A new way of working, grounded in lived experience
At Enliven, we believe that people with disability must have a real and respected seat at the table when decisions are made about their home and their supports. Not as a principle on paper — but as a lived, everyday reality.
The Choice and Control Charter is a significant step toward making this happen.
Developed in close collaboration with NDIS participants, Shared Onsite Support Providers (SOSPs) and Enliven Community, the Charter formalises something the disability sector has long been calling for: a clear, transparent and practical way to legitimise participant voice in shared support environments.
This is not a new layer of compliance. It is a new way of working.
What is the Choice and Control Charter?
The Choice and Control Charter documents a shared understanding between three key parties:
- the Choice Collective (the group of tenants who share supports),
- the Shared Onsite Support Provider, and
- Enliven Housing as the SDA Provider.
Rather than replacing service agreements or legal documents, the Charter sits alongside them. It acts as a guiding framework that captures the Collective’s shared goals, expectations and ways of working together — in plain language and with lived experience at the centre.
Importantly, it openly acknowledges and clarifies the relationships between all parties, creating transparency about roles, responsibilities and decision-making from the outset.
Why does it matter?
In shared living environments, unclear roles, power imbalances, and opaque decision-making can quickly undermine trust and choice.
The Choice and Control Charter directly addresses this by:
- clearly documenting how parties will work together fairly and respectfully,
- setting shared expectations and responsibilities, and
- formally recognising the Choice Collective’s role in shaping their support environment.
By doing so, the Charter strengthens autonomy, safeguards choice, and supports meaningful participation — ensuring people with disability are not consulted after decisions are made, but are active contributors as decisions are shaped.
Guided by shared values
The Charter is grounded in values consistently raised by Choice Collectives as essential to quality support:
- Nothing about us without us
- Collaboration
- Transparency
- Lived experience expertise
- Choice and control
These values guide how services are designed, how challenges are addressed, and how communication is maintained — particularly when things are complex or changing. The result is stronger relationships, clearer pathways for feedback, and a more stable and respectful support environment for everyone involved.
Co-designed, not one-size-fits-all
Every Choice Collective is unique. For this reason, the Charter includes a series of attachments that are developed collaboratively by the parties through structured consultation and workshops facilitated by Enliven Community’s Choice Collective Facilitators.
These attachments translate shared values into practical agreements that reflect what is achievable, appropriate, and meaningful for each Collective. They are shaped by the people who live there, informed by provider expertise, and grounded in real-world operational considerations.
The outcome is a shared roadmap — clear, aligned, and co-owned — that supports better outcomes from the very beginning.
Looking ahead
The Choice and Control Charter represents a significant evolution in how shared support arrangements can operate: transparent, collaborative, and genuinely participant-led.
It reflects years of work, learning, and partnership across Enliven Housing, Enliven Community, Shared Onsite Support Providers, and — most importantly — people with disability themselves.
We are proud to be introducing a mechanism that does more than describe choice and control.
It puts it into practice.