Board Support Person Training
Instructor
Side by Side Advocacy
Reviews
Course Overview
This training is for people who are interested in, or currently supporting, a board member with intellectual disability to take part in formal board meetings. Good support is essential for a person with intellectual disability to carry out a board role effectively—and that’s why your role matters.
How the Inclusive Governance Project informs this training
The Inclusive Governance Project has listened closely to the real experiences of people involved in boards, including board members with and without disability, executive officers, and board support people. By understanding what helps and what gets in the way for each of these stakeholders, the project has identified the benefits of inclusive governance, the barriers that can prevent meaningful participation, and practical strategies that support people with intellectual disability to have a real voice in decision-making within community organisations.
This training is built from those insights, with a focus on one key part of making inclusive governance work in practice: the role of the Board Support Person.
How this training course works
Each module is practical and includes short lessons, real examples, and printable tools you can use and adapt. Templates in this course are guides, not rules—because every person and every board context is different.
What You'll Learn?
- That good support helps a board member with lived experience feel included and respected — as a valued and equal board member.
- That good support helps a board member with lived experience understand what is happening and what is being decided — so they can follow discussions and participate with confidence.
- That good support helps a board member with lived experience share their views clearly — by making space, checking understanding, and supporting communication that works for them.
- That good support helps a board member with lived experience share their opinions and make decisions for themselves — by supporting them to understand information, consider options and voice their thoughts, without speaking for them, influencing or steering their views.