Personalised approaches to disability services

Ageing Disability and Home Care in the Department of Human Services NSW (ADHC) engaged Nous to design and establish a Participatory Action Research (PAR) strategy to facilitate a transition to personalised forms of services support, an important element of disability services reform.

Nous collaborated with ADHC and PAR specialist Dr Susan Goff to design an appropriate PAR strategy. Nous introduced the PAR methodology at four pilot projects that involved important target groups; young children, children, adults and older carers. The PAR strategy was embedded within ADHC through Nous facilitation during the first year of its introduction and the training of dedicated ADHC officers.

The strategy has developed capability within ADHC to sustain a transition to individualised support, generated evidence about the systemic requirements for its successful introduction and supported continuous improvement of programs and processes. The research is envisaged to set an international benchmark for longitudinal research into personalised approaches to support people with a disability.