The situation
A DSD team is redesigning how people are assessed for services. Early drafts add a self-service online step that would save staff time. Some of the people assessed do not use English, do not have reliable internet, or need supported decision-making.
Fictional worked example
Give the same next step more than one usable route
A self-service step can be one choice. This fictional access map keeps a real human route and a person's chosen support in view from the start.
Online route
A person who chooses it can use an accessible form, find help and understand what follows.
Has the form been tested with the access methods people use?
Phone or in-person route
A staffed phone or in-person option can reach the same purpose without requiring the person to first fail online.
Who staffs it, in which languages, and how can people reach it?
Chosen support
Ask who the person wants involved and what would make the decision understandable.
Where does supported decision-making fit in each route?
One clear handoff
Every route ends with a usable explanation of the next step and the person or role responsible for follow-up.
What extra work falls on the person when the routes do not connect?
Bring it into your work: Trace one route from first contact to follow-up. Identify the staff capacity and access arrangements that make the route real, then ask people who would use it what is missing.
Follow one contact route to the same next step
Fictional request: a person wants to understand the next planning conversation. Choose a route to examine the arrangements it needs.
- Find a labeled, usable form
- Ask for help without losing the request
- Receive a confirmation and follow-up contact
If the form fails, the person needs another working route without repeating information unnecessarily.
Across every route: Agree the next action, requested access arrangements and responsibility for unanswered questions. Ask people who use each route where the handoff breaks down.
What to notice first
- Efficiency for staff can become burden for the people with the least margin.
- Person-centered practice and supported decision-making are design requirements, not add-ons.
- The human alternative must be real, not a fallback nobody staffs.
Questions to ask before acting
- How does someone who does not use English or the internet complete this on the first try?
- Where does supported decision-making happen in the new flow?
- What is the human alternative, and who staffs it?
- Who among the people assessed helped design this?
Practical next moves
Who to involve
Bring the design to your accessibility lead, language access coordinator, and Equity Director while it is still open. DSD staff can request a consultation.