Support and Advocacy Services

Project goals

Lifetime Care and Workers Care adopt a person-centred approach in recognising the lifelong relationship with participants/workers and their families. A key aim is that participants, workers and their families are informed about, and supported through, disputes (Lifetime Care) and complaints (Lifetime Care and Workers Care) processes.

Lifetime Care and Workers Care value open communication with participants/workers. Access to this service will support further transparency in the operation of Lifetime Care and Workers Care by providing an impartial advocate to assist participants to complain (Lifetime Care and Workers Care) or dispute a decision (Lifetime Care only). Participants and workers accessing the service need to be able to remain anonymous if they wish, unless the advocate has consent to speak to icare on their behalf.

Scope

To ensure continuity of this service, Lifetime Care and Workers Care seeks one or more providers to:

• become familiar with Lifetime Care and Workers Care complaints processes and Lifetime Care disputes processes, through participation in training to be provided by icare
• provide information to participants and workers and facilitate their access to the dispute and complaint process/es (as appropriate)
• provide emotional support to participants and workers through each process (as appropriate), from an independent advocate who is not involved in their service delivery
• provide end-to-end support to participants through the dispute and complaint process/es (as appropriate), including facilitating understanding by explaining to a participant and worker what they can expect at each stage
• facilitate communication and minimise conflict throughout each process (as appropriate) through an individualised, solution-focused approach
• alleviate any misunderstandings about the processes or the outcome of the dispute or complaint (as appropriate); and
• allow participants and workers support and advocacy that is independent of Lifetime Care and Workers Care and that can be anonymously accessed if they wish.