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What is Community OS
An orientation guide to Community OS, the trust network, and the records that make it work.
Community OS is the online home of a trust network. A trust network is a group of people who work together so one person can get the support they need. The person at the centre is called the beneficiary. Everyone else in the network acts only with the beneficiary's permission.
Purpose
This guide gives you a plain-language tour of Community OS. After reading it, you will know the parts of the system and where to go next.
Who this is for
This guide is for everyone who is new to Community OS: beneficiaries, trustees, support workers, coordinators, and family members.
What you need
- Nothing to install. Community OS runs in your web browser.
- An email address, to sign in.
- Time to read. This guide takes a few minutes.
What you will do
- Learn how identity works.
- Learn about the trust network.
- Learn about the records that store your support information.
- Find your next task.
Instructions
- Read about identity. Every person in Community OS has a permanent digital address called a DID. Read the guide to create your identity to get one. Read the concept of what a DID is to understand how they work.
- Read about the trust network. The trust network is made of people and the permission records between them. A beneficiary like Wiremu chooses a trustee like Hana to act for him. Read the concept of a trustee to learn the role.
- Read about records. Community OS stores four kinds of trust records:
- A delegation records that a beneficiary gives a trustee authority over a scope of records.
- A consent record stores the beneficiary's permission for someone to access a collection of their records.
- A support arrangement records that a support worker like James supports a beneficiary for a set period.
- A support plan records the beneficiary's goals, preferences, services, and appointments.
- Find your next task. Pick the task that matches your situation:
- Create your identity if you have no DID yet.
- Sign in if you already have an identity.
- Become a trustee if a beneficiary asked you to act for them.
What happens next
You are ready to start. The next step is almost always the same: create your identity, then sign in.
Troubleshooting
- Problem: you cannot tell which parts of the system apply to you. Fix: start with the concept of a trustee and the concept of consent. Both describe roles you can hold.
- Problem: you want to know who is who in the examples. Fix: the examples use five people. Wiremu is the beneficiary. Hana is his trustee. James is his support worker. Aroha is the coordinator. Provider A is the organization that employs James.