Vela Microboard

Vela Microboard's Guiding Principles and Functions

All Microboards facilitated by Vela use the following Principles and Functions as their building blocks for development.

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Principles Vela Microboards Follow:

Microboard members must have a personal relationship with the person for whom the board is created.

All people are assumed to have the capacity for self-determination and this capacity will be acknowledged and respected and demonstrated in all the dealings of the Microboard.

All decisions made by a Microboard will demonstrate regard for the person's safety, comfort, and dignity.

The more complex a person's needs are, the more important it is that the services are customized and individualized to support those needs.

All Microboard members will conduct their board business in the spirit of mutual respect, cooperation, and collaboration.

All services developed and/or contracted are based on the person's needs, not availability of services.

Microboards will only negotiate contracts with people and/or agencies able to demonstrate a concrete ability to provide services as identified by the Microboard. These services will be person centered and customized to meet the individual's needs.

The staff that work for or with the person through their Microboard, are not "attached" to the buildings in which the person lives, works, volunteers, or recreates. They work for the person, not an agency or business.

Functions of Vela Microboard Members

To get to know the person and establish a personal, reciprocal relationship (friendship) with the person.

To act as sponsors to the community ensuring the person participates in community activities with Microboard members (i.e. family functions, social events, etc.) This is done in ways that are natural for each of the people involved, not as prescribed through written expectations.

To ensure the person has the opportunity to both receive and give from and to their community as well as with other individuals in their networks.

Once the above three functions have developed, the following functions are to occur:

Complete a person centred planning process that will be used as part of the development of a proposal for supports.

Incorporate as a non-profit society.

Identify and request funds for services.

Identify and negotiate services.

Maintain and/or monitor services.

To honour legal requirements of the British Columbia Societies Act, a minimum of five board members must sit on the Microboard.

To respect the intimacy of the Microboard process, no more than seven or eight members are recommended for any board.