Policy

Our Person-Centred Support Policy reflects our obligations under the NDIS Practice Standards, and the Child Safe Standards.

Purpose

At VSSS Person-centred support is about putting you at the heart of your supports, treating you with dignity and respect and involving you in all decisions about your life. It's about respecting and responding to your individual values and beliefs, maintaining your privacy and autonomy. Allowing you sufficient time to consider your options before you make decisions and working to ensure you are free from violence and abuse. We make this Policy part of our everyday approach with you, your family, our staff and community members. We ensure you are listened to and provided support in a way that matters to you.

Scope:

This policy applies to you, your nominated representatives, our staff including permanent and casuals, contract workers and students.

Principles:

• Treating you with dignity, respect and compassion and upholding your human rights.

• Respecting your right to practice your culture, values and beliefs whilst accessing our support.

• Focusing on your strengths and unique capabilities and individuality.

• Acknowledgement of your unique life experience, diversity and your own expertise.

• Open and transparent communication provided in a way that you understand.

• Communicating and coordinating your support between different services over time, such as when changing providers or liaising with other community or mainstream services.

• Taking a collaborative approach with your supports, with you, your family and informal/formal supports. Where requested, sharing your support between other service providers.

• Tailoring supports to suit your needs and what you want to achieve.

• Focus on building your independence and capacity to achieve your goals and access services.

• Helping you find ways to get better support, look after yourself and stay healthy.

• Making sure the supports we provide you are free from abuse, neglect and exploitation - taking a zero-tolerance approach to abuses, neglect and exploitation.

• Involving you in your support needs/planning and decisions at all times.

• Helping you to understand your right to have access to advocacy to help you make decisions.

• Supporting you to plan for emergencies and making sure your support staff know how to enact the plan.

As a Participant of Victorian Specialist Support Services, you have the right to expect:

Person Centred Supports and Responsive Support Provision

That the support we provide upholds and respects your legal and human rights, respecting your individual rights to freedom of expression, self-determination, and decision-making.

You will have access to timely, competent and appropriate supports to meet your needs. 

●   In order to provide person-centred support, it is important we have a good understanding of your support preferences. VSSS will respect these preferences throughout the term of your service agreement.

●   We will conduct a risk assessment of your support needs at the Intake and Planning stage to ensure your supports are safe, we will also respect your decision to take risks which pose no risks to our staff or community members.

●   We will also develop a comprehensive Care, Support and Action plan at your Intake and Planning meeting which will outline your NDIS goals and support requirements. Our staff will have access to this support plan and will be trained to it before they provide you with support.

●   With your consent we will develop links and collaborate with your other providers, including health care and allied health providers, to share their information, manage risks to help us in meeting your needs- this may mean setting up regular care team meetings so that all of your services can be on the same page.

●   Our staff will clearly explain your support options in a way that is easy to understand using an interpreter or visual aids if necessary and respects your decisions.

●   Your supports are based on the least intrusive options in accordance with any evidence informed practices and we take a capacity building approach to how we provide you with support. That means, where possible we will take a ‘do with’ approach rather than a ‘do for’ approach to your support.

●   We will acknowledge you for who you are and will not discriminate based on your background, beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity or preferences and we will do our best to match our staff to your culture, beliefs, values etc.

●   We will support you to practice your culture, enact your values, or follow your beliefs whilst accessing your support. 

●   Where requested or appropriate we will take all reasonable efforts to match staff to your support needs and preferences especially if you have personal care needs.

●   We ensure staff are appropriately trained and supervised to meet your support needs where there is specialist requirement for example, hoisting, medication administration, high intensity supports, or behaviour supports.  

●   A key part of person-centred support is becoming involved in your support. This means you choose to be included in all decision making, planning and goal setting. Doing this will improve your support services and increase your independence. 

●   Review of your support needs when your circumstances change or at least yearly.

●   VSSS will supply you all the information you need to make informed decisions. You will be given time and opportunities to ask questions, and talk to your carers, family and friends before making decisions.

●   In situations where many supports are needed at the same time, being actively involved will help you and your support team to plan and prioritise your supports. This helps everyone know and understand what is happening and why.

●   You are supported to engage with your family, friends and chosen community.

●   You also have the right to refuse support that you are not comfortable with.

●   We will review how your supports are being delivered by checking in 8 weeks after you commence support with us and again at 9 months. You can request a review at any time. 

●   We will also support you to transition to another provider if you decide and consent to by providing them with any known risks and support requirements.

Respect, Privacy and Dignity

We support participant to accesses supports that respect and protect their dignity and right to privacy.

●   We adhere to the Australian privacy principles - see Privacy Policy 

●   We ensure that your information is kept private and that we treat all the information you give carefully and with confidentiality.

●   At your Intake and Planning meeting we will tell you what personal information we will collect and why we collect it. We will do this in a mode of communication you are most likely to understand.

●   We will ensure you understand and agree to what personal information will be collected and why, including recorded material in audio and/or visual format.

Independence and informed Choice

VSSS recognises that it is the fundamental right of all people, regardless of their age, status, ability or communicative capacity, to receive and convey messages, to hold opinions, and express themselves. We uphold everyone’s right to communicate as they interact with people in daily life in order to enhance equality, justice and human dignity.

• We will do a risk assessment when you commence with us and at times when you wish to undertake activities that may carry risk.  We will advise you of the benefits and risks of each activity or support you are requesting. Then you can make an informed decision, so your dignity of risk and decision making is supported. Our personal opinion will not affect your decision.

• Active decision-making and individual choice is supported for each participant we support including the timely provision of information using the language, mode of communication and terms that you are most likely to understand.

• We will respect your right to autonomy, including your right intimacy and sexual expression.

• We will take the time to understand who you are and your preferences, and we will respect your right to take time to consider your options, review and seek advice before making any decisions. This will be at each stage of your support with us from Intake, assessment, review, and exit.

• We will make sure you understand your right to have an advocate when making a decision.

Violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation, and discrimination

You can expect a commitment from VSSS to provide quality services and supports that will not tolerate violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation, or discrimination.

• We recognise your right feel safe and to get supports in an environment where you are protected from violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation, or discrimination.

• We encourage and support you to report any type of incidents including violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation, or discrimination during your services and support.

• We explain to you how to report incidents at your intake and planning meeting and provide you with a Rights and Responsibility brochure with this information readily available to you.  

• Where violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation, or discrimination has occurred, we will respond promptly to protect you from any further harm.

• Will manage all incidents against the ‘NDIS-Incident Management and Reportable Incidents-Rules 2018’ and organisational requirements according to our Incident Management Policy .

• Our staff are trained in Zero Tolerance and our Incident Management Policy

• Records will be made of any details and outcomes of reviews and investigations (where applicable) and action is taken to prevent similar incidents occurring again.

• We respect the participant’s right to access an advocate. Please refer to the section 'Advocacy Services' in this handbook 

Advocacy Services

All participants have the right to appoint an advocate on their behalf. An advocate is independent of your provider or government, someone who can assist you to exercise opinions, choice and control.  

The Office of the public advocate is empowered by law to promote and safeguard the rights and responsibilities of people with disability.

Advocacy services may be able to provide advice, approved consent, speak or write to promote and protect your human rights. An advocate responds to your direction, reflecting your wishes and preferences. The Victorian Specialist Support Services respects your choice of advocate and encourages all participants to use the services for supports such as:

·         Raising complaints and assisting to settle disputes with service providers.

·         Navigating the NDIS

·         Housing

·         Access to support and services.

·         Physical access to building or transport

Who can be an Advocate?

·         A family member or friend

·         A trained advocate

Advocacy Supports are as follows:

·        Disability Advocacy Finder - disabilityadvocacyfinder.gov.au

·        Self-Advocacy Resource Unit - 03 9639 6856

·        Victoria Advocacy League for Individuals with Disability - 03 9416 4003 - valid.org.au

·        Right Information and Advocacy Centre - 5822 1944 - riac.org.au

·        Valid Individual Advocacy Service - 1800 655 570

·        Citizens Advocacy: 9398 0846

·        Office of Public Advocate: 1800 136 829

If you would like assistance to link with a trained advocate, please contact us.

Related Policies or Procedures:

●       Privacy Policy

●       Incident Management Policy

●       Advocacy Policy