Enabling Risk: Putting Positives First

Course Overview

Build the skills to support people to make choices and take everyday risks that lead to a good life.

Why take this course?

How can I support a person with cognitive disability who wants to participate in activities that involve risk, while safeguarding their wellbeing?

The answer lies in a Risk Enablement Process. Taking risks is part of everyday life. It’s how we learn, grow, and build confidence. For people with cognitive disabilities, having the chance to take those same everyday risks is an essential part of living a good life.

In this modular self-paced eLearning, you’ll explore practical ways to support people with cognitive disabilities, including people with intellectual disability and acquired brain injury, to make their own choices and take part in activities that involve risk. All while minimising potential harm to themselves or others. Working from a risk enablement approach isn’t about avoiding risk. It’s about supporting people to live full, engaged and meaningful lives.

While this course was designed for disability support workers, it’s just as valuable for practice leaders, frontline managers, and senior managers. They play a key role in creating the right environment for support workers to put these ideas into action.

​​​This online learning resource was developed by the Living with Disability Research Centre at La Trobe University with funding from the New South Wales Department of Family and Community Services (NSW FACS) with input from a wide range of stakeholders including staff from the Living with Disability Research Centre, and industry partners Unisson Disability and the New South Wales Council for Intellectual Disability (NSW CID). A list of the full credits can be found on the Enabling Risk: Putting Positives First website. It has been reproduced by DSC using DSC graphics and knowledge checks with full permission from La Trobe University.

What you’ll gain

By the end of this course you will be able to:

• Define risk, its types of outcomes and factors that influence risk-taking behaviour

• Describe The 4 Essentials of Risk Enablement

• Describe The Risk Enablement Process for supporting people with cognitive disabilities

• Apply the process of risk enablement to different case scenarios

• Describe the benefits of working in a way that enables choices that involve risk

Who’s it for?

This course is designed for:

• Support Workers, Support Coordinators and other frontline workers

• Frontline Leaders and Practice Leaders who guide risk-enabling practice
  
  

What’s included?

• 5 x 30 minute self-paced eLearning (progress saved - exit and come back anytime)

• Videos demonstrating the 4 Essentials of Risk Enablement showing real life scenarios of support workers with people with cognitive impairment

• Downloadable workbook

• Certificate of completion 

Collaborating organisation