NADO Easy Read Policy

Disability Services

Policy Factsheets

Disability Services

Your right to be safe

This is an easy to read summary of NADO’s Participant Safeguarding Policy and the Feedback and Complaints Policy.

You have the right to be safe.

NADO wants to make sure you are safe when you use our services.

We have rules about abuse, neglect and keeping you safe.

These rules are called the Participant Safeguarding Policy.

This is an easy to read summary of the rules.

Staff should never abuse you or treat you badly.

Our staff know about your rights and the rules.

We do checks on our staff before they start work for us.

Complaints

NADO likes to get feedback from you about what is good and what could be better about our services.

You can make a complaint to any staff or manager.

Someone can help you make a complaint.

You might choose a family, friend, an advocate or someone you trust.

You will not be treated badly if you make a complaint.

Reporting abuse

If you are abused or treated badly you should report it.

You can call the police if you are unsafe or being hurt.

You can tell a staff person or a manager.

You can have support to report abuse.

You can call the NDIS Commission on 1800 035 544

What we will do

If you have been abused or treated badly we will

• Make sure you are safe

• Act quickly

• Call the police if needed

• Keep your information private

Support

NADO can help you get support.

You can get an advocate to help you make a complaint or report abuse.

You can talk to a counsellor about what has happened.

Staff or managers can help you get the right support.

You can call People with Disability Australia on 02 9370 3100 or 1800 422 015.

Disability Services

Positive Behaviour Support and Restrictive Practices

This is an easy to read summary of NADO’s Positive Behaviour Support and Restrictive Practices Policy.

NADO has a positive behaviour support service.

It supports people who have behaviours of concern.

A behaviour of concern is anything that hurts you or someone else.

Some people have behaviours of concern when they are upset or in pain.

Staff should try to understand behaviours of concern.

Positive behaviour support plan

If you get a behaviour support service NADO must treat you with respect and keep you safe.

NADO or another provider will make a positive behaviour support plan with you to keep you safe and reduce your behaviours.

Sometimes we need to do things to keep you safe.

These things might not be in your positive behaviour support plan.

This is called NADO’s Duty of Care.

If we do things to stop you from hurting yourself or others we must

• Use the least restrictive option and

• Make a short term plan to keep you safe

Restrictive practices

You might need restrictive practices in your positive behaviour support plan.

A restrictive practice is anything that takes away your rights or freedom.

NADO must follow rules about restrictive practices.

These are the 5 types of restrictive practices

1. Seclusion

2. Chemical Restraint (incl PRN)

3. Mechanical Restraint

4. Physical Restraint

5. Environmental Restraint

Seclusion is when you are put in a room or space on your own and you cannot get out.

Seclusion is not allowed if you are under 18 years old.

Chemical restraint is when you are given medication to stop your behaviour.

Medication for positive behaviour support might be called PRN if it is only used sometimes.

Mechanical restraint is when equipment is used on you to stop you from doing something.

It does not include equipment that is used for therapy or to keep you safe.

Physical restraint is when someone stops you from moving.

Workers might do this to stop you from hurting yourself or someone else.

Environmental restraint is when someone stops you from doing things in your house or outside.

Rules about restrictive practices

The rules say NADO can only use a restrictive practice if

• It is the least restrictive option

• You have a positive behaviour support plan

• You or your guardian say yes to the restrictive practice and

• The Panel say yes to the restrictive practice

• In an emergency to keep you safe

The Panel is a group of people who make decisions about restrictive practices.

It is a group of at least 2 people

• A senior manager from NADO

• An independent specialist

An independent specialist does not work for NADO but knows how to support you.

You can be part of the Panel.

Authorised restrictive practices can only be used for up to 1 year at a time in line with your plan and with your consent.

Things that are never allowed

Things that are never allowed are called prohibited practices.

Examples are

• Something that is mean or painful

• If someone gets very angry about a mistake you have made

• Someone who is not a doctor makes you take medication that is not for you

• Seclusion of children or young people

• Using restrictive practices without permission (unless it is an emergency using the least restrictive practice for the shortest amount of time)

NADO have to tell the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission if a prohibited practice happens.

It is called a reportable incident.

Disability Services

Keeping children and young people safe

NADO provide services for children and young people.

There are rules about keeping children and young people safe at NADO.

The rules say NADO must

• Do checks on staff and volunteers

• Make sure staff report child abuse and neglect

• Educate staff, children and young people about safety

These rules are for staff and volunteers at NADO.

This is an easy to read summary of NADO’s Child Protection Policy.

Checks on staff and volunteers

We do checks on our staff and volunteers before they start work for us.

We make sure staff and volunteers are allowed to work with children.

We do this through the Working with Children Check.

This check lasts for up to 5 years.

Making reports

NADO staff and volunteers must report when a child is abused or neglected.

Report to the government

The law says staff and volunteers at NADO are mandatory reporters.

This means they must tell the government if a child is

• Being abused or neglected, or

• Might be abused or neglected

To make a report staff or volunteers must

• Use the mandatory reporter guide at reporter.childstory.nsw.gov.au/s

• Call FACS Child Protection Helpline 13 21 11

Report to Police

The CEO of NADO must report to NSW Police if

• A child or young person has been abused or neglected and

• The abuse or neglect breaks the law

Educate staff, children and young people

All staff and volunteers get training on how to keep children safe.

Some staff get lots of training if they work with children and young people.

NADO educate’s children and young people about their rights.

Children are supported to make a complaint if they have been abused or neglected.

Disability Services

Decision Making and Consent

This is an easy to read summary of NADO’s Decision Making and Consent Policy.

Decision Making

You have the right to make decisions about your life.

You should be supported to make your own decisions.

You can choose who supports you to make decisions.

This can be a family member, friend or NADO staff.

If NADO staff support you to make a decision they must write down how the decision was made.

The people that support you have to accept your decisions even if they do not agree.

They cannot make you change your mind.

If you cannot make decisions with support, a guardian or financial manager will make decisions for you.

A guardian makes decisions about your life.

A financial manager only decides about your finances.

Consent

Consent means you agree and say yes to something.

Consent from you or your legal guardian is needed for

• Big life decisions like where you live

• Getting medical help

• Finance or money decisions

Consent and financial managers

Consent is necessary if you need support to do your finances.

Your financial manager needs to get your consent before making decisions.

You should be part of making the decisions as much as possible.

Consent and sex

Consent is important when having sex.

Both people have to be older than 16 years.

Both people need to understand what they are doing.

Both people have to agree to have sex.

Consent and marriage

Consent is important if you want to get married.

You need to understand what marriage means before you say yes.

Disability Services

Epilepsy

This is an easy to read summary of NADO’s Supporting Participant with Epilepsy Policy.

NADO supports people with epilepsy in our services.

If you have epilepsy you have the right to

• Be well supported

• Enjoy a good life

We have rules in place to make sure you are safe and healthy.

Rules

We make your home and our services safe for you.

We train our staff how to follow your Epilepsy Management Plan.

If you have seizures we have special rules to support you to have a shower, bath or swimming.

If we support you to shower, bath or go swimming we ask your doctor to review your plan every year and write a report.

Our staff get training in what to do if you have a seizure.

Disability Services

Feedback and Complaints

This is an easy to read summary of NADO’s Feedback and Complaints Policy.

NADO likes to get feedback about our services and staff.

Feedback helps us improve the support we give you.

Compliment

A compliment is when you tell us something good about staff, a service or anything at NADO.

Suggestion

A suggestion is an idea of how we can make things at NADO better.

Complaint

A complaint is when you tell us that you are not happy with something at NADO.

A complaint can be about a staff member, the support you get or anything at NADO.

How to give feedback or make a complaint

You can make a complaint or give feedback to any staff or manager.

You can send an email via NADO’s website.

You can fill in a Feedback and Complaints Form.

You can tell us on our participant feedback form.

You can call NADO on 1300 738 229

Go to the website www.nado.org.au/contact

Staff or managers can help you give feedback.

You will not be treated badly if you make a complaint.

What happens next?

If you make a complaint we will

• Protect your privacy and other people’s privacy

• Manage it as quickly as possible

• Be fair

• Explain what will happen and how long it will take

• Keep records of feedback

Help

You can have someone to help you to make a complaint.

You might choose a family, friend, or someone you trust.

Staff can help you get an advocate or an interpreter if you need one.

Disability Services

Health and Wellbeing

NADO wants all people that use our services to be healthy.

It is important to notice early when someone is not well.

Every person supported by NADO’s Supported Independent Living Service has a health plan.

This is an easy to read summary of NADO’s Health and Wellbeing Policy.

Health plan

Your health plan tells us

• Advice from your doctor and dentist

• If you need to take medicine and how much

• If you need special food

Your health plan also tells us

• If there are things from your culture or religion we need to know

• What treatment you want when you are at the end of your life

Checking your health plan

We will check your health plan regularly with you, your medical professionals, your support worker and sometimes your family. The whole plan is reviewed at least once per year.

We will make changes if needed.

If you have epilepsy, you will have an epilepsy plan that tells us how to manage it in the best way.

Disability Services

Infection Control

This is an easy to read summary of NADO’s Infection Control Policy.

Infection control means stopping the spread of disease from one person to another.

This policy talks about how to stop the spread of disease in NADO workplaces.

Diseases can be spread in many ways:

• By coughing and sneezing

• By touch, from skin to skin

• By blood or other body fluids

Things NADO staff must do to stop diseases spreading

• Wash their hands well

• Wear gloves

• Be careful when preparing food

• Be careful with sharp things like needles

• Staff must also keep the workplace clean and tidy

• Clean up spills

• Ask participants to stay at home if they have a disease that others might catch

• Ask participants to stay at home if they don’t have staff that can manage your disease.

Staff must stay at home if they have a disease that other people can catch.

Examples are Chicken pox, Measles, Gastro, Flu or lice.

Staff must get vaccinations required by government rules.

Disability Services

Medicine

This is an easy to read summary of NADO’s Medication Assist Policy.

NADO staff can support you to take medication when you are using our services.

Staff are trained to do this safely.

Staff must follow your individual plan.

We keep a medication chart or book in your file.

Staff must write down medication they support you with.

Rules

There are rules about medication to keep you and other people safe.

Medication must have a correct label or be provided in a webster pack from the chemist.

Medication must be in date.

Staff must follow the direction by the doctor or health person.

Mistakes

If staff make a mistake when supporting you with medication they must report it.

A mistake could be forgetting to give you medication or giving you the wrong medication.

If you refuse to take your medication staff must report it.

Bad reaction

If staff think you are having a bad reaction to medication they can

• Call 000 for an ambulance

• Call the Poisons Information Line on 13 11 26

Disability Services

No smoking

NADO is a non-smoking service.

You cannot smoke in NADO buildings or cars.

Smoking includes

• Cigarettes

• e-Cigarettes

• Other smoking devices

If you smoke in your home or in the community you cannot do it around staff.

Staff can smoke in their work breaks.

Staff cannot smoke while they are supporting you.

This is an easy to read summary of NADO’s Smoke Free Environment Policy.

Disability Services

Our agreement –Accommodation and SIL

This is an Easy Read summary of Accommodation and Supported Independent Living Policy.

Privacy and security

NADO and our staff will

• Respect your privacy

• Not go into your home if you are not there unless they have your permission

• Not visit your home out of work time unless they have your permission and tell a manager

• Not have TVs and radios up loud

• Provide a secure box for keys that staff can use

You will provide

• staff with a bedroom that locks if they support you overnight.

• a cabinet that locks for their personal items.

Safety

Your home is also a workplace for NADO staff.

To make sure your home is safe for NADO staff you will

• Let NADO do a risk and safety check of your house

• Let NADO make changes to make your house safe for staff

• Help keep your home safe for staff.

• Provide a toilet, hot water and a sink for staff to wash their hands

NADO staff will

• not smoke in your home

• tell you if they think your home is not safe for them to work in.

Meals

You will let staff use your kitchen and things like fridge and microwave.

NADO staff will

• Bring their own food for their meals unless you agree to share a meal

• Ask you if they want to use things like your toaster or microwave

Cleaning

NADO staff’s job is to help you with your household jobs like cleaning.

It is not staff’s job to clean your home or do jobs around the house.

Phones

NADO will provide staff with a laptop or computer to do their work.

NADO staff will not use your phone or computer unless there is an emergency.

NADO will involve you in decisions about your life.

A NADO manager will tell your person responsible about any big decisions or emergencies.

A NADO manager will reply to any feedback you or your person responsible gives to NADO.

On-call

NADO on-call staff will send a welfare text message to the house phone every morning and night to check the welfare of the staff on duty and the welfare of all participants in the home.

NADO on-call staff will be available after business hours if you need them.

NADO will give you an emergency or on-call number for emergencies.

Disability Services

Our services and other agreements

This is an easy to read summary of NADO’s Service Access Policy and agreements for supports and other services.

NADO supports people with disability in a number of ways – at home, work, day programs, in the community, plan management, support coordination, therapy services and at our sensory activity centre.

We can support you to set goals and live the life you want.

Support

When you start to use NADO services you will meet with a coordinator to discuss your goals.

Agreements

We make an agreement about

• What support you will get

• The rules and costs for support

• How you can change or cancel your agreement

We review your support needs regularly and when your NDIS Plan is due for renewal.

You have the right to stop using NADO services at any time.

You might need to give us notice if you want to stop using NADO services.

You can check the rules in your agreement.

We might say you cannot use our services if

• You cannot pay for your support

• There is conflict we cannot fix

• The way you behave means we cannot support you well

• We do not have suitable staff to support you

If we cannot support you at NADO then we can help you find other services.

Disability Services

Supporting you well

You have the right to be independent and have a good life.

You have the right to good support.

At NADO we provide person centred active support.

This is an easy to read summary of NADO’s Person Centred Active Support Policy.

Support

We support you to make your own choices.

We support you to make goals and work toward these goals.

We keep notes about your goals and review them on a regular basis.

We support you to do things for yourself like washing up and paying bills.

We support you to

• Be part of your community

• Use public transport to get out and go to events

• Try new things

We can support you to make friends and spend time with them.

We can support you to stay in touch with your family.

We can help you choose staff who support you.

We train our staff well.

Our staff want to provide the right amount of support.

We want to provide enough support to help you build your skills.

This is called Person Centred Active Support.

Disability Services

Personal Care

This is an easy to read summary of NADO’s Supporting Participants with Personal Care Policy.

NADO can support you with personal and intimate care.

Every person supported by NADO has their own care profile.

That profile tells NADO staff what personal and intimate care you need.

Personal care can be

• Brushing and washing hair

• Support while eating

• Brushing teeth

• Putting on deodorant

• Dressing or undressing (except underwear)

Intimate care is:

• Changing someone’s underwear

• Helping someone use the toilet

• Changing pads

• Bathing or showering

• Washing intimate body parts, like penis, vagina or breasts

Duty of care and consent

Some people need support with personal and intimate care.

Staff must provide this support in line with your personal profile.

This is their duty of care.

Staff need to ask you for consent before doing personal or intimate care.

Consent means that you agree with something.

If you need urgent care but cannot consent, staff can do the care without consent.

NADO tries to have female staff do care for women and male staff for men.

If that is not possible, care will be given by the staff that is available.

Staff

Staff at NADO know intimate care can make someone feel uncomfortable.

Staff are trained to do personal and intimate care in a respectful way.

NADO staff need to read the required policies.

Disability Services

Relationships, Sex and Health

This is an easy to read summary of NADO’s Sexuality and Sexual Health Policy.

People with disability have the same rights as other people.

You have the right to

• Relationships

• Sex

• Express your sexuality

• Information about sexual health and services

You have the right to privacy in all parts of your life.

Your home

If you live in your own home you can have people stay overnight.

If you live in a group home you can have people stay overnight.

For safety reasons you must tell the manager if someone stays overnight.

Safety

If staff think you or someone is in danger they must do something to stop it.

Staff must not have sex with you or any person they support.

Staff can give you basic information on relationships, sex and health.

The information should be given in a way you understand.

They can tell you where to get more information and support.

For more information you can contact Family Planning NSW

You can call them on 1300 658 886

You can go to their website www.fpnsw.org.au

Disability Services

Fees and Agreements

This is an easy to read summary of NADO’s Participant Fees and Privacy Policies.

NADO provides good quality services for people with disability.

We charge people fees to use our services.

We aim to make these fees affordable.

Service Agreement

Before you get services from NADO you get a Service Agreement.

This says

• What services you get from NADO

• Funding you get from the government

• Fees you have to pay

• How to change or cancel your agreement

If you get the NDIS we need to access your NDIS portal.

Fee Help

If you cannot afford to pay your fees NADO will try to help you.

You need to talk to the manager of your service.

You need to explain why you cannot pay your fees.

You need to ask for help.

The manager will make a Payment Agreement with you.

The CEO will decide if NADO can help you.

Problems

If you have a question about a fee you should talk to the program coordinator.

If you are not happy with their answer you should follow NADO’s Feedback and Complaints Policy.

Privacy

Information about your fees will be kept private.

You can see information about your fees and services on request.