What is supported decision-making?

Supported decision-making means helping someone make their own choices. A person might need support to:

• gather information
• make information easier to understand
• look at the good and bad points of each option
• think about what matters to them
• understand the decision
• make the decision
• feel confident 
• put the decision into action.

Having this support respects the decision-maker's right to make decisions about their life. Supported decision-making is based on two human rights:

• everyone has the right to make their own choices
• everyone has the right to support to make their own choices.

Supported decision-making involves a decision-maker and one or more supporters.

The decision maker:

• chooses the supporter
• is at the centre
• makes the decision.

The supporter:

• can be anyone that the decision-maker trusts. They may be a family member, friend, or someone who supports the decision-maker as a job
• gets to know what is important to the decision-maker and what support works best for them
• helps the decision-maker to understand and think about options.

Supported decision-making can be helpful for all sorts of life decisions. Whatever the decision, the decision-maker has the right to be supported to make their own decisions wherever possible.

Supported decision-making can help people decide day-to-day things like:

• what to eat
• what to wear
• how to spend free time.

Supported decision-making can help people make lifestyle choices like:

• special diets
• exercise habits
• relationships.

Supported decision-making can help people make life-changing decisions like:

• medical care
• money matters
• work options.