Safeguarding Policy

1. PURPOSE

This Policy outlines how DCIRS Community Care ("DCIRS") applies safeguards in its workplace activities to ensure the safety of participants and clients and the quality of its services. DCIRS is committed to promoting and protecting the rights of individuals and maximising their choice and control in decisions about their lives.

This Policy will commence from 14 October 2024. It replaces all other safeguarding policies of DCIRS (whether written or not).

This Policy supports DCIRS to apply the:

• National Standards for Disability Services, in particular Standard 1: Rights;

• NDIS Practice Standards and Quality Indicators; and

• Aged Care Quality Standards, in particular Standard 1: Consumer Dignity and Choice and Standard 3: Personal Care and Clinical Care.

2. APPLICATION

This Policy applies to all employees, contractors (including temporary contractors), volunteers and business partners of DCIRS, collectively referred to in this Policy as 'worker.' Specifically, the Policy applies to everyone who works with participants and clients and/or makes decisions that affect them.

The Policy should be read in conjunction with DCIRS's Choice and Control Policy and Eliminating Restrictive Practices Policy.

This Policy does not form part of any worker's contract of employment or service.

3. DEFINITIONS

Safeguarding refers to actions designed to protect the rights of people to be safe from the risk of harm, abuse and neglect, while maximising the choice and control they have over their lives.

Choice and control derives from the presumption that people with disability have the capacity to make decisions and to exercise choice and control in life and service outcomes, with appropriate support where needed.

Dignity of risk is autonomy and self-determination used by a person when making decisions, including the choice to take some risks in life.

Informed consent is voluntary agreement and willing acceptance of a proposition and following action where the person making the decision has appropriate information and capacity to make the decision free or fear or influence.

4. POLICY

Principles DCIRS adheres to the following principles when making decisions about safeguarding and applying safeguards in its workplaces.

1. Safeguarding improves safety and wellbeing, while imposing the least possible restriction on an individual and their choices.

2. Safeguards are responsive to the individual's circumstances and are relevant to the risk within these circumstances. These factors may change over time.

3. Every person should be supported to develop their individual skills and capacity and be involved in determining their own safeguards.

4. People who need and want support to make decisions will be supported to exercise choice.

5. Safeguards can be informal or formal and work at an individual and/or organisational level.

6. A person's money or other property is only used with their consent and for the purposes they intended.

7. Supports are provided based on the least intrusive options that meet the person's needs and help achieve desired outcomes.

Safeguarding measures

DCIRS will identify and implement safeguarding measures for its financial, legislative, regulatory and contractual responsibilities, and monitor and respond to quality and safeguarding matters associated with delivering supports.

The following measures form part of DCIRS's safeguarding management practices to protect participants and clients:

• Workers will be appropriately trained to understand an individual's needs and preferences, including specific needs that require monitoring and/or daily support.

• Where reasonable adjustments are made to the support delivery environment, DCIRS will monitor the adjustments to ensure it is fit for purpose and each person's health, privacy, dignity, quality of life and independence is supported.

• Risks to the organisation will be identified, analysed, prioritised and treated. These include financial risks to an individual, work health and safety risks, and risks associated with provision of supports.

• Where supports are provided in the participant or client's home, DCIRS will work with the person to ensure a safe support delivery environment.

• Where relevant, DCIRS will work with other providers and services to identify and treat risks, ensure safe environments, and prevent and manage injuries.

• Participants will not be given financial advice or information other than that which would reasonably be required under the person's plan.

• Where medication is given, records will clearly identify the medication and dosage required by each person, including all information required to correctly identify the person and safely administer the medication.

• Each person is given information about the use of an advocate.

• DCIRS will facilitate access to an advocate in the event allegations of violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation or discrimination are made.

• Allegations and incidents of violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation or discrimination will be acted upon and affected participants and clients will be supported and assisted.

• DCIRS will make records of any details and outcomes of reviews and investigations (where applicable) and take action to prevent similar incidents from occurring.

Other administrative safeguarding measures include:

• Adhering to the relevant Practice Standards, policies, and requirements.

• Ensuring workers have been screened according to NDIS worker screening requirements.

• Creating and maintaining appropriate systems and procedures to ensure safety.

• Adhering to complaints processes and investigating complaints and reportable incidents.

• Monitoring internal processes to ensure safeguarding measures are appropriate and adhered to.

• Implementing corrective measures to resolve and avoid issues and enable continual improvement.

• Training workers to understand safeguarding and its application in the workplace.

Responsibility

Workers will adhere to the principles of this Policy and to reasonable and lawful direction from DCIRS pertaining to this Policy and safeguarding practices in the workplace.

Managers will ensure their direct reports have the necessary skills and understanding to be able to comply with this Policy and its practical application in the workplace. Managers are responsible to ensure NDIS worker screening is satisfactorily conducted.

DCIRS's senior management is responsible to implement appropriate safeguarding measures to ensure the protection of individuals receiving services, including financial, health, and wellbeing measures. The Managing Director and senior managers will monitor feedback and complaints and investigate reportable incidents.

Reporting

If a worker believes appropriate safeguards are not in place to protect an individual participant or client, they must report this to their manager. Workers may be required to participate in discussions relating to the identification and application of appropriate safeguards. Issues and concerns relating to this Policy, and breaches of Policy, must be reported to management promptly.

Review and evaluation

DCIRS will communicate with its participants and clients about quality evaluations and encourage their participation in evaluating services. Senior management will analyse complaints data to determine service gaps, issues or trends in practice, procedures or policies that need to be amended to better safeguard people accessing services and improve services.

Key contact

Questions about how to implement this Policy and its Procedure should be directed to Emily Mills, Managing Director, by emailing emily.mills@dcirs.com.au.

Breaches of Participant Safeguarding policy

Workers must comply with the terms and conditions contained in this Policy. Any breach of DCIRS's policy may result in disciplinary action. In the case of employees of DCIRS who are found to have breached this Policy, they may be subjected to disciplinary action. The type and severity of the disciplinary action will depend upon the circumstances of the case and the seriousness of the breach. Disciplinary action may include termination of employment. Contractors or agents of DCIRS who are found to have breached this Policy may have their contracts with DCIRS terminated or not renewed.

5. ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS

• Incident and Risk Reporting Policy

• Incident Report Form

• Feedback and Complaints Policy

• Feedback and Complaints Form

• Complaints Register

• Continuous Improvement Policy

• Code of Conduct Policy

• Choice and Control Policy

• Eliminating Restrictive Practices Policy

• Whistleblower Policy

DCIRS upholds the laws of Australia and the states and territories in which it operates, including all laws relating to the protection and rights of the parties covered by this Policy.

6. VERSION AND REVIEW INFORMATION

DCIRS reserves the right to amend and vary this policy from time to time.

Version 1.0: 14 October 2024 Review Date: 14 October 2027

Version 1.5: 28 March 2025 Review Date: 14 October 2027