Delivering Services with trust and respect

This page explains:

Your rights as a customer/consumer/client
Your rights to privacy
How to access the information SAPHIRA SUPPORTS keeps on you
How to provide a compliment, concern, complaint or suggestion

Your rights as a customer/consumer/client

If you wish, you may bring someone to your sessions at SAPHIRA SUPPORTS to help or support you. This could be a friend, a family member or someone from another service.
If you are unsure about the information or advice a staff member has given you, you can ask to speak to another staff member.
You can ask to be referred to a different service within SAPHIRA SUPPORTS or outside of SAPHIRA SUPPORTS.
You can cease at any time the service you receive from SAPHIRA SUPPORTS.
To receive safe and quality services from trained and experienced staff.

Whatever service you access, we will:

Respect your needs
Provide you with information in the way that suits you best. This could be in the form of pictures, or written or spoken words
Help you to make the best choices for your needs
Make sure our staff have up-to-date training in the area of your needs
Tell you about other available services if SAPHIRA SUPPORTS cannot help you
Encourage you to ask questions

Your rights to privacy

When you start with a service at SAPHIRA SUPPORTS you will be asked to give your consent for us to keep information about you and the service you use. This information is kept private and secure; only the people who work with you are able to see it.

You will also be asked for your consent if:

Staff refer you to a service outside of SAPHIRA SUPPORTS
A staff member wishes to talk to a member of your family
You are willing for students working at SAPHIRA SUPPORTS to sit in on your sessions with a staff member. Nothing will change if you say no to this

SAPHIRA SUPPORTS staff do not need your consent in the following situations:

If they speak to another SAPHIRA SUPPORTS staff member about the best service for you
If they are concerned about your health, safety or wellbeing
If a court of law asks SAPHIRA SUPPORTS for information about you
If a legal guardian or carer asks for information about the SAPHIRA SUPPORTS services, you access

Getting the most out of SAPHIRA SUPPORTS

When you become a client of SAPHIRA SUPPORTS service:

Answer all the questions you are asked as this will help staff find the best service for you
Arrive on time for your program or service
Be respectful to staff and customers – aggressive behavior is unacceptable
Let SAPHIRA SUPPORTS know if you need to cancel or change your session time
Keep private what other people may share in group sessions
Accept that there are limits to the services that SAPHIRA SUPPORTS can provide
Observe SAPHIRA SUPPORTS health and safety rules.
Keep our environments smoke free

How to access the information SAPHIRA SUPPORTS keeps on you

If you wish to access the information that SAPHIRA SUPPORTS has on record for you, ask the staff member you are seeing at SAPHIRA SUPPORTS. If they are unable to help you, you can consult the SAPHIRA SUPPORTS management team. The management team will provide you with the appropriate forms to fill in and set in motion the process for accessing your information. This could take some time.

SAPHIRA SUPPORTS MANAGEMENT TEAM:

0448 977 781

info@saphirasupports.org

If you are deaf, or have a hearing or speech impairment, contact us through the National Relay Service. For more information, visit: www.relayservice.gov.au.

Data reports

SAPHIRA SUPPORTS is required to provide government departments such as the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services and the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) information to plan and monitor how services are run. No information that will identify you as an individual is given out.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the information in this handout, contact the SAPHIRA SUPPORTS' management team.

How to give feedback and to make a complaint

SAPHIRA SUPPORTS wants to know when our services suit your needs and are helpful and also where you think we could improve. If you are not happy about any service or the way a staff member may have treated you, please tell us.

If appropriate you can talk to the staff member in question or to our Customer Relations Coordinator or you can fill out a feedback form.

Complaints and feedback can be submitted in one of these ways: