Service Delivery Policy
| Policy area | Service Delivery |
| Document type | Policy |
| Applicable to | Beyondlimits Care & Support Services |
| Version | 001 |
| Date approved | 19/08/2024 |
| Approved by | Managing Director |
| Next review date | Every 12 Months |
| Related policies | Service Access and Exit Policy Support Planning Policy Diversity Policy Client Advocacy Policy Consent Policy Duty of Care Policy Client Health and Wellbeing Policy Safeguarding Against Violence, Abuse, Neglect, Exploitation and Discrimination Policy Risk Management Policy Emergency and Disaster Management Policy Covid-19 Response Policy Transition of Care Between Different Environments Policy Client Living Alone and Receiving Personal Care from a Sole Worker Policy Human Resources Management Policy Work Health and Safety Policy Medication Management Policy Mealtime Management Policy Food Safety Management Policy Incident Management Policy Conflict of Interest Policy Manual Handling Policy Client Money and Property Policy Continuous Improvement and Quality Management Policy Client Feedback and Complaints Management Policy |
| Authority | NDIS Act 2013 NDIS Practice Standards and Quality Indicators NDIS Code of Conduct UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities UN Convention on the Rights of the Child Aged Care Act 1997 Aged Care Quality and Safety Standards Aged Care Code of Conduct |
PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to explain our organisation’s commitment and approach to client service delivery/support provision.
SCOPE
This policy applies to all our workers (employees, contractors and volunteers).
DEFINITIONS
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Dignity of Risk | A person’s right to make an informed choice - even if the choice involves some risk. |
| Reablement | Maintaining a person’s functional ability. It refers to the process of rehabilitating a person to enable them to learn, or re-learn new skills to gain or regain some or all of their independence. It involves developing strategies to work towards achieving personal goals. |
| Wellness | A philosophy underpinned by an emphasis on preventative health measures, optimising physical and emotional function, independence and encouraging active participation and engagement. |
CONTEXT
Our organisation is committed to providing services and supports that:
- are fair and inclusive;
- are responsive, flexible and person-centred;
- prioritise client health, safety and wellbeing;
- are ethical and compliant;
- offer cultural and linguistic diversity;
- uphold client confidentiality, privacy and dignity;
- provide the client with choice and control and actively seek their input;
- promote social and economic participation where possible;
- foster independence, resilience and capacity-building; and
- empower them to live their best life.
POLICY STATEMENT
#1
Service Agreements, Fees and Charges
- Before entering into a Service Agreement or services commencing, we will provide the client with adequate information, in a language, mode and method they are most likely to understand, so they can make informed decisions about their services and supports.
- We will ensure the client has adequate time to consider and review their options, to read and understand their Service Agreement, and any other written information, to ask questions about any aspect of the Agreement they are entering into, including their rights and responsibilities and fees and charges to be paid.
- We will discuss with the client to ensure they are aware of their right to seek external advice before entering into an agreement about their care and services.
- We will obtain client consent, following adequate consultation and reasonable notice, before changing any terms (including increasing fees and charges) in the Service Agreement.
- We will maintain a system to ensure prices, fees and payments are accurate and transparent.
- We will issue invoices that are timely, accurate, clear and presented in a way that clients are most likely to understand.
- We will address any overcharges and provide refunds to clients promptly.
#2
Fair, Transparent and Compliant Service Provision
- We will provide services to eligible clients fairly and equitably.
- We will not discriminate based on gender, sexual orientation, identity or preference, background, culture, ethnicity, age, ability, circumstances, or any other defining criteria.
- We will maintain transparent and consistent service access and delivery processes.
- We will provide services which comply with all applicable legislation, regulations, standards, funding and organisational requirements.
- We will provide services in accordance with the client’s Service Agreement and Support Plan.
#3
Safe, Responsive and Person-centred Service Delivery
- We will collaborate with the client and their family/alternate decision-maker/advocate to provide services that are responsive, person-centred and which best suit the client’s needs, abilities, circumstances, preferences and goals.
- We will involve the client in selecting their support worker(s), including the preferred gender, language spoken and/or cultural background.
- We will deliver services and supports in a way that optimises the client’s quality of life, wellness, reablement and maintenance of function, consistent with their needs, preferences and goals.
- We will ensure the client has access to aids or equipment required and support the client to use aids, equipment, devices and products safely and effectively.
- Where aids or equipment is provided, it is safe, suitable, clean and well maintained.
- We will provide information in a language, mode and method the client is most likely to understand to support their active involvement in the support planning and service delivery evaluation and review processes.
- We will provide services in a safe and welcoming environment that is physically accessible, culturally safe, trauma-aware and healing-informed.
- We will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place and encourage the client to report suspected or actual violence, abuse, neglect or exploitation.
- We will implement strategies to support our workers to recognise, identify, respond to and escalate in a timely manner client risks, concerns and deterioration or changes in their ability to perform activities of daily living, mental health, cognitive or physical function, capacity or condition.
- We will minimise the use of restrictive practices and, if restrictive practices are used, they will:
- only be used as a last resort;
- be in the least restrictive form;
- be used for the shortest time needed;
- be consistent with provisions in the client’s behaviour support plan, if applicable;
- be used with the client’s or their family/alternate decision-maker/advocate’s informed consent;
- comply with applicable state/territory laws; and
- be monitored and regularly reviewed.
- We will uphold our duty of care to each client, and balance this with their right to take informed risks (dignity of risk).
- We will focus on client independence, resilience and capacity-building in support planning and service delivery.
- We recognise the rights and respect the client’s autonomy, including their right to intimacy and sexual and gender expression.
- We will support the client’s right to make connections with others and maintain relationships of choice, including intimate relationships.
- We will deliver services according to contemporary, evidence-based best practice which supports improving quality of life.
#4
Service Environments
- We will provide comfortable, welcoming, well maintained and fit-for-purpose services environments which:
- are accessible (including for older people with a disability);
- are designed to promote free movement (both indoors and outdoors), engagement and inclusion;
- reduce safety risks in the least obtrusive and restrictive way;
- optimise useful and positive stimulation (to promote interest, joy and comfort); and
- are easy to navigate.
#5
Privacy, Advocacy and Complaints
- We will explain to the client, in a language, mode and method they are most likely to understand, how we manage their personal and sensitive information and their right to privacy and confidentiality.
- We will respect the right of the client to have choice about how and when they receive intimate physical care or treatment, and we will ensure this is carried out sensitively and in private.
- We will ensure the client is aware of their right to withdraw or change their consent at any time.
- We will ensure the client is aware of their right to an advocate of their choice and support them to engage one, if requested.
- We will ensure the client is aware of their right to provide feedback and lodge a complaint, both internally and externally, and assist them to find more information and submit a complaint if requested.
#6
Assessment and Review
- We will conduct client risk assessments at intake and during annual reviews and more often if required (change in circumstances, new health risk identified).
- We will conduct risk assessments of the client’s home environment to make sure it is safe for both the client and workers.
- We will conduct risk assessments to ensure our service environments are safe, wellmaintained and fit-for-purpose and that equipment and aids we provide that are used by clients are safe, suitable, clean, well-maintained and meet the needs of the client.
- We will organise for the client to have an annual comprehensive health assessment with input from their doctor, and more often if required.
#7
Continuity of Support
- We will maintain processes to ensure continuity of support, where possible, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the client’s Service Agreement.
- In an emergency or disaster event, where scheduled services must stop, we will continue to provide essential services/critical supports for clients assessed with complex needs (medication, clinical, meals).
- We will facilitate planned and coordinated transitions to or from our services, including where multiple service and health providers, family/informal carers and workers are involved in service delivery.
- We will ensure critical information is communicated effectively and in a timely way, to the client, their family/alternate decision-maker/advocate, workers and other service providers and health practitioners involved in the client’s care, including when:
- the client commences receiving care and supports;
- the client’s needs, preferences, circumstances or goals change;
- risks emerge, there is a change, deterioration or incident that impacts the client; and
- there is a transition of care between workers and others involved in the client’s care.
#8
Collaboration with and Referral to Other Providers
- We will communicate and collaborate, with the client’s and/or their family/alternate decision-maker/advocate’s consent, to facilitate referrals to other service providers to ensure clients have access to all the services and supports they are eligible for, need and want.
- We will ensure each client receives timely and appropriate referrals (to qualified health practitioners and/or the relevant funding body) for assessment or reassessment to support early identification and intervention, reablement, maintenance of function and quality of life.
#9
Information and Record-keeping
- We will ensure information and records are accurate and up to date.
- We will ensure the client has provided us with all required written consents.
- We will store the information securely to ensure client privacy, dignity and confidentiality and make sure it is accessible to the client and only other stakeholders authorised to access it.
#10
Worker Training and Development
- We will maintain a skilled and trained workforce which is kind and caring and committed to providing safe and quality care to clients.
- We will maintain processes to adequately monitor and supervise workers.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
Related procedures and forms include:
- Service Delivery Procedure
- Service Access and Exit Procedure
- Support Planning Procedure
- Safeguarding Against Violence, Abuse, Neglect, Exploitation and Discrimination Procedure
- Transition of Care Between Different Environments Procedure
- Client Living Alone and Receiving Personal Care from a Sole Worker Procedure
- Emergency and Disaster Management Procedure
- Covid-19 Response Procedure
- Client Advocacy Procedure
- Diversity Procedure
- Manual Handling Procedure
- Client Money and Property Procedure
- Medication Management Procedure
- Infection Control Procedure
- Mealtime Management Procedure
- Contingency, Emergency and Disaster Plan Template
- Personal Emergency Preparation Plan
- Continuity of Care Backup Support Plan
- Participant Safe Environment Risk Assessment
- Service Agreement
- Privacy Statement - Website
- Participant Intake Form
- Participant Information Consent Form
- Support Plan
RESPONSIBILITIES
Managing Director is responsible for:
- maintaining this policy, its related procedures and associated documents;
- ensuring the policy is effectively implemented across the service;
- monitoring workers compliance with the requirements of this policy; and
- ensuring training and information is provided to workers to carry out this policy.
All workers are responsible for complying with the requirements of this policy.
COMPLIANCE
Deliberate breaches of this policy will be dealt with under our misconduct provisions, as stated in the Code of Conduct Agreement.
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