Introduction to Microboards

ABOUT JAQUIE

• Managing Director of Microboards Australia

• Lead the development of the microboard model of support in

Australia

• My son Eli has had a Microboard for 11 years - Blazing Condor

Soul Explosions (Inc)

• Resource Designer - WA’s Individualised Services ‘Preparing to

Plan’ card set, DDWA Engaging People with Complex

Communication Needs in NDIS Planning resources (free

online)

• Finalist in West Australian of the Year awards 2018 for work

developing the Microboards model in Australia

WHAT IS A MICROBOARD?

• Canadian model

• 35+ years history

• A group including friends, family

and others (eg former support

workers)

• Unpaid relationships

• Legally incorporate a not for

profit organisation which

supports just one person

Eli’s Microboard, Blazing Condor Soul

Explosions (Inc) is celebrating its 11th

birthday this year.

WHY LEGALLY FORMALISE NATURAL RELATIONSHIPS?

• Originally, as an way to individualise

funding

• Today microboards offer an

alternative form of self management

in the NDIS – where responsibility for

employing staff doesn’t sit with

parents or the individual

• Sustainability - its harder for an

incorporated group to drift apart

Microboards are like other incorporated associations

…except the focus is around one person, rather than a group of people

THE CONSTITUTION

• Like any other incorporated association microboards

have a constitution

• Usually developed by using our Microboard constitution

templates and the model rules for your state

• Individualised for the person, for example there are

differences for children, people who can self-advocate,

or people with dynamics related to mental health

WE CALL THE PERSON FOR WHOM THE MICROBOARD IS FORMED THE ‘FOCUS PERSON’

• Usually the focus person is a board member, depending on their wishes

• Microboards are community building approach

• Its about building a healthy, strong and sustainable community around the

person

• The Microboard therefore cares also about the wellbeing of its members

and may also support any of them at different times

• Even though others may at times benefit from the work of the microboard,

the focus person is always at the centre

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CIRCLE OF SUPPORT AND A MICROBOARD?

Feature Circle of Support Microboard

No of meetings Up to you to decide Described in constitution – eg every 6 weeks

Quorum Not required Described in constitution

Cost to join Free Membership fee - set by committee (optional)

Meeting notes Usually recorded Must be recorded and produced if required

Who can be a member? Anyone the person chooses Anyone the person chooses other than paid staff employed by the microboard

Member commitment No formal commitment Need to commit for 12 months but can resign

Financial records None required Treasurer required to keep records and have them audited for annual report each year

Member list Kept for communication purposes Must be kept up to date and produced if required

Legal recognition None Recognised as “like a person” so can open bank account, apply for grants, purchase property and so on

Expectations of members Help person to build friendships and to assist with thinking, planning and actioning of personal goals

In accordance with the constitution

• Reciprocal relationships - the community needs connection with

people with disability as much as people with disability need

connection with their community

• Person-centred thinking - its about the dreams, wishes and

individual needs of the focus person

• Self-determination – understanding how the person can make

decisions, and embedding supported decision making practices

in the microboard (as needed).

Microboards are based on 3 not-negotiable principles

Reciprocal relationships – with microboard members, and with the person’s community.

Microboard members make a commitment to get to know the person well.

Self-determination - increasing the person’s choice and control.

The microboard works out with the person which decisions they want help with,

and which supports they need..

HUMAN RIGHTS

https://humanrights.gov.au/about/what-are-human-rights

EVERYTHING WE DO IS WITH AN EYE ON THE LONG TERM FUTURE

• How do we set things up so they work not just today, but in

5 years, 10, 20…?

• How do we set things up so if parents are unavailable, the

information about a person’s life is stored with enough

detail that others can take on responsibility for their

quality of life?

• How do we store information so that relationships, quality

of life and safeguards are maintained?

MICROBOARDS ARE A TWO TIERED MODEL OF SUPPORT

Blazing

Condor

s Inc

Dan the

Man’s

Clan Inc

Belinda’s

Beautiful

Bunch Inc

Emma’s

Rocky

Horror

Team Inc

ESPecially

Emma Inc

• We’ve been working on the Microboards model

for about 12 years in Western Australia.

• We started as a small group of pioneer families

who all had young adult sons and daughters with

complex needs/behaviours which can be seen as

challenging

• We were all unable to find services to support us.

• All of the families who incorporated Microboards

also established successful individualised living

arrangements for their family member, which

continue today.

The history of Microboards Australia

COMPLEX COMMUNICATION NEEDS

• Our work has involved supporting and developing best

practice for people with complex communication needs.

• We have engaged in work to develop better supports for

people and to raise awareness across multiple platforms.

• Graduate Certificate of Education (Special Education: Complex

Communication Needs):

https://www.ecu.edu.au/degrees/courses/graduate-certificate-

of-education-special-education-complex-communication-needs

• Merger of Minds peer group for adults with complex

communication needs: https://ddwa.org.au/complex-comm-

needs/

HEALTH PLANNING AND ACCESSING HEALTH SERVICES

• Microboards Australia engage in supporting people to access health services and also in planning for better health outcomes.

• Our website has some resources to assist supporters of people with disability to plan for better health outcomes.

• See our website for more information: http://microboard.org.au/accessing-medical-dental-services/

BEHAVIOUR SUPPORT

• Microboards Australia are leaders in supporting the disability sector and families where there is significant complexity in contemporary approaches to behaviour support

• We have brought together the knowledge of families and professionals with significant experiences in the behaviour support sector development to develop our approach to behaviour support – Is There a Better Way, based on neurological, quality of life & needs based perspectives.

• Is There a Better Way has been evaluated by the School of Business at the University of WA as having a lasting positive impact on the quality of life of people and their families.

• We provide services facilitating training, coaching, supervision and direct services to people with disability and their families. We also do a lot of advocacy.

• Graduate Certificate of Education (Special Education: Complex Communication Needs): https://www.ecu.edu.au/degrees/courses/graduate-certificate-of-education-special-education-complex-communication-needs -Behaviour support from a regulation and neueroscience lens

RECRUITING AND MANAGING PAID TEAMS

Microboards Australia assist Microboards who want to become the employers of the person’s paid team, or who want to engage more in the process.

We provide supports to assist with:

• Legally employing staff (payroll, conditions etc)

• Building effective teams

• Recruitment

• Induction

• Training

• Performance management

HOW AND WHERE DID MICROBOARDS BEGIN?

The first microboards were formed

around three profoundly isolated people

who had been living in institutions for

decades.

DAV I D A N D FAY E W E T H E ROW

‘We created the very first Microboardsin the Canadian province of Manitoba in 1984. As we shared the story in conferences and personal correspondence, a handful of colleagues picked up the idea and began to apply the concept in other jurisdictions’.

Vela Microboards Canada

MICROBOARDS AUSTRALIA ARE CURRENTLY THE ONLY AUSTRALIAN ORGANISATION WITH A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH

VELA MICROBOARDS CANADA

• We’ve worked with Vela Canada to develop the model

in Australia.

• CEO Linda Perry who has been leading the

development of Microboards over the past nearly 30

years visits, reviews, oversees and endorses our

microboards and practice.

• Microboards Australia are the only organisation in

Australia with endorsement from Vela Canada to

support Microboard development and maintenance in

Australia

Why have a

Microboard?

SAFETY

• Quality of life and safety comes from

being well known and loved by a

network of people who regularly

spend time with you and know you

very well.

SUSTAINABILITY

• Microboards seem to have

sustainability over the years, often

more so than informal networks.

• May be a result of the legal framework

- the board legally needs to maintain

minutes, obey the constitution, have

AGMs and report annually on activities

and financially if managing funding.

• Making a formal commitment seems to

give board members ‘permission’ to

engage.

MANAGE FUNDING AND EMPLOY STAFF

Microboards are an alternative under self management in the NDIS which shares the work usually done by a parent or individual to employ, train and manage staff, and take responsibility for legal obligations related to payroll etc.

Makes individualised staffing sustainable in terms of not being dependent on parents.

A SUPPORT FOR

THE FUTURE

WHICH IS NOT

DEPENDENT ON

ONE OR TWO

PEOPLE .

• The main question families often ask is who will be there

to support the person if they are no longer able to.

• One of the roles of microboards is to explore how to set

up a person’s life in ways that are safe and sustainable

throughout their life.

• A microboard provides a sustainable network of people

with the intention that the microboard will take on that

role in the future.

1. Self-determination

(a) Having a voice

(b) Ownership of environment

2. Quality of life

(a) Preferred activities

(b) Safety

3. Social Capital

(a) Social support: ‘she has become so well known and her network is growing all the time’

(b) Continuity of personal support networks

‘Our findings suggest , as person-centred, autonomous, and portable structures, support the

formation of social capital, self-determination and quality of life among people with disability.’

WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH SAY ABOUT THE OUTCOMES OF MICROBOARDS?

REV IEW OF THE QUAL ITY

ACHIEVEMENTS BY F IVE

MICROBOARD

ORGANISAT IONS IN

AUSTRAL IA , PROFESSOR

ERROL COCKS, 2018

• All the Focal Persons had high or very high support needs. Supporting each person

was clearly challenging and rested strongly on the commitments and skills of

participants.

• It was very moving to spend time with each Microboard and to see how

committed participants were to each person with disabilities and to observe the

depth of understanding they showed.

• The major Achievements of Microboards in Australia:

• Achieving paid employment in the community

• Increasing friends with shared interests

• Building knowledge and skills of people around the Focal Persons

• Purchase of a home and motor vehicle for one Focal Person

• Harmonious Boards

• Community involvement

• Support to enable the Focal Person to have the life he/she would like to have

• Development of communication with the Focal Person

• Quality of supports provided

• Establishing a social enterprise

MICROBOARDS ARE NOT EASY.

MICROBOARDS AND THE NDIS

• Meets the need of a legal structure to meet the Q and S requirements for Behaviour

Support Reporting for people who self manage their plan inclusive of Regulated

Restrictive Practices.

• Model and structure provides safeguards for the person’s human rights and quality of

life at all times.

• Ensures actual practice of person-centered approaches and autonomy in own life is

upheld.

• Ensures that the people of who know the person best are at the forefront of supporting

decisions across the person’s lifespan.

• Microboards Australia’s expertise and embedment of core principles of support in

• Communication

• Supported decision making

• Regulation

• Relationships

• Health and wellbeing

• ensures these and more supports are embedded across their life

Be brave Gather your tribe Get a great life

www.microboard.org.au