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The Six National Standards is what pins our practice at abbaCare

  • 1.
    Rights:
    abbaCare promotes individual rights to freedom of expression, self-determination as well as decision-making and make an effort to prevent abuse, harm, neglect and violence.
  • 2.
    Participation and Inclusion:
    abbaCare works with individuals, families, friends and carers to provide opportunities for substantial participation and effective inclusion in society.
  • 3.
    Individual Outcomes:
    Services and supports are evaluated, organized, delivered and reviewed to build on individual strengths and enable individuals to reach their goals.
  • 4.
    Feedback and Complaints:
    Frequent feedback is sought after and used to inform individual and organisation-wide service about reviews and improvements.
  • 5.
    Service Access:
    abbaCare manages access, commencement and leaving a service in a clear, honest, equal and responsive way.
  • 6.
    Service Management:
    abbaCare has effective and accountable service management and leadership to maximise results for individuals.

Standard One:

Rights

Our aim at abbaCare is to promote ethical, respectful and safe service delivery which meets, if not exceeds, legislative requirements and achieves positive outcomes for people with disability.

The standard recognises people’s inherent right to freedom of expression and the right to make decisions about and exercise control over their own lives. It reinforces the fundamental right of people with disability to have respect and dignity. This includes the dignity of risk - the right to choose to take some risks in life.

The standard acknowledges the risks of harm, neglect, abuse or violence which some people with disability may face when using services or supports. The standard promotes individual rights and individual and service responsibility.

The standard emphasises the importance of:

  • dignity and respect;
  • freedom of expression;
  • self-determination;
  • choice and control;
  • confidentiality and privacy;
  • freedom from discrimination, exploitation, abuse, harm, neglect and violence;
  • the role of families, friends, carers and advocates in the safeguarding of rights; and
  • comprehensive systems to prevent or promptly respond to any breaches of rights.

Rights for people

At abbaCare we believe that every participant has the right to exercise choice and control when using our service. All participants are actively involved in selecting their own support workers. At abbaCare we are aware that every participant has the right to dignity of risk and to be free from discrimination or harm.

Outcomes for people

Every participant can make choices about the services and supports they use, and how they use them. When they use a service or support, they are respected and safe

Standards for service

The service promotes individual rights to freedom of expression, self-determination and decision-making and actively prevents abuse, harm, neglect and violence.

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National Indicators of Practice

  • 1:1
    The service, its staff and its volunteers treat individuals with dignity and respect.
  • 1:2
    The service, its staff and its volunteers recognise and promote individual freedom of expression.
  • 1:3
    The service supports active decision-making and individual choice including the timely provision of information in appropriate formats to support individuals, families, friends and carers to make informed decisions and understand their rights and responsibilities.
  • 1:4
    The service supports active decision-making and individual choice including the timely provision of information in appropriate formats to support individuals, families, friends and carers to make informed decisions and understand their rights and responsibilities.
  • 1:5
    The service has preventative measures in place to ensure that individuals are free from discrimination, exploitation, abuse, harm, neglect and violence.
  • 1:6
    The service addresses any breach of rights promptly and systemically to ensure opportunities for improvement are captured.
  • 1:7
    The service supports individuals with information and, if needed, access to legal advice and/or advocacy.
  • 1:8
    The service recognises the role of families, friends, carers and advocates in safeguarding and upholding the rights of people with disability.
  • 1:9
    The service keeps personal information confidential and private.

Standard Two:

Participation and Inclusion

Our goal at abbaCare is to promote the connection of people with disability with their families, friends and chosen communities. At abbaCare we work together with the family and community at large. abbaCare believes this is core in every participants life and so doing this gives Hope to individuals.

The standard emphasises the importance of:

  • promoting a valued role for people with disability in public and private life;
  • connection to family, friends and chosen communities;
  • economic and community participation and associated benefits to the individual and the broader community;
  • participation based on an individual’s interests, identity, heritage, preferences, goals and aspirations (which may change over time); and
  • the role of family, friends, carers, advocates and other organisations in promoting participation and inclusion.

Rights for people

At abbaCare we understand that every participant has the right to participate in their chosen community. Every individual has the right to decide how they have contact with family, friends and community.

Outcomes for people

I follow my interests, with the support of my services, family, friends, carers or advocates.

Standards for service

The service works with individuals and families, friends and carers to promote opportunities for meaningful participation and active inclusion in society.

National Indicators of Practice

  • 2:1
    The service actively promotes a valued role for people with disability, of their own choosing.
  • 2:2
    The service works together with individuals to connect to family, friends and their chosen communities.
  • 2:3
    Staff understand, respect and facilitate individual interests and preferences, in relation to work, learning, social activities and community connection over time.
  • 2:4
    Where appropriate, the service works with an individual’s family, friends, carer or advocate to promote community connection, inclusion and participation.
  • 2:5
    The service works in partnership with other organisations and community members to support individuals to actively participate in their community.
  • 2:6
    The service uses strategies that promote community and cultural connection for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Standard Three:

Individual Outcomes

At abbaCare we promote a person-centred approach to service delivery whereby individuals lead and direct their services and supports.

We are flexible and always doing what’s best for the participant. All our services are tailored to everyone’s strengths and needs and deliver positive outcomes.

At abbaCare we work in partnership with the participant and their family by ensuring the best possible goals are achieved. We are in this together. The standard also recognises the potential role, with the individual’s consent, of families, friends, carers and advocates in planning, delivery and review. It encourages active dialogue between an individual, their family, friends, carers and/or advocates and a service regarding the nature of the service or supports provided while a focussing on the minimal restrictive options.

The standard emphasises the importance of:

  • people with disability leading and directing their supports with support from family, friends, carers and advocates (with consent);
  • service planning, implementation and review being based on individual strengths, needs and life goals;
  • collaboration and dialogue,
  • responsiveness to diversity; and
  • minimal restrictive options.

Rights for people

At abbaCare we believe every participant has the right to lead and direct decisions about their life and how the services they use support them.

Outcomes for people

We believe participants use services and supports which build on individuals strengths and support individuals to reach their life goals.

Standards for service

Services and supports are assessed, planned, delivered and reviewed to build on individual strengths and enable individuals to reach their goals.

Indicators of Practice

  • 3:1
    The service works together with an individual and, with consent, their family, friends, carer or advocate to identify their strengths, needs and life goals.
  • 3:2
    Service planning, provision and review is based on individual choice and is undertaken together with an individual and, with consent, their family, friends, carer or advocate.
  • 3:3
    The service plans, delivers and regularly reviews services or supports against measurable life outcomes.
  • 3:4
    Service planning and delivery is responsive to diversity including disability, age, gender, culture, heritage, language, faith, sexual identity, relationship status, and other relevant factors.
  • 3:5
    The service collaborates with other service providers in planning service delivery and to support internal capacity to respond to diverse needs.

Standard Four:

Feedback and Complaints

At abbaCare we value feedback, both negative and positive. We believe as a service we can only improve our service by ensuring feedback is attended to, complaints and disputes are effectively handled and this is seen as opportunities for service improvement and growth .

Our aim at abbaCare is to ensure:

  • clear and regular communication about how to provide feedback including how to make a complaint;
  • the use of feedback and complaints to continuously drive service improvements;
  • regular, proactive and inclusive feedback systems;
  • effective complaints management and resolution;
  • transparent dispute management; and
  • access to independent information, support, advice and representation to ensure people are able to provide feedback or make a complaint.

Rights for people

At abbaCare we believe every participant has the right and freedom to give positive and negative feedback about all aspects of supports and services and expect to see improvements as a result. Participants also have the right to independent advice and support to provide feedback or make a complaint when I need it.

Outcome for people

At abbaCare we ensure that every participant has a range of ways to speak up about their supports and services and play an active role in working out how things will improve. I know how to access independent support and advice when providing feedback or making a complaint.

Standard for service

Regular feedback is sought and used to inform individual and organisation-wide service reviews and improvement.

National Indicators of Practice

  • 4:1
    Individuals, families, friends, carers and advocates are actively supported to provide feedback, make a complaint or resolve a dispute without fear of adverse consequences.
  • 4:2
    Feedback mechanisms including complaints resolution, and how to access independent support, advice & representation are clearly communicated to individuals, families, friends, carers and advocates.
  • 4:3
    Complaints are resolved together with the individual, family, friends, carer or advocate in a proactive and timely manner.
  • 4:4
    The service seeks and, in conjunction with individuals, families, friends, carers and advocates, reviews feedback on service provision and supports on a regular basis as part of continuous improvement.
  • 4:5
    The service develops a culture of continuous improvement using compliments, feedback and complaints to plan, deliver and review services for individuals and the community.
  • 4:6
    The service effectively manages disputes.

Standard Five

Service Access

At abbaCare we ensure that access to services and supports is fair, equal and transparent so that, individuals are supported when services are not available and barriers to access are identified and removed. We ensure that access to services and supports is dependent on a range of factors, including location; an individual’s identified needs; and the resource capacity of a service.

As a service we believe that individuals should be supported to understand criteria and processes regarding access to, and use of, a service. This also includes clear explanations when a service is not available to an individual and referral to alternative service options.

The standard emphasises the importance of:

  • accessible information to respond to diversity of need;
  • transparent and consistently applied service commencement and leaving a service processes;
  • information provision and active referral when a service is not available;
  • the value of partnerships with other agencies and relevant community members to enable referral; and
  • regular reviews to identify and respond to any potential barriers to access.

Rights for people

We believe that every individual has the right to access services based on fair and equal and transparent criteria, and support for referral when a service is not available.

Outcome for people

At abbaCare we understand what the service offers; access to the service is fair and equal and individuals are supported with other options when participants can’t access a service.

Standard for service

The service manages access, commencement and leaving a service in a transparent, fair and equal and responsive way.

National Indicators of practice

  • 5:1
    The service systematically seeks and uses input from people with disability, their families, friends and carers to ensure access is fair and equal and transparent.
  • 5:2
    The service provides accessible information in a range of formats about the types and quality of services available.
  • 5:3
    The service develops, applies, reviews and communicates commencement and leaving a service processes.
  • 5:4
    The service develops, applies and reviews policies and practices related to eligibility criteria, priority of access and waiting lists.
  • 5:5
    The service monitors and addresses potential barriers to access.
  • 5:6
    The service provides clear explanations when a service is not available along with information and referral support for alternative access.
  • 5:7
    The service collaborates with other relevant organisations and community members to establish and maintain a referral network.

Standard Six

Service Management

At abbaCare our intent is to ensure that services are managed effectively and efficiently. We aim to provide a person-centred approach  and to ensure flexibility to respond to individual strengths and needs. We thrive to promote a culture of continuous improvement as a basis for quality service delivery.

We ensure active involvement of people with disability, families, friends, carers and advocates in service and support planning, delivery and review. As an organisation learning and skills development is integral to a culture of quality service delivery and continuous improvement. This includes support and training for staff and volunteers. We ensure evidence based practice is paramount to best service delivery.

This will support accountability through sound governance and enable services to be delivered in a safe environment by appropriately qualified and supervised personnel.

The standard emphasises the importance of:

  • sound governance and management in all aspects of service planning, development and provision;
  • clear communication to staff, people with disability and other stakeholders;
  • continuous improvement and evidence based practice;
  • a range of methods for active participation of people with disability and their family, friends, carers and advocates in planning, delivery and review at the individual, service and organisational levels; and
  • compliance with workplace related legislation and regulation including Work Health Safety, human resource management and financial management.

Rights for people

At abbaCare we believe every individual has the right to services and supports that are effectively managed, regularly reviewed, accountable and contemporary.

Outcome for people

Individuals strengths and needs are effectively supported through soundly managed services.

Standard for service

abbaCare ensures the service has effective and accountable service management and leadership to maximise outcomes for individuals

Indicators of practice

  • 6:1
    Frontline staff, management and governing bodies are suitably qualified, skilled and supported.
  • 6:2
    Practice is based on evidence and minimal restrictive options and complies with legislative, regulatory and contractual requirements.
  • 6:3
    The service documents, monitors and effectively uses management systems including Work Health Safety, human resource management and financial management.
  • 6:4
    The service has monitoring feedback, learning and reflection processes which support continuous improvement.
  • 6:5
    The service has a clearly communicated organisational vision, mission and values which are consistent with contemporary practice.
  • 6:6
    The service has systems to strengthen and maintain organisational capabilities to directly support the achievement of individual goals and outcomes.
  • 6:7
    The service uses person-centred approaches including the active involvement of people with disability, families, friends, carers and advocates to review policies, practices, procedures and service provision.