VSSS Welcome Pack

 Intake and Planning

We take a person-centered approach to the supports we provide you and how we plan for and deliver those supports. We have a person-centered care policy which outlines how we plan for and deliver our services, and it is available upon request or on our website. 

Before services commerce, all participants, their nominated representatives, or other parties are required to take part in an Intake and Planning meeting with the operations manager or intake officer to complete the following:

• Development of a Care, Support and Action Plan

• Undertake a Risk Assessment

• Sign a Consent Form

• Prepare a Service Agreement

• Sign an Intake Declaration Form.

Support staff have access this information and are required to familiarise themselves with your support requirements or identified risks before commencing formal supports with you.

Working in a safe environment 

VSSS recognises that the health, safety and welfare of employees, contractors, staff and persons present at VSSS premises or within a participant’s home is our responsibility. If you think something is unsafe do not attempt to start or complete the action STOP and contact us for further advice. VSSS will work with other providers such as occupational therapists to identify and treat risks so as to ensure a safe environment for both you and everyone who supports you. VSSS is committed to ensuring a safe and healthy working environment for all personnel and participants, not just VSSS staff, and the prevention of work-related injuries and illness by providing and maintaining a safe working environment in compliance with relevant occupational health and safety legislation. 

To meet our responsibilities, VSSS will prior to shifts commencing:

• Manage risks and injuries - by identifying all workplace hazards, undertaking risk assessments and taking all necessary actions to control any exposure to injury, loss or damage prior to supports commencing at that location. VSSS will actively seek your input in adding or modifying a site-specific risk assessment and discuss with you and potential hazards.

• Comply with all legal and other obligations - by ensuring that our business is managed in accordance with relevant occupational health and safety legislation.  

• Establish targets and measurements - we will manage our obligations using a coordinated occupational health and safety approach for each participant to ensure continuous improvement aimed at the elimination of work-related illness and injury to achieve our goal of "Zero Harm".  

• Provide appropriate training and information for all VSSS employees to enable safe attendance or participation at work.  

• Ensure meaningful and effective consultation with, and the involvement of all employees in matters potentially impacting workplace health and safety.  

• Communicate clearly and openly VSSS ’s occupational health and safety commitments and performance.  Promote a culture of safety by VSSS leaders and all VSSS personnel. We will ensure everyone knows that they are responsible for their own, and others health and safety, setting clearly defined responsibilities for all managers, supervisors and VSSS personnel.

Free from Abuse and Neglect 

Victorian Specialist Support Services has a moral, professional and legal obligation to provide a safe environment for participants.

You can expect a commitment from VSSS to provide quality services and supports that are free from violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation, or discrimination and that we have established processes to actively prevent these incidents. 

VSSS staff have an obligation to report suspected/alleged or actual abuse, neglect, physical or sexual abuse. Our staff are trained to recognize, document and report any concerns to the operations manager as a matter of urgency. The VSSS incident report form is to be utilized to report any suspected abuse or neglect; and the operations manager will conduct an urgent review of the allegation/s or incident. All allegations/incidents will be reported to the NDIS Commission. If applicable a report will be sent to Police and other relevant authorities. If the matter is illegal or where the abuse or neglect is likely to pose an imminent threat to personal safety of VSSS staff or participant, VSSS staff, if safe to do so, will remove themselves and the participant and Police will be contacted immediately via 000.

Every situation will be treated, with respect, and assessed on the individual circumstances and in accordance with organisational and regulatory guidelines. 

You can expect that we will:

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

• Encourage and support you to report any type of incidents including physical/verbal/financial violence, abuse including sexual abuse, neglect, exploitation, or discrimination during your services, or in connection with, and supports.

• Explain to you how to report incidents at your intake and planning meeting. 

• 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 

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

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

Privacy and Dignity

VSSS understands that you are an individual and have the right to privacy and dignity, this includes: 

VSS Support staff respect your dignity by not offering opinions and keeping all interactions confidential with regard to your personal life, choices or financial situation unless you ask for input or advice/suggestions. If requested to provide feedback or advice VSSS staff will respond to your request in a manner that does not belittle, offend or embarrass you.

Support workers will respect your Privacy by not entering a room to unless it is to discharge their duties, and prior consent has been gained by you. Your house and rooms are considered private, staff will always knock and seek permission to enter any room in your dwelling and have valid a need to do so.

Staff will not open your personal draws, cupboards side boards or dressers unless specifically asked by you to do so, and shift notes will be entered by staff to reflect this.

Staff will refrain from asking unnecessary questions, comments, or making judgments about your personal life to you or any other person including:

• The way you live

• Who you live with or who visits, unless is contravenes the current COVID public health orders.

• Your sexual preferences

• Your life choices

• Your manor of dress

• How and when you decide to undertake activities

• How you identify

• Your religious beliefs

• Any other belief that you may hold; whether medical; spiritual; or physical

• What activities you choose to do or how you choose to do them (unless they pose an unacceptable risk to life and injury)

• How you use and control your finance

• Any other discrimination under the act.

Information Privacy 

VSSS takes privacy and beeches thereof seriously. VSSS will only collect information that will assist you making the most of our services. How we manage, store and share your personal information will be explained at the Intake and Planning meeting and the Privacy Policy is available on our website.

Before we collect and store any of your personal information, including any audio/visual format material VSSS will always:

Inform you and seek your consent to use and store the personal information and state:

• Why we are asking for your information and what we are going to do with it.

• What law, if any, allows us to ask for your information.

• Who else will see your information, including other staff within the organization.

• What will happen if you don’t provide your information, and

• What to do if you believe your personal information has been mishandle.

• What reasonable steps we will take to keep information about you accurate, complete and up-to-date.

VSSS will only use or disclose information about you for the reason it was collected, or for a related purpose you would reasonably expect. In some situations, the law also allows your information to be used for other reasons, such as to protect your safety or for law enforcement purposes. VSSS will take reasonable steps to keep your personal information safe and make sure it is not lost or misused.

All record that are maintained by VSSS are stored either electronically in a restricted cloud-based storage system, this cloud-based information management system has multilevel access capability and is 128bit data encrypted to prevent unauthorised use or disclosure of information. In the case of hard copies are located at Head office (100 Mitchell street Bendigo) in a locked filing cabinet with key access restricted to the operations manager and director. Should a hard copy by required for any reason a request can be made by staff outlining the reasons by email to info@VSSS.com.au. The request will then be reviewed by the operations manager and a decision made, they will contact you to advise of the decision. 

Choice and Flexibility of Staff

VSSS Endeavor to allocate staff members to participants fairly and equitably and to staff with the required skills and knowledge to perform their role. This is not always possible for various reasons and the following considerations will be made and discussed with you prior to commencement of services or when we are required to change support workers. 

A face-to-face meeting will be offered with potential staff before the first shift where your supports are more complex in nature. 

Staff are selected based the criteria below:

• Qualifications

• Skills and knowledge   

• Experience or training   

• Specific participant requests or monitoring  

• Fatigue management  

• COVID safety measures

• Staff award requirements

Service Agreements 

Prior to any employee commencing work with a new participant VSSS will have developed and completed a Service Agreement based around the required supports and participant preferences which have been discussed and agreed upon with the participant and/or their nominated representative. The Service Agreement will contain the scope of proposed services to be provided by VSSS for each individual participant, and will also outline how and when these services will be delivered. The Service Agreement will also cover the cost of proposed services as well as VSSS cancelation of service information and how to provide feedback.

The service agreement must be signed you or your nominated representative, or a reason as to why you cannot or have not signed must be recorded on the service agreement. A copy will be retained by VSSS and scanned into the VSSS data storage according to the VSSS Information Management Policy. VSSS will provide you or your nominated representative a copy of the signed Service Agreement. Please refer to the Support Planning and Service Agreements Policy for further information. 

Specific Needs of the Participant 

VSSS may have participants where there may be a requirement for specific skills, knowledge and/or specific qualifications or personal attributes such as gender preferences. These participants requirements are assessed at the Intake and Planning Meeting by the operations manager or intake officer prior to you commencing supports. Participants are actively encouraged to be involved in the selection of their support workers. VSSS may ask you to attend a participant selection interview or “Meet and Greet” so you can have an input on selecting your support staff.  The operations manager or intake officer will supply and discuss the specifics of each staff member prior to you attending a meet and greet. If required VSSS will provide appropriate training such as 'hoist manual handling' which may involve attendance at an external training provider at VSSS cost appropriate to the needs of the participant.

Independence and Informed Choice 

Participant-centred care is about treating a person receiving support with dignity and respect and involving them in all decisions about their life. This type of care is also called ‘person-centred care’. It is an approach that is linked to a person’s rights under the NDIS framework. When VSSS delivers person-centred care, it puts you at the center of your support options and decisions by:

• 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 supports.

• 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’re are most likely to 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, informal/formal supports and where requested sharing your supports 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. 

Person-centred care is more than just how Victorian Specialist Support Services treats you. It is also about how healthcare services, the NDIS and governments create and support policies to put NDIS participants, not support organisations, at the centre of care. 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.

Continuity of Care 

VSSS provides continuity of with seamless transitions over time between settings and providers through consistent communication and coordination. VSSS ensures each participant has access to timely and appropriate supports without interruption, this is the responsibility of the operations manager. VSSS believes continuity of care from one setting to another or one provider to another is an extremely important part of supports. When continuity of care exists, we ensure that supports provided in a setting is not “undone” when participants transition to another provider, we do this by offering exit and transition planning. VSSS will endeavour, to the best of our ability, to cover absences with backup staff who are trained in your specific needs, if this is not possible, we will contact you and seek your input on how you wish to proceed. In some cases, an external contracting agency may be utilised as last resort to provide essential supports to our participants identified as vulnerable. 

Dignity of Risk 

VSSS takes an understanding that having a ‘duty of care’ is not about creating restrictions for the people we support, it is about giving them options and respecting their autonomy and dignity in making choices. It is about realising the freedom to make their own choices may expose them to a level of risk.”  VSSS have an obligation to support Participants to 'take risks to enable them to live the best life they can'.

In short, this means that VSSS as an NDIS accredited organisations role is to accommodate participants choice to take risks to the fullest extent possible subject to VSSS making sure that:

1. the decision is an informed decision;

2. VSSS can practically facilitate the choice;

3. VSSS can legally facilitate the choice – this requires due consideration of all legal obligations includeing any duties of care owed (e.g. to the participants, other participants, staff, visitors, others), obligations under the aged care legislation and other statutes, and the common law.   

Incident Reporting

All VSSS Staff are trained to report and document all incidents (using the incident report form on our CRM FlowLogic), accidents or near misses that occur whilst supporting you or in connections with your supports. An incident is defined as an event or allegation resulting in, or having potential for injury, ill health, property loss, damage or environmental harm. In the event you are injured, we will review the causal factors and look at ways to eliminate or reduce the hazard that caused the incident. VSSS reviews all incidents at a leadership level and may seek outside advice from relevant H&S consultants or governing bodies.    

Infection Control 

Infection can cause serious illnesses epically in the vulnerable, and the foundation of good infection control is to assume that everyone is potentially infectious all of the time. This may mean you may see staff wearing gloves or masks. Standard precautions are followed to prevent the spread of infections as per Infection Control Policy (available on request). Staff are trained in infection and COVID control principles. 

Medication

Medication includes all medicines, weather prescribed, over the counter medicines, and herbal or complimentary health care products. Medication may come in the form of tablets, sprays, liquids, creams, lotions, patches or injections. Where a participant requires support from the Victorian Specialist Support Services Staff members to manage their medication, this must be provided in accordance both Victorian Specialist Support Services Medication Management Policy. All participants must provide a current treating doctors treatment order before any medication can be administered by our trained staff.  If a medication is deemed a 'restrictive Intervention' it must be approved by the relevant authorities and authorised and approved on a Behaviour Support Plan before staff can administer it.  More information can be found in our Behaviour Support and Restrictive Practices Policy 

Travel

Victorian Specialist Support Services staff may be required to use your vehicle or their own in the performance of their duties. If a staff member is required to drive your car you will be required to provide a copy of your full comprehensive car insurance, roadside assistance, and a copy of your current registration. Transport may be charged out of your core funding or arranged to be paid privately. Either way all transport/travel arrangements will be outlined and agreed upon in your service agreement.

Money 

VSSS staff are not authorised to hold your money, ATM cards or carry any items of value within their duties. Staff may assist with dispensing money; however, the participant must remain in control at all times and these arrangements must be outlined and agreed upon in your service agreement. 

Conflicts of Interest 

VSSS staff members cannot carry out any work or activity for private benefit or material gain that draws upon, in any way, the resources of the VSSS or that has any association with VSSS, without permission from the us. You and staff must disclose to VSSS any personal relationships or dealings with any staff member you/they have been allocated to work with and the circumstances of this relationship in writing and email to info@vsss.com.au where the VSSS Leadership team will meet to discuss whether there is an “Actual” or “Perceived” conflict of interest and add it to the conflicts of interest register. We ask that you not solicit our staff to work privately for you during the terms of your service agreement with VSSS.

Supervision 

All VSSS staff will have regular contact with the operations manager via phone call or face to face to “Check in” conducted by the Operations Manager. This is used to gauge how the staff are feeling, whether training has been adequate and to give them the opportunity to express concerns with any service issues or part of their role that they are concerned with.  If the staff member raises a concern that is not able to be dealt with immediately the VSSS operations manager will make time for a further investigation or consultation. Staff will take part in formal group supervision at least twice yearly and a yearly annual performance review will be conducted. More regular supervision will occur with support staff if a participant is assessed as vulnerable at the intake and planning meeting under the 'Assistance with Daily Life registration requirements'. 

Cancellations

Any short notice cancelations will be charged as prescribed by the NDIS Pricing Arrangements Pricing arrangements | NDIS and your Service Agreement. VSSS will abide by all NDIS regulations in relation to timeframes and or rates for cancelation. (please refer to the NDIS website or your service agreement for further information)

Termination of Services  

Victorian Specialist Support Services request that you or your nominated representative provide us with 4 weeks written notice prior to termination of services. During the 4-week period of notification to terminate services, Victorian Specialist Support Services will ensure continuity of services is provided as per our policy unless there is an identified risk to you, our staff or community members. In which case you will be notified of the reasons for immediate cessation of support and exit/transition planning will be offered. Access to supports you require will not be withdrawn solely based on a dignity of risk choice. If you are in a Program of Support you are only required to provide us with 2 weeks written notice. See your Service Agreement for more information on termination of services. 

Feedback and Complaints 

What to do if you are unhappy with your support or our services

If you feel your VSSS support worker, or any of our staff, are not putting your needs and choices at the center of your care, or you have another complaint about our staff, you have the right to say something about it and to have your concerns addressed. 

What to do if this happens? 

If you have a problem with a VSSS staff member or our services, we encourage you to start by talking with the person directly to explain your concerns. It may be a misunderstanding or something that can be easily resolved. We encourage you to:

1. Talk to the person and try to solve it together

2. If that doesn’t work or you don’t feel comfortable doing that you can either:

• Call us on 0473 162 098

• Email us on info@vsss.com.au

• Send us a letter at 100 Mitchel Street Bendigo, VIC, 3550

• Fill out the online feedback form on our website Victorian Specialist Support Services (vsss.com.au) 

Or, if you are super happy with one of our staff and want to let us know, please tell your worker and or email us and tell us your good news, we love positive feedback!

“It’s OK to Complain”

Victorian Specialist Support Services is committed to ensuring our participants feel empowered to speak up about what is and isn’t working with any aspect of your service. We welcome feedback as a way of continually improving the high quality,  centred care we strive to deliver. We value feedback, so we can improve our services. We acknowledge that it can be difficult for people to speak up, particularly when making a complaint and we are committed to maintaining a culture that is blame free and resolution focused with processes that are transparent, easy to use and understand. 

What will happen when you provide feedback?

• We will let you know we have your complaint within 3 working days.

• Talk or communicate with you in a way you understand about what happened.

• Ask you what you want to happen.

• Keep you updated with actions that follow.

• Ask If you are happy with the outcome.

• Help to be supported by an advocate if you need/ask for it.

• Explore your options for review if you are not happy, Including referring your complaint to an external agency. 

Other options for making a complaint:

• NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission 1800 035 544 contactcentre@ndiscommission.gov.au 

• National Disability Insurance Agency 1800 800 110  feedback@ndis.gov.au 

• Australian Human Rights Commission 1300 656 419  www.humanrights.gov.au 

• Victorian Ombudsman 1800 806 314  www.ombudsman.vic.gov.au 

• Victorian Disability Worker Commission 1800 497 132 www.vdwc.vic.gov.au/making-complaint

• Or, contact and advocate 

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

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, ac, speak or write to promote and defend your human rights. An advocate acts at 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 supports 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: 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 Polices or Procedures:

Privacy Policy

Incident Management Policy 

Advocacy Policy 

End of Document.