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Day Therapy Centres - Program Guidelines - March 2011.

Program guidelines for the Day Therapy Centres

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1. Purpose of Guidelines

The purpose of these guidelines is to provide an explanation of the operational aspects of Day Therapy Centres (DTCs). They replace the previous guidelines issued in June 1994, revised in March 1998 and December 2009.

2. Historical Context

DTCs provide a wide range of therapy services to frail older people living in the community and to residents of Commonwealth funded residential aged care facilities.

DTCs were originally established as a means of funding therapy services in deficit funded nursing homes. Hostel and community clients were also eligible, upon appropriate referral, to receive services from these Centres. The changes to nursing home funding in 1988, which included a component of funding for therapy services to nursing home residents, necessitated a change to these funding arrangements. The functional separation from nursing homes established the basis of the DTC Program.

DTCs are administered under Funding Agreements which provide contractual arrangements between the Commonwealth as the provider of the grant, and the Day Therapy Centre as grant recipient. These program guidelines are incorporated into the Funding Agreement and are included in the contractual arrangements.

There is no single model of service provision for centres and they may operate across a range of therapy service, intensity and types.

3. Aim of program

The aim of the Day Therapy Centre Program is to provide a wide range of therapy services such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and podiatry to frail older people living in the community and to residents of Commonwealth funded residential aged care facilities to assist them to regain or maintain physical and cognitive abilities.

Therapy services are offered to individuals or groups of clients to assist them to either maintain or recover a level of independence which will allow them to remain either in the community or in low level residential care.

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4. Therapy

4.1 Therapies which may be provided

Therapies that are targeted to improve or maintain the physical, cognitive, emotional and social functioning of clients are eligible for funding. Therapies which may be provided by DTCs include (such as):

• Occupational therapy
• Speech therapy
• Physiotherapy
• Podiatry
• Diversional therapy
• Nursing services
• Social work
• Personal services (e.g. hygiene)
• Food services (i.e. meals provided in conjunction with relevant therapy)
• Transport (to and from DTC only)
• Massage services

Other therapies may be considered if deemed consistent with the aims of the Program.

Decisions regarding services offered by facilities will be made based on their ability to provide the staff and services required.

4.2. Substitution of therapies

Therapies may be substituted within the overall grant level. To substitute one therapy for another, DTCs must apply for approval of such substitutions to the relevant State Office of the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing (the Department). The substitution of therapies proposed should increase the rehabilitation type therapies and not diversional therapies and, must be delivered within the grant amount allocated.

5. Clients

5.1 Eligibility

Clients eligible to receive therapy services are:

(a) residents in Commonwealth funded residential care facilities who have been referred for specific treatment; and

(b) aged persons from the community, who have been referred for specific treatment.

Under the current residential care arrangements, introduced with the enactment of the Aged Care Act 1997, an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) approves a person for either high or low residential care, however, once a person enters residential care, the Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI) is used to determine the level of residential care subsidy the provider will receive. Under the ageing in place policy, a high care subsidy may be paid if the resident’s ACAT is limited to low care if: an reappraisal that results in a high care classification is conducted; an ACAT approval for care is provided which is not limited to low care; or a Departmental Review Officer confirms the resident’s ACFI classification during a classification review.

Clients who are assessed as high care should be aware that therapy services for high care clients should be provided on a full cost recovery basis as aged care facilities are already subsidised for these services. Clients assessed as being low care continue to be responsible for the cost of fees associated with their therapies.

Details of the therapy services that aged care facilities are obliged to provide for residents receiving high and low levels of residential care can be found at Attachment A.

DTCs must put payment arrangements in place for high care clients living in low care facilities. In order to determine those clients for whom they should be directly charging the aged care facility, DTCs may need to seek information from the facility as to which of their clients are classified as high or low care and whether they have been reclassified.

Younger People with Disabilities
Younger people with disabilities should only be considered for DTC services when there are no other more appropriate services available and all other alternatives have been exhausted. Use of the DTC program by younger people with disabilities limits the availability of services for the aged, who are the primary target group.

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5.2 Referral

Prospective clients may be referred to a DTC through a range of mechanisms. These may include: general practitioners, Aged Care Assessment Teams, social workers, geriatricians, hospitals and community health workers. Where appropriate, clients should have a written referral. Clients may self refer or be referred by a carer or family member. Details of the referral should be filed with the client's care plan.

5.3 Assessment and Reassessment

An initial assessment of clients by an appropriate DTC staff member should be undertaken to establish a baseline from which progress or maintenance of function can be evaluated. The detail of such an assessment will depend on the needs of individual clients.

The most important outcome of the initial assessment process is the development of an individual care plan for each client. Clients and families or carers should be consulted in the development of the care plan. Care plans should include the client's abilities and needs (functional assessment), the goals of care, recommendations for therapy to achieve the goals. Re-valuations and changes to the therapy program should be documented and include relevant information received from other agencies.

The care plan should also establish a review and renewal regime and address referrals to other service providers and specialist services.

Individual care plans should include the provision for discharge where appropriate. Clients should be advised of this provision at the initial assessment. Any client who completes a period of care and becomes eligible for discharge should participate in the process of final assessment, recommendations for any continuing care, referrals to other community services and follow-up action by the centre where appropriate.

A discharge summary should be completed, a copy filed and the original sent to the person or organisation responsible for the ongoing care of the client.

5.4. User rights and responsibilties

The Australian Government is committed to promoting and protecting the civil, human and legal rights of the consumer. It has developed a Statement of Rights and Responsibilities for a range of services to ensure that individual consumer rights are accepted and implemented as an integral part of service provision. The DTC Statement of Rights and Responsibilities can be found at Attachment D.

5.5 Complaints

All service providers should have a complaints mechanism and appeals process in place.
They need to ensure that all complaints and appeals are handled in a prompt, fair and confidential manner without fear of recrimination such as losing their service or being disadvantaged in any way.

All service providers must report any unlawful sexual contact or unreasonable use of force that is inflicted on a person receiving care in a day therapy centre subsidised by the Commonwealth Government. Reports must be made, within 24 hours, to the police and the Department. Providers must also:

• alert staff to compulsory reporting requirements
• require staff members to report reportable assaults to specified people in the day therapy centre
• maintain consolidated records of all incidents involving allegations or suspicions
• ensure staff members who make reports are protected from victimisation ; and
• protect the informant’s identity.

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6. National Criminal History Record Check - Staff, Contractors and Volunteers

Day Therapy Centre staff are required to undergo National Criminal History Record checks to reduce the risks to people needing care. The requirement for criminal history checks is aligned with the Accountability Principles 1998, for approved providers under the Aged Care Act 1997.
A person may not be employed by (or volunteer with) an approved provider if their police certificate shows that they:

• have been convicted of murder or sexual assault, or
• convicted of and sentenced to imprisonment for any other form of assault.

If a potential staff member or volunteer was a citizen or permanent resident of another country while they were aged over 16 years, they are also required to make a statutory declaration that they have not been convicted of the offences above.

6.1 New Staff and Volunteers

An application should be made to State or Territory police, or the Australian Federal Police, for a certificate about criminal convictions before potential staff and volunteers commence. If the staff member has an existing police certificate, it must be less than 3 years old before the person commences employment and must be renewed at three years. It is possible to employ or commence a volunteer while waiting for a police certificate if:

• the care or other service to be provided by the person is essential
• an application for a police certificate had been made before the person commenced
• the person will be subject to appropriate supervision when they have access to people needing care
• the person makes a statutory declaration stating that they have never been convicted of murder or sexual assault or convicted of and sentenced to imprisonment for any other form of assault.

Criminal history check requirements in Queensland
Service providers in Queensland may be required to obtain three police checks if their client group covers aged care, disability and children. The Queensland State Government requires a yellow card check before service providers can deliver disability services, and a blue card for services for children. Neither of these checks provides adequate screening for Aged Care clients, and the Department requires a National Criminal History Record Check to be conducted for the delivery of Aged Care services funded by the Department.

6.2 Existing Staff

If a police certificate is not available, staff may continue in employment if an application is made for a police certificate and the person makes a statutory declaration that they have never been convicted of murder or sexual assault, or convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for another type of assault, and would be supervised while they have access to people needing care.

DTCs have an ongoing responsibility to ensure that staff and volunteers have a current police certificate, ie. one which is not more than 3 years old. Centres must also take reasonable steps to require staff and volunteers to notify the respite service if they are convicted of the offences above, and services must ensure that a person who they are satisfied on reasonable grounds has been convicted of one of the above offences does not continue as a staff member or volunteer.

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7. Grants

7.1 Payments of grants

Day Therapy Centre grants including GST, are paid in advance via monthly instalments.

7.2 Unspent Programe Funds

Funding under the DTC Program is provided to DTC service providers for the provision of therapy services. Surplus funds are DTC grant funds, paid to the service provider to deliver Day Therapy Services for a particular financial year, which remain unexpended at 30 June in that year. Surplus DTC Program Funds must be separately identified in a “Provision Account” so that agreement can be reached with the Department about their expenditure or return to the Department.

The Provision Account need not be a bank account, but is an accounting mechanism to identify unspent DTC Program funds. The Provision Account should NOT include funds other than unspent DTC Program funds. Surplus DTC Program Funds can only be committed over financial years for either service provision or asset purchases as outlined in Part 7.3 of these Guidelines.

7.3 Purchase of Assets with DTC Program Funds

Program funds are generally intended for service provision. Where funding for service provision results in a surplus after the annual financial acquittal, the Department may invite service providers to submit a proposal for the purchase of assets which will enhance services for DTC clients. The Department must approve all assets purchased from DTC funds. Any associated on-going cost of the asset purchased is the responsibility of the Provider. Assets purchased with Program Funds must be noted on an Assets Register.
Depreciation of assets purchased with DTC Program Funds must not be included as an expense in the reports submitted to the Department however they may be depreciated in value shown on the Assets Register. Approval must be sought from the Department prior to the disposal of any DTC funded assets, unless evidence is provided to the Department that the asset has been fully depreciated.

7.4 Conditions of grant

All grants are administered in accordance with the Funding Agreement for the Day Therapy Centre Program. Where a conflict arises between the Funding Agreement and the Program Guidelines, the Funding Agreement shall have priority.

Unspent Grant funds must be separately identified as outlined in Part 7.2 when it becomes apparent there is no intention and capacity for the use of those funds for the provision of therapeutic services. Where the Department has not agreed to the proposed purchase of assets the Department may recover surplus funding either by reducing payments during the next financial year, or, by refund following the end of the funding period.

7.5. Reconcilliation

Grants are acquitted twice each financial year. The grant acquittal process involves the reporting of each DTC’s income, costs and service activity to assess whether services have been provided in accordance with the Funding Agreement.

The Grant funds must be acquitted in accordance with the Funding Agreement Schedule each financial year, via six monthly progressive and annual accountability reports.

The Annual Accountability Report must include:

(i) A statement of compliance certifying that;
• the grant was used for the purpose for which it was provided;
• the conditions included in the Funding Agreement have been met;
(ii) An audited statement of Receipts and Payments; and
(iii) A copy of the Assets Register showing assets purchased with Program Funds.

The 6-monthly progressive report must include:

(i) A statement of compliance certifying that;
• the grant was used for the purpose for which it was provided;
• the conditions included in the Funding Agreement have been met; and
(ii) A copy of the Assets Register showing assets purchased with Program Funds.

Any unspent grant funds are required to be accounted for in a separate Provision Account (refer clause 7.2) and the Department is to be contacted in order to plan for the disposal or return of those funds.

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8. Fees

The recommended client fee is $7 per service with an upper limit of $20 per week for clients receiving multiple services. Clients who are unable to pay the fee must not be refused access to services.

Whether or not to charge fees is a matter for each DTC to decide, however DTCs must request approval from the Department if fee increases above the recommended level are being considered.

When considering requests from clients for an exemption from paying fees, the onus is on the client to provide proof that they are genuinely financially disadvantaged. Centres can request details of other services that the client is receiving, such as home and community care services, in order to obtain an accurate picture of the client’s financial position and their ability to pay. Centres can negotiate with clients to pay a lower fee if they are not able to pay the requested fee.

Department of Veterans’ Affairs veterans cannot have the cost of their day therapy centre services reimbursed, as DTCs are not approved service providers with the Department of Veterans Affairs and the granting of that status is not being considered. A more extensive explanation of the fees policy can be found at Attachment B.

DTCs providing services for high care clients in residential care should be doing so on a full cost recovery basis. The method of cost recovery is a matter to be negotiated with the residential care facility. For example, the partial sharing of salary costs for therapy staff between the DTC and the facility is one option. Another option of cost recovery is simply to invoice the residential care facility.

Low care residential clients are responsible for paying fees charged for DTC services.

The types of services provided by a DTC do not generally form part of the care and services provided under Community Aged Care Package (CACP). Where a CACP recipient is receiving DTC services, the recipient may be responsible for paying fees charged by the DTC.

Where DTCs are providing services to clients in receipt of flexible care in the form of an Extended Aged Care at Home (EACH) or Extended Aged Care at Home Dementia (EACHD) package, the DTC will need to negotiate any cost recovery basis with the Approved Provider as provision of these services may or may not have been included as part of the EACH or EACHD package.

DTCs fees revenue must be used by the provider to enhance their DTC approved therapy services to frail older people living in the community and to residents of Commonwealth funded residential aged care facilities.

9. Relocation of services

Services may relocate their premises with the prior approval of the relevant State or Territory Office of the Department of Health and Ageing. Requests for approval to relocate must be in writing and include reasons for the relocation and any impact this may have on clients and the provision of services. The Department will respond in writing regarding the approval. Relocations will generally only be approved if the services to clients are improved or unaffected.

10. Changing the name of a service

DTCs may be renamed with prior approval from the relevant State or Territory Office of the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing. Requests for approval to change the name of a DTC must be received and approved prior to signing a new Funding Agreement. The Department of Health and Ageing will respond in writing regarding the approval.

11. Transition of plans

Within 6 months of the commencement of the Project*, DTC service providers must develop and submit to the Commonwealth for approval a Transition Out plan. The plan should set out the obligations of service providers in connection with the orderly transition of service provision under the funding agreement from the service provider to either the Commonwealth or its nominee. The Transition Out Plan should aim to preserve the availability of services to DTC clients and to protect the employment of staff within the reasonable capacity of the service provider.

The Transition Out Plan is not intended to be a lengthy document but should indicate that the issues outlined above, have been addressed and that the DTC has set aside resources for that purpose. A template for Transition Out Plans is provided at Attachment C. The examples show the maximum level of detail that may be necessary for particular cases. Sections may be adjusted or deleted where appropriate.

If the DTC is unable to continue providing DTC services but is unable to comply with all elements of the Transition Out Plan, the DTC should notify the Department as soon as it becomes aware of this. In such instances the Commonwealth and provider will work together to determine the priority of obligations relating to the plan.

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Services that may be provided through day therapy centres to residents of residential aged care facilities*

1. All Residents

Rehabilitation Support
Individual therapy programs designed by health professionals that are aimed at maintaining or restoring a resident’s ability to perform daily tasks for himself or herself, or assisting residents to obtain access to such programs.

Assistance in obtaining access to specialised therapy services
Making arrangements for speech therapy, podiatry, occupational or physiotherapy practitioners to visit residents, whether the arrangements are made by residents, relatives or other persons representing the interests of residents.

Support for residents with cognitive impairment
Individual attention and support to residents with cognitive impairment (eg dementia and other behavioural disorders), including individual therapy activities and specific programs designed and carried out to prevent or manage a particular condition or behaviour and to enhance the quality of life and care for such residents and ongoing support (including specific encouragement) to motivate or enable such residents to take part in general activities of the residential care service.

2. High care needs residents

Therapy services, such as, recreational, speech therapy, podiatry, occupational and physiotherapy services

(a) Maintenance therapy, delivered by health professionals or care staff as directed by health professionals, designed to maintain residents’ levels of independence in activities of daily living.

(b) More intensive therapy delivered by health professionals, or care staff as directed by health professionals, on a temporary basis that is designed to allow residents to reach a level of independence at which maintenance therapy will meet their needs.

Excludes intensive, long-term rehabilitation services required following for example serious illness or injury, surgery or trauma.

*Source: Aged Care Act 1997, Quality of Care principles, Schedule 1

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National Fees Policy

Overview

The Day Therapy Centre Program National Fees Policy has been developed to assist Commonwealth-funded Day Therapy Centre operators to introduce a fair and equitable method of charging clients for approved therapy services in the program.

The policy has been developed to enable maximum flexibility for DTC operators to introduce a fee scale which can be tailored to meet their operational and administrative structures, yet is nationally consistent in approach and ensures equity for clients.

The Day Therapy Centre fees policy comprises:
(a) an overview, of the intent of the policy; and
(b) principles to assist individual DTCs in the development of a fees policy specific to their centres. These principles incorporate explanatory notes to assist DTC operators and to help ensure consistency in the policies developed.

Fee Charging Principles

The Day Therapy Centre National Fees Policy incorporates the principles for the setting of client fees by centres.

These principles allow for DTCs to develop their own fees scales which are consistent with the intent of the policy. The fees policy and principles have been developed to provide an overall framework for the collection of fees and, in doing so, sustains the DTC services through a combination of fees and Commonwealth contributions.

Individual DTCs’ fee scales may vary depending upon local conditions, the basis on which staff are employed (eg sessional, casual, salaried, etc).

Principle 1: Information to clients

DTCs should provide a written statement regarding the fee which may be charged for services provided by that Centre.

All clients should be informed of the fees for a service and the conditions under which they may be charged. This advice to clients should be available as a written statement and explained both at the time of assessment for DTC services and at the commencement of the service.

Principle 2: Client’s capacity to pay

A client’s inability to pay a fee for any DTC service cannot be used as a basis for refusing a service to those people who have been referred to the DTC and have been assessed by the DTC as requiring the service.

DTCs may seek the payment of a fee for service from clients who have the capacity to pay.
While there is no onus on the DTC operator to obtain information for the purposes of determining fees, the DTC must take account of all relevant information supplied by the client.

Services may wish to use the Centrelink card as the first level of assessment.

Clients who may be Multiple Service Users
In assessing a client’s ability to pay, Centres should identify those clients accessing other
services in addition to DTC services, such as Home and Community Care (HACC),
National Respite for Carers Program (NRCP) or Community Aged Care Package (CACP) services, and ensure that the total fees charged to these clients relate to an individual’s capacity to pay.

Affordability
People who are assessed as being in need of a service are eligible to receive the service, in so far as it is within the resource limitation of the Day Therapy Centre to provide it, regardless of their capacity to pay.

Clients with an assessed need, who have a capacity to pay, should do so in a consistent fashion which ensures that the individual can afford required services.

Since the majority of income to the DTC is derived from the Commonwealth through taxpayers, centres should waive the fee for any service where the clients do not have the capacity to pay, or where payment of a fee may cause financial or other hardship.

Examples of a client’s inability to pay may include situations where a particular client has very high pharmaceutical costs which take up a large proportion of income, or where the client pays a. high proportion of income on rent and other living expenses.

Principle 3: Setting Fees

Any fee set or charged should be within the person’s capacity to pay and should not exceed the actual cost, of service provision.

DTCs should use simple fees schedules. This will reduce the need to develop complex or perhaps intrusive arrangements to examine details of a client’s means (income and expenditure). For simplicity in charging, the Department suggests that each DTC sets a flat fee of for example $7 per session. However, this fee may vary from agency to agency and with different therapies provided.

Where DTCs wish to have a sliding scale for fees, the Department recommends that fees charged should not be in excess of $7 per individual session. Clients who use multiple services, or who attend the Day Therapy Centre on more than one day per week, should have their total fees capped at around $20 per week. This limit applies only to fees charged for approved services.

Additional costs to the client for support services such as meals, transport and orthotics, are not considered to be ‘fees’ and should not be included in calculating the upper limit for individual clients. See also Principle 4.

For those clients not on a limited income/fixed rate pension, centres may wish to either consider a sliding scale of fees or to discuss fee charging arrangements with clients. The DTC could consider reduced fees for clients attending group sessions.

In developing a scale of fees, centres should ensure, wherever possible, that fees charged are not in excess of similar services also offered by other Commonwealth or State funded programs (eg HACC services, Day Hospitals, Community Rehabilitation Centres, Community Health Centres etc.) in their local area.

As indicated in Principle 2, centres should identify clients using other services in addition to DTC services. These services may include HACC services, NRCP or CACP services, and centres should ensure that the total fees charged to these clients relate to the individual client’s capacity to pay.

DTC clients may be charged up to the level of fees or costs applicable for each therapy type, depending on their means and the basis under which they access the DTC service(s) (eg, as a privately insured client, as a compensable, rehabilitation client, as a nursing home client).

Centres may enter into contractual arrangements with therapists who wish to provide services under private practice arrangements with DTC clients.

Provider numbers can be issued to individual therapists. DTC operators and therapists should check with individual Health Insurance Funds regarding their position,

Where DTC clients access services for extended periods of time, DTCs must be prepared to review the fees to those persons at the request of the client.

In the context of this Fees Policy, donations received from clients in relation to the provision of therapy services are to be regarded as fees for accountability purpose.

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Principle 4: Services for which fees may be charged

Fees for therapy services must be all inclusive and cover all services and items required
to deliver the particular therapy.

The DTC National Fees Policy applies only to those therapy services which have been approved by the Commonwealth for Day Therapy Centre funding. A list of the approved services for each centre is included in the Schedule to the Conditions of Grant for Day Therapy Services.

A client must not be levied any charges other than the set fee for the approved therapy service. This would include items such as eg. dressings and creams. However, clients may be charged for the cost of individual orthotic items provided eg. splints.

DTCs are also able to charge for services which are not integral to or part of, the approved therapy service. Examples of this may be the provision of meals while the client is at the Centre, the provision of other consumables or the use of equipment which are not an integral part of the therapy being provided. However, where charges are levied for other services at the DTC, the client’s circumstances and overall capacity to pay should be considered. (See Principle 2 in relation to Affordability of fees and other charges and Principle 3 in relation to the setting of fees.) No charges for approved services may be levied by the DTC on behalf of a client on any other person. In addition, fees should not apply to services which are ancillary to the main therapy services. Such services would include information, advocacy or support groups.

Principle 5: Cost Recovery

DTCs must charge the full cost of the service where the client is not a client as defined at Clause 1(k) of the “Conditions of Award for Grant for Day Therapy Services”, that is if the client is either a nursing home resident or receiving a Extended Aged Care at Home (EACH) package or is receiving, or has received, compensation payments to cover the cost of the particular therapy service.

In the case of nursing home residents and EACH recipients, the fees charged must be to the nursing home and the EACH provider, and not to the individual resident.

Where clients receive Day Therapy services as a result of a compensation claim, the insurer must be charged the full cost, provided those services are compensable services.

Principle 6: Use of Fee Revenue

DTCs must use all revenue generated through the charging of fees to maintain, expand and/or enhance DTC service provision.

Funds raised through user charging can only be used to maintain, expand and/or enhance service provision of the DTC. Examples of this could include the employment of additional staff to provide therapy services to clients, the purchase of new equipment and/or capital items that could not otherwise be funded through the standard operational grant.

Fees revenue cannot be used for other purposes by the DTC or auspicing organisation.

Principle 7: Collection of Fees

DTCs should establish efficient administrative procedures for the collection of fees.

Administration costs associated with fee collection should be simple and monitored by DTCs to ensure that the cost of collection of fees and administration of the collection of fees is less than the income received from fees: DTCs will need to provide information on fees revenue in the acquittal process.

Principle 8: Client’s right to privacy

All clients have a right to privacy relating to their personal affairs including disclosure
of their means/income to the DTC for the purpose of assessing the client’s capacity to pay fees.

Any assessment of a client’s ability to pay must be done with the client’s consent and undertaken as unobtrusively as possible, with due regard to the client’s privacy. DTCs must also ensure that the information obtained in this process is treated as private and confidential.

Whatever the method of fees assessment and charging is used/adopted by the Day Therapy
Centre, service providers need to obtain client’s consent to obtain information, and must not share or use the information for any other purposes, except with the client’s written permission/authority.

Service providers must ensure any information is stored in a manner that maintains the client’s confidentiality.

Principle 9: Complaints and Appeals Relating to Fees

DTCs should have in place a complaints and appeals mechanism which enables clients and potential clients to appeal against the level or extent of fees charged. DTCs should inform clients of this mechanism.

A mechanism for dealing with matters of concern to clients and with complaints should already be in place in many Centres and could be extended for this purpose. This mechanism should enable referral to external avenues of appeal where complaints cannot be resolved internally, or where the client requests this.

This mechanism should be consistent with the mechanism(s) already in place for your organisation.

The Department reserves the right to monitor and, if necessary, discuss with individual centres the scale of fees developed by those centres, particularly if clients provide evidence that the fees charged are excessive or that they are denied access to DTC services due to an inability to pay.

Top of pageAttachment C

Day therapy centre transition out plan template

Service provider details

Name of service:
xxxxx

DTC Id: xxxx

Address
xxxxxxx

Phone
xxxx

Fax
xxxx

E-mail
xxxxxx@xxxx.org.au

Contact Person
Name, Position

Auspice body
xxxxxxx

Description of Services

• xxxxxx provides the following range of therapeutic services:
• xxxxx, xxxxx, xxxxx, …… operating from the Centre.
• xxxxx, xxxxx, xxxxx, …… provided within the community (if applicable).

DTC Operations

• Description of any DTC specific administrative policies
• Processes and procedures
  • Eg. List of policy and procedure manuals available to staff and how they are accessed (eg hardcopy / company intranet.
• Operational protocols eg:
  • Sub-contracting arrangements
  • Strategies/procedures eg ISO 9001:2000 accredited / operational work instruction sheets
  • Monitoring / audit arrangements

Timeframe for transition

The transition out period (assume a period of one - three months from date of termination or expiry of the funding agreement, to be negotiated and agreed with the Department at the time of termination/expiry). The examples show the maximum level of detail that may be necessary for particular cases. Sections may be adjusted or deleted where appropriate.
Would require 3 month transition period.

Timetable for the transition - events, milestones, etc.
For Example: Set out what steps the Participant will undertake within XX days/weeks of notification of funding agreement expiry/termination, and responsible people for certain steps/tasks etc.
The sensitive and timely provision of information to clients and their families regarding the transition is essential

Week 1-4: DTC to notify Central and State/Territory Office of the Department and Peak body. Advise HR of potential issues/queries and internal structural changes. Inform all staff of change to DTC. Support staff to review individual employment options where necessary. Review structure and finances of co-located services.

Advise therapy clients and their carers, through telephone, newsletters and by letter, of the change of service. Service Manager utilises existing community forums ie. HACC, Carer or other appropriate arrangements.

• individual interviews
• redeploy staff as appropriate
• counselling where required
• support to physically relocate
• assist staff to identify other employment opportunities
• assist staff with all enquiries related to entitlements.
• Service Manager + accounts staff contact all direct service providers to collect all outstanding invoices.

Week 8 – 12: Service Manager to provide support to staff with transition to new DTC. Prepare final financial statements. Write to all direct service providers advising details of the change of auspice and terminating any service agreements.

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Notify relevant stakeholders of expiry of agreement

For Example:

• Advisory Committees
If applicable
• Regular forums/networks attended
(list forums/networks which are regularly attended, would be useful to confirm that you would link in any new service to these regional networks to assist in service continuity)
Hold meetings as required and continue attendance at forums during the transition 3 month period.

Staffing Arrangements

Staffing details and the basis on which relevant staff that work directly on service provision are employed, eg. Awards, AWAs.
Direct care staff are employed under xxxxxx.
Arrangements for transition of staff to a new DTC (subject to the agreement of all relevant parties).
As per entitlements stipulated in xxxxxx .
The Plan should address conditions and arrangements for staff not wishing to transfer eg. redeployment, redundancy.
If Project funding is made available for staff entitlements then appropriate negotiations would be made with existing staff. Negotiations will be conducted with staff wishing to be redeployed within the agency.
The Participant is expected to comply with all relevant legislation (eg. regarding staff entitlements) and to the principle of fair play.
All relevant legislative staff entitlement requirements will be met in compliance with xxxx’s Standard Operating Procedures.

DTC Property/Accommodation

What accommodation arrangements exist for premises currently occupied by the DTC? Would the office space so occupied be available on termination of the agreement? If available, arrangements required to transfer eg. leases, etc.
Current accommodation sites are existing HACC funded services and would not be available on transfer to another agency.

Assets

In accordance with clauses 1.1 and 16 of the funding agreement and Item I of the schedule to the funding agreement, details of all assets purchased with Commonwealth funding are to be recorded in an assets register attached to the plan and kept current for the duration of the agreement.
Provide details of assets as per assets register.
Where assets still have capital value, show how and when the transfer of assets to the Commonwealth or nominee is to take place eg. whether the assets are to be sold (or 'purchased' by the outgoing Participant) and proceeds paid to Commonwealth, and the arrangements for this.
N/a

Information and Records

Identify, and show arrangements for the transfer to the Commonwealth or its nominated alternative service provider, all documents which are necessary to enable services similar to the existing service to be provided by the Commonwealth or its nominee. In particular, the Participant should consider arrangements for the transfer of client records, giving due regard to privacy requirements.
Therapy clients will be given written advice as to the change of auspice and transfer of their records to the new auspice so existing carer support activity can continue with the new Participant.

Intellectual property

• Arrangements for delivery of any intellectual property to the Commonwealth.

Intellectual property is as defined in the funding agreement and arrangements should comply with conditions outlined in Clause 14 of the funding agreement and Item H of the schedule. An intellectual property register may be attached to the plan.
A complete copy of the project material will be delivered to the Department as stipulated in Clause 14 of the funding agreement.

Financial Records

All financial acquittals are finalised in accordance with the conditions set down in clause 11 and Item D of the funding agreement.
xxxx, with assistance from xxxx Head Office and in accordance with clauses 11.1 – 11.6 and Item D of the funding agreement, would complete all financial acquittals.

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Day therapy centres Program

Statement of Rights and Responsibilities

Service provider details

The Statement of Rights and Responsibilities is based on a consumer rights strategy agreed and developed for the Home and Community Care Program. The strategy recognises that, for the program to be effective, services must respond to the needs of each individual consumer and consumers must be able to exercise their rights and responsibilities.

In providing services, service providers have a responsibility to:

1) enhance and respect the independence and dignity of the client;

2) ensure that the client’s access to a service is decided only on the basis of need and the capacity of the service to meet that need

3) inform the client about any options for support open to him or her;

4) inform the client of his or her rights and responsibilities in relation to Day Therapy Centres services;

5) involve the client in decisions about the assessment and service delivery plan;

6) negotiate with the client before a change is made to the service being provided;

7) be responsive to the diverse social, cultural and physical experiences and needs of clients;

8) inform the client about the details of the service to be delivered and any fees to be charged;

9) inform the client of the standards to expect in relation to services he or she receives;

10) ensure that the client continues to receive services agreed upon with the provider, taking the client’s changing needs into account;

11) respect the privacy and confidentiality of the client;

12) allow the client access to information about him or her held by the service;

13) deliver services to the client in a safe manner;

14) respect a client’s refusal of a service and to ensure any future attempt by the client to access a service under the Day Therapy Centres program is not prejudiced because of that refusal;

15) deal with a client’s complaints fairly and promptly and without retribution; and

16) accept the client’s choice and involvement of an advocate to represent his or her interests.

Consumer Responsibilities

Consistent with their status as members of the Australian society, clients have a responsibility to:

1) treat staff with respect and courtesy;

2) take responsibility for the results of any decisions which are jointly made with staff about therapy arrangements; and

3) provide a safe work environment for staff and help them to provide the client with services.
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