The Characteristics of Effective Staff Teams in Disability Services

Abstract

People with autism and other developmental disabilities are often supported by staff teams in accommodation, day support, and employment services. Although the literature outlines a number of individual staff characteristics that can influence the “quality of support,” there is a paucity of research investigating the characteristics of teams as a whole. Given the emphasis placed on “team work” in human services, this study investigated what constitutes the characteristics of an effective team in disability services. An online Delphi study was employed, whereby disability support staff and their managers answered a series of surveys to build a consensus as to “what constitutes an effective te..