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]]>1. All Victorian Disability Providers Now Subject to the Reportable Conduct Scheme
From 1 January 2018, Victorian disability providers that provide services to children are required to report allegations of reportable conduct, including professional misconduct, to the Commission for Children and Young People.
The five types of ‘reportable conduct’ are:
- sexual offences committed against, with or in the presence of a child;
- sexual misconduct committed against, with or in the presence of a child;
- physical violence against, with or in the presence of a child;
- any behaviour that causes significant emotional or psychological harm to a child; and
- significant neglect of a child.
Information and resources relating to the Reportable Conduct Scheme can be found on the Department of Health and Human Services’ website and the Commission for Children and Young People’s website.
Action For Providers: Service providers delivering services in Victoria should update their Incident Management Policy and Procedure and/or Protecting Clients From Harm Policy and Procedure (or equivalent) to explicitly reference and comply with the requirements of the Reportable Conduct Scheme.
2. All Victorian Disability Providers Now Subject to Disability Worker Exclusion Scheme Requirements
The Disability Worker Exclusion Scheme (DWES) is designed to protect the safety and wellbeing of people with a disability who access disability services. It contains a list of people who have been assessed by the Department of Health and Human Services as being unsuitable to work with a disability service provider as a disability worker. This includes being engaged in work that involves regular direct contact with, or access to, a person with a disability.
The DWES has been applicable to disability residential services for some time. However, as of 1 November 2017, all Victorian disability service providers have been subject to the Scheme’s requirements. This includes conducting an additional pre-employment check prior to making an offer of employment to a potential employee or volunteer, to ensure that the person is not on the Disability Worker Exclusion List. Providers are also required to notify the DWES if it is determined that a disability support worker (prospective or current) should be listed in the Scheme.
Further information and resources regarding the DWES, including a Disability Worker Exclusion Scheme Instruction, can be found here.
Action For Providers: Service providers delivering services in Victoria should update their Human Resources Policy and Procedure (or equivalent) to explicitly reference and comply with the DWES. This should include the use of the DWES online Portal to undertake checks and lodge notifications.
3. New Form For Reporting Privacy Breaches
From 15 January 2018, Victorian providers must notify the Department of Health and Human Services about privacy breaches through a new online form. Providers must report all client related privacy incidents to the department within one business day of becoming aware of, or being notified of a possible privacy incident, or within one business day of an allegation being made of a potential breach.
A privacy breach that impacts a client may need to be reported as a Client Incident under the Department’s Client Incident Management System (CIMS) as well as through a Privacy Incident Report.
Further information and resources regarding reporting privacy breaches can be found here.
Action For Providers: Providers delivering services in Victoria should update their Privacy Policy and Procedure (or equivalent) to explicitly reference and comply with the new reporting requirements.
Amergin can help you get registered for the NDIS and maintain ongoing compliance.
Want to be kept up to date with everything NDIS? Join amerginhub
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]]>Today, we’re seeing a growing segment of Australians realising they are no longer fulfilled by their jobs. Many are forced to work longer hours, expected to do more than ever before and with fewer resources. These expectations have left thousands of people working in organisations across Australia – quite simply – worn out.
While we’ve seen mining booms come and go, Australians are looking for new ways to build a business in a secure marketplace and move away from the old dynamic that’s simply not working anymore. The good news for the tired workforce is that Australia is poised to enter a significant economic shift that will change the landscape, forever. According to a recent Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) survey, Australia ranks third for total early-stage entrepreneurial activity among innovation-driven economies.
An agile Australian economy will need creators, innovators, start-ups and entrepreneurs – more people will need to create, rather than apply for, their job.
So where does this opportunity present itself – technology startups? In part, yes. Technology will continue to shape our daily lives and thus economic and employment influence. However, a fundamental shift in the way governments conceptualise and fund essential support services is also creating new opportunities for innovative service providers wanting to give back to their communities.
For instance, the National Disability and Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a new way of providing individualised support for Australians with disability, their families and carers across Australia. With the previous state disability systems throughout Australia seen as inefficient, fragmented, unfair, underfunded and leaving people with disability without the support they needed, the NDIS provides a national response to move Australia forward.
The NDIS presents huge growth opportunities for Australian businesses. As a Federal Government initiative with bipartisan political support, its future is secured. Once it’s fully operational, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) will be one of the biggest Government-funded programs after Medicare.
As a result, the disability services market is set to expand dramatically in the coming years, creating significant opportunities for the existing service sector and for new entrants, as well as mainstream businesses seeking to make their services accessible and inclusive. Nationally, the level of expenditure on disability supports will more than double, reaching approximately $22 billion per annum and supporting 460,000 participants, once the NDIS is fully implemented. As such, there has never been a bigger opportunity than right now to partner with the NDIS and realise your business goals, while providing quality person-centred, innovative and responsive community services.
Amergin is helping a number of Australian businesses to become Registered NDIS Providers, providing support at each stage of the process. This includes meeting state and Federal government registration requirements while also differentiating businesses to help them stand out above the crowd and lay a pathway for a positive and successful future.
Becoming a Registered NDIS Provider can be an overwhelming task, requiring a lot of preparation and planning. We’ve put together a comprehensive guide to step you through the key things you need to consider before applying to deliver services to NDIS participants.
Access amerginhub now and take action to change your life and those of other Australians.
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]]>The post How I can help you with the NDIS appeared first on Amergin.
]]>There is a Provider Toolkit on the NDIS website, however if you want to be supported through the process and provided with information that is specific to your organisation and the requirements you need to fulfill, I can help you.
My experience and knowledge regarding the National Disability Insurance Scheme means I can also help service providers with the following:
- Moving from block funding arrangements to delivering services on a fee-for-service basis;
- Identifying opportunities for new or different service delivery within an NDIS framework;
- Program and policy evaluation, design or redesign; and
- Whole-of-business analysis, modification and change management to prepare for NDIS transition.
The NDIS started rolling out across the country on 1 July 2016, so if you’ve still got some work to do to prepare, let’s have a conversation about how I can help you!
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