The Risk Enablement Process: Cody is Moving out of Home
The risk enablement process has been applied to Cody's scenario. This is described below.
Person centred
Cody wants to move out of home and live with his friends. He wants to experience living away from his family and to see what it is like to be more independent. Cody feels that the time has now come for him to try this.
Putting Positives FirstDad acknowledges that like many, it is not uncommon for people of Cody’s age to move out of home. Dad recognises this is a milestone and he explores the idea more with Cody. They have a conversation, and his Dad asks, “Cody, what is it about moving out of home that you like?” This approach exemplifies putting the positives first by exploring the idea with Cody rather than operating from a position of protection and choice alone.
While Cody’s Dad might be unsure, he proceeds to support Cody from a positive position and together they look at all aspects that are important to Cody. They also discuss aspects that are of concern to Cody. These include monitoring his finances and keeping the house clean. |
Being Proactive
While he does not express this to Cody, Dad is feeling anxious and concerned about Cody moving out of home. He has concerns about how he will pay the bills, how he will support himself, how he will prepare meals and look after himself. He is quietly concerned that Cody will be taken advantage of, by his friends or strangers.
However, Dad knows that moving out of home is important to Cody – it is Cody’s choice. Instead of being reactive and saying ‘no’, he reaches out to the parents of Cody’s friends and, together with Cody, they begin planning for ‘moving out of home’. At this stage it is exploration. Dad is working with Cody and not directing. Together, with the other parents and Cody’s friends, they begin to map out what ‘moving out of home’ might look like. Together, they agree that a trial would be good, some sort of pilot, so the three friends can test the waters and see if they like living together and if they can take care of themselves. Together, they begin to plan. Together, they are proactive.
However, Dad knows that moving out of home is important to Cody – it is Cody’s choice. Instead of being reactive and saying ‘no’, he reaches out to the parents of Cody’s friends and, together with Cody, they begin planning for ‘moving out of home’. At this stage it is exploration. Dad is working with Cody and not directing. Together, with the other parents and Cody’s friends, they begin to map out what ‘moving out of home’ might look like. Together, they agree that a trial would be good, some sort of pilot, so the three friends can test the waters and see if they like living together and if they can take care of themselves. Together, they begin to plan. Together, they are proactive.
Staying True to Preferences
As part of the planning, the families engage a support worker to provide support for 6 weekends. The plan is for the three friends and the support worker to begin to test living together. They consider taking it in turns to live at each other’s family homes for the 6 weekends, however, Cody and his friends feel like this is not what they really want, it’s not what moving out of home would really be like.
The support worker suggests they could try to book an Air B’n’B for 6 consecutive weekends, in a place that is familiar to each of them. Cody and his friends are very good with their mobile phones and enjoy using apps. With the support worker, they book the Air B’n’B and show their parents how to use the app and they communicate with each other on Facebook as they plan their weekends away.
The support worker assists them to think of how they will purchase groceries, do household chores and manage interpersonal conflicts while they are away each weekend. Cody and his friends and the support worker begin the 6 weekends away and experience living away from home.
The support worker suggests they could try to book an Air B’n’B for 6 consecutive weekends, in a place that is familiar to each of them. Cody and his friends are very good with their mobile phones and enjoy using apps. With the support worker, they book the Air B’n’B and show their parents how to use the app and they communicate with each other on Facebook as they plan their weekends away.
The support worker assists them to think of how they will purchase groceries, do household chores and manage interpersonal conflicts while they are away each weekend. Cody and his friends and the support worker begin the 6 weekends away and experience living away from home.
Minimising Harm
By using this approach, by working together, planning and thinking about the context within which this experience is occurring, harm is minimised. After the 6 weekends, Cody decides for himself that it isn’t what he really wanted, that he would prefer to stay at home with his family and to go away with his friends on holiday instead. His friends decide to move out of home and move in together and they continue to keep in touch. Cody has decided that he would still like to move out of home in the future, just not right now.
Accountability
Ultimately, Cody decided to stay at home with his family.
The process that was taken to reach this outcome for Cody included:
The process that was taken to reach this outcome for Cody included:
- Putting Positives First: Exploring the idea of his move with his Dad
- Being Proactive: Cody’s Dad engaged in discussions with Cody, Cody’s friends and the parents of Cody’s friends to explore ways to assist in Cody’s move. This included agreeing on a trial move.
- Staying True to Preferences: Cody’s preference was to move out of home. Some alternate suggestions were offered, so as to help him think about other ways of following his preference (e.g., living at each friends’ house on 6 weekends). The disability support worker suggests booking an Air BnB for 6 consecutive weekends.
- Minimising Harm: there were many potential risks for Cody – including whether he would be able to look after himself, pay bills, and that he might be taken advantage of when he moved out of home. Harm was minimized through careful planning and with discussions about this with his disability support worker and his friends.