Partners in Culturally Appropriate Care (PICAC) Program 2008 - 2009
Section 5: Roles and Responsibilities
Up to Support for people with special needs
5.1 Role of Funded Organisations
The funded organisation is responsible for ensuring that the terms and conditions of the PICAC Funding Agreement are met and that the project is managed in a cost effective and efficient manner.The funded organisation is also responsible for:
- Establish a Project Management Committee or Steering Committee for the project;
- Employ and manage project staff;
- Ensure outcome and output reporting in accordance with the Funding Agreement;
- Endorsing tasks to be undertaken within work plans approved by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing;
- Provide copies of relevant materials and resources to the Centre for Cultural Diversity (eg all translated material);
- Establishing mechanisms for community consultation;
- Establishing clear and simple mechanisms to handle any consumer complaints about the service;
- Activity reporting six-monthly on project performance;
- Provide six monthly performance reports;
- Provide six monthly expenditure reports;
- Provide annual audited statements; and
- Provide final End of Year performance report.
5.2 Department of Health and Ageing Central Office
- Develop and implement national policies to meet the objectives of the PICAC Program;
- Administer the PICAC Program nationally, including the development of operating guidelines;
- Provide strategic direction for the PICAC Program;
- Participate in the ongoing evaluation of the PICAC Program;
- Establish, monitor and report on performance measures for the PICAC Program;
- Application assessment and review from a national perspective; and
- Attend regular Community Partners Program/Partners in Culturally Appropriate Care Program forums.
5.3 Department of Health and Ageing State and Territory Offices
- Application Assessment and Review;
- Monitor the performance of the PICAC Program to ensure that the Guidelines and conditions of the Funding Agreement are met;
- Assess activity and expenditure reports and undertake follow up activity as necessary;
- Advise projects funded under the PICAC on how to meet their agreed objectives and performance measures;
- Meet periodically with projects funded under the PICAC Program;
- Attend regular Community Partners Program/Partners in Culturally Appropriate Care Program forums;
- Identify and provide advice on emerging strategic issues and barriers to access to services through participation in meetings/forums as required; and
- Approve payments in accordance with the terms and conditions of the PICAC Funding Agreements.
5.4 Relationship with Aged Care Service Providers
PICAC coordinators should establish professional relationships with aged care services and understand the range of services being provided (in specific aged care planning regions for larger States).Through regular information exchange and mutual understanding, PICAC coordinators should identify current and future needs of aged care recipients and established culturally and linguistically diverse communities and assist the service provider to make appropriate changes to care delivery to enhance the cultural appropriateness of care for older clients from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
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5.5 Relationship with the Community Partners Program
The Partners in Culturally Appropriate Care (PICAC) projects in each State and Territory have the potential to assist the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing to maximise the outcomes of projects to assist older people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities funded under the Community Partners Program (CPP).An effective working relationship between the CPP and PICAC programs will include strategies to:
- Maximise the impact of projects;
- Facilitate the delivery of culturally appropriate care;
- Maximise the opportunities to distribute information and the distribution of that information;
- Support innovative and alternative methods of service delivery to meet specific needs;
- Equip aged care service providers with knowledge and skills; and
- Optimize resources, reduce duplication and maximise opportunities.
- Organise, coordinate and host a regular Forum for the CPP projects in that State or Territory to discuss issues arising, minimise the potential for duplication of effort and maximise the opportunities for knowledge, expertise and resource sharing;
- Bring to the attention of the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, any issues arising from the Forum;
- Assist the community based projects to better meet the needs of the community and assist as required in the development of strategies for the delivery of access and equity in culturally appropriate care; and
- Support where required for the presentation of cultural specific briefings by CPP project officers.
The PICAC coordinator in each State and Territory should compile and maintain from the “Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing”, a package of aged care material suitable for distribution by CPP projects in each State and Territory. This information package should comprise community specific translated material where this is available on the website along with Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing approved publications. This will be known as the “Community Information Pack” and will ensure that CPP projects are distributing approved translations and correct information.
This tool has potential for significant sharing of resources, a reduction in duplication and improvement in the quality of resources provided to the community.
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5.6 Relationship with the State or Territory Aged Care Planning Advisory Committee
The annual Aged Care Approvals Round is an Australian Government initiative to grant aged care places to expand existing services or to operate new services. The places are awarded following a competitive assessment process whereby aged care providers must demonstrate that they can best meet the aged care needs in their Aged Care Planning Region. At any time in the year, applicants may apply to the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing to gain ‘Approved Provider’ status, which, if granted, will allow the service to operate Australian Government funded aged care places which they have been awarded in an Approvals Round.Each Aged Care Approvals Round has three distinct levels of decision-making. In level one, the Minister for Ageing allocates the number of new aged care places to be made available in each State and Territory for the coming financial year. The allocation is based on the assessor’s knowledge, the planning ratios, the current allocated ratios and population projections. At the second level the places are distributed across the State and Territory Aged Care Planning Regions based on advice received from the relevant Aged Care Planning Advisory Committees (ACPAC). The third and final level includes the notification of the ‘Invitation to Apply’ (incorporating the release of the Regional Distribution of Aged Care Places) and culminates in the allocation of places and Capital Grants by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing to successful applicants.
Aged Care Planning Advisory Committees (ACPAC) are asked to take account of the views of the local and regional community. Community Partners Program (CPP) projects have the opportunity to provide valuable input into the planning process through written information on the aged care needs of their community directly to the ACPAC or through the Partners in Culturally Appropriate Care (PICAC) Program in their State or Territory.
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5.7 Relationship with the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency (ACSAA)
PICAC coordinators should work closely with and assist the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency (ACSAA) to ensure Aged Care Quality Assessors for cultural diversity are fully informed on best practice in culturally appropriate care and that assessors are able to focus on sustainable strategies and outcomes for care recipients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.5.8 Relationship with Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACATs)
PICAC coordinators should work closely with the Community Partners Program (CPP) projects in their State or Territory to ensure a coordinated approach to providing assistance to Aged Care Assessment Teams. This may include a regular agenda item for the PICAC/CPP forum.The Community Partners Program (CPP) guidelines include principles for the interaction between CPP projects and Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACATs).
5.9 Glossary of Aged Care Terms
A comprehensive glossary of Aged Care Terms is located on the Department’s internet website:http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/glossary
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