Donna is a lady with a cognitive disability requiring advocacy support. You are Donna's support worker and her advocate. You will develop an evidence based approach advocacy plan in response to the scenario.

Donna is 25 years old and lives in a group home in suburban Melbourne. She has a mild intellectual disability and is visually impaired. Donna has a boyfriend called Patrick. Patrick is 31 years old, also has an intellectual disability and lives with his parents in the family home only a few kilometres from Donna's group home. Donna and Patrick have known each other for about 6 years and met when they both began as volunteers at the local Meals on Wheels kitchen. They work in the Meals on Wheels kitchen one day per week and assist with deliveries on two days per week. They also attend a swimming program together on Wednesday evenings. Recently, staff organising the swimming program found Donna and Patrick together in a toilet cubicle in the disabled change rooms at the pool. They were both naked. The staff separated them and have reported the incident to Donna's family and the staff at her group home and to Patrick's family. The staff running the swimming program have said that they do not feel that it would be appropriate for both Donna and Patrick to continue to attend the program but will leave it to Donna's residential staff and Patrick's family to 'sort it out'. Donna and Patrickare upset and both wish to continue to attend the program. Donna's support workers and Patrick's parents have spoken to each other on the phone and have decided that 'things have gone too far' and that Donna and Patrick should no longer be boyfriend and girlfriend. Donna's parents ask the staff at her group home to prevent her from seeing Patrick. They say that they are afraid that she may be having a sexual relationship with him and are concerned that she 'doesn't understand the risks'. The staff in Donna's group home are unsure about what to do. Donna has told her parents that in the future she wants to move out of the group home and move into a flat with Patrick. Patrick thinks this is a great idea but Donna's parents are adamant that this will 'never happen'.

Q. What is the best approach to educate and acknowledge consent in Donna's situation?

references would be appreciated.