A key aspect of the research involved the active inclusion of community researchers with intellectual disability ensuring that the perspectives and experiences of people with disability are not only acknowledged but are integral in the research process. This allowed us to really deepen and extend how we can learn from people’s firsthand experiences, their valuable insights into how things feel and advice on effective ways of doing things.
People with intellectual disabilities are exposed to an increased number of negative experiences, including mistreatment by support workers. Coined by the research team, the term ‘everyday harm’ refers to situations that cause people with disability to feel humiliated, silenced or offended, like being ignored or demeaned.
The project involved interviewing 50 pairs of young people with cognitive disabilities and their support workers. In a series of two interviews, participants discussed the steps they take to work together effectively, avoid harm, and resolve any issues that may arise. This in-depth analysis aimed to provide a holistic understanding of the steps that young people with disability and their support workers take to address harm which is important for shaping positive practice in the future.
The project brought together nine industry partners, including the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, VACRO, Purple Orange, Northcott, SA Department of Human Services, Bedford, Mable, Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA), Novita, and genU and was funded by the Australian Research Council Linkage grant.
The project addressed a key national interest, the safety and wellbeing of people with disability. New evidence is needed to address the stark problems of abuse and neglect identified in the Disability Royal Commission. Incorporating new understandings of abuse, safety and wellbeing into national policy and practice collaboration will help organisations efficiently and safely improve the quality of disability support, improving effectiveness and value of key mechanisms such as the NDIS.
The Everyday Steps project will ensure that ‘everyday harms’ for people with intellectual disability are represented in a consistent way at each of the three levels of Australian disability policy, providing a vocabulary that people with disability, support workers and organisations can use to acknowledge, name and, ultimately, prevent this form of harm.
The research will contribute to achieving Australia’s Disability Strategy 2022-2032, addressing Outcome Area: Safety, Rights and Justice. It will also support conceptual and practical approaches to enhance safety and wellbeing in the related sectors of aged care and children’s services.
Over the next 12 months, findings from the Everyday Steps to Prevent Everyday Harms project will inform Novita’s leadership and support worker training and service changes to address ‘everyday harms’ (actions, omissions, environmental constraints and practices that intentionally and unintentionally cause harm) and prevent abuse of people with intellectual disability.
More information can be found here - Everyday steps to prevent everyday harms of people with disability.