Policies & Procedures

Policy Manual Section 1 Effective Mgt 2023

Policy Manual Section 2 Human Resources 2023

Policy Manual Section 3 Access Service Delivery 2023

Policy Manual – Safe Care Manual

Safe Care Manual 2022

Feedback and Complaints

We actively encourage everyone using Community Care Options services to question or comment on the quality and nature of the services they receive. We endeavour at all times to make sure that any feedback or complaints are listened to and resolved as quickly as possible.

All feedback and complaints are taken seriously and dealt with in confidence and with fairness. No client or carer of our service will be disadvantaged or discriminated against for making a complaint about the organisation. We see feedback and complaints as a positive opportunity to improve the quality of service provision.

Anyone who uses our service or has a right to expect a service from us, may provide feedback or make a complaint. The complaint can be made personally or someone can speak on your behalf. Feedback and complaints can be made verbally and in writing.

How to provide feedback or make a complaint

If you have any comment, feedback (positive and negative) or complaints about Community Care Options please let us know. Many problems can be sorted out through explanation or discussion.

If you feel comfortable, talk to your Support Planner in the first instance.

If after talking through the issue with the Support Planner, you are not satisfied or you find it difficult to talk about the complaint to your Support Planner please feel free to phone the Client Services Manager or General Manager and raise your concerns.

All CCO staff have been trained in complaints management and if they receive feedback or a complaint from you, they will ask you if they can record” your feedback on our feedback/complaints form.

Copies of the feedback/complaint form should be located in the client home folder and clients are able to complete these and forward to the organisation as needed. You may request assistance to complete the form from a Support Worker or your Support Planner. These forms are then forwarded to the General Manager who will review them and discuss with the relevant Support Planner at an appropriate resolution to the issue.

Please indicate on the form whether you are providing feedback or making a formal complaint.

Clients may put any formal complaints in writing and address to the Client Services Manager or General Manager.

Formal complaints will be acknowledged within 24hrs of receipt and a response will be provided within 21 working days.

Clients wishing to access the full Feedback and Complaints Management Policy can request this.

If you are not satisfied with the outcome and resolution of your complaint then you may contact any of the following external authorities:

Commissioner for Community Services

Level 3,128 Chalmers Street
Surrey Hills NSW 2I35
Ph: 1800 060 409 (free call)

The Office of Aged Care Quality and Compliance

c/oThe Department of Health and Ageing
GPO Box 9848 Canberra ACT 2601
Ph: 1800 020 103 (free call)

Disability Complaints Service

PO Box 666
Strawberry Hills NSW 2012
Ph: 1800 424 007 {free call)

 

Privacy and Confidentiality

We recognise that we hold a position of trust in holding personal and sensitive information. Community Care Options has a strong commitment to maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of clients of our service.

In compliance with the following legislation – Australian Privacy Act 2001, NSW Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 and the NSW Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 – our service adheres to the following privacy principles –

our service only collects personal/sensitive information which is directly related to a function or activity of our service

• we will only use fair and lawful means to collect information
• we will collect personal information directly from an individual if it is reasonably practicable to do so. If information is collected from a third party, we will advise the client of the information collected
• our staff, prior to collection or as soon as practicable, inform clients from whom they seek personal/sensitive information the purpose of the collection of the information, any third; party to whom information will be given
• personal/sensitive information is only used for the purposes which are relevant
• our service strives to ensure the information collected is of good quality, objective, accurate, up to date, relevant and not too intrusive
• our service takes reasonable steps to protect the personal information we hold from misuse and loss, and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure
• clients have a right to access their personal information
• our service does not disclose personal information to anyone else except-
  • with the consent of the person
  • to prevent a serious and imminent threat to a person’s life or health
  • as required or authorised by law
  • where reasonably necessary for the enforcement of criminal or revenue law.

Any person the information is provided to under any of these exceptions, may only use it for the purpose for which it was disclosed.

Community Care Options maintains a client database and individual client files.

We protect your information by maintaining physical, electronic and procedural safeguards.

The type of information we collect includes –

• demographic information such as age, date of birth, address, ethnicity, contact information
• information we have collected from you during an assessment of your needs
• case notes indicating our contact with you or work on your behalf
• notes recorded by Support Workers when providing services
• information from other parties where you have consented to them to release such information.

We are required to report information to funding bodies as part of our contractual accountability about the services that we provide. This information is not of a sensitive nature and is for government planning purposes.

You have the right to correct information held by the organisation that you believe to be inaccurate.

Our organisation’s full privacy policy is a public document and can be accessed on request.

We maintain client records for seven years after we cease service delivery, after this time all information is destroyed.

Clients are able to provide feedback or make a complaint , using the organisation’s Feedback and Complaints Management Policy if they feel that the organisation has breached their privacy in any way.

Rights

As a care recipient I have the following rights:

1. GENERAL

a) to be treated and accepted as an individual, and to have my 1 individual preferences respected;

b) to be treated with dignity, with my privacy respected; :

c) to receive care that is respectful of me, my family and home;

d) to receive care without being obliged to feel grateful to those providing my care;

e) to full and effective use of all human, legal and consumer rights, including the right to freedom of speech regarding my care;

f) to be treated without exploitation, abuse, discrimination, harassment or neglect.

2. PARTICIPATION 

a) to be involved in identifying the community care most appropriate for my needs;

b) to choose the care and services that best meet my assessed needs, from the community care able to be provided and within the limits of the resources available;

c) to participate in making decisions that affect me;

d) to have my representative participate in decisions relating to my care if I do not have capacity.

3. CARE AND SERVICES 

a) to receive reliable, coordinated, safe, quality care and services which are appropriate to my assessed needs;

b) to be given before, or within 14 days after I commence receiving care, a written plan of the care and services that I expect to receive;

c) to receive care and services as described in the plan that ta account of my lifestyle, other care arrangements and cultural linguistic and religious preferences;

d) to ongoing review of the care and services I receive (both periodic and in response to changes in my personal circumstances), and modification of the care and services as required.

4. PERSONAL INFORMATION

a) to privacy and confidentiality of my personal information;

b) to access my personal information.

5. COMMUNICATION

a) to be helped to understand any information I am given;

b) to be given a copy of the Charter of Rights and Responsibilities for Community Care;

c) to be offered a written agreement that includes all agreed matters;

d) to choose a person to speak on my behalf for any purpose.

6. COMMENTS AND COMPLAINTS

a) to be given information on how to make comments and complaints about the care and services I receive;

b) to complain about the care and services I receive, without fear of losing the care or being disadvantaged in any other way;

c) to have complaints investigated fairly and confidentially, and to have appropriate steps taken to resolve issues of concern.

7. FEES

a) to have my fees determined in a way that is transparent, accessible and fair;

b) to receive invoices that are clear and in a format that is understandable;

c) to have my fees reviewed periodically and on request when there are changes to my financial circumstances;

d) not to be denied care and services because of my inability to pay a fee for reasons beyond my control.

Responsibilities

As a care recipient I have the following responsibilities:

1. GENERAL 

a) to respect the rights of care workers to their human, legal and industrial rights including the right to work in a safe environment;

b) to treat care workers without exploitation, abuse, discrimination or harassment.

2. CARE AND SERVICES

a) to abide by the terms of the written agreement;

b) to acknowledge that my needs may change and to negotiate modifications of care and service when my needs do change;

c) to accept responsibility for my own actions and choices even though some actions and choices may involve an element of risk.

3. COMMUNICTAION

a) to give enough information to assist the approved provider to develop, deliver and review a care plan;

b) to tell the approved provider and their staff about any problems with the care and services.

4. ACCESS

a) to allow safe and reasonable access for care workers at the times specified in my care plan or otherwise by agreement;

b) to provide reasonable notice if I do not require a service.

5. FEE

a) to pay any fee as specified in the agreement or negotiate an alternative agreement with the provider if any changes occur in my financial circumstances;

b) to provide enough information for the approved provider to determine an appropriate level of fee.

Intake System

What happens when you contact the service?

When you first contact Community Care Options please ask to speak with the Intake Coordinator.

The Intake Coordinator will –

• take some basic information about your situation or the person you are referring (consent is required from the person for the referral)
• determine what type of assistance you or they need
• provide you with information about programs for which you/they may be eligible
• identify with you the process for intake to a particular program
• ask some questions to determine the eligibility and priority for service
• discuss with you any other services or informal supports that you may have
• provide information about other services that may be of assistance if we are unable to help
• identify the likely timeframe for response to your referral