BANNISTERS ADVOCACY POLICY
WHAT IS AN ADVOCATE?
An advocate is a person who will listen to you, help you to make decisions about what should happen in your life and help you to make those decisions work by speaking on your behalf. An advocate makes sure that people that provide support to you, respect your rights and will speak out for you if your needs are not being met as has been agreed. An advocate will also make sure that services like Bannister In Home Care give you the best possible service.
WHO CAN BE AN ADVOCATE?
You can ask anyone you know well and trust to be your advocate. Normally an advocate is:
A friend you trust, A member of your family, a person from a formal advocacy service or government funded organisation such as the Office of the Public Guardian.
HOW CAN BANNISTER IN HOME CARE HELP ME WITH ADVOCACY?
If you want someone to act on or speak on your behalf, Bannister In Home Care will help you find an advocate by providing contact details of advocacy services.
WILL MY ADVOCATE BE A WORKER FROM BANNISTER IN HOME CARE?
The advocate would not normally work for Bannister In Home Care. There may be times when Bannister In Home Care will act as an advocate for you with other services. It is usually best however if the person you choose as an advocate does not work for Bannister In Home Care. This is to ensure that the advocate is independent and works in your best interests at all times.
HOW CAN BANNISTER IN HOME CARE HELP MY ADVOCATE?
Bannister In Home Care will with your permission provide your advocate with all the information they need to ensure that Bannister In Home Care and any other service providers are acting in your best interest.
Bannister In Home Care will work closely with your advocate and involve that person in the planning of services that will be provided for you.
Bannister In Home Care will ensure that its staff members understand the role of an advocate and will also promote the use of advocates as a support person for people who receive services from our organisation.
Bannister In Home Care will ensure that your advocate is invited to:
Consultation meetings.
Person centred planning meetings and care plan reviews.
Any other relevant meetings or conferences.
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF MY ADVOCATE AND BANNISTER IN HOME CARE DISAGREE ABOUT SOMETHING?
Bannister In Home Care will always give your advocate the opportunity to discuss problems or concerns they may have. If your advocate still has concerns that cannot be resolved by Bannister In Home Care, your advocate will be informed of the complaint process and also of agencies that have a responsibility to make sure that Bannister In Home Care does its job properly. One such agency would be the NSW Ombudsman.