Supported decision-making is when someone helps you make important decisions about:

• your life
• how you will live.

It could be a:

• family member or relative
• close friend
• carer
• guardian – a person who makes decisions for another person.

We need to know who is important in someone’s life so we:

• know who to work with
• can make the right decisions.

Good support means offering support to work out decisions based on:

• the person and what’s important to them
• what’s important for their health and wellbeing.

Good support comes from choosing the best person to support you.

Everyone has important people in their life.

People we:

• like
• respect
• love.

We use these people for support when we need to make important decisions.

They can offer us their point of view based on how well they know us.

We choose certain people depending on the decision we have to make.

You might get help from:

• family
• friends
• people you work with
• professionals – people whose job is to help.

If you want to give someone the right decision-making support, you need to:

• work together

• really listen and hear what is important to them.

This is:

• a basic human right

• what self-direction is all about.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN Convention) is an international agreement.

It applies all around the world.

The UN Convention sets out the rights of people with disability.

At WAiS, we work to develop a practical approach to supported decision-making.

We work together with:

• people
• families
• the disability sector.

We share what we learn through a range of resources.

Our resources are accessible and freely available.

Easy Read Supported Decision Making Resource

Plain Language Supported Decision Making Resource 

Supported Decision Making Resource

We’ve also made some videos that you can watch below.

Supported Decision Making videos

Video 1 - Supported Decision Making Project Workshops

Video 2 - Supporting Decisions

Video 3 - Getting to know the person

Video 4 - Good Assistance

Video 5 - Understanding the person's communication

Video 6 - Communication Passport/Profile