 | |  | |  | | Annual Disability Service Standards Audit and Survey
 Every year our organisation is audited by a team of independant professional auditors. This year the audit took place on the 31st Oct, 1st and 2nd Nov. The auditors conducted this audit to see how well our organisation is adhering to the National Disability Service Standards. (You can find out more about these standards by clicking here). During this process they interviewed our staff members, checked our files and, where permission was given, client files to ensure that what we do is in line with the standards. They also placed a great deal of emphasis on talking to you, our clients, to get feedback as to how well we are doing.
I am pleased to say that the auditors were quite pleased with what they saw and heard when they were here and have given us the equivalent of a big thumbs up. They took time to say that they were very impressed with the clients they spoke to and said they were most helpful and co-operative. A huge thank you to those who were involved. I must also thank all those who volunteered to participate but were not selected. We had many more volunteers than the auditors had time to see.
Thank you also those of you who took the time to complete the survey and return it to us. We gathered some very useful information that will assist us to improve on an already good (according to you) service.
Latest Newsletter
The latest newsletter has been published and a hard copy has been sent out and we hope you get something from it. We remind you that we are always looking for stories from our clients that we can publish. So if you have achieved something that you feel should be reported to the rest of us then let us know so we can share it. If you failed to receive a copy of the newsletter you can see it here in pdf format (may require a download of free Adobe Reader from adobe.com.au ).
New Compliance Arrangements from 1 July 2011
From 1 July 2011 there are changes to what will happen when you can't attend appointments or activities with your employment services provider (Work Venture) or Centrelink. It is important that you understand these changes as they will affect Centrelink payments differently and more immediately than under previous arrangements.
These new arrangements apply to you if you are getting Newstart Allowance, Youth Allowance, Parenting Payment or Special Benefit (unless you are exempt from participation requirements).
Under these changes:
- If you don't attend an appointment or activity your Centrelink payment may be stopped until you speak to Centrelink and agree to attend a further appointment. You will get full back pay once you agree to attend a further appointment.
- If you don't attend this next appointment your payment will again be stopped.
- This time, if you don't have a reasonable excuse for not attending, you will actually lose payment every day until you do attend a further appointment. You won't get back pay for these days.
- Money for these days will be deducted from your very next Centrelink payment.
- If you cannot attend an appointment or activity you must contact the organisation that made the appointment, before the time of the appointment or activity, to let them know why you can't attend.
- If you don't tell them before the appointment your payment may be stopped, a penalty may be applied and your Centrelink payment could be reduced, even if you gave a reasonable excuse for not being able to attend (such as working or being sick on the day).
How do I stop my payments being stopped or reduced?
You can avoid your payments being stopped or reduced by:
- attending all compulsory appointments with your provider and Centrelink and all compulsory activities, unless you have a good reason for not being able to attend.
- if you cannot attend for any reason, you must contact the organisation that made the appointment for you in the first place. You will be told who you should contact when you are notified of the requirement to attend any appointment or activity.
- you must contact them before the appointment or activity is due to occur.
- if you have a good reason for not being able to attend, your appointment or activity may be rescheduled.
- if you are having personal difficulties it is important to let Centrelink know as soon as possible as these will be taken into account.
How do I find out more?
You can find out more about these new arrangements by speaking with your consultant at Work Venture or Centrelink, or by calling the Employment Services Information Line on 13 62 68.
|
|
| | | |  | |  | |  |
|
