Client Rights & Responsibilities

PERSON CENTRED SUPPORTS

You have a right to access supports that promote, uphold and respect your legal and human rights and you are enabled to exercise informed choice and control. The provision of supports promotes, upholds and respects individual rights to freedom of expression, self-determination and decision-making.

We will:

• Ensure you are informed of and understand your legal and human rights and that your rights are upheld and incorporated into our everyday practice.
• Communicate with you about the provision of your supports is responsive to your needs and is provided in your preferred language, mode of communication and terms that you are most likely to understand.
• Support you to engage with your family, friends and chosen community as directed by you

Your Responsibilities:

• Advise us of your preferences and provide us with complete and accurate information

PRIVACY & DIGNITY

You have a right to access supports that respect and protect your dignity and right to privacy.

We will:

• Ensure that consistent processes and practices are in place that respect and protect your personal privacy and dignity.
• Advise you of our Privacy & Confidentiality Policy using the language, mode of communication and terms that is easy to understand
• Ensure that you are advised of, understand and agree to what personal information will be collected by us and why, including recorded material in audio and/or visual format

Your Responsibilities:

• To value the pribacy of other participants and staff

INDIVIDUAL VALUES & BELIEFS

You have a right to access supports that respect your culture, diversity, values and beliefs.

We will:

• At your direction, identify and sensitively respond to your culture, diversity, values and beliefs.
• Support your right to practice your culture, values and beliefs while accessing supports

Your Responsibilities:

• Advise us of any cultural, values or beliefs you would like us to be aware of and ways we can provide a service that is sensitive to your needs

INDEPENDENCE & INFORMED CHOICE

You have a right to be supported by us (the provider) to make informed choices, exercise control and maximise your independence relating to the supports provided.

We will:

• Support you in active decision-making and individual choice, including the timely provision of information using your preferred language, mode of communication and terms that you are most likely to understand.
• Support your right to the dignity of risk in decision-making. When needed, you are supported to make informed choices about the benefits and risks of the options under consideration.
• Respect your autonomy, including your right to intimacy and sexual expression.
• Ensure you have sufficient time to consider and review your options and seek advice if required, at any stage of support provision, including assessment, planning, provision, review and exit.
• Support your right to access an advocate (including an independent advocate) of your choosing.

Your Responsibilities:

• Consider all available options and make the decision that is right for you

FREEDOM FROM VIOLENCE, ABUSE, NEGLECT, EXPLOITATION & DISCRIMINATION

You have a right to access supports free from violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation or discrimination.

We will:

• Ensure Policies, procedures and practices are in place which actively prevent violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation or discrimination.
• Ensure you are provided with information about the use of an advocate (including an independent advocate) and access to an advocate is facilitated where allegations of violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation or discrimination have been made.
• Act upon all allegations and incidents of violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation or discrimination. Support and assist each affected participant, ensure accurate records are made of any details and outcomes of reviews and investigations (where applicable) and action is taken to prevent similar incidents occurring again.

Your Responsibilities:

• Act in a way that helps you and others be safe
• Notify and report any instances of violence, neglect, exploitation and discrimination to us

RIGHTS TO AN ADVOCATE

You have rights to access an advocate of your choice.
In accordance to the NDIS Act 2013 an ‘independent advocate’, in relation to a person with disability, to mean a person who:

• is independent of the Agency, the Commission and any NDIS providers providing supports or services to the person with disability
• provides independent advocacy for the person with disability, to assist the person with disability to exercise choice and control and to have their voice heard in matters that affect them
• acts at the direction of the person with disability, reflecting the person with disability’s expressed wishes, will, preferences and rights
• is free of relevant conflicts of interest.

For further information on disability advocacy or the National Disability Advocacy Program (NDAP) and finding a disability advocate, go to https://disabilityadvocacyfinder.dss.gov.au
or
email disabilityadvocacy@dss.gov.au