Families can be a great support to people with an intellectual disability.
It is a good idea to have other people we can rely on as well as our family. This might include friends, neighbours, or members of our local community. We call them informal networks. Informal networks do not include any paid staff or services. Paid staff and services are formal supports.
Through our Family Foundations project, we are collecting different guides and tools to help people with an intellectual disability and their families to build their informal networks.
Building informal networks resources
Circles of Support
A Circle of Support is a group of people who are invited by a person with a disability to come together to help focus on and achieve their personal goals.
- Belonging Matters has videos, articles and other resources about Circles of Support. Find the website here.
- Circles of Support and Microboards has an information sheet about how to build relationships and strengthen informal networks. Download it here.
- This Inclusion Solutions resource describes how Circles of Support helps decision making and reduces isolation. Download it here.
Microboards
A Microboard is a group of unpaid family and friends who formally support a person with a disability to make plans, decisions, be included and safe to live the life they want.
- This Microboards Australia factsheet explains the differences between microboards and Circles of Support. Download it here.
- This Microboards Australia factsheet explains how Microboards support long-term planning and future care. Download it here.