Human Resource Management

The ‘spiel’ is the text you will use in the body of your NDIS registration application. You need to understand it and change it if you are not able to do what it says.

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Why do I need this document?

The HR Register keeps all your personal and professional information in the one place. The register will include information about all personnel involved in your business. Even if you are a sole trader it is great to have a HR Register for yourself. It is a single document that will enable you to easily find information when required.

The HR Register is really useful in the event you get a locum to fill in for you when you go on leave. It reminds you what you need to check when employing or contracting someone to help you in your business. It ensures your due diligence, if something does go untoward your insurer will want to know you have done these pre employment checks.

The HR Register is a great place to record the communication skills of those working with you so you can match them with the communication needs of your participants e.g. second languages, skilled at using assistive technology, Makaton, Auslan.

Some of your team members may be able to provide services under different NDIS registration groups. The HR Register is the perfect spot to record this. This will allow admin team members to check the registration groups of different AHPs on your team before allocating a participant to them.

Auditors may want proof you have sighted the original documents and have stored copies on your system – make sure you have these copies ready for them to access upon request.

Why the auditors like it

They can:

• see at a glance (i.e. without having to look at a range of documents) that you and anyone working for you has the right to work in Australia and the appropriate qualifications, experience and checks are in place to provide services to NDIS participants
• see that requirements are current
• easily do the checks they need to do, e.g. look up your AHPRA registration or worker screening details
•  see you consider the communication needs of your participants by recording the communication skills of your team members
• see you have systems in place to ensure your compliance with the NDIS Practice Standard if and when you employ someone to help you in your business.

Next steps

• OPEN the HR Register. If you are a sole practitioner you will need to delete the columns for other staff members and just insert your own details. If you employ anyone or have contractors, just fill it in for yourself and anyone you have working for you.
• GET CONSENT from any employees or contractors to share this information with the auditor for the purpose of completing NDIS registration.
• SIGHT original documents and STORE copies for auditors upon request.

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Why do I need this document?

We all have to complete registrations, subscriptions, memberships, insurances and activities to maintain the right to work in our professions and to remain safe at work.

The Compliance Calendar provides a system to manage all your ‘must-dos’. Once set up, it lets you easily see what you have to do each month to maintain currency and your legal obligations.

The Compliance Calendar (or similar) is used in large organisations but is equally valuable in small business and for sole traders.

For those of you who prefer a bit more technology there are other great options you can explore such as the ‘Wunderlist’ App – you could set up a list called ‘Compliance’ – or you could add a ‘Compliance Calendar’ to your Outlook Calendar. If choosing a ‘tech’ option, think about how you are going to easily show an auditor the systems you have in place.

Why the auditors like it

They can:

• see you have a system in place to effectively manage your ‘must does’, reducing your risk of being non-compliant with statutory requirements or having out of date insurance!
• look at one document and feel confident you have everything under control
• easily do the checks they need to do e.g. randomly ask you to show them a specific certificate of currency.

Next steps

• OPEN the Compliance Calendar and customise the list of issues to suit your business e.g. if you do not have rooms that you operate out of, you won’t need some of the fire safety items; if you don’t have equipment that needs calibration you can delete that item.
• Once you have decided on what you need/want to track, RECORD due dates in the corresponding boxes e.g. if your Professional Indemnity Insurance is due on the 06/03/2020 put ‘6’ in the March 2020 column alongside ‘Professional Indemnity’.
• Once you are using the Compliance Calendar, MARK things you have done GREEN to show they are ‘completed’, AMBER to show something is ‘behind schedule’ or RED to show it is ‘not delivered’. Right click over the corresponding square to insert a comment explaining why you are behind schedule or stopping an activity.
• REVIEW the Compliance Calendar Sample for an idea of how it works.

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Why do I need this document?

The NDIS Terms of Business for Registered Providers, Practice Standards and Code of Conduct require providers and workers to understand and comply with various policies and apply various principles in their practice. One way of ensuring this occurs is for regular training to occur on key issues. This training is in addition to your CPD requirements for professional registration and/or membership (although you may be able to use some of the training for CPD points).

The Annual Training Plan provides a clear list of what new (or refresher) training is required. It includes training on policies such as Privacy, Incident Management and Risk Management but also on topics such as the NDIS Code of Conduct and Dignity of Risk. You may also need to add topics to the plan if you are providing some specific supports to NDIS participants.

The Annual Training Plan sets out what you intend to do and what you have completed. The NDIS is a relatively new scheme and changes will occur. You need to make sure you stay up to date with the requirements of the scheme.

If you work on your own, a lot of this training will be informal e.g. reviewing the NDIS Code of Conduct and reflecting on how you apply the code to your delivery of services. Maybe arranging to meet up with your peers to discuss some of the training topics together would be more fun.

Small practices might like to consider covering one topic a month as part of a team meeting.

For larger organisations you will need to keep records of who attended the training and how you provided the training to any staff that missed out. Auditors will question individual staff members about training they have received so having ‘key points’ for each topic is also a useful evidence you can have and can be used as a refresher for staff prior to audit.

Why the auditors like it

• They can see you understand what you have to do each year and have a system in place to remember what training you plan to do.
• It prevents them from having to engage in long conversations with you to find out what training you are doing.
• They have specific training topics they can ask you/your team about.

Next steps

• OPEN the Annual Training Plan
• CUSTOMISE the list of training to suit your business
• FILL IN the completed date when training is undertaken
• UPDATE your professional CDP record to show the auditor you are maintaining your relevant professional development

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Why do I need this document?

Among other things, the Human Resource Management Practice Standard wants to know you have “the relevant expertise and experience to provide person-centred support” to NDIS participants.

The NDIS also requires providers to comply with the NDIS Code of Conduct (whether registered or not). However, it is not always easy to provide evidence of this. We have found that developing a Service Delivery Model for your business is a great start!

By spending a bit of time writing a Service Delivery Model that reflects how you deliver your services it shows you understand the Code of Conduct and person-centred support. It also tells others your values and practice standards. This document is not just for the auditor it can become a key marketing document for you, showing potential clients how you operate.

Of all the documents we provide, we anticipate this one will require the most of your attention. It is really important it reflects your practice and how you operate.

When writing your Service Delivery Model consider including the following:

• defining what you mean by person-centred support
• meeting the needs of the participant and their family (if practical and if directed by the participant to do so)
• respecting the participant’s cultures, beliefs and values
• working with trusted/appointed decision makers
• communicating with participants in a way they understand and encourages their involvement
• the professional model or framework you use to direct your intervention. In our sample Service Delivery Model, we have used the Occupational Performance Model by Chris Chapparo and Judy Ranka. Only use it if it really suits your practice – there are many other models available for different professions.
• dignity of risk
• culture of continuous improvement and the importance of feedback.

Why the auditors like it

• They get a feel for the type of practice you are. Remember for a Verification audit, auditors do not come on site – they need to know you understand person-centred supports and actually do provide them.
• They can see what you say you are doing in your Service Delivery Model links back to your Annual Training Plan e.g. you say you respect the cultures, beliefs and values of your clients and you have an annual training event correlating to this.

Next Steps

• LOOK at the Sample Service Delivery Model and use it as a guide to write your own. Keep it to a max of one page.
• GET FEEDBACK from some of your participants – does it reflect what you do?
• ONLY INCLUDE things in your Service Delivery Model that you actually do now! Add other things when you are actually doing them and can demonstrate this. If you say you understand and respect the culture, beliefs and values of your participants make sure you have evidence that you are doing this e.g. is it a question on your initial assessment or intake form?

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