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Enrol anytime Non-accredited short course

Participant rights in the home course online

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Self-paced online learning
45 min – 1 hour
Certificate
Certificate of Completion
Downloadable pack
3 resources

Course overview

A participant’s home is their home first and a place of support second. Workers have an important role in making sure everyday practices respect privacy, dignity, autonomy, relationships, possessions and personal choice.

The Get My Course Participant Rights in the Home short course introduces practical rights-based support for Supported Independent Living (SIL) workers. Explore access to private space, key arrangements, visitors, overnight guests, personal information, shared areas and personal belongings.

Learn how to distinguish individual safety measures from blanket house rules, apply the least restrictive principle and recognise when a practice may affect a participant’s rights. The course also covers supported decision-making, documentation and escalation when concerns are raised.

Important

Apply your learning alongside individual plans, Behaviour Support Plans, provider policies and current NDIS requirements.

Course objectives

  • Privacy and personal space: Support participant control over bedrooms, keys, bathrooms, possessions and private information.
  • Visitors and relationships: Respect visitors, overnight guests, relationships and personal lives while responding appropriately to genuine safety concerns.
  • Shared living and choice: Involve participants in decisions about shared spaces, furniture, routines, media and house rules.
  • Least restrictive practice: Identify when restrictions require individual assessment, documentation, authorisation and regular review.
  • Balancing rights and safety: Consider safety concerns without allowing convenience or inherited house rules to override individual rights.
  • Documentation and escalation: Record rights-related practice and raise concerns through appropriate workplace pathways.
  • Supported decision-making: Provide accessible information and help participants make informed choices about their home and daily life.

What does the Participant Rights in the Home Course Pack Include?

Practical resources you can keep and use whenever needed.

Reference Guide

Revisit key information about privacy, private space, visitors, possessions, shared areas and restrictive practices.

Workbook

Reinforce your learning and test your understanding through practical, non-graded activities.

Workplace Checklist

Apply rights-based practice and check that consent, choice, privacy and follow-up are not overlooked.

Who this course is for

  • Disability support workers in supported independent living
  • Workers supporting participants in shared or individual homes
  • Community support workers involved in daily routines and personal care
  • Casual and agency workers delivering disability supports
  • SIL team leaders and supervisors seeking a refresher on participant rights
  • People preparing to enter disability support work

Course outcomes

What you will be better prepared to do

1

Explain why a participant’s home must remain a genuine home

2

Respect privacy, dignity and control over personal space

3

Knock, identify yourself and wait before entering private areas

4

Support individual preferences about keys and access

5

Protect confidential information in shared living environments

6

Support visitors, relationships and overnight guests appropriately

7

Involve participants in decisions about shared spaces and house rules

8

Recognise blanket restrictions and inherited practices that may affect rights

9

Apply the least restrictive principle when considering safety measures

10

Record rights-related practice, concerns and responses accurately

11

Escalate possible unauthorised restrictions or rights violations

12

Support participants to raise concerns without fear of negative consequences

On the job

How the learning connects with everyday work

Scenario 1

Entering a bedroom to deliver laundry

You need to enter a participant’s bedroom to deliver laundry.

Knock, identify yourself and wait for a response before entering.

Scenario 2

Staff holding all bedroom keys

Staff hold all bedroom keys as a house rule.

Raise the practice for individual assessment rather than accepting a blanket arrangement.

Scenario 3

Handover overheard in a shared kitchen

A handover includes personal information in a shared kitchen.

Move the conversation to a private space to protect confidentiality.

Scenario 4

A partner staying overnight

A participant wants their partner to stay overnight.

Consider the participant’s individual rights and any specific, documented safety concerns.

Scenario 5

Rearranging the lounge for convenience

Staff rearrange the lounge room for cleaning convenience.

Consult participants and consider how the change affects their use of the shared space.

Scenario 6

Phone access restricted by history

A participant’s phone access is restricted because of a previous resident’s history.

Recognise that restrictions must be individually assessed, justified and reviewed.

Scenario 7

A concern about a visitor or worker

A participant raises a concern about a visitor or worker.

Document the concern and follow the appropriate escalation pathway.

Scenario 8

A long-standing house rule

A house rule has been in place for years without review.

Question its basis and seek review against participant rights and the least restrictive principle.

Six simple steps

How the course works

1
Enrol online
Register for the course and start anytime.
2
Work through the lessons
Explore privacy, relationships, shared living, restrictions and documentation.
3
Download your Course Pack
Keep the Reference Guide, Workbook and Workplace Checklist for ongoing use.
4
Connect learning with everyday work
Consider realistic situations involving rights, safety and house practices.
5
Complete the course requirements
Finish the required learning and any confirmed assessment activities.
6
Receive your certificate
Receive your Certificate of Completion after successfully meeting the course requirements.

How your learning is checked

  • Privacy and access to personal space
  • Key access and private-room arrangements
  • Visitor and overnight guest rights
  • Consultation about shared spaces and house rules
  • Individual assessment of restrictions
  • The least restrictive principle
  • Documentation and escalation of rights concerns

What you will receive

After successfully meeting the course requirements, learners will receive a Certificate of Completion for the Get My Course Participant Rights in the Home short course. You will also have your downloadable Course Pack for continued learning and workplace reference.

Certificate of Completion

Awarded once you meet all course requirements.

This is non-accredited training. The Certificate of Completion is not a nationally recognised qualification or Statement of Attainment.

Why Participant Rights in the Home Matter in Care Work

A person’s home should provide security, privacy and control. When workers treat the home like a workplace, convenience can gradually replace participant choice and ordinary household practices can become rights restrictions.

Respecting rights means assessing each participant individually. Visitors, keys, possessions, routines and shared-space arrangements should not be controlled by blanket rules that have no clear, current and documented basis.

Good documentation helps teams notice patterns, respond to concerns and review restrictions. It also supports a workplace culture where workers and participants can raise rights concerns without being dismissed.

Frequently asked questions

What rights are covered in this course?

The course covers privacy, dignity, access to private space, key access, visitors, relationships, possessions, shared spaces, personal information, choice and least restrictive practice.

Who is this course suitable for?

The course is designed for SIL workers, disability support workers, community support workers, casual and agency staff, team leaders and people preparing to enter disability support work.

When can I start?

You can start anytime. Enrol online and begin learning when it suits you.

Is this course nationally accredited?

No. This is a non-accredited Professional Development Short Course. Successful learners receive a Certificate of Completion.

Can a worker enter a participant’s bedroom without knocking?

Workers should knock, identify themselves and wait for a response before entering, except where an immediate emergency requires action.

Should all participants have the same key arrangements?

No. Key access should reflect each participant’s preferences and any specific, documented safety considerations. A blanket house rule may restrict individual rights.

Can participants have overnight visitors?

Participants generally have the right to invite visitors, including overnight guests. Any restriction should be individually assessed, documented, least restrictive and linked to a genuine safety concern.

How should shared-space decisions be made?

Participants should be consulted using their preferred communication methods. Decisions about furniture, routines, media, cleaning and house rules should not be made solely for staff convenience.

What makes a restriction least restrictive?

A restriction should respond to a specific safety concern, limit rights as little as possible, be documented and reviewed regularly with the aim of reducing or removing it when safe.

What if a restriction was created for a previous participant?

Do not assume it applies to someone else. Raise it for an individual review based on the current participant’s needs, preferences and documented plans.

How should personal information be discussed in a shared home?

Use a private space and protect the participant’s confidentiality. Do not discuss health, personal care, relationships or other sensitive information where housemates can overhear.

What should I do if a worker dismisses a rights concern?

Escalate the concern through the appropriate pathway, such as a team leader, manager, incident process or complaints system. Dismissing rights concerns is itself a warning sign.

What should rights documentation include?

Record access to private space, consent, visitor arrangements, possessions, shared-space decisions, restrictions, concerns raised, who was notified and the response that followed.

Can I keep the course resources?

Yes. Download the Reference Guide, Workbook and Workplace Checklist and keep them for future reference alongside current participant plans and workplace procedures.

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Hear from our students!

“

I recently finished my Certificate 1V in Training and Assessment with Getmycourse. They have been amazing; tutors and administrators were helpful .

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“

The training and assessment improved how I deliver training, organise sessions, and conduct assessments. This qualification has given me more confidence and strengthened my professional skills.

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“

Their approachable teaching style, clear communication, and constructive feedback were instrumental in helping me successfully complete the course.

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Learn to protect privacy, choice and dignity while helping participants feel secure and in control of their own homes.

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