Values-Based Leadership Development
Exploring how to transform a service agency culture
towards highly mindful personalised interactions with
people and families, by looking at the complexity of
relationships, the aggregation of transactions and the
direction agencies take through their questions and
actions.
Disclaimer
JFA Purple Orange prepared this work under the Schedule – Standard Funding
Agreement, signed 21 January 2013, and in accordance with the Australian
Government Terms and Conditions Standard Funding Agreement for Agreements
entered into from 11 May 2011, which fully sets out the scope of our work. Nothing
within this report is intended to imply that we have carried out any work beyond that
scope.
JFA Purple Orange has prepared the material in this report from publicly available
material, and from information provided by a range of stakeholders. JFA Purple
Orange has relied upon the accuracy, currency and completeness of the information
provided to it by these various stakeholders, and takes no responsibility for the
accuracy, currency, reliability or correctness of the information, and acknowledges
that changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact the accuracy
of the information. The information may change without notice and JFA Purple Orange
is not in any way liable for the accuracy of any information used or relied upon by a
third party.
Furthermore JFA Purple Orange has not independently validated or verified the
information provided to it for the purpose of the Report and the content of this
Report does not in any way constitute an audit or assurance of any of the
information contained herein.
Values-Based Leadership Development
2
Acknowledgements
JFA Purple Orange and SACOSS extend appreciation to the Commonwealth
Government of Australia for grant-funding this initiative.
We also extend our thanks and admiration to the Project Advisory Group
members for their guidance.
Lastly, we extend our deep appreciation to Glenda Lee, Rebecca Hughes
and Anna Hughes, for the recorded material they contributed to the
workshop program.
This report was prepared by
JFA Purple Orange
PO Box 701 Unley Business Centre
T: (08) 8373 8333
F: (08) 8373 8373
E: admin@purpleorange.org.au
Project Staff
Alicia Fidock: Project Manager
Robbi Williams: Facilitator
Ross Womersley: Facilitator
17 May 2013
Values-Based Leadership Development
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Contents
Contents ................................................................................................................... 4
1.0
Introduction .................................................................................................... 6
2.0
Methodology ................................................................................................. 7
2.1
Project Advisory Group .............................................................................. 7
2.2
Development of Material ........................................................................ 11
2.3
The Role of Stories ..................................................................................... 12
3.0
Delivery of Workshops ................................................................................. 13
Table showing workshop arrangements ..................................................... 15
3.1
Session 1: Values Underpinning Leadership .......................................... 16
3.2
Session 2: Values Underpinning a Good Life ......................................... 17
3.3
Session 3: Values Underpinning the Experience of Home ................... 19
3.4
Session 4: Values Underpinning Risk, Duty-of-Care and Safeguards . 20
3.5
Session 5: Values Underpinning Planning .............................................. 21
3.6
Session 6: Values Underpinning Community Connection ................... 22
3.7
Session 7: Values Underpinning Authentic Personalised Support ....... 23
4.0
Developing a question-based tool for agency conversations .............. 24
5.0
Evaluation ..................................................................................................... 25
5.1
Evaluation Questions ............................................................................... 26
5.2
Total Number of Evaluation Responses per Venue and Overall ........ 27
5.3
Average Rating per Question Relative to Total Evaluation
Responses ........................................................................................................... 28
6.0
Discussion ...................................................................................................... 30
7.0
Conclusions and Recommendations ........................................................ 34
8.0
Appendix A – Registrations and Waiting Lists for each Location .......... 35
8.1
9.0
Agencies registered for each workshop ............................................... 35
Appendix B – Evaluation Comments and Ratings .................................. 41
9.1 Evaluation Question: How important do you think the topic of values
is in delivering services? .................................................................................... 41
9.2
Evaluation Question: How helpful was the material covered in
Topic 1 – What leadership means in the context of the NDIS? .................... 43
9.3
Evaluation Question: How helpful was the material covered in
Values-Based Leadership Development
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Topic 2 – Setting the scene: Histories? ............................................................. 46
9.4
Evaluation Question: How helpful was the material covered in
Topic 3 – Your home – My workplace? ........................................................... 48
9.5
Evaluation Question: How helpful was the material covered in
Topic 4 – Values about well-being and safety vs. safeguards? ................... 51
9.6
Evaluation Question: How helpful was the material covered in
Topic 5 – Values – How these fit with individual planning? .......................... 54
9.7
Evaluation Question: How helpful was the material covered in
Topic 6 – Values and navigating into community life? ................................. 57
9.8
Evaluation Question: How helpful was the material covered in
Topic 7 – Enquiry into values and personalised support? ............................. 60
9.9 Evaluation Question: Do you feel better prepared to help your
agency explore how values are integral to successfully using the NDIS to
help people have good lives? ......................................................................... 62
9.10 Evaluation Question: Do you feel better prepared to help your
agency evolve its practice accordingly? ...................................................... 63
10.0
Appendix C – Toolkit of Questions .......................................................... 66
Values-Based Leadership Development
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1.0 Introduction
JFA Purple Orange successfully applied to the National Disability Insurance
Scheme (NDIS) Practical Design Fund for a grant to design and road-test a
two-day workshop in each NDIS launch site on the development of valuesbased leadership in service agencies.
The workshop ran throughout March and early April 2013 and targeted
people in formal or informal leadership roles, and people with potential to
move into leadership roles.
The purpose of the workshop was to provide material that equipped leaders
to transfer the knowledge learned during the workshop into their agency’s
conversations and practice as they transition to the new NDIS landscape.
Robbi Williams, Chief Executive Officer of JFA Purple Orange and Ross
Womersley, Executive Director of the South Australian Council of Social
Services* (SACOSS) ran the workshop. JFA Purple Orange and SACOSS
have a history of actively collaborating on events promoting the leadership
and support of people living with disability, including the Loop**
Conference.
*SACOSS is the peak body for South Australian non-government health and community services sector, with an
established record of capacity-building, researching and policy analysis, and advocating on behalf of vulnerable
and disadvantaged South Australians – www.sacoss.org.au
**The Loop Conference format was established in 2007 out of a concern that many people living with disability
and their families were missing out on relevant conference events, particularly people who reside in country
areas. The Loop Conference is held in a number of different venues around South Australia (charted in the style of
a loop, hence the name), and with a particular focus on regional and country areas. The intended emphasis of
the Loop Conference is to ‘talk with’ people, not to ‘talk at’. Presenters bring useful information to the
conference for participants to take away; in addition, through conversation and consultation, the participants
give information on their perspective and experiences, which the organisers can take away, report and amplify http://www.purpleorange.org.au/files/7613/3351/8895/The_Loop_2008_Getting_a_good_life.pdf
Values-Based Leadership Development
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2.0 Methodology
Project Advisory Group
A Project Advisory Group was established comprising stakeholders with lived
experience of disability and stakeholders with extensive experience in
service delivery.
JFA Purple Orange drew on its local and interstate network of stakeholders
and contacts, and approached potential members accordingly. Members
of the Project Advisory Group were:
Phillip Beddall
Services board member, broadcaster, and with
lived experience of disability
Glenda Lee
Rights advocate and lived experience of disability
Jackie Beard
Human services professional and family member of
a person living with disability
Fiona Campbell
Individual advocate and family member of a
person living with disability
Anna Hughes
Human services professional and family member of
a person living with disability
Shirley Patterson
CEO, Individual
Service
Gordon Duff
Executive Officer, National Policy Research Unit,
NDS
Denice Whardall
CEO, Cara Inc
Robbi Williams
CEO, JFA Purple Orange
Ross Womersley
Executive Director, SACOSS
Supported
Accommodation
The role of the Project Advisory Group was to provide expertise, advice,
guidance and input regarding the design, execution and evaluation of the
workshop. The group met four times and each meeting focused on different
aspects of the project.
Values-Based Leadership Development
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The following tables provide a summary of when the meetings were held
and what was discussed.
Date
6 February 2013
Focus
Set methodology coordinates and give initial input into the
workshop structure
Preparatory
Material
Document on overview of seven elements with questions to
discuss:
1. What do you believe are the key messages you
would like service providers to know about for each
element?
2. What should the topics cover?
3. Do you know of anyone (service provider or person
living with disability) with a relevant story to tell about
any of these elements?
Outcomes
Broad methodology parameters agreed. Advice to
structure the seven elements in a way that supports
participants to:


connect with the topics
generate the questions that then go into the tool kit
that they can take back to their agency (build the
tool as they go through the workshop)
Values-Based Leadership Development
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Date
20 February 2013
Focus
Give further input to draft content and confirm program
structure
Preparatory
Material
Draft program with suggestions from previous meeting
included
Outcomes
Advice to:



anchor program around “real stories”
introduce discussion on leadership at the beginning of
the workshop and also discuss leadership throughout
the remaining elements
finish with the ”values underpinning personalised
supports” element as this will provide the opportunity
to draw on discussions from previous elements and
how they relate to supporting people to live a good
life
Date
10 April 2013
Focus
Review of workshop feedback and program content
Preparatory
Material
Evaluation summary of feedback received from Hobart,
Geelong, Adelaide and Newcastle
Outcomes
Advice to:


Date
change the balance of the content to encourage a
greater focus on leadership and equipping people to
start a conversation within their organisations
compile a ”tool kit” of questions raised at each
workshop to give to participants
24 April 2013
Values-Based Leadership Development
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Focus
Review and finalise report
Preparatory
Material
Draft report
Outcomes
Advice to:


change the structure of the report to highlight the
overall evaluation findings and include the comments
as an appendix
include the “tool kit” of questions in the final report
Distribute final report after edits for final review and
comment
Values-Based Leadership Development
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Development of Material
The workshop facilitators, Robbi Williams and Ross Womersley, had previously
generated a range of materials designed to assist agencies and individual
stakeholders to better understand the relationship between values and
actions, especially in relation to advancing the life chances of people living
with increased vulnerability, where increased vulnerability is defined as
comprising older people, people living with mental health issues, homeless
people and people living with disability.
Taking this material, we constructed a seven-element program of
connected themes. The Project Advisory Group provided feedback on the
content, order and flow of the material prior to the commencement of the
workshop program, and again prior to the last event in Canberra. The seven
elements were:
Values
underpinning
leadership
Values
underpinning
a good life
Values
underpinning
planning
Values
underpinning
the
experience of
home
Values
underpinning
community
connection
Values
underpinning
risk, duty of
care and
safeguards
Values
underpinning
personalised
support
We focused on two main goals when structuring the material:


Delivery of content that assists participants to explore the extent to
which particular values are present in disability support services
Demonstration of techniques, including the generation of a series of
key questions, which participants can take back to their agencies to
develop a conversation about how the agency can best support the
advancement of people's life chances.
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The Role of Stories
Stories told by people living with disability and their families are a compelling
way to examine the impact of services and the values underpinning them.
In support of this, we developed the following:





A video recording of an 18-year-old woman living with disability,
describing her experience moving through mainstream and
segregated education, and the steps she and her family took to
strengthen the life chances available to her as a young woman
A selection of video material covering two stories of adults living with
disability in their quest to access good life chances
A video recording of a home owner living with disability, covering
what it takes to sustain a true sense of home, and the impact of
helpful and unhelpful agency support
A selection of video material covering the perspectives of four adults
living with different types of disability, about the role of planning in
their lives
A video recording of a parent of a person living with disability on the
values underpinning the family's perspective and experience.
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3.0 Delivery of Workshops
JFA Purple Orange selected dates in March 2013 to run the workshops to
allow sufficient time for advertising, marketing and the execution and
evaluation of the workshops.
JFA Purple Orange then approached peak disability organisations and
service providers in each NDIS launch site seeking information about:
Whether the proposed dates would clash with other local events
What centrally located accessible venues would be suitable to run
the workshops
JFA Purple Orange was informed that all the dates, excluding those
proposed for Canberra on the 19 and 20 March 2013 were suitable. The
Canberra dates clashed with a major event for disability service providers.
The dates of this workshop were changed to the 11 and 12 April to provide
the opportunity for as many service providers as possible to attend.
JFA Purple Orange was unable to secure recommended first-choice
accessible venues in Geelong and Newcastle because they were not
available. Alternative venues were confirmed after further consultation with
peak disability organisations and local stakeholders.
In early February we commenced advertising of the workshop. This provided
service agencies with a minimum of one month to register for the workshop
in their region.
Canberra dates and venue were confirmed in late February with a revised
flyer and registration form distributed at this time.
The workshop flyer and registration form was distributed by JFA Purple
Orange via:
Website www.purpleorange.org.au
Email distribution list
Facebook www.facebook.com/jfapurpleorange
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JFA Purple Orange also asked for support from a range of services in each
NDIS launch site to distribute information about the workshop throughout
their networks. These agencies included:
The National Disability Services (NDS) (Australia’s peak body for
non-government disability service organisations)
The NDIS Launch Transition Agency in Tasmania
Advocacy agencies
Local councils
Disability ACT
Disability Information Resource Centres in South Australia, New
South Wales and Victoria
We received strong interest in the workshops from a range of service
providers and reached registration capacity in every location. To ensure
diversity of service agencies (and discussion), JFA Purple Orange capped
the number of employee registrations from a single organisation to three.
Any subsequent employees from a single organisation were placed on a
waiting list and advised they may gain a place if a vacancy arose. The
number of people on each waiting list was as follows:
Newcastle
35
Adelaide
19
Canberra
17
Hobart
6
Geelong
8
Registration numbers were increased in Adelaide and Canberra as there
was capacity at the venue to do so.
The following table provides details of the dates, venues and number of
people who registered and attended each workshop. Appendix A shows
agencies registered and on the waiting list for each workshop.
Values-Based Leadership Development
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Table showing workshop arrangements
Date
Venue
Registered
Attended
5-6 March
Hobart: Tasmanian
Technopark, Innovation Drive,
Dowsing Point
30
30
7-8 March
Geelong: Buckley's
Entertainment Centre, 54
Fellmongers Road, Breakwater
30
28
13-14 March
Adelaide: Our Space, JFA
Purple Orange, 104 Greenhill
Road, Unley
35
32
21–22 March
Newcastle: Diggers @
Newcastle City, 58 Hanbury
Street, Mayfield
30
29
11-12 April
Canberra: Nature Conservation
House, 153 Emu Bank,
Belconnen
38
38
While we were working to a particular structure of material, there were
some variations in the flow of material across the five events for two main
reasons:
1. The demography and interests of the workshop participants resulted in
subtle differences in the flow of the material
2. Each event was slightly modified to take account of the learning from
the previous event.
The main mode of delivery was a facilitated whole-group conversation,
supplemented by participant work in smaller groups and video content.
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Session 1: Values Underpinning Leadership
Rationale: a detailed enquiry into a topic needs to begin with a common
understanding.
This initial session was designed to establish a common perspective among
participants on the nature and character of leadership.
Content elements included:



identifying the characteristics of leadership behaviour
examining the extent to which leadership behaviour is currently
coded into the work of agencies, and how it differs from
management
video content of a young woman's story, to draw out the source and
impact of personal leadership, and to note the consequences of
agency decision-making about life chances.
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Session 2: Values Underpinning a Good Life
Rationale: if the goal of support agencies is to assist people with their lives it
is important to establish a common understanding of what a good life
means.
This second session was designed to establish a common perspective
among participants on the nature of a good life.
Content elements included:






a history of the place in community life of people living with disability
identifying the common and individual characteristics of a good life
noticing how these characteristics have not reliably been reflected in
formal support arrangements
exploring how values of a good life are coded into the
Commonwealth Disability Services Act 1986 and the United Nations
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
video content of two people's stories, to distinguish between “goodlife-thinking” and “institution-thinking”
generation of target questions for participants to lead conversation
and practice back at their agencies.
The above phrase “institution-thinking” was not used simply to reflect the
practices and world view of old-style institutions as large scale congregate
services. In the workshop it carried a broader meaning, where there is a less
personalised view of the person. This can occur in small group services such
as group-home supported accommodation, but can also occur in singleperson services, and is evident when people are viewed as entities to be
managed, as collections of tasks to be performed by staff.
The use of the phrase also included service-centric services, where even
though the person may be properly viewed as a valued human being, their
Values-Based Leadership Development
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support options are limited to what the agency currently offers, and within
the agency’s world view.
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Session 3: Values Underpinning the Experience of Home
Rationale: to establish a common understanding of the values that underpin
an authentic sense of “home” and what helps and hinders this in formal
support arrangements.
Content elements included:





identifying the multiple value elements of home and “not home” or
facility
examining conflicts of interest that exist when a person's home is also
a support worker’s workplace
video content of a person’s story, setting out the personal challenges
in maintaining a sense of home when orchestrating formal supports
taking the “occupation” out of “occupational health, safety and
welfare” to find arrangements which keep everyone safeguarded
generation of target questions for participants to lead conversation
and practice back at their agencies.
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Session 4: Values Underpinning Risk, Duty-of-Care and Safeguards
Rationale: to examine how people understand the values that underpin risk
and duty-of-care, and how this affects subsequent support arrangements.
Content elements included:





identifying how people understand and approach risk and decisionmaking in their own lives
exploring the origins of professional duty-of-care and the impact this
has on service planning
introduction to a schematic that contrasts safety and safeguards by
setting out the relationship between vulnerability, duty-of-care,
conceptualisation of the issue, and the trajectory and consequences
of subsequent support arrangements (referred to as the ”low road”
and “high road”)
exploration of how arrangements designed to keep people safe can
sometimes produce the opposite consequence
generation of target questions for participants to lead conversation
and practice back at their agencies.
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Session 5: Values Underpinning Planning
Rationale: to examine how people understand the nature of planning, and
the potentially competing values that drive planning methodologies in
agencies.
Content elements included:





exploring the diversity in how people plan and decide in their own
lives, and the presence of flexibility and spontaneity because life isn’t
predictable; plans can change
agency approaches to individual planning including the risk of
overreliance on specific planning methodologies
video content on the perspectives of four people living with disability
on the value and presence of planning in their lives, including the
impact of agency planning
discussing the issue of “churn” defined as when staff turnover results in
a loss of continuity in individual planning, which consequently hinders
the time and efficiency of both the person and the agency due to retelling and re-learning of a person’s story
generation of target questions for participants to lead conversation
and practice back at their agencies.
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Session 6: Values Underpinning Community Connection
Rationale: to examine the place of connection and fellowship in our lives,
and its central role in advancing life chances.
Content elements included:




exploring the range of ways people have community connection in
their lives
exploring how, over the past several hundred years, collectively, we
have taught our communities to think about the relative place of
disability in community life
exploring the “three places of community connection” (from
Oldenburg 1989,1991) and the extent to which support arrangements
help or hinder such connections (including how agencies, typically
with the best of intentions, might themselves become barriers to
connection)
generation of target questions for participants to lead conversation
and practice back at their agencies.
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Session 7: Values Underpinning Authentic Personalised Support
Rationale: to examine the nature and experience of fundamentally good
customer service and explore its implications for personal supports.
Content elements included:




reflecting on people's experiences where they experienced
outstanding customer service
relating this to the experience of many people living with disability
accessing support services
exploring how to transform a service agency culture towards highly
mindful personalised interactions with people and families, by looking
at the complexity of relationships, the aggregation of transactions,
and the direction agencies take through their questions and actions
generation of target questions for participants to lead conversation
and practice back at their agencies.
Values-Based Leadership Development
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4.0 Developing a question-based tool for agency
conversations
The workshop program was intended as a primer for further work by
participants back at their agencies. To support this, a series of questions
were developed to support, and sum up, the discussions that took place in
the workshop sessions.
The material was refined over the course of the five workshops and has
been prepared, along with other workshop-generated materials such as
discussion output recorded on whiteboards, for circulation to all
participants.
This ‘toolkit’ of questions is given in Appendix C.
Values-Based Leadership Development
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5.0 Evaluation
JFA Purple Orange believes in the fundamental importance of evaluation to
ensure the impact of our endeavours may be known and evolve.
Accordingly, we sought feedback from participants about the two-day
workshop.
We are mindful of the different elements that constitute evaluation, for
example those set out in the Kirkpatrick model*** that track attitudinal and
behavioural change over time. The Kirkpatrick model sets out four levels of
evaluation – reaction, learning, behaviour, and results. Because of the tight
timelines for the delivery of this project, it was not possible to establish a
more comprehensive evaluation along such lines, nor indeed to ensure the
evaluation administrator had no vested interest.
Notwithstanding, we developed a basic instrument that generally aligns
with the first element of the Kirkpatrick model, reaction. This instrument – the
evaluation form - was designed to gauge participants’ experiences and
views in relation to each of the topics covered in the workshop. For each
topic question participants were asked to provide a rating from 1 to 10, with
10 being the most positive score. Participants were also asked to highlight
the aspects of each topic they found most helpful and what could have
been done differently. The questions asked are given in the box below.
*** http://www.kirkpatrickpartners.com/OurPhilosophy/tabid/66/Default.aspx, accessed 29 April 2013.
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Evaluation Questions
How important do you think the topic of values is in delivering services?
How helpful was the material covered in Topic 1 – What leadership means in
the context of the NDIS?
How helpful was the material covered in Topic 2 – Setting the scene:
Histories?
How helpful was the material covered in Topic 3 – Your home – My
workplace?
How helpful was the material covered in Topic 4 – Values about wellbeing
and safety vs. safeguards?
How helpful was the material covered in Topic 5 – Values – How these fit
with individual planning?
How helpful was the material covered in Topic 6 – Values and navigating
into community life?
How helpful was the material covered in Topic 7 – Enquiry into values and
personalised support?
Do you feel better prepared to help your agency explore how values are
integral to successfully using the NDIS to help people have good lives?
Do you feel better prepared to help your agency evolve its practice
accordingly?
Values-Based Leadership Development
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Total Number of Evaluation Responses per Venue and Overall
Evaluation responses per venue
Hobart
13
Geelong
14
Adelaide
23
Newcastle
21
Canberra
31
Total Evaluation response
102
Overall percentage response rate
(157 participants attended the workshops)
65%
The Hobart and Geelong events had the lowest participation in the
evaluation, with less than half of the workshop participants completing the
evaluation survey. As a result of this, we adjusted the way the evaluation
survey was made available to participants, and also encouraged
participants to complete relevant parts of the evaluation throughout the
workshop. This resulted in stronger participation rates in the evaluation.
Values-Based Leadership Development
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Average Rating per Question Relative to Total Evaluation Responses
Please note “Rating” refers to the average rating for all workshops where 10
is the most positive.
Question
Rating
Participant Quote
How important do you think
the topic of values is in
delivering services?
9.2
[It is] extremely important – it is
integral in the whole process of
creating an effective and efficient
NDIS
How helpful was the
material covered in Topic 1
– What leadership means in
the context of the NDIS?
7.6
Stimulating thought about how we
can think differently about the role
of services in NDIS and how
leadership contributes to this
How helpful was the
material covered in Topic 2
– Setting the scene:
Histories?
7.7
Real people in real situations. It
provides clarity to the circumstances
of people living with disability
How helpful was the
material covered in Topic 3
– Your home – My
workplace?
8.5
[It] would be helpful for support staff
to discuss this – to be more mindful in
their work – will definitely take this
back to my agency.
How helpful was the
material covered in Topic 4
– Values about well-being
and safety vs. safeguards?
8.1
Challenged values & thinking
regarding managing / assessing
solutions
How helpful was the
material covered in Topic 5
– Values – How these fit
with individual planning?
8.1
This reminded me that I need to
remember the individual – the
reason for my role in the first place
How helpful was the
material covered in Topic 6
– Values and navigating
into community life?
8.3
Think navigating into community life
is absolutely crucial – both for the
person with a disability as well as the
community
Values-Based Leadership Development
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Question
How helpful was the
material covered in Topic 7
– Enquiry into values and
personalised support?
Rating
8.2
Participant Quote
Interesting to look at our own values
and how this relates to the people
we support. How our own values can
impact positively or negatively on
those we support
The following table refers to questions where a “yes” or “no” response was
required. Please note “Percentage” refers to the percentage of people who
Question
Percentage Participant Quote
Do you feel better prepared
to help your agency explore
how values are integral to
successfully using the NDIS to
help people have good
lives?
91%
I think the questions /
discussions will be helpful to
have with other staff and
hopefully this will begin more
thinking about values
Do you feel better prepared
to help your agency evolve
its practice accordingly?
91%
I feel like I have now a
platform to work from with
ideas to stimulate valuesbased leadership
said “yes” for all workshops.
In addition to providing a score between one and 10 for each workshop
element, participants were also invited to make comments. A full list of
these comments is given in Appendix B.
Values-Based Leadership Development
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6.0 Discussion
Overall, the evaluation data is encouraging, suggesting the vast majority of
workshop participants (91 per cent) felt better prepared, as a result of the
workshop, to help their agency advance thinking and practice in support of
people living good lives.
While this is a strong score, there would perhaps have been additional
benefit in designing the evaluation question about being better prepared,
to include more graded response options, rather than just yes and no. That
said, we think the strong response does offer a signal that participants had a
positive reaction to the material overall, as a useful opportunity to explore
the nature of values and leadership in services, and imagined it having
utility as their agencies navigate change.
In terms of participants’ experiences of the various sessions within each
workshop, the results were very positive, with average scores ranging from
7.6/10 to 8.5/10.
It is a particular challenge to find a level of input that works for everyone,
and we noticed this in the evaluations with people having differing
perceptions about level of content and pace.
We also noticed people varied in their reasons for attending the workshop.
Many were there for the reasons we hoped, which was to deepen their
understanding about how to explore the values underpinning a good life
and how to translate these into practice at an agency.
However, a significant number of participants attended because they
wanted more information about the NDIS, and their evaluation feedback
seems to be anchored on whether they got the information they hoped for
about the NDIS, rather than information about how to lead values into
actions.
This reveals the challenge of meeting varying participant
expectations of content when in a dynamic public policy environment,
where there are many changes that people are attempting to keep up
with, and where the elements of such changes have differing resonance for
different people.
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Also, some participants reported they were at the workshop because they
had been told to come by their manager. While this does not mean their
participation and benefits were diminished as a result, it does suggest some
participants may have been personally less connected with the topic.
For example, several participants gave a relatively low score to the
evaluation question: How important do you think the topic of values is in
delivering services?
That said, overall the workshop participants were clear on the high
importance of values in agency practice, and this suggests the topic
warrants continued and careful attention during the process of transition to
the NDIS environment. While attending to the transition issues of agency
business models – in areas such as IT, workforce parameters, cash flow et
cetera – are obviously important to a successful transition, there is a clear
imperative for agencies to resolve the values they believe drive their work
and how best to translate these values into action.
While it was pleasing to note that some participants were in senior
leadership positions in their agencies, including CEOs, a significant number
of participants were in more modest positions of leadership, including
frontline staff. While this does not diminish the value of the workshop
material to those participants (because everyone is a leader in their own
practice even if they do not have supervisory responsibilities for others) it
can make it harder for them to initiate and lead an agency conversation
about values and actions.
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The feedback also suggests workshop participants particularly valued the
presence of two facilitators. Our view is that this team approach to
facilitation, with each alternating between the roles of lead facilitator and
scribe/prompter/planter/timekeeper, provides a more effective and
engaging platform for working through material.
After the workshop, the key challenge for workshop participants will be to
maintain the momentum of their own and their agencies enquiry into “good
life” values and how to translate these into practice. As with any type of
training or capacity building, it cannot be assumed that, in itself, a single
event will reliably and sustainably evolve people’s attitudes and practice.
Therefore, there is potential to explore the repetition of this workshop to help
build the number of stakeholders within agencies taking up leadership roles
and values.
Further, there is the potential to consider the continuation of this work by
creating “masterclasses” or “communities of practice” to support workshop
participants to remain connected and advance their practice.
There is also the potential to explore how this work might be advanced via a
more longitudinal mentorship model, either on a one-to-one basis with
individual agency leaders, or on a single agency basis working with a group
of key stakeholders within that agency.
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Finally, we note these workshops were targeted at service agencies working
in the supply side of the NDIS marketplace. Based on our experiences
exploring similar topics for people living with disability and the family and
friends in their lives, there is real potential for systematically offering a similar
program to people on the demand side of the NDIS marketplace in the
launch sites.
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7.0 Conclusions and Recommendations
Based on the evaluation data and other informal feedback from workshop
participants during the events, we conclude this bespoke event has brought
significant value to workshop participants, in terms of personal and agency
capacity to evolve practice in line with the values underpinning a “good
life” and the goals of the NDIS.
Mindful of this, and noting the extent of waiting lists for the event, it seems
likely there will be a significant number of other service agency
stakeholders, and also people living with disability and the significant others
in their lives who might benefit from the event, both in the NDIS launch sites
and beyond.
Though this wasn't asked in the evaluation, some workshop participants
approached the facilitators to ask if there would be the opportunity to
reconnect with the material – via masterclasses, communities of practice, or
individual longitudinal engagements – as those participants advance their
thinking and practice.
In light of the above, we make the following conclusions and
recommendations that the Federal Government consider commissioning:
1. a second (and possibly subsequent) round of workshops to help
build momentum for values-based agency practice in the launch
sites and elsewhere
2. the design and delivery of a program of ongoing masterclass/
community of practice activities for service agencies in the
launch sites, to assist workshop alumni develop and sustain
momentum for values-based reflection and practice at their
agencies, matched by an evaluation methodology that maps
the extent of impact on knowledge, attitudes, actions and
ultimately on outcomes for people living with disability
3. the design and delivery of similar capacity building programs for
people living with disability and the families and friends in their
lives to help strengthen the likelihood that NDIS participants are
empowered and informed.
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8.0 Appendix A – Registrations and Waiting Lists for
each Location
Agencies registered for each workshop
Note: These lists do not include people who were on waiting lists
Hobart – 5 and 6 March
Agency
Number of staff
registered
Anglicare Tasmania Inc
4
Langford Support Service
3
Tasmanian Acquired Brain Injury Services
3
Optia Incorporated
3
Headway Rebuilding Lives
3
Montagu Community Living
2
Hopes Incorporated
2
Speak Out Association of Tasmania
2
Veranto
2
Department of Premier and Cabinet
1
Tabis
1
Citizen Advocacy Launceston Region
1
Ability Tasmania
1
MEGT
1
Mission Australia
1
Total = 30
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Geelong – 7 and 8 March
Agency
Number of staff
registered
Regional Information and Advocacy Council
3
Karingal
3
Mental Illness Fellowship
2
E.W. Tipping Foundation
2
Mambourin
2
Colac Otway Shire
2
Mecwacare
1
NDIS Launch Agency
1
Vision Australia
1
Kyeema Support Services
1
Encompass Community Services
1
CODA Incorporated
1
MSA ACT/NSW/VIC
1
Just Better Care Melbourne West
1
Mpower
1
Borough of Queenscliffe
1
Disability Services Commissioner
1
Encompass Community Services
1
Field
1
MS Australia Geelong
1
Baptist Family and Community Services
1
Basecamp 3030
1
Total = 30
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Adelaide – 13 and 14 March
Agency
Number of staff
registered
Barkuma
3
MINDA
3
Community Accommodation and Respite Agency
3
Leveda
3
United Care Wesley
2
City of Onkaparinga
2
Life Without Barriers
2
Community Support Incorporated
2
Skills Teaching and Resources Incorporated
2
Disability SA
2
Life’s for Living
1
City of Playford
1
Miriam High Special Needs Program
1
National Disability Services
1
Department for Communities and Social Inclusion – SA 1
Government Department
United Communities
1
Valued Lives Foundation
1
Baptist Care Incorporated SA
1
Royal District Nursing Service
1
United Communities
1
Anglicare SA
1
Total = 35
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Newcastle – 21 and 22 March
Agency
Number of staff
registered
Coastlink
3
Endeavour Group Australia
3
Newcastle Temporary Care
3
Leapfrog Ability
2
Connectability Australia
2
Novacare Incorporated
2
Dolliena
2
Allambi Youth Services Incorporated
2
Maitland Community Care Incorporated
2
Port Stephens Home Modification Service
1
Lake Macquarie Support Services
1
New Horizons
1
Beresfield Community Care
1
Port Stephens Community Options
1
Home Modifications Lake Macquarie
1
Life Without Barriers
1
Lower Hunter Peer Support Incorporated
1
Margaret Jurd College
1
Total = 30
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Canberra – 11 and 12 April
Agency
Number of staff
registered
Disability ACT
3
Tandem
3
Belconnen Community Service
3
Home Help
3
Gungahlin Regional Community Services
2
FOCAS Shoalhaven Incorporated
2
Canberra Institute of Technololgy
2
Mental Health Foundation
2
Anglicare Canberra
2
Sharing Places
2
Belconnen Community Support
1
ABLE Australia
1
Just Better Care Canberra
1
ADACAS
1
Catholic Care Canberra and Goulburn
1
Mental Health Community Coalition ACT
1
LEAD
1
L’Arche Genesaret Incorporated
1
Stepping Stones for Life
1
Marymead
1
Brain Injury Association of NSW
1
Drake Medox
1
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Canberra – 11 and 12 April (continued)
Agency
Number of staff
registered
FOCUS ACT
1
Northside Community Service
1
Total = 38
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9.0 Appendix B – Evaluation Comments and
Ratings
Evaluation Question: How important do you think the topic of values is in
delivering services?
Average rating for all
workshops (10 = most
positive)
9.2
“(It is) extremely important - it is integral in the whole process of
creating an effective and efficient NDIS”
Comments
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Very informative – lots to think about.
Underpins everything.
It affects the way we interact.
Our values form our practice and help us to evaluate our services by
comparing to the values of our clients.
Values are what give all aspects of our lives and work respectability
and integrity.
Extremely important - it is integral in the whole process of creating an
effective and efficient NDIS.
Values create the vision which determines the way service, programs
and transactions are delivered.
Helps to be able to identify your own, and assist staff to identify theirs.
It is the base that we work from.
Very important. Starts at the top with the CEO.
Values are things that are often overlooked in service provision over
and above financial aspects.
Without the right values staff and the organisation won’t have the
right practices.
Values are the underpinning reason for the service and the motivation
for working within an organisation - unfortunately these core values
are occasionally overlooked due to time constraints/funding.
Vital that we continue to question/assess/evaluate our values
constantly - need to revisit this often.
Expanding on the values "ideas" would be helpful thinking outside the
square.
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This underpins all service delivery.
Quality of service delivery is based on the values of the "presenter".
It is a foundational concept, from which the way in which an
organisation delivers services grows out of.
Now aware how our own values may impact to delivery of services to
others.
The organisation that I work for has worked on our workforce around
values. However, it was interesting to find that others have not
entered into this.
Journey as it takes a long time to change this approach.
Critical to our clients/customers achieving the “good life” whatever
that means to each individual.
Values underpin the way we approach service delivery.
It allows you to be aware of the values with different needs with
different people.
Not sure on topic being important. Yes values are important. Do not
think information given is up to date.
Felt there was no clear direction in where we were going and what
the training would provide.
Good advice on introducing values concept.
It is very important as it underpins “life”.
Values are why we are all here – essential driver of services.
My background in mental health suggested to me that “values” was
the missing aspect of the mental health reform processes.
Think the very core value that underpins what we do is equality – very
important.
This will be an essential framework to underpin survival as we move to
the new model.
Hidden need. Appropriate language use.
Drives everything we do.
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Evaluation Question: How helpful was the material covered in Topic 1 – What
leadership means in the context of the NDIS?
Average rating for all
workshops (10 = most
positive)
7.6
"Stimulating thought about how we can think differently about
the role of services in the NDIS and how leadership contributes to
this”
What was most helpful?
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Brainstorming and discussion of this topic set the scene for the rest of
the workshop.
Brainstorming what it means to us definitely wanting the best outcome
and management of services – client choices.
The topic of leadership can be used in all aspects of service delivery.
Was very useful to link leadership as a crucial component in having a
role in the implementation/design of the NDIS.
Overall helpful - excellent input from presenters.
Discussing leadership - how it differs from management or when the
two overlap.
Leadership is very important and realizing there are different ways
and styles to lead.
Seeing NDIS as mechanism.
Examining our own lives/values.
Knowing that we all have great hope for the NDIS but also some
concerns. All people I spoke to are lacking info on NDIS application.
Felt the material covered was reflective of NDIS.
Clarification of leadership/best ways to use leadership & interaction
from group.
Look at putting values & actual tasks on people’s position
descriptions.
Knowing more people living with disability are taking on leadership
roles.
Revisiting "service land" and "the real world" from (anonymous) and
(anonymous) world (stories).
Leadership is about enabling others to take charge through
calculated risk-taking.
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Drawing out what good "leadership" is.
Made me consider that leaders don’t necessarily need to be
CEO/Manager etc.
Increased leadership styles/person types. The person looking for the
services to become the leader in certain system choices.
Defining leadership and teasing out fine details.
Being a leader as opposed to just managing a service
Generating brainstorming and giving participants the time and venue
to consider the importance of the quality of leadership in context of
NDIS.
Explaining what leadership is for a person with a disability.
Planning services of any kind has to have values that are appropriate,
person-centred care, individual interest in choices and control etc.
Leaders need to have the right values to underpin their practice.
Discussing the difference between Management and Leadership.
Clarifying the difference of leaders and managers and how using the
DVD helped see this from the perspective of someone with a
disability.
It was great to see if my organisation’s leadership style would support
the “New World” if needed to adapt.
Conversation about “A Good Life” was excellent.
This illuminated the need for strong and purposeful leadership but
especially leadership based on clear definition of values.
Second day: Manager vs. Values in sector (good point).
Understanding the different ways of being a leader.
Good explanation and interactive discussion.
Stimulating thought about how we can think differently about the role
of services in NDIS and how leadership contributes to that.
Discussion around job titles/descriptions. How leadership is coded in
our agency.
Really made you think about what leadership meant to you.
Enjoyed this. Have been given a deeper understanding around
everyone/leader potential and importance of nurturing that.
Looking at where leadership sits within the agency.
Setting the scene by creating an open discussion on leadership
(critically important).
Listening to others/ideas are similar to mine.
(Anonymous) story was helpful ... it was “real”.
Understanding where people are coming from.
What could be done differently?
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More discussion/debate regarding the NDIS and its implications in a
broad setting.
Need/want more info regarding the NDIS. Feel there has been
significant lack of info disseminated.
Shorter time spent on topic please.
More info on how to manage NDIS when the scheme becomes
available to assist in maximising those benefits from clients.
Think the discussions were very well managed. Nice to acknowledge
the importance of the role of people with disabilities as "leaders".
Define role/job description so workers are not exploited.
Tying it back to an NDIS framework. Increase NDIS content.
Thought we did leadership well, but I don’t think we linked it to the
NDIS well enough.
I hoped to take more information regarding leadership skills back to
my organisation and feel confident in my understanding.
Rather than paying lip service to “buzzwords” and catchy mission
statements, organisations need to be committed and authentic.
Actually provide information on leadership. Was hoping with
participant level we could have had some excellent interactive
discussion.
Needed to be more leadership input from trainers – what they know is
leadership – content of leadership is/was too low.
Maybe at the end of session – provide definition of leadership. This
may assist participants to separate leadership from managers. A
couple of examples to discuss also.
Directed at low levels of understanding and responsibility for
organisational directions.
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Evaluation Question: How helpful was the material covered in Topic 2 –
Setting the scene: Histories?
Average rating for all
workshops (10 = most
positive)
7.7
“Real people in real situations - it provides clarity to the
circumstances of people living with disability”
What was most helpful?
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Enjoyed the stories, great reminder of who we support, service and
care for.
Good context provided by personal stories.
Know the traditions before you challenge and add yourself.
Understanding codifications/underlying values will be helpful in
updating our policies and procedures.
The importance of the individual/the opportunities of selfactualisation.
Very helpful - great to hear personal stories – thank you.
Not spending too much time on the past.
From where we have come and where we want to go.
A little more info would have been welcomed if more time.
Encouraging self-sufficiency for each client. Recognising & assisting
each person to achieve their choices in maximising quality of life.
People being inclusive in their community - particularly their circle of
support.
Concept of expectations of people with disability.
It sets a context about hopes for individuals to be able to set goals for
themselves.
Showed challenges people with disabilities/carers/family/friends face.
Really enjoyed this section - it is grounding.
Real people in real situations. It provided clarity to the circumstances
of people living with a disability.
Thinking about the importance of clarity of language.
Great to see how they mapped together – where we have been and
where we are now.
Knowing that people value a good life differently and how we can
help achieve this.
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Very interesting talking about the development of “Service Land”.
Provides understanding of past experiences and development
process.
This was confronting for some but very much explained the feelings of
a person with a disability.
It is good to see that we have advanced even if we have a long way
to go.
I thought the video material was excellent though again, by the
group reflecting on content it gets us thinking.
Looking into the lives of people living with a disability – the good, bad
and negative.
Most info presented was informative but focused on work we
commenced 10-15 years ago.
Very poor - no relationship to VBL - Not relevant to the topic.
Those that have been in the industry for a long period would have
knowledge around this area. However, for those entering the sector –
it would be helpful.
Discussions of hang-ups and setbacks.
To look at all options for clients.
Code and values.
Good practical discussion on how to approach individualised service.
Understanding how histories affect people’s experience.
Examples of “hang-ups” and “setbacks”/interview with (anonymous)
(story).
Thinking about how we code values.
Balance versus disruption – thought provoking / great videos.
The DVD’s were important in terms of a further understanding;
terminology – equally important.
What could be done differently?
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Allow more time.
Bit low level information for participants most being at management
level.
As service providers, we all face these histories on a daily basis – so it
was not new – we have worked with people with these histories for
many years – so didn’t need to spend a whole session being
reminded.
DVD shown was poor quality. Very unprofessional. A lot of experience
in the room to discuss the issues instead.
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Evaluation Question: How helpful was the material covered in Topic 3 – Your
home – My workplace?
Average rating for all
workshops (10 = most
positive)
8.5
“Would be helpful for support staff to discuss this – to be more
mindful in their work – will definitely take this back to my agency”
What was most helpful?
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Enjoyed (anonymous) (story), she was the perfect example of rage,
anger, compliance, acceptance with a direct and demanding
message of remember my dignity and please respect me, my home
and my life path.
Lived experience provides real insight.
Wonderful - great examples to relay to my staff in the hope they will
see the individual they work with.
The approach taken in engaging the participant in considering value
etc. was very clever.
Good insights from (anonymous) (story) but standard Cert 3 content.
Was expecting same information on combining OH&S requirements
for staff with people’s dignity and autonomy being maintained – Also
industrial relations information.
Good interview with service users.
Great to personalise and then be able to see how these
considerations are relevant for all of us - find way to transcend risk
averse.
Humility - pose questions to establish client choice.
Yes! Listen & consider the person’s needs. Respect the person’s
home. What home means to us and the people we support.
This was really helpful for some restructure and recruitment in our
direct services workshop.
Discussions around "home values" made me think.
The difference that all are not the same.
Personal testimonials.
I've asked this question of job applicants in our service, taking another
look from the person-centred values leader approach was another
perspective.
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Getting the lowdown on the needs of the individual. The DVD's were
a great idea and should be shown more widely.
Would be helpful for support staff to discuss this - to be more mindful in
their work - will definitely take this back to my agency.
Clearly explored the concept of home.
Relating to own life can be confronting.
(Anonymous) interview (story) - more sector personnel need to see this
- Well done!
Having video presentation of (anonymous) and the unpaid
carers/workers in her home and the impact this may have on an
individual.
I thought this session was the most confronting and challenging. The
(anonymous) story provoked my thinking and really made me
consider the need to guide my thinking.
The client’s feedback regarding how it felt to have others in your
home every day.
Very important for support workers to look at practices and how it
impacts on the service user.
Very helpful in that we heard from a service user and their personal
view, stimulated discussion and thought about practice in clients’
homes.
The issue of respect and dignity in people’s homes and lives was
extremely topical.
Great DVD. Looking at the perspective of someone with a disability
and the impact of people coming into the home, and how workers
could do this more effectively. Gave some ideas on how to pass this
message on to staff.
This reminded me that I probably don’t consider other people’s
autonomy adequately.
The impact it has being able to reside in a home.
Direct experience video – reality.
Great listening to (anonymous) (story) and hearing her frustrations in
the world of a service user. A lesson for us all.
Understanding that home is important for us all, regardless of disability
and it’s a sacred place for us all.
“Hang-ups” was an interesting way to understand this challenge.
Reinforcing stuff that we pass on to our staff.
Love a copy of the DVD to show to staff.
Useful schematic – clear and simple.
Getting you to think about what home really means to you, and also
makes you think what it may mean to others.
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This was a thought provoking session and the client speaker was a
really useful tool.
Personal story always very powerful. Great discussion on client rights
& needs vs. workers (even after workshop close).
Very well done video – Brilliant! Super important for everyone to
remember that the support worker is in someone’s home.
Reminder of where we sit as an agency – questions to take back –
fantastic.
What could be done differently?
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Show possible or alternate issues such as OH&S and workplace
regulations.
Shorter DVD's for illustration.
Could tie more carefully to values-based Leadership.
Expand on the differences between "home values" in the community
challenges.
Not much material around "My Workplace" from SW perspective.
Greater emphasis on the workplace aspect.
Again - less time required. Hearing personal stories - understand the
importance but can be moved along.
The DVD.
Discussion with a client regarding the legal/P&P obligations a service
has towards its staff/resource limits.
Listen/empathise/ask.
Make tool available to purchase and use within training/service
delivering organisations.
Sell copies of this video. It would make a brilliant training aid for
providers and support workers.
More time to unpack the challenges raised by (anonymous) (story)
and how to do better in the future
Pat Fratangelo visited ACT 10 years ago for “Community Living”
Conference and presented on planning homes in Onandagu,
Syracuse. We have been hearing about this for 10 years from so
many trainer/ presenters – it’s about time we heard about examples
from Australia!!
Flag potential conflicts with people living with degrees of disability
that are also suffering MH or ID issues and may not be safe!
Asking the question to individuals!
Not differently – but maybe realise that while (anonymous) (story) has
rights – so does the worker.
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Evaluation Question: How helpful was the material covered in Topic 4 –
Values about well-being and safety vs. safeguards?
Average rating for all
workshops (10 = most
positive)
8.1
“Challenged values & thinking regarding managing/assessing
solutions”
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Was very thought provoking.
Lots of food for thought.
Changing from managing a problem/issue rather than finding a
solution.
For us to dissect the question of thinking about navigating difficult
decision-making.
Discussion of risk assessment was very good.
The model identifying vulnerability is useful in assessing safety and
safeguard.
Exposing (to some extent) the barrier imposed by service providers in
putting OH&S etc. considerations ahead of client needs.
The way the info was presented/the diagram safety vs. safeguards
and the conversation that followed.
Thinking about "safe risk".
Identifying critical questions.
Warrants deep reflection and is the catalyst for it.
The client explained things well, but I thought this topic would be
better following a discussion on what "community" actually is.
Excellent. I'll use a lot of this stuff I've refreshed from this in future
training I conduct - it’s so relevant (still!).
Visual concept of the high/low road of vulnerability and duty of care.
Makes one think about what and how we look at safety.
Vulnerability - duty of care map.
Made me think how we would like to do things, and how we actually
do things and how these are different.
Brought awareness to how we can support a PLWD make choices for
their own well-being.
Personal/professional and organisational tolerance for risk.
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Loved the "high road/low road". Will use that as a tool to test where
we are coming from.
Gave fuel to think about decisions made by the organisation and the
impact on the individual/impact on outcomes for skill development of
participant.
Not to be exclusive, but aim for inclusive look at opportunities.
The high road/low road model.
Again – affirmation of the service providers regarding the right of
choice for clients.
The diagram was great and perfect to use to explain how we
sometimes react to care services. Examples used were simplistic and
good.
Presented alternative models of managing risk in supporting people.
Challenged values and thinking regarding managing/assessing
solutions.
Real issue in the sector and a great thing to challenge.
This was great and resources will be utilised with support staff.
The consideration that risk is often engineered out of service plans.
Rather than avoiding risk it should be taken into consideration as a
relevant factor in a person’s life.
Making the right decision due to risks and duty of care.
Diagram and walk through the journey – rethinking risk.
Encouraging and enabling discussion – great to hear others’ views
and perspectives.
Discussion about safety measures – good or bad – life changing.
Didn’t really think about it in this way before i.e. the high road/low
road.
Excellent easy to use framework to use and examine whether our
services take the high road or low road.
Awareness of duty of care and safeguards.
Really made you think about how you as a person and organisation
go about your daily job in regard to safety vs. safeguards.
Overcoming hang-ups and setbacks.
Up/down scenario surrounding risk – great for accommodation
services and any service supporting someone in their home.
Conceptually helpful as was the discussion.
Very good – Why to look at Safeguards?? More questions than
answers – good things.
Loved the diagram “thinking about safe risk”.
Rethinking what matters the most – mission vs. safety.
Got me thinking about some shortcomings within our agency, that we
should revisit asap.
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Again, showed a hidden need to understand and be mindful of.
Trying to change the culture of a risk-adverse agency is a challenge.
More help needed with this.
Diagram – Safety/Safeguards raised questions – made me look at
safety differently.
Presenters – pictures and explanations.
What could be done differently?
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Needed to do more on this as it is a huge issue and cultural shift for
services.
Would have liked a greater focus on the difference between safety
vs. safeguards.
The person’s needs and preferences have to be truly taken into
consideration.
Encourage use of one or two examples from within the group for
discussion.
A bit long on flow chart.
Basic content – more interaction may have been useful.
Very basic – pitched at inexperienced people and not management.
Acknowledge the “givens”.
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Evaluation Question: How helpful was the material covered in Topic 5 –
Values – How these fit with individual planning?
Average rating for all
workshops (10 = most
positive)
8.1
“This reminded me that I need to remember the individual – the
reason for my role in the first place”
What was most helpful?
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Wide ranging discussion about various experiences called "Planning".
Great discussion - actually felt that a couple of my
understandings/notions were challenged (which I liked).
Insightful into client’s needs - not just meeting targets or comparing
paperwork - listening to what client wants.
The fact that values are permanent and the client is the core person
whose values need to be clarified.
Part of all individual planning - goals and outcomes/safety concerns
assessed.
Thinking about institutionalised planning - great to be challenged
about this. Great questions to take back and reflect upon.
Realise and don’t make personal plans, but how important it may be
to others.
Video clips of clients/recipients and service. People-centred planning
service delivery.
General discussion by (anonymous) in the DVD.
Most important. More so, individual being the main.
Excellent again! Services are much better if they "fit" the person’s
needs rather than "fix them".
Extremely helpful! Have done a lot of work on this at our agency.
Questions Robbi gave will definitely help us to improve further.
Very interesting - food for thought. Most powerful session so far.
Video was fantastic. Loved the discussion about "intervention vs.
investment".
Thinking about institutional planning vs. outcomes - how far is the
person away from a "good life".
Individual stories - again relating to own personal lives – confronting.
Be mindful and value their home.
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This reminded me that I need to remember the individual – the reason
for my role in the first place.
Videos – How we plan for ourselves.
Reaffirms how the staff and people living with disability are great
creative thinkers who practice mindfulness regularly.
People plan in different ways – just because people have a plan
doesn’t mean their goals are being achieved.
Very helpful, and challenged the way we do things which was great.
Not using “one plan fits all” – using individual approaches for all.
Affirmation that the services’ thought processes are on track but
reality is not.
Again the video stories, such a great tool for promoting valuable
discussion.
Material to start the conversation and how suitable our current
planning processes meet the needs of the individual.
Reinforcing that what’s wanted is simple – “ask us” – delivering this
seems so different.
Participant discussion was interesting. Video was good and gave
good insight to how limiting service provision can be.
Very informative but not overly useful to MH recovery planning.
Think maybe in the next session it might be useful to discuss values e.g.
the values of the work of the family and the person with a disability.
Made me question organisational values.
Good general discussion again. Great videos to cause discomfort,
challenge existing practices and views / informing the discussions for
the future.
Important – but we were ahead of you in just undertaking a review of
our planning processes towards outcomes.
Reinforces what we do; good info however planning has been
reviewed repeatedly for “best outcomes” suited to individuals within
our services.
Concept of “better life chances” rather than a good life
Highlighted that everyone plans differently. Reminder that significant
enhancement should be the result of planning.
Discussion around different ways to engage individuals with planning
and developing their life.
Realistic approach.
Discussion – hearing from families.
Prompted what we knew – we could do better.
Great discussion about planning and what is helpful.
Opportunity to reflect the variables of planning – opportunity to think
about what we do.
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Was great to have the discussion about the planning and how
different services do this with participants.
To explain the difference in terminology regarding a “good life” or
“better life chances”.
Different terminology.
What could be done differently?
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Doing a practice role play of a good and not so good individual plan.
Ways of services to do this with limited budgets/resources. Sometimes
restrictions limit flexibility also there is the expectation of standardised
feedback for ADHSC/funding bodies and how do we bring plans
back to standardised structures.
Are we being set up to fail?
Given that the client is being
empowered – the system does not allow for it – are they being or are
we locked into the framework of 3rd party verification.
This session covered basic knowledge.
How can we do things better - in two groups with butcher paper?
Clearer links to a values-base behind choices about how to do
planning.
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Evaluation Question: How helpful was the material covered in Topic 6 –
Values and navigating into community life?
Average rating for all
workshops (10 = most
positive)
8.3
“Think navigating into community life is absolutely crucial – both
for the person with a disability as well as the community”
What was most helpful?
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Theory is great – implementation more difficult.
Thinking about what is important to others/self. Opportunities for
interacting.
Good discussion re pushing the boundaries or our mindfulness and
initiative.
We're blessed with being able to access the community in so many
ways - it’s taken for granted.
Good terminology to use when working through with staff i.e. "1st
place of community life".
Very useful session and the expanded scope of community life
concept.
Three places of community life.
Identifying "reality" of community involvement.
Valuable discussion, assumption exercise well done - is it possible to
have electronic copy of exercise?
Made me think about a lot of the barriers organisational policies and
procedures create.
Interesting the 3 places of community life. Certainly magnifies the
missing connections in some people’s lives.
Difference that all are not the same.
Examples were really good. Often think about 3 rd place but not often
as a whole and what might be able to be gained by ensuring the
participation.
Material presented was reinforcing while encouraging productive
thought into how we maximise PLWD opportunities to maximise their
engagement in community.
Credit group story = concept of community invisibility.
Positive housing models.
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Notion of community and how we include people.
Community life can be very much a defining factor in achieving a
good life.
Examples were great e.g. bowling alley/crochet circle.
Invisible visibility.
Good to reflect on current practices as opposed to what do we
actually want to achieve. Idea of fellowship in a person’s life and the
opportunity to connect is paramount.
Best subject – very challenging which is what we need.
Good examples of valued community involvement that really isn’t
community involvement.
Most services are not doing the good, although have tried. Maybe
they haven’t had this explained yet?
Found the conversation around connections fantastic. It made the
whole of my experience over the two days “click” with me.
Look into public transport including outings e.g. Brokerage clients?
Look at ways to increase natural connections.
This was not new material.
Explanation of the impact on people’s lives with integrating into the
community without any stigmas attached.
Defining community life as in connecting people, how to evaluate
outcomes.
That there is an opportunity to expand on "goals" i.e. with Dallas - to
develop community to look outside the square.
Community connection questions – Life chances.
Helpful simple discussion framework.
The three places of community connection framework.
Every aspect was illuminating and very helpful in terms of how to raise
in your own service.
Understood this all from previous information I have.
Think navigating into community life is absolutely crucial – both for the
person with a disability as well as the community.
The several “case” stories generated lots of ideas and lines of
discussion.
Excellent presentation – robust discussion – thank you.
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What could be done differently?
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Courses offered to agencies to explain this would be great.
Section was way too long and basic info could be removed.
Angst (hang-up) around sheltered workshops and pods being in
existence is not helpful. PWD choose these as there are limited other
choices. We all share your ideals for people but getting people there
is a long road and we need to make sure we don’t isolate people.
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Evaluation Question: How helpful was the material covered in Topic 7 –
Enquiry into values and personalised support?
Average rating for all
workshops (10 = most
positive)
8.2
“Interesting to look at our own values and how this relates to the
people we support. How our own values can impact positively or
negatively on those we support”
What was most helpful?
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Examples were really helpful.
A reminder of what service delivery in a human service is all about –
helpful in an NDIS context.
Explanation of the concept of "quality" checking if outcomes and
quality are being delivered.
Bring the values and personalised support back to the people we
support.
(Anonymous) and (anonymous) stories - particularly the analogy of
Italy and Holland - was brilliant! Looking at organisation culture and
transactions.
Thin end of the wedge.
Well prepared and clear presentations.
Extremely good info to go back with.
Interesting to look at our own values and how this relates to the
people we support. How our own values can impact positively or
negatively on those we support.
Enjoyed the exercise – it will be great to undertake this activity with
staff.
Was reminded of instances where I have interposed myself in planning
of “personalised” support.
This was a great way of getting people to think.
Loved the stories.
Emphasised that people with disabilities have equal rights.
We need to ask questions in relation to better life chances about our
transactions.
Again, personally discomforting when thinking of past and current
practices in organisations.
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Group discussion very interesting.
Good examples.
Conversation about culture and values recognition of customer
satisfaction.
Very useful in bringing forward questions we should ask the
organisation/services.
How to think outside the box. First time failure is ok as long as you
learn and try again.
What could be done differently?
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Would like more focus on delivering quality outcomes which can be
an important motivating factor.
More stories - maybe also someone with a carer.
This section was full on. Lots of information very valuable but
exhaustive - not sure if it can be done differently (slower pace?).
Listen … Remember it’s not about me.
Bit less time spent on discussion of what makes good customer service
experience.
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Evaluation Question: Do you feel better prepared to help your agency
explore how values are integral to successfully using the NDIS to help
people have good lives?
Percentage who said “Yes”
91%
for all workshops
“I think the questions/discussions will be helpful to have with other
staff and hopefully this will begin more thinking about values”
Comments (“Yes” or “No” responses)
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We are a very small agency with client input but this was helpful – and
will be used.
Food for thought.
I was misinformed about NDIS. Clearer on how NDIS will affect the
people we support.
Need to be mindful of finding out what people want and not what we
want to provide.
Is the NDIS mechanism ready to enable smooth transition or will
people just be transferred from one box to another.
Culture change process will be assisted with the questions asked.
Have a few key questions to pose as a result of this workshop.
Reflective questions to take back regarding organizational culture thoughts for disability service specifically.
Yes - the workshop has answered a lot of questions and concerns I
had.
I think the questions/discussions will be helpful to have with other staff
and hopefully this will begin more thinking about values.
Feel I am able to help my agency consider its values and how values
contribute (or not) to a good life. Unsure about what the NDIS
entails?
Still don’t know that much about NDIS – still unable to answer most
client/client family questions.
I am coming into a new role as a Board Member (background Social
Work and Law) very keen to support the agency in particular to
enable clients to have good lives.
Not necessarily NDIS – but in a general way it is helpful.
Lot of info that can be used in a “train the trainer” sense to ensure the
information received and the training is brought back to the
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workplace to help ensure, through the NDIS, that the people have
good lives.
The questions posed at the end of each section helpful to begin the
conversation back in my agency.
Opportunity to refresh – what we do and how we do it.
I would enjoy being in a team of co-workers that could present
agency ideas on values required to succeed in working with NDIS.
We do a lot of these ideas already as we are a small organisation but
helpful to “test” for common improvement.
Have many questions to ask and to look at to determine how we
provide support that people want.
Definitely learnings to bring into discussion and incorporate into
practice/model.
Provided exceptional insight and inspiration for the future.
Good model of questions to ask and how to explore topics in groups.
We have been having conversations and exploring all things related
to NDIS within our organisation: no new challenges identified.
Great two days to start the challenging self-examination as well as
rethinking service practices.
Familiar information - would have liked implementation strategies.
We have been working on this and this will support our discussions.
Has given me some useful new insights and reaffirmed many of my
very own values which fit with where we should be headed.
Will open discussion at leadership team meetings regarding
appropriate language and hidden codes within organisation values
and policies.
Did not receive any new information.
Not really. This workshop was an affirmation of what we already
know. I’m not convinced that services will change what they are
currently doing. Except maybe when they start losing customers.
However, we have come out of this workshop with some important
questions for our agencies.
Although there are still a lot of questions that won’t be answered until
we know what the NDIS looks like for us and the people we support.
For sure! Lots of questions to ask and to challenge.
Evaluation Question: Do you feel better prepared to help your agency
evolve its practice accordingly?
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Percentage who said “Yes”
91%
for all workshops
“I feel like I have now a platform to work from with ideas to
stimulate values-based leadership”
Comments (“Yes” or “No” responses)
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Leading others to look at client/resident choices/needs and wants.
Because they are supporting employees to learn about new ideas
and initiatives and prepared to listen to and implement practices to
promote better communication with current and potential service
users.
I leave feeling eager to get with it - inspired, invigorated and hopeful
for the future.
Everything we've discussed will be helpful in updating policies,
procedures and possibly staff training which hopefully will help the
agency evolve.
Running workshops myself so this has been an excellent source of info
and support!
Feel we provide a holistic person directed/centred service but there is
always room for improvement and opportunities to check we are
staying on track.
Will try and raise this at team meeting. Organisational attitude is quite
set and not easily moved to change.
Questions posed for organisations will help with strategic planning and
future change.
Conducting a similar discussion to get the people thinking outside the
square/box.
Great information to go back with and to change the culture of our
organisation.
Great practical information to utilise with staff on an ongoing basis.
I do feel more confident in expressing my thoughts within my agency.
Already was aware of this. This is where the information stops.
Yes – more informed.
I feel like I have now a platform to work from with ideas to stimulate
values-based leadership. I want to connect more with clients and
support workers. I have not mentioned room for improvement, but I
really enjoyed the way both presenters stimulated the group
discussions and thinking and evaluation of values-based leadership.
Values-Based Leadership Development
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Slightly – a lot of the thought processes we have already discussed in
some form or other.
More clarity about the questions to explore with colleagues.
Could have included how changes will affect employees.
Understood what NDIS will give people with disability but impact on
employees wasn’t touched on.
Clearer path.
Yes and no – would like more tools to look more in depth of using
values in leadership development.
The last presentation, in being mindful of the questions we ask, was
most helpful and practical.
No new information - although well-presented and interesting for first
timers.
These days are only the beginning.
Asking questions – changing our model.
This was a very refreshing two days – stimulated me to look back and
reflect on what’s really important to me in my role within the agency.
I can incorporate many of the ideas and concepts into conversations
with my staff.
Much thought provoking info to be shared with staff.
I have some tools to take back.
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10.0 Appendix C – Toolkit of Questions
Topic
About
Leadership
Good Life –
Personal
Histories
Your Home My Workplace
Key Questions
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Where does the idea of leadership appear in our
agency’s structure and culture? Is it in role
descriptions, is it described, is it talked about, is it
encouraged?
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Is the centre of gravity of agencies around
management or leadership?
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What values are being led?
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How is the goal of a good life described in our
agency? Are the words used describing fundamental
values, or are they code words for collections of
underlying values?
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Is there a strong common understanding in our
agency of what these values mean in principle and in
practice? How do you know for sure?
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Do our agency’s goals and activities for the people it
serves directly reflect the types of goals we have in our
own lives, or are they somehow lesser?
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Where is the centre of gravity in our agency’s homebased support services? Is it with home or workplace?
Is the control with the person or helper?
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How is our agency supporting staff to understand the
multiplicity of elements that home represents for each
of us? What guidance does our agency offer to
support staff about what they should pay attention to?
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How is our agency resolving practical issues that
safeguard worker wellbeing (or other external
pressures) without surrendering or compromising the
values of home and personal control?
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Topic
Safety and
Safeguards
Values and
Individual
Planning
Key Questions
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In general, what tolerance for risk does our agency
have, and what tells us this?
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Is our agency’s work anchored on managing
problems by putting safety measures in place, or on
supporting life chances by applying safeguards?
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Who is making the decisions in our agency about risk,
from what perspective, and is that advancing a
person’s life chances or not?
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Do the people our agency seeks to help really own
the plans that are crafted with them?
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What tells you our agency staff are definitely
connecting with people’s circumstances and
aspirations when planning, rather than focusing on
getting the planning method done and ticked off?

Are our agency’s planning methodologies and
practices person-centred or service-centred, and how
do we know for sure?
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Are our agency’s planning methodologies and
practices focused on advancing life chances, and
how do we know for sure?
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Is our agency planning actually resulting in gains in
people’s life chances, and how do we know for sure?
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Topic
Values and
Navigating
into
Community
Life
Key Questions
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How is our agency supporting people to connect via
‘the first place’ (home)? For example, who opens the
front door and provides the welcome?
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Does our agency’s accommodation service model
constantly maintain and advance connection into
community life?
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How is our agency supporting people to connect into
community life via ‘the second place’ (work)?
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Does our agency’s employment service model or
education model constantly advance people into
valued community life?
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How is our agency supporting people to connect via
‘the third place’ (low-cost or no-cost places in
mainstream community life where people gather)?
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Do our agency’s support models actively and routinely
attend to opportunities for natural community
connection?
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How can we be sure our agency practice is not
putting people in ‘bubbles’, or creating ‘human
backpacks’, or otherwise providing supports that
hinder, insulate or otherwise get in the way of people
advancing their ordinary community connections?

Where is the question of authentic community
connection continually posed in the work of our
agency? Where is our reality check to test if we are
truly assisting people into community connection?

How can we be sure in our support services that it is
not just our agency staff getting the community
connections, rather than the people they serve?
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How can our agency truly discover the extent we are
creating authentic connection and fellowship in
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Topic
Key Questions
people’s lives?
Values and
Making
Support
Personal

How might our agency and our staff test the
assumptions we carry about the people we seek to
help (and how those assumptions are projected into
our work)?

Is it possible our agency, collectively or through
individual views and actions, is lowering people’s
expectations?

To what extent is our agency delivering an authentic,
exemplary, personalised service to people?
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What are the hang-ups in our agency or in ourselves?

How do we currently respond to setbacks in our
agency?
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What do we truly know about the transactions taking
place in our agency’s name? How might we find out
more?

On balance, what are the main questions we tend to
ask at our agency, and what does that tell us about
our current direction?
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JFA Purple Orange
ABN: 16 464 890 778
104 Greenhill Road Unley SA 5061
PO Box 701 Unley Business Centre SA 5061
t: (08) 8373 8333 f: (08) 8373 8373
e: admin@purpleorange.org.au
w: www.purpleorange.org.au
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