Your G8Way ... To Quality and Safeguards
To optimise success of the NDIS for participants and service providers, a National Disability Insurance Scheme Quality and Safeguarding Framework (the framework) has been established. The Framework is overseen by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. Safeguards under the Framework are designed to support participants exercise choice and control. They aim to mitigate the risk of harm to participants and ensure high quality supports are provided to them. Safeguards are established to help prevent harm. They are the measures we take to protect ourselves, the participants, their families, our co-workers and even organisations to prevent something undersirable from happening.
In this section you will learn about the national quality and safeguarding framework, privacy and confidentiality, commitment ot quality and continuous improvement.
Commitment to quality
Development of the NDIS Quality and Safeguarding Framework was informed by the National Disability Service Standards and the National Mental Health Standards that promote quality, safeguarding and consistency and encourage continuous improvement of service delivery. Regardless of the way you are employed to provide supports and services to Participants, this framework means that people interacting with NDIS can expect consistent standards and safeguards wherever they live in Australia.
A commitment to strive for excellence and ensure quality in the NDIS market must also come from support workers, service providers, regulators, professional associations, Participants, their family and carers and the wider community. Safe and high-quality outcomes for Participants receiving NDIS supports and services are influenced by how well all these groups work together and engage with each other.
Quick overview of the national disability Practice Standards
All NDIS Providers must be compliant with the Practice Standards, as well as other requirements of NDIS, such as the Code of Conduct, worker screening, complaints management and incident management.
Here is a quick overview of the core Practice Standards and what they mean to service providers
National Disability Core Practice Standards
Service expectations
In Practice
- 1
Rights and Responsibilities
- Each participant accesses supports that promote, uphold and respect their legal and human rights and is enabled to exercise informed choice and control. The provision of supports promotes, upholds and respects individual rights to freedom of expression, self-determination and decision-making
- Each participant accesses supports that respect and protect their dignity and right to privacy
- Each participant is supported by the provider to make informed choices, exercise control and maximise their independence relating to the supports provided
- Each participant accesses supports free from violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation or discrimination
- Apply fairness and human rights principles
- Provide supports that respect Participants’ culture, diversity, values and beliefs
- Provide supports that respect and protect Participants’ dignity and right to privacy
- Support each Participant to make informed choices, exercise control and maximize their independence relating to the supports provided
- Encourage and create opportunities to build relationships and attend activities
- Link Participants with professional or specialised preventative or intervention support
- Make sure Participants understand their rights
- Support access to easy to understand information and consider new ways of communicating so that everyone has their say
- Acknowledge concerns and treat each with respect
- 2
Provider Governance and Operational Management
- Each participant's support is overseen by robust governance and operational management systems relevant (proportionate) to the size, and scale of the provider and the scope and complexity of supports delivered
- Risks to participants, workers and the provider are identified and managed
- Each participant benefits from a quality management system relevant and proportionate to the size and scale of the provider, which promotes continuous improvement of support delivery
- Management of each participant's information ensures that it is identifiable, accurately recorded, current and confidential. Each participant's information is easily accessible to the participant and appropriately utilised by relevant workers
- Each participant has knowledge of and access to the provider's complaints management and resolution system. Complaints and other feedback made by all parties are welcomed, acknowledged, respected and well-managed
- Each participant is safeguarded by the provider's incident management system, ensuring that incidents are acknowledged, responded to, well-managed and learned from
- Each participant's support needs are met by workers who are competent in relation to their role, hold relevant qualifications, and who have relevant expertise and experience to provide person-centred support
- Each participant has access to timely and appropriate support without interruption
- Deliver high-quality services with strong internal controls that are responsive to the changing needs of Participants
- Ensure Participants are informed, included and supported at all stages
- Embed a positive and continuous improvement culture
- Meet compliance and reporting obligations
- Have a skilled workforce with the right values and attitudes
- Develop skills and competencies through training, information sharing practices, mentoring, networking or on-the-job learning
- Involve stakeholders in planning, management and evaluations
- Foster linkages with other stakeholders
- Involve the broader community for informal feedback
- Draw on the experiences of your Participants to inform recruitment, training, policy and procedure development and service design
- Provide a supportive environment where feedback and complaints are viewed positively
- Encourage and assist Participants to offer feedback and make complaints
- Deal with complaints fairly, objectively and as quickly as possible
- Use the information to make service quality and process improvements
- Build relationships to identify and attempt to resolve issues before it escalates
- 3
Provision of Support
- Each participant accesses the most appropriate supports that meet their needs, goals and preferences
- Each participant is actively involved in the development of their support plans. Support plans reflect participant needs, requirements, preferences, strengths and goals, and are regularly reviewed
- Each participant has a clear understanding of the supports they have chosen and how they will be provided
- Each participant accesses responsive, timely, competent and appropriate supports to meet their needs, desired outcomes and goals
- Each participant experiences a planned and coordinated transition to or from the provider
- Be clear, transparent and consistent about the services on offer
- Seek feedback on Participants’ experiences to improve services
- Collaborate with other organisations to build a strong and responsive network of service options around Participants
- Ensure Participants have an ordinary and meaningful life
- Promote genuine connection and active inclusion
- Support participation through work, learning and leisure
- Encourage Participants to develop relationships with others who share their interests
- Ensure Participants have the right supports to enable them to participate
- Support Participants to connect with the communities and activities that are important to them
- Ensure Participants, their families, carers and advocates are at the centre of decision making
- Promote flexible and responsive services that reflect a Participant's strengths, interests and changing needs
- Offer information and a range of options to enable Participants to explore possibilities
- Ensure duty of care enables dignity of risk
- Encourage and enable Participants to build and apply their decision-making skills
- Involve Participants in the decisions that affect them
- Link Participants with peers who have similar goals
- Focus on Participants’ strengths when assessing risk
- Create a welcoming environment where Participants are encouraged to make contact and ask questions
- Find ways to improve access to information and make it easy to understand
- Let other organisations know what you offer
- Learn about local service, associations, events and activities
- 4
Provision of Supports- the environment
- Each participant accesses supports in a safe environment that is appropriate to their needs
- Participant money and property is secure and each Participant uses their own money and property as they determine
- Each participant requiring medication is confident their provider administers, stores and monitors the effects of their medication and works to prevent errors or incidents
- Each participant, each worker, and any other person in the home is protected from harm as a result of exposure to waste, infectious or hazardous substances generated during the delivery of supports
- Ensure Participants can easily identify workers engaged to provide the agreed supports
- When supports are provided in the participant's home, make sure work is undertaken with the participant to ensure a safe support delivery environment
- Identify and treat risks, ensure safe environments, and prevent and manage injuries
- Have clear and transparent processes that are communicated with the Participant when you have access to a Participant's money or other property and ensure it is only used with the consent of the participant and for the purposes intended by the participants
- Participants are not to be given financial advice or information other than that which would reasonably be required under the participant's plan
- Maintain medication and dosage records accurately for each Participant
- Ensure all workers responsible for administering medication understand the effects and side effects of the medication and the steps to take in the event of an incident involving medication
- Ensure all medications are stored safely and securely, can be easily identified and differentiated, and are only accessed by appropriately trained workers
- Have policies, procedures and practices in place for the safe and appropriate storage and disposal of waste, infectious or hazardous substances that comply with current legislation and local health district requirements
- Report, record, investigate and review all incidents involving infectious material, body substances or hazardous substances
- Have an emergency plan in place to respond to clinical waste or hazardous substance management issues and/or accidents including review and revisions when necessary
- Train workers involved in the management of waste and hazardous substances to ensure safe and appropriate handling and the use of protective equipment and clothing