Policies

January 2010 — What to do if you believe someone with a developmental disability is being abused or neglected and needs assistance. As part of CLBC’s commitment to the health, safety and well-being of adults with developmental disabilities it is our responsibility as a ‘designated agency’ under the Adult Guardianship Act to respond to individuals at risk for abuse or neglect. The following information outlines the role of CLBC staff in responding to concerns and reflect our partnership with the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee to assist the public in knowing how to best support individuals eligible for CLBC supports and services.

Adult Guardianship and CLBC (93KB pdf)

This policy assists CLBC staff and service providers in developing bathing practices that respect an individual’s wish for privacy when bathing or for assistance with other personal care activities while addressing possible risk.

Bathing Guidelines Policy (210KB pdf)

March 2012 — The “Behaviour Support and Safety Planning” policy outlines requirements for service providers who support individuals with challenging behaviours in CLBC funded services. It reflects a positive approach to behaviour supports for adults and emphasizes the importance of recognizing and understanding behaviours as a form of communication. The policy clarifies that a ‘Safety Plan’ is required whenever a restrictive practice, such as the use of restraints, is being considered. It is accompanied by the “Guide for Service Providers” that provides more detail and best practice guidance on the expectations outlined in the policy.

Behaviour Support and Safety Planning Policy (400KB pdf)
Behaviour Support and Safety Planning: A Guide for Service Providers (421KB pdf)

To watch a series of  interview videos with Dr. Pat Mirenda on Positive Behaviour Support, please click here.

March 2008 — CLBC has two policies related to contracted home sharing providers. Approval of CLBC-Contracted Home Sharing Providers provides guidance to analysts who are involved with the approval of home sharing providers. Monitoring of CLBC-Contracted Home Sharing Providers provides guidance to analysts who monitor home sharing contracts. Both policies apply to adults who live in home sharing arrangements that are directly contracted by CLBC.
A third policy, Respite Guidelines, covers respite which, when used effectively, promotes stability and reduces stress within home sharing arrangements. This policy also provides guidance to analysts who monitor home sharing contracts.

Approval of CLBC-Contracted Home Sharing Providers (383KB pdf)
Monitoring of CLBC-Contracted Home Sharing Providers (139KB pdf)
Respite Guidelines (360KB pdf)

CLBC’s vision is one of full citizenship in which people with developmental disabilities lead good lives, have rich relationships with friends and family, financial security, choices in how they live their lives, employment opportunities and are accepted and valued as citizens.

This policy outlines two methods of putting this vision into practice through the use of generic services and informal supports.

Community Supports Policy (95KB pdf)

January 1, 2013 – This policy sets out direction for Community Living British Columbia (CLBC) staff receiving and responding to complaints. It applies to complaints about CLBC responses or services, received from individuals, families, support network members or others.

The Complaints Resolution Policy is a formal safeguard established in part to reduce the vulnerability of individuals supported by CLBC. It reflects the CLBC culture of openness, respect, responsiveness and learning.

Complaints Resolution Policy (576KB)

To learn about the Complaints Resolution Process, including instructions for filing a complaint, please click here.

This policy sets out how CLBC manages conflicts of interest involving employees, and applies to all employees. In concert with conflict of interest provisions in other policies and standards related to recruitment, employee conduct, funding levels and contracting and procurement, it forms part of a robust risk management approach designed to protect the integrity of CLBC, the interests of the individuals supported by the organization and the public interest.

Conflict of Interest Policy – Employees (172KB)

Managing Conflict of Interest: A Practice Guide for Employees (319KB)

CLBC complies with the Criminal Records Review Act (CRRA) that sets out mandatory requirements for criminal record checks on persons working with vulnerable adults, which includes all individuals supported by CLBC, in order to help protect those vulnerable adults from financial, physical or sexual abuse. The CLBC Criminal Record Check Policy: Service Delivery  supports CLBC’s compliance with the CRRA as it applies to service providers who work with individuals supported by CLBC. The CLBC policy also establishes CLBC’s requirement for driver’s abstracts to be completed on persons who may drive individuals supported by CLBC. Criminal record checks and driver’s abstract reviews are a formal safeguard which help ensure the safety and wellbeing of individuals and form part of CLBC’s comprehensive approach to safeguards.

Download the Criminal Record Check Policy: Service Delivery (512KB pdf)

The Questions and Answers document below provide information to service providers and families about the CLBC policy and the Criminal Records Review Act. 

Questions and Answers on the Criminal Record Check Policy: Service Delivery (600KB pdf)

The purpose of this policy is to provide clarification on the criteria and process used by CLBC to determine eligibility for its direct or funded supports and services. In addition, this policy addresses the need for consistency and equity in determining access to services.

Download the Policy (253KB pdf)
CLBC Assessment Summary – Assessor Report Form (107KB pdf)

Information Sheets for Families: For information on Eligibility, including translation into Traditional and Simplified Chinese, French Farsi, Hindi, Korean, Punjabi, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese, please click here.

Personalized Supports Initiative: CLBC introduced the Personalized Supports Initiative (PSI) to provide services for adults who do not have a developmental disability but have both significant limitations in adaptive functioning and either a diagnosis of Pervasive Developmental Disorder  (PDD) or Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). For information on the Personalized Supports Initiative, please click here.

April 2010 – This policy brings focus to the importance and value of employment in the lives of individuals supported by CLBC. The policy orients staff to the emphasis on employment and provides general guidance for integrating it into their work.

Employment Policy (128KB)

Information for Families on Employment (1MB)

October 2008 — An External Review is a neutral third-party investigation of a situation, incident or service, that results in recommendations and possible action. This policy sets out the requirements for External Reviews to ensure that they are conducted in a consistent and transparent way.

This policy applies to CLBC Quality Service Managers, quality service analysts, and the Director of Quality Assurance.

Download the Policy (187KB pdf)

 CLBC works with many different service providers to arrange for services for people who are eligible for funded supports. We pay individuals, private companies and non-profit societies to provide approved residential, community inclusion and family support services. The process of finding the right service provider for an individual and then negotiating what they will provide and how much CLBC will pay them, is called procurement and contracting.

Our goal is to ensure that contracted services are the best possible match for the disability-related needs of each individual and that we are responsive to each person’s unique goals, dreams, and choices. Individual preference is a way for an individual and/or their family to take an active role in expressing preference for the service provider that best meets their needs. To learn more about Individual Preference, please click the links below:

NEW: Information for Families

NEW: A Guide to Individual Preference

NEW: Questions and Answers

Click here to read the Procurement and Contracting Policy

November 2009 — This policy provides information about the role of CLBC facilitators in providing individual and family support.

Individual and Family Support Policy (259KB pdf)

The Individual Financial Payment Policy: Residential Services clarifies how individuals contribute towards their shelter and support costs for CLBC funded residential services and describes CLBC staff and service provider responsibilities.

Individual Financial Payment Policy: Residential Services (498KB pdf)

To learn more:
Information for Families and Individuals on Residential Services: Individual Financial Payments (556KB pdf)

November 2009 — This policy outlines the content required in Individual Support Plans and explains when plans are required for CLBC-funded supports.

Individual Support Planning Policy (307KB pdf)

Information for Families on Planning (677KB pdf)

March 2008 — Individualized Funding (IF) provides individuals and families with flexible, person-centred, self-directed payment options for arranging, managing, and paying for supports and services. For more information, please see the following policies:

Individualized Funding Policy (255KB pdf)
Direct Funding Policy (302KB pdf)
Host Agency Funding Policy (311KB pdf)

More information on Individualized Funding, including related documents, can be found at Individuals & Families > Individualized Funding.

This policy outlines the development, implementation and evaluation procedures for all CLBC policies. It clarifies the roles of CLBC and the Ministry of Social Development in the CLBC policy development process. It emphasizes the importance of consultation about policies with individuals, families, our staff, community service providers and government ministries that are affected by the policy. This ensures accountability to, and collaboration with, the people we support and our community and government partners.

Policy Development and Implementation Policy (124KB pdf)

On this page, you can find links to information which supplements CLBC’s policies:

Positive Behaviour Support: A Conversation with Dr. Pat Mirenda

CLBC has a policy about “Behaviour Support and Safety Planning” that outlines requirements for service providers who support individuals with challenging behaviours in CLBC funded services. It reflects a positive approach to behaviour supports for adults and emphasizes the importance of recognizing and understanding behaviours as a form of communication. The policy clarifies that a ‘Safety Plan’ is required whenever a restrictive practice, such as the use of restraints, is being considered. The policy is accompanied by the “Behaviour Support and Safety Planning: A Guide for Service Providers” that provides more detail and best practice guidance on the expectations outlined in the policy.

The behaviour support and safety planning approach builds on successful person-centred practices in BC, and establishes CLBC and our contracted service providers as leaders in supporting people with developmental disabilities. This approach advances the evolution of community living supports in terms of values and the rights of the people being supported.

To learn more, please watch the following series of videos, “Positive Behaviour Support: A Conversation with Dr. Pat Mirenda”. Dr. Mirenda is a Professor in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special Education, University of British Columbia.

1.) Part 1: What is Positive Behaviour Support (PBS)? (11:00)

2.) Part 2: Positive Behaviour Support : Predictability and Choice (3:30)

3.) Part 3: Positive Behaviour Support : Addressing Communication Needs (3:00)

4.) Part 4: Positive Behaviour Support : The Importance of Teaching New Skills (3:20)

5.) Part 5: Positive Behaviour Support : The Importance of Living an Inclusive Life (8:00)

6.) Part 6: Positive Behaviour Support : Building Organizational and Staff Capacity (9:00)

June 2009 — A critical incident is a serious or unusual event that an adult receiving services funded by CLBC is involved in. The “Critical Incidents” policy provides information about the prevention, reporting, review and follow-up of critical incidents. It outlines the roles and responsibilities of CLBC staff and contracted service providers.  The guide for service providers, “Critical Incidents:  Service Provider Requirements”, reviews reporting expectations. The CLBC “Critical Incident Report” form is used by unlicensed homes, community inclusion activities, and for licensed homes when the incident is not reportable to Community Care Licensing.

Critical Incidents Policy (188KB pdf)
Critical Incidents: Service Provider Requirements (115KB pdf)
Critical Incidents Report (60KB pdf)

The CLBC Organizational Privacy Policy describes CLBC’s approach to privacy of personal information as required by the B.C. Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA). It complements the CLBC Privacy Guidelines that provide an overview of privacy legislation and best practices. The policy is supported by a suite of more detailed policies which address specific aspects of privacy.

Organizational Privacy Policy (192KB pdf)

The Right to Access Personal Information Policy describes how CLBC supports individuals to exercise their right to access their own personal information held by CLBC.

Right to Access Personal Information Policy (180KB pdf)

The Access to Personal Information for Research Purposes Policy explains under what conditions individuals’ personal information may be accessed for research and statistical purposes.

Access to Personal Information for Research Purposes Policy (150KB pdf)

Confidentiality and Information Sharing Policy

The Confidentiality and Information Sharing Policy describes how CLBC staff maintain the rights of individuals to confidentiality and privacy of personal information and assists them to comply with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Confidentiality and Information Sharing Policy (135KB pdf)

Consent to Release Information (157KB pdf)
Consent to Collect Information (40KB pdf)

March 2010 — This policy describes how requests for service are recorded and how decisions are made about their priority order for funding.

Request for Service Policy (126KB pdf)
Information for Families on Requests for Service (141KB pdf)

November 2009 – This policy clarifies the roles and responsibilities of legal decision makers in assisting individuals with developmental disabilities receiving CLBC supports and services.

Role of Formal and Informal Representatives (174KB)

April 2008 — This policy outlines the exceptional circumstances under which an immediate family member can be paid to provide service to a relative who is eligible for CLBC supports.

Service Provision by Family Members (141KB pdf)

After a formal consultation process that invited feedback from key stakeholders, the Standards for Home Sharing were formally endorsed and adopted by CLBC in April 2007. These are now used as provincial guidelines for all home sharing providers.

Standards for Home Sharing (112KB pdf)

January 2013 — This policy establishes principles related to the development, implementation and regular review of processes designed to mitigate the risk of theft, fraud or corruption impacting either CLBC or an individual supported by CLBC.

Click here to read the Theft, Fraud and Corruption Policy.

To learn more about ways that CLBC encourages the reporting of wrongdoing and protects whistleblowers, please click here.

January 2013 – This policy establishes a framework for reporting suspected or known irregularities, including theft, fraud and corruption, impacting either CLBC or individuals supported by CLBC and for the protection of persons making such reports.

Click here to read the Whistleblower (Ethical Reporting) Policy.

To learn more about ways CLBC encourages the reporting of wrongdoing and protects whistleblowers, please click here.

CLBC works in collaboration with youth and their families and other government organizations and ministries to support youth transitioning to adulthood. Supporting a smooth transition for youth and their families is an important priority for CLBC.

This policy describes the role of CLBC facilitators for assisting youth and their families before a youth turns 19. The policy outlines processes that should be completed before a youth turns 19. It also includes a timeframe for completing required processes, based on a youth’s age.

Youth Transition Support Policy (463KB)

For more information, please read the Information sheet for Families on Youth Transition.