Importance Of Informed Choice And Quality Of Life

As the Manager of Meadows Sands I am determined to improve the life choices and quality of life of all adults for whom we provide support and services. I recognise that, for the majority of people, people make decisions affecting their lives on a daily basis. It is important that individuals are supported in making their own decisions and deciding for themselves how support and services should be organised to meet their needs. It is also crucial that those people lacking the capacity to make certain decisions for themselves receive adequate support when decisions are made in their best interests.

To this end, all services and support are organised to allow individuals to direct their own support as able and it is practicable for them to do so.

In all instances where issues of risk and choice are being discussed, it is imperative that accurate records are kept of these discussions, to ensure that processes have been properly followed and decisions recorded.

Informed choice

An informed choice means that a person has the information and support to think the choice through and to understand what the reasonably expected consequences may be of making that choice. It is important to remember that too much information can be oppressive and individuals have differing needs in relation to how information is presented to them.

For example if a person „chooses‟ to stay in bed all day, every day, the local authority or provider organisation has a responsibility to explore what is happening and respond to this appropriately, working to ensure that the individual fully understands the consequences of their decision. It is not acceptable to simply accept such a decision at face value if this would put the individual at significant risk, as acts of omission can be considered to be