Peer Worker Supervision and Management Framework for Empower Autism
Status: Completed 2023
Client Empower Autism
Background
The purpose of this project was to support Empower Autism to develop a Peer Mentoring Program Risk and Oversight Framework to guide the safe and effective delivery of an innovative mentoring program
Empower Autism (Empower) provides information, linkages, referral and support to people with autism, their families and/or carers. Peer mentoring helps to improve the overall wellbeing of individuals with autism, helping with confidence, personal growth, life goals and connection.
Empower Autism is committed to the delivery of high-quality, effective services that improve the health and well-being of autistic people and those who care for them. The organisation values choice, control, self-determination and equitable access to opportunities that support independent living.
Framework
The intent of the project was to create a lean and practical framework that focused on the core elements of supervision, risk management, crisis management, safety and conflict management. The framework included:
Supervision - identify supervision models, processes, and practices for the program
Risk management - establish clear policies and procedures for mentors, mentees, and program staff on how to mitigate against potential risks, document incidents, and take appropriate follow-up actions
Crisis management - create a crisis response plan for mentors and program staff to follow in relation to mental health problems, harm to self or others, substance use, abuse, or other crises mentees might describe experiencing
Safety - develop appropriate guidelines that mentees or mentors can follow to ensure their physical and mental safety during the program
Conflict management - Establish a framework for program staff to follow that describes how to effectively handle complaints or conflict between participants
Approach
To achieve the above, our project team applied a logical and structured project delivery approach:
Phase 1: establishment — established a productive and trusted working relationship with key Empower Autism staff, documented our approach and articulated how we would manage the project (e.g. governance, roles and communication).
Phase 2: situational analysis — we rapidly acquired contextual information relating to the Peer Mentoring Risk and Oversight Framework, to ensure that a shared understanding of the task was developed between Empower Autism staff and the Beacon Strategies project team.
Phase 3: engagement — Beacon engaged with staff and the community regarding the core components of the Peer Mentoring Program Risk and Oversight Framework (supervision, risk management, crisis management, safety and conflict management) to leverage organisational knowledge.
Phase 4: framework development — we developed a Peer Mentoring Program Risk and Oversight Framework that included the key components stated by Empower Autism e.g. supervision, risk management, crisis management, safety and conflict management)
Phase 5: implementation recommendations — following the completion of the framework, our project team provided in-kind advice regarding our implementation recommendations to ensure that the framework would be implemented successfully.
Impact Vision Alignment
This project created impact for individuals with autism by contributing to how Empower Autism supports mentors and mentees. By providing more assistance to peer mentors, mentors are able to function effectively and safely, and in turn deliver support to mentees that is safe, useful and empowering.
Final Product
The final report was a 15 page document that clearly listed the key components of the support framework, It was structured in a way that addressed a number of key questions regarding how Empower Autism plans on providing support to peer mentors, using concise language to describe the policies and procedures for each component.
As a mission-based health and social services consultancy, Beacon Strategies is committed to partnering with NFPs and charities to better plan, design, implement and evaluate their work in delivering on their mission and purpose. Read more about the support we offer NFPs here.
