Organisations funded by the HACC program aim to provide high quality services.
They do this by having:
- A list of rights and responsibilities
- A complaints mechanism
- Advocacy guidelines
- Standards that they have to meet
Rights of the person receiving a HACC service
You have the right to complain or express your concerns about the service
without
fear of losing the service or suffering any other recriminations
You have the right to have your complaints dealt with fairly and
promptly
You have the right to be represented by an advocate of your choice
(someone to
speak on your behalf)
You have the right to be informed about what services are available
You have the right to be assessed to receive services without discrimination
You have the right to choose what services you will receive
You have the right to privacy and confidentiality. You can expect that
no information will be provided to anyone else outside the service without
your
permission
You have the right to view or correct any information about yourself,
held by the Service
You have the right to request a reassessment of the services being provided
You have the right to a linguistically and culturally appropriate assessment
and service provision
Responsibilities of the person receiving a HACC service
You should act in a way that respects the rights of other people using HACC services
and service staff
You need to take responsibility for any decision you make
How to make a complaint
HACC services welcome feedback as it helps them improve service delivery. All services have a complaints procedure and should provide a copy when requested.
People receiving support should inform the HACC service if there are concerns about the service. If these concerns are not resolved by contacting the service, the next step is to contact the NSW Ombudsman on 1800 451 524 or 9286 1000.
Advocacy under the HACC program
A family member, friend or advocate can speak to a service on behalf of the person receiving a HACC service. An advocate is somebody who acts in your best interest.
If you ask someone to be your advocate, this means you would like them to act on your behalf in dealing with a service. Being an advocate might mean attendance or involvement during an assessment and or review of your needs, or if you wish to communicate or negotiate anything with the service or lodge a complaint.
To appoint or change advocate, you need to complete a special form available from all HACC services.
Standards for HACC services
HACC services have to follow a set of National Service Standards, set out below, that guide them in providing a quality service.
- Access to services
Each consumer's access to a service is decided only on the basis of relative need. - Information and consultation
Each consumer is informed about his/her rights and responsibilities and the services available, and consulted about any changes required. - Efficient and effective management
Consumers receive the benefit of well-planned, efficient and accountable service management. - Co-ordinated, planned and reliable service delivery
Each consumer receives co-ordinated services that are planned, reliable and meet his/her specific ongoing needs. - Privacy, confidentiality and access to personal information
Each consumer's rights to privacy and confidentiality are respected, and he/she has access to personal information held by the agency about him/her. - Complaints and disputes
Each consumer has access to fair and equitable procedures for dealing with complaints and disputes. - Access to an advocate
To ensure that each consumer has access to an advocate of his/her choice.
