Shared living can provide connection, independence and community, while also creating situations where people’s rights, routines and support needs may come into conflict. Safeguarding means protecting every participant’s safety, wellbeing, dignity and rights within the home.
The Get My Course Safeguarding in Shared Living short course introduces practical ways to recognise risk, support participant choice and respond to concerns. Explore duty of care, dignity of risk, consultation, restrictive practices and the importance of individual safeguarding plans.
Learn to recognise bullying, coercion, exploitation and unequal access to shared spaces or resources. The course also covers how to identify non-verbal signs of concern, document observations clearly and use appropriate escalation pathways.
Apply the learning alongside your provider’s policies, the NDIS Practice Standards, the NDIS Code of Conduct and each participant’s individual plan.
Practical resources you can keep and use whenever needed.
Revisit key information about participant rights, shared-living risks, consultation, documentation and escalation.
Reinforce your learning and test your understanding through practical, non-graded activities.
Apply safeguarding principles in the shared home and check that concerns, consultation and follow-up are not overlooked.
Course outcomes
Explain safeguarding, duty of care and dignity of risk
Protect individual participant rights within a shared home
Recognise when participants’ rights or interests may be in conflict
Identify signs of bullying, coercion, exploitation and peer harm
Notice verbal and non-verbal indicators of fear, distress or withdrawal
Understand the purpose of individual safeguarding plans
Consult participants in accessible and meaningful ways
Recognise when a restriction may be unauthorised or applied too broadly
Document observations, disclosures, actions and notifications clearly
Escalate immediate, ongoing and systemic safeguarding concerns
On the job
One participant regularly gives up preferred food or belongings to another.
Recognise possible coercion or exploitation and raise the concern promptly.
A participant avoids shared areas when a particular housemate is present.
Notice a possible safeguarding pattern and document the observations.
A kitchen is locked for everyone because of one participant’s safety risk.
Consider whether the restriction is individualised, authorised, least restrictive and regularly reviewed.
A participant is asked for their opinion only after a house rule has been decided.
Understand the difference between genuine consultation and notification.
A participant communicates distress through withdrawal rather than words.
Use the person’s communication approach and individual safeguarding plan to interpret concerns.
Two participants have conflicting routines or needs.
Protect each person’s rights individually and seek an appropriate resolution.
A participant discloses a concern about a housemate or worker.
Listen respectfully, record the information factually and follow the escalation pathway.
A safety measure has continued for months without review.
Recognise the need for review and raise the concern with the appropriate supervisor.
Six simple steps
After successfully meeting the course requirements, learners will receive a Certificate of Completion for the Get My Course Safeguarding in Shared Living 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.
A shared home should support safety, privacy, participation and belonging for every person who lives there. Safeguarding helps workers notice when one participant’s needs, preferences or vulnerabilities are being overlooked.
Shared living can create risks that are difficult to see, including peer coercion, unequal access to resources, social exclusion and restrictions introduced for operational convenience. Early recognition gives the team an opportunity to act before concerns become more serious.
Clear consultation, individualised planning, factual documentation and timely escalation help protect participant rights while supporting a fair and respectful home environment.
Safeguarding involves protecting participants’ safety, wellbeing, dignity and rights in the shared home, while responding appropriately to risks, concerns and disclosures.
Dignity of risk recognises a person’s right to make choices that involve some risk, just as other adults do. Workers should support informed choice while meeting their duty of care.
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.
You can start anytime. Enrol online and begin learning when it suits you.
No. This is a non-accredited Professional Development Short Course. Successful learners receive a Certificate of Completion.
Consultation happens before a decision and gives the participant a genuine opportunity to influence the outcome. Notification tells the participant about a decision that has already been made.
Consider each person individually, seek appropriate consultation and escalate the issue for formal support when it cannot be resolved through ordinary practice.
Possible signs include controlling access to belongings or spaces, intimidation, social exclusion, unexplained distress, giving up possessions without real choice or being told not to speak with workers.
Listen respectfully, prioritise immediate safety, record what was said or observed and notify the appropriate supervisor or contact according to workplace procedures.
No. A measure introduced for one participant must not automatically be applied to everyone. Restrictions should be individualised, authorised where required, least restrictive, documented and reviewed.
Record the date, time and location, what was observed, what the participant communicated, what action was taken, who was notified and any follow-up required.
Call emergency services on 000 first, then notify the team leader and manager when it is safe to do so. Complete documentation and further escalation afterwards.
Yes. Download the Reference Guide, Workbook and Workplace Checklist and keep them for future reference alongside current participant plans and workplace procedures.
I recently finished my Certificate 1V in Training and Assessment with Getmycourse. They have been amazing; tutors and administrators were helpful .
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.
Their approachable teaching style, clear communication, and constructive feedback were instrumental in helping me successfully complete the course.
Learn to recognise safeguarding concerns, protect participant rights and support a safer shared home where every person is heard and respected.
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