have access to, and how much one-on-one versus group support will the child receive)?
- what are the safety and risk-management plans (both general and specific to their child)?
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