- Getting attendant care right What to look for . . .
- Good attendant care
- Getting the right service provider
& workers - What good attendant care
looks like - From an attendant care worker's perspective
- Professional workers
Professional boundaries - Person centred
Goal directed - In families
- Culturally appropriate
- Monitoring, reviewing
and improving - Solving problems and
making complaints - Service provider systems
- Foundational principles, standards &
competencies for attendant care
Service provider systems
Good attendant care
Good attendant care service providers have systems in place to ensure they are providing the best possible services and working on how to improve them.
To ensure you get the best possible services service providers need systems in place.
Many of the systems and processes work in the background and you may not be aware of them.
If they are not present or not working problems are likely to arise that you will be aware of.
Signs of systems working well
The service provider calls you to tell you the worker is running late for a shift.
When you left a message for the worker's manager you got your call returned same day or next day.
You have several workers coming to your house at different times. They seem to work seamlessly as a team – they know what they and others have been doing.
Signs of systems not working well
You are waiting for a worker who doesn’t turn up.
You made a written complaint and you don’t know what is happening about it.
You have several workers coming to your house at different times. They seem to work at cross purposes. They never seem to know what the other staff members have been doing or what has happened during the week.
The systems
Typical service provider systems include systems and processes for:
Individual Service Plans
Worked out with the client (and their family).
In the home
Communication book – where workers can write notes (e.g. shift summaries)
Attendant carers
Role description
Code of conduct
Roster
Systems for signing in or checking in at the beginning and end of a shift (e.g. paging on and off shift)
System for communicating with the service coordinator about any issues arising
Service coordinators
Establishing individual service plans
Monitoring progress and changes
On call
Supervision of staff
Team work
Reporting to Funding bodies
Reports
Client files
Files
Policies and procedures
Anti-bullying
Behaviour management
Child protection
Complaints
Cultural diversity
Duty of care
Payroll
Privacy and confidentiality
Professional boundaries
Transport
Use of cars
Worker health and safety
