COMMUNITY VISITOR TRAINING Quality Lifestyle Support Enhancing the Lives of Individuals

This Training will cover: The Community Visitor Program How Visits are Conducted Community Visitor Reports QLS Expectations

The Community Visitor Program Basically, the community visitor program is designed to ensure that the rights of people with the impact of a disability in their lives are met and are adhered to the responsibilities and requirements of service provision. The community visitor program assists Queensland adults with impaired decision-making capacity due to a disability or mental illness. These individuals may reside in a number of settings, including: mental health facilities, private hostels and residential facilities funded or operated by the Department of Communities. Community visitors inquire into, and lodge complaints, about issues raised by consumers or by concerned members of the community.

Community visitors identify and resolve concerns through negotiation with government and non-government service providers. They focus on issues affecting individual consumers as well as systemic issues that place consumers at risk of abuse, neglect or exploitation. They might inquire into, and lodge complaints about, whether: Adequate services are provided for assessment, treatment and support. The standards of accommodation, health and wellbeing are appropriate. Services are provided in a way least restrictive of rights. Adequate information is available for consumers about their rights, and There is an accessible and effective complaints procedure in place.

How Visits are Conducted Community visitors conduct unannounced visits so they can see the standard of support provided on a typical day at any given site. Unannounced visits are conducted on a regular basis seven days a week, generally between 8 am and 6 pm, although visits at other times are possible. Under Section 228 of the Guardianship and Administration Act, 2000, visits outside of normal hours, being 8am – 6pm, must be approved by the chief executive with a maximum duration of 2-hours within a specified timeframe, and must only be authorised where a complaint has been made and there is no opportunity to investigate the complaint within normal hours.

When conducting a visit, community visitors: Notify staff upon arrival at the site Discuss any concerns with residents and staff Clarify, when reasonable and practical to do so, any issues Resolve complaints by or for a resident and Report to staff when leaving the site. Community visitors have the legislative authority to: Access all areas of a site Require staff to answer questions Request documents related to the support of residents Make copies of relevant documents and Confer alone with residents or staff.

Prior to having access to a consumer’s documentation, the community visitor must first gain approval from the consumer, either verbally, in writing or through conduct, in accordance with Section 229 of the Guardianship and Administration Act, Community Visitor Reports After each visit community visitors produce a report of their findings which is sent to the service provider.

QLS Expectations It is expected by all staff that when a community visitor arrives, that staff contact the relevant coordinator and inform them of the visit. The relevant coordinator will then attend the residential or, in their absence, another senior staff member will attend. Whilst it is legislated that staff must answer questions, it is expected that unless you have intrinsic knowledge of the subject, you are to defer the question to the relevant coordinator. The relevant coordinator will then either provide an in-depth response or look into the matter and then provide the answer to the community visitor via and in a timely manner in order to resolve or clarify an issue. It is important to remember that a lot of work happens behind the scenes, and whilst it may appear that nothing has been done, it may also be that QLS is waiting for responses or approvals from other agencies or departments and are unable to rectify a situation without the necessary input.

QLS understands that the community visitor program is a constructive way of ensuring professional service delivery across the sector, however the community visitor is not a staff member’s venting tool. There should be minimal issues raised as each support staff member should have been in contact with their relevant coordinator to discuss issues, concerns, ideas etc, whenever they arise. If there has been no resolution within a reasonable timeframe, then the staff member should follow policies to ensure that situations are dealt with. In the event that a client is having behavioural issues when a community visitor arrives, staff have a duty of care to ensure everybody’s safety. This may require that the visit be terminated and rescheduled. Further, if the visit is beginning to frustrate the client, staff have the right to terminate the visit in order to prevent the frustration becoming a behavioural situation. It is important to remember that you know the client better than the community visitor and as such, you need to be mindful of cues of frustration or annoyance. It is the client’s home and their rights need to be protected as well. If a community visitor refuses to leave, then it is to be reported to Senior Management.