Mealtime Management: Everyone’s Responsibility Workshop (Nov 2025)

Date: Wednesday 19 November 2025

Time: 1.00pm - 4.00pm

Location: Online

Workshop Overview

Under the NDIS Practice Standards and the Quality and Safeguarding Framework, everyone working in the disability sector shares a duty of care to ensure mealtimes are safe, respectful, and tailored to each person’s individual needs.

Mealtimes are more than just about eating; they are a time for connection, relaxation, and socialisation. However, for people with swallowing difficulties (dysphagia), mealtimes can present serious risks. People with disability are three times more likely to experience swallowing difficulties, and without the right support, complications like aspiration pneumonia can lead to preventable hospitalisation and in some cases, even death.

In this training, you will learn that supporting safe, person-centred mealtimes isn’t just best practice, it’s essential to dignity, wellbeing, and safeguarding the people you support.

This 3-hour workshop provides direct support staff and their managers with the essential knowledge and skills to navigate safe, supportive, and person-centred mealtimes when supporting individuals with swallowing difficulties.

Workshop Objectives:

By the end of this training, participants will:
- Understand typical and disordered swallowing processes: Gain important insight into how swallowing works, common swallowing disorders, and their impact on an individual’s health and wellbeing.
- Understand your role and responsibilities around eating, drinking, and swallowing support: Learn how to provide safe and respectful support during mealtimes, in line with industry standards and best practices.
- Identify factors that impact swallow safety and the mealtime experience: Recognise the various environmental, physical, and emotional factors that can affect swallowing safety and the overall mealtime experience.
- Identify ways to minimise risks and support best practice at mealtimes: Explore practical methods and strategies to reduce risks such as choking and aspiration while promoting positive mealtime practices.
- Identify the signs and symptoms to look out for and how to safely support an individual’s choices at mealtime: Learn to identify early warning signs of swallowing difficulties and how to respect and support individuals’ preferences, while ensuring safety at mealtimes.

Who should attend?

This training is designed for healthcare professionals, frontline staff, team leaders, NDIS plan managers, program managers, and staff trainers. If you're involved in supporting people during mealtimes or overseeing care practices, this training is essential for ensuring you have the knowledge and skills to provide safe, supportive, and person-centred mealtime experiences.

Cost

NDS Member: $190.00 (excl. GST)

Non-Member: $270.00 (excl. GST)

Please note tickets are not to be shared - one ticket per attendee. If you have any questions, please contact the Learn and Develop team at learnanddevelop@nds.org.au.

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