Out-of-scope enquiries essential information to collect – Officers should collect and record sufficient information for an out-of-scope enquiry to demonstrate: why the information is and the action taken to assist or refer the person or the information to an organisation that may be able to deal with the information or enquiry. For example, a caller phoned regarding an aged care retirement village in A ‘Sunnyville’. check of the retirement village’s name against the list of service providers and their services confirmed the retirement village is not operated by a service provider and is therefore not within the scope of the Scheme. The caller is referred to the Department of Fair Trading which has responsibility for retirement villages. Activity 4: Providing information Determining the of information to provide During the initial contact with the person officers should ensure sufficient information is provided to enable the person to understand the Scheme‘s processes and make informed decisions as to how to resolve their complaint or enquiry. This will vary depending on the classification of the information (see Activity 2: Classifying information). Note: Where a person is becoming distressed, angry or too confused to understand all of the necessary information in one discussion, officers should use their judgment about the level of information they provide and consider whether it may be necessary to follow up with the person at a more suitable time by phone or in writing via a letter or an email. Important! If an officer is unsure as to how much information to provide, the advice of a manager should be sought. Complaints - essential information to provide Where appropriate, officers should advise the complainant during the initial contact of the following information: The role and objectives of the Scheme. Information on the Scheme’s process for managing complaints. What the complainant can expect of the Scheme and what the Scheme expects of the complainant. What issues the Scheme can and cannot deal with; for example, the Scheme cannot comment on industrial matters or decide who should make financial, legal or health decisions on behalf of a care recipient. What outcomes can and cannot be achieved through the Scheme’s processes; for example, the Scheme cannot direct who a service provider employs but can ensure that staff are appropriately skilled and qualified. The right of the complainant to lodge a complaint confidentially or anonymously and the impact on the Scheme’s capacity to resolve the complaint.
Out-of-scope enquiries – essential information to collect Officers should collect and record sufficient information for an out-of-scope enquiry to demonstrate: why the information is and the action taken to assist or refer the person or the information to an organisation that may be able to deal with the information or enquiry. For example, a caller phoned regarding an aged care retirement village in ‘Sunnyville’. A check of the retirement village’s name against the list of service providers and their services confirmed the retirement village is not operated by a service provider and is therefore not within the scope of the Scheme. The caller is referred to the Department of Fair Trading which has responsibility for retirement villages. Activity 4: Providing information Determining the of information to provide During the initial contact with the person officers should ensure sufficient information is provided to enable the person to understand the Scheme‘s processes and make informed decisions as to how to resolve their complaint or enquiry. This will vary depending on the classification of the information (see Activity 2: Classifying information). Note: Where a person is becoming distressed, angry or too confused to understand all of the necessary information in one discussion, officers should use their judgment about the level of information they provide and consider whether it may be necessary to follow up with the person at a more suitable time by phone or in writing via a letter or an email. Important! If an officer is unsure as to how much information to provide, the advice of a manager should be sought. Complaints - essential information to provide Where appropriate, officers should advise the complainant during the initial contact of the following information: The role and objectives of the Scheme. Information on the Scheme’s process for managing complaints. What the complainant can expect of the Scheme and what the Scheme expects of the complainant. What issues the Scheme can and cannot deal with; for example, the Scheme cannot comment on industrial matters or decide who should make financial, legal or health decisions on behalf of a care recipient. What outcomes can and cannot be achieved through the Scheme’s processes; for example, the Scheme cannot direct who a service provider employs but can ensure that staff are appropriately skilled and qualified. The right of the complainant to lodge a complaint confidentially or anonymously and the impact on the Scheme’s capacity to resolve the complaint.
dss_accs_guidelines_-_final.docx