CLIENT HAND BOOK
This handbook provides information about Beyond the Spectrum and what we can provide you if you choose to engage in our services. Additional information is readily available in our formal policies and procedures. If you would like a copy of any of Beyond the Spectrum’s policies or procedures, or would like any aspect of Beyond the Spectrum’s services explained to you, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Hours of Operation
Beyond the Spectrum’s office hours are:
9am to 3pm Monday to FridayOr
Other times by appointment
OFFICE: (07) 4194 19171
Shop 5
6 Neils St, Pialba QLD 4655
admin@beyondthespectrum.com.au
Mail to: PO BOX 1279, Hervey Bay QLD 4655
Beyond the Spectrum – Inspiring Diversity and Inclusion
Beyond the Spectrum provides Support Coordination and Behavioural Support for participants with a variety of disabilities, mainly through the Australian Federal Government’s NDIS funding.
Support Coordination
Is an NDIA support that assists eligible participants to build a network of informal, mainstream and funded supports to fully realise their goals, and live an inclusive and connected life within their community. When Support Coordination is on a participants NDIS Plan, the participant selects their preferred Support Coordinator. The Support Coordinator then assists the participant connect to other support services and oversees/manages the relationships, as service delivery progresses. Please be aware that if you end up choosing Beyond the Spectrum to do your Support Coordination as well as providing you with Supports it could be perceived as a conflict of interest however you have the freewill to make that choice.Behavioural Support
Involves structured behavioural assessments under the Disability Act 2006 to provide Tailored Proactive and Reactive Strategies and Positive Behaviour Support Plans, mainly for NDIS-funded participants. This may involve training of formal and informal supports, providing sensory advice, or assisting the primary person to access alternative communication that supports social skills, independence and progress towards the participant’s life goals and aspirations. This customised support will aid the participant to live their life to the full.
Community and Home Support
Beyond the Spectrum can support you in a range of different ways, but it is up to you how you wish Beyond the Spectrum to support you. So, you will have personal input into your support, no matter what you choose. If you choose Beyond the Spectrum, we will provide services that reflect our Vision, Mission Statement, Values and Continued Commitment to Quality.
Vision
Mission Statement
To provide a safe place and space to enable persons living with (dis)ability to be authentically themselves.Values
The delivery of quality, person centered, outcome focused care partnered with the desire to continuously improve the client experience is underpinned by the following core organisational values:Integrity: With accountability we uphold the highest of standards.
Respect: We respect the rights of others to be their authentic selves and treat others as we wish to be treated ourselves.
Empathy: We overcome challenges, side by side, with kindness and understanding.
Loyalty: We value long-term relationships.
Continued Commitment to Quality
Beyond the Spectrum works with primary persons, as well as their families, support networks and stakeholders to provide tailored options for quality of life through a person-centred approach with the continued overall commitment to enable choice and assistance to achieve their chosen goals.Beyond the Spectrum believes that individuals need to be supported by trained, professional and competent staff. We are a group of people from a wide variety of backgrounds, who have complimentary skills and experience and who have worked extensively for people with a disability of ranging diagnoses. These valued skills and extensive experience come together to provide knowledge, compassion, commitment, creativity and an inclusive quality Support Coordination.
Beyond the Spectrum has a commitment to quality and continuous improvement. There is an ongoing focus on continuously monitoring, reviewing, improving and enhancing the support that we provide. To ensure we continuously improve and meet our commitments to deliver a high-quality service we regularly seek the opinions and feedback of primary persons, their support networks and stakeholders. Primary persons, their support networks and their stakeholders are also asked to complete a Client Feedback Survey on a regular basis, each and every survey will provide valuable insight into how we can improve our services to you. This gives carers and individuals constructive pathways to provide feedback on the services provided.
Aims and Objectives
Beyond the Spectrum has developed and implemented policies and procedures that ensure we provide services in accordance with the Human Service and NDIS Quality Standards.Quality Standards
1. Sound Governance and Management: Sound governance and management systems that maximise outcomes for stakeholders
Beyond the Spectrum will follow the law and current best practice, we will keep your information private and will always try to improve so that we can provide a reliable, effective service to best help you achieve your goals and aspirations.
2. Sound eligibility, entry and exit processes facilitate access to services on the basis of relative need and available resources.
Beyond the Spectrum commits to fairly assess our ability to help you achieve your goals, aspirations and communicate with you during our assessment. We will ensure you have the appropriate information and resources to assess whether Beyond the Spectrum is right for you. If Beyond the Spectrum isn’t right for you, we will assist you to find services that suit your unique needs.
3. Responding to Individual Need: The assessed needs of the individual are being appropriate addressed and responded to within resource capability.
Beyond the Spectrum will encourage you to have input, choice and control in planning your individualised service to help you towards your goals and aspirations. We will give clear timeframes when we say we are going to do something and we will do it to the best of our ability. We will value and use your feedback and work closely with other service providers/affiliate organisations to make sure Beyond the Spectrum is supporting you the best way possible.
4. Safety, Well-being and Rights: The safety, well-being and human and legal rights of people using services are protected and promoted.
Beyond the Spectrum use policies designed to keep you safe from harm, abuse and neglect by minimising risk to you when using our services. Beyond the Spectrum will act fairly, encourage your decision-making and support access to advocacy to ensure your input, choice and control in things that affect your life.
5. Feedback, Complaints and Appeals: Effective feedback, complaints and appeals processes that lead to improvements in service delivery.
Beyond the Spectrum will make sure you have the information and support you need to provide honest feedback about how well we are helping you. If you have a complaint about our services, we will listen to you, investigate your concerns properly and communicate what we are doing, each step of the way. All feedback will be used to monitor how we are doing and to improve our services.
6. Human Resources: Effective human resource management systems, including recruitment, induction and supervisory processes, result in quality service provision.
Beyond the Spectrum will ensure that the people assisting you are safe, suitably skilled and useful in helping you reach your goals. We will choose our staff carefully, train our staff well and support our staff to provide the best quality of service we can, to help you reach your aspirations and goals.
Your Responsibilities whilst accessing Programs
- Contact us to notify us if you are unable to make your your appointments.
- Be polite and considerate to our staff, show respect, and treat them as you would like to be treated.
- Not to physically or verbally assault workers, or any member of the community.
- Never engage in racial discrimination against our workers or other individuals.
- Not make inappropriate sexually directed comments to others and not to sexually harass any person, physically, verbally or otherwise.
- To let us know if you are unhappy about anything, so we can assist you to resolve it.
When we come to your Home
There are some work health and safety regulations that you must adhere to if we come to your home, as it becomes our staff’s workplace. These are a few of the most important legal workplace requirements that you must adhere to for Beyond the Spectrum to conduct service for you at your home.
- No smoking in the house or where smoke will enter the house whilst a Beyond the Spectrum staff member is in your home.
- No violence or swearing whilst there is a Beyond the Spectrum staff member present or towards any Beyond the Spectrum employee.
- There must be no sexual harassment towards a Beyond the Spectrum worker.
- All people who remain in the house whilst service is conducted must remain appropriately clothed and behave appropriately towards the Beyond the Spectrum Staff Member and towards each other.
- Visitors to the house should remain minimal and the Beyond the Spectrum staff member should be advised of possible visitors who may be present, prior to the meeting, so that we can maintain your confidentiality.
- If, for cultural reasons you request shoes be removed inside your home, as it is a legal requirement that our workers must have covered footwear on at all times, we will provide shoe covers for our employees to use, so we may continue to remain respectful.
- A WHS Home Inspection and Evacuation Procedures may be assessed at the commencement of service with Beyond the Spectrum. We will work with you to identify and minimise any hazards that might be present.
Access and Equity
During all aspects of its service for you, Beyond the Spectrum proactively aims to remove and/or minimise barriers and create an environment that is free from discrimination, harassment, bigotry, prejudice, racism and offensive behaviour. At any stage of service delivery with Beyond the Spectrum, you will receive fair and equitable treatment in all aspects of the services provided without regard to your political affiliation, race, colour, religion, national origin, sex, sexuality, marital status or disability. If you have any feedback or suggestions on how we can individualise your services and plans to respect and be more sensitive to your unique cultural or linguistic needs, Beyond the Spectrum will listen and openly discuss this with you during service entry.Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People
Beyond the Spectrum will endeavour to provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons with culturally appropriate services. Where possible and appropriate, these services may be delivered by Indigenous staff. All Beyond the Spectrum staff are required to be respectful and sensitive to indigenous cultural requirements and undergo indigenous culture awareness training. If you identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, please let your Beyond the Spectrum Coordinator know and we will discuss your requirements and will work with you to ensure our service are tailored to your cultural values and needs.Interpreter Services
If you have a cultural or linguistic background and wish to use an interpreter to fully be involved in the planning of your services, during your time with Beyond the Spectrum or when exiting the service, we can assist with accessing interpreter services.Beyond the Spectrum will be able to organise telephone translation services for initial meetings, and face-to-face interpreter services can be arranged if you wish.
The Migrant Resource Centre / Migrant Service Agencies can provide information and support for overseas-born residents of Australia, particularly those who have arrived in Australia recently. A national enquiry line may be used for contact - phone 131881.
Advocacy
You have the right to independent advocacy and Beyond the Spectrum is committed to provide information and assist with gaining independent advocacy for you. Our staff will assist with accessing this service, when the individual may not be able to initiate the process themselves. You have the right to have an advocate present to assist you if you have a complaint.- Self-advocacy skills are important for everyone. Self-advocacy is simply acting on your own behalf without using a third party to negotiate outcomes.
- Self-advocacy is about communicating needs and wants to someone else. It involves taking responsibility for choices and decisions.
- Beyond the Spectrum will encourage you to uncover opportunities to develop self-advocacy skills and support you to solve any difficulties that arise.
Exiting Beyond the Spectrum’s Services
An individual may choose to withdraw from Beyond the Spectrum’s Services at any time for any reason, either on a temporary or permanent basis. All individuals are welcome to reapply to start supports again with Beyond the Spectrum. If you choose to withdraw from Beyond the Spectrum’s service, we would like to sit down and discuss how we can help you transition to a new provider, we would also like some feedback, so we can best assist you and to improve our services. All efforts will be made by Beyond the Spectrum to assist you by providing advocacy or information and copies of your records can be made available to your new provider, if you request it.Beyond the Spectrum may stop services temporarily, for review and safety, if there is dangerous or ongoing unacceptable behaviour towards any of our staff. We will do this to ensure both you and our staff are protected. Beyond the Spectrum will communicate with you and assess the situation fairly to see if you are eligible to re-enter services at Beyond the Spectrum.
If we choose to terminate services, we will communicate our decision clearly with you and provide you with information on how you can review or appeal this decision. All efforts will be made by Beyond the Spectrum to assist you by providing advocacy or information and copies of your records can be made available to your new provider, if you request it.
Confidentiality and Privacy
Beyond the Spectrum adheres to Privacy Legislation and implements the Australian Privacy Principles. Prior to commencement, information will be collected from your support network to assist in the development of your individualised support plan. Your individualised plans outline your full support requirements in addition to the Service Agreement that you agree to with Beyond the Spectrum. You can access your file, on request. Your information is kept safely and is strictly confidential and only accessed by support staff working with you. Your information will be kept in a secure computer system, or in a locked office and is stored according to legislative requirements. The Service Agreement has a Privacy Statement that summarises how Beyond the Spectrum will protect your Privacy and Confidentiality and the training requirements of our staff in the importance of maintaining Privacy and Confidentiality. You can freely request a copy of our full Privacy and Confidentiality policy at any time.
Complaints, Feedback and Concerns
Beyond the Spectrum prides itself on a culture developed around respect, quality service, honesty and transparency. You are encouraged to express any concerns or feedback you may have. You can choose who you want to discuss your complaint with. All Beyond the Spectrum staff receive training on what they can do to assist you with the feedback and complaints process. We will support and encourage you to access advocacy services or interpreters if you choose. Beyond the Spectrum commits to being transparent in all dealings with you and will communicate promptly and clearly how your complaint is being managed. We will document this process fully, so we can complete appropriate follow-up and use the outcome to improve our services. All complaints will remain confidential and they will be stored in your secure file.
Complaints and feedback can be sent to our email or by calling our main office, additionally you can use our website which has an anonymous option.
If You Want to Complain About Us
Governing external complaint options are:
- People with Disability Australia Incorporated (PWDA)
1800 422 015
21 Torquay Road, Pialba. QLD. 4655
- QLD Ombudsman
07 3005 7000
www.ombudsman.qld.gov.au
- Community Multicultural Action Service (CAMS)
07 4194 3077
22 Charles Street, PIalba, QLD 4655
- NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
1800 035 544
https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/about/complaints-feedback/complaints
- Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
1300 363 992
https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-complaints/
