Here, you'll find documents that we think will be useful to you.
We are open and transparent at Suitsme. We put all our documents online so everyone knows what to expect from us.
Navigate through the documents using the index on the right.
If you can't find what you are looking for, try using the search function or have a look in the FAQ page.
Looking for videos which show you how to use the app?
If you read something here and it doesn't make sense or you need clarification, please let us know.
Service Agreement
You sign your service agreement digitally when you sign up through the app. By signing up, you agree to the following:
Consent
You give Suitsme consent to:
Record information about you to help us do our work and support you
Talk about you within the team that is supporting you, so we can offer you the best support possible
Collect data and information about your app use including in app messaging
We will:
Keep your information secure so outside people can’t see it
Only share it with staff at Suitsme who are working with you
Ask your permission before sharing it with people outside Suitsme
Only keep information that is needed to help with your support or to improve our services
Make sure that when we combine information for reports and statistics that it does not identify you or anyone in your family
You can:
Withdraw consent at any time. If you withdraw consent, we may not be able to keep supporting you
Ask to see what information we have about you
Ask to have information updated if it is not correct or has changed
When will consent be broken?
If you are at risk of serious harm to yourself or others
If we are subpoenaed by a court
If a child’s safety is at risk
Unless it is unsafe to do so, we will talk to you and keep you informed if we need to do this.
When will we share information?
We will only share information that will improve your access to support
If you give us the details of other people or services that you are working with or that you want us to talk to, we understand this means you give us permission to talk to them too
Your Funding
Your service
What we expect of you
What you can expect from us
Suitsme Documents
We make our documents accessible and easy to understand. It’s important that you read and understand the documents below. Where a document places obligations on you, it is a condition of this agreement that you comply with them at all times. Suitsme may update these documents at any time and by continuing to make bookings, you accept the updated terms. Suitsme will let you know if there is a big change that affects you. By ticking the box in the app, you are agreeing to all terms as outlined above and in Suitsme documents.
Suitsme has a FAQ page here where you can find out more. If you have any questions or concerns please contact us.
Complaints, compliments and feedback - a guide for clients
We welcome feedback, positive and negative, as it allows us to improve our services. All feedback that we receive is recorded and is used to inform continuous improvement.
How to give feedback
You are the boss and your support workers rely on your feedback to do the best job possible for you. We have some helpful hints in Guiding your workers. If you feel comfortable, you can give them direct feedback on what you like about them and what you would like them to do differently.
You also have control over who works with you so you can book an alternative worker.
What if I don’t feel comfortable talking to my worker about it?
We get it…Sometimes it’s hard to give someone direct feedback. You can also give feedback to Suitsme by contacting Suitsme and we can follow up. You can contact us via:
Phone - 6115 0013
If you’d like support to make a complaint you might want to talk to an advocate. You can find one in your area here: https://disabilityadvocacyfinder.dss.gov.au/disability/ndap/
How does Suitsme respond to feedback?
If you give us positive feedback, we will:
Thank you (within 2 business days)
Pass it on to and thank the worker (if it’s about an individual)
See if we can apply this to other areas in the organisation for continuous improvement
If you give us negative feedback, we will:
Contact you and thank you (within 2 business days)
Ask you if you want us to do anything about it, or if you just want us to know.
If you want us to do something about it, we will consider this a complaint and we will:
Ask you what we can do to make things better
Try to resolve the complaint immediately if we can
If we can’t fix it straight away, we’ll investigate it further and keep you informed
Keep a record of your complaint
For a complaint, our investigation process is:
We’ll be fair in our investigation and hear all sides of the story
We’ll keep a record of our investigation
We’ll ask you how often you want to be updated and we will keep you informed
We’ll do our best to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction within 10 business days
If we can’t mutually agree that your complaint has been resolved within 10 business days, we will refer you to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
If your complaint relates to abuse, neglect or an incident we will follow the guidelines provided in those documents in our investigation.
Looking after yourself
Mental Health is everyone’s business. Whether you are a client, family member, carer or staff member you will inevitably go through ups and downs in life and it’s important to look after your mental health.
There’s lots of resources out there that you can use to help monitor your mental health and stay well. We’ll show you a bunch of them that we really like here. We try to keep this up to date, but if you find a link that doesn’t work, please let us know so we can fix it.
It’s not all about us though. You probably have some strategies that work well for you and we would love for you to share them with us and the Suitsme community.
Emergency
If it’s an emergency, or you feel unsafe contact emergency services or MHERL.
Helplines
If you are feeling suicidal, you’ve had a rough day, or you just need to talk to someone; there are services you can call:
Suicide Callback Service – 1300 659 467 or online and video chat 24/7
Lifeline 13 11 14
Lifeline also offers online chat between 7pm – midnight (Sydney Time)
Crisis Care 9223 1111 (24/7)
Samaritans 13 52 47
SANE helpline (10am-10pm AEST) 1800 187 263 or online chat
MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978
Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36
If you are under 25 you can also access:
Kid’s helpline 1800 55 1800
Eheadspace 1800 650 890 (9am – 1am AEST)
Alcohol, Drugs and Addiction Support
Alcohol and Drug Support Line 9442 5000 (24/7)
You can also find a list of other services and providers here
Ways to look after your mental health
There are many simple ways to look after your mental health on a daily basis. We are all different and what works for one of us may not work for another. There are little things you can do daily which may help.
Think Mental Health WA has this list of things you can try that may help to look after your mental health and wellbeing:
For more tips on staying well and managing your mental health have a look at ReachOut. It’s full of resources and articles on a wide range of mental health related topics.
Apps
Believe it or not, we love apps at Suitsme! There’s pretty much an app for everything these days including apps to help manage your mental health and support your recovery. Here are some apps that we’ve used, or at least checked them out and think they look pretty good. All the apps we list here are free although some have paid content as well.
No matter how good an app is, it’s no substitute for clinical support. Apps can help you to stay well and recognise when you are becoming unwell, but if you are unwell or you feel unsafe call your clinical team, GP or one of the emergency numbers above.
We’d love to hear what you think of these apps so please let us know. If there are other apps that you find helpful, then tell us about them so we can share them with the Suitsme community.
Beyond Now (suicide safety app)
Developed by Beyond Blue this app helps you to make a suicide prevention plan. You can share this plan with people in your life, including your worker.
My compass is an online tool that helps you track your mental health and gives you personalised tips and activities to help you understand and manage your mental health
Calm has meditation and mindfullness exercises; some content on Calm is free, some features cost money
Mood Prism helps you keep track of your mood by regularly asking you a few simple questions. It can help you to spot when you are starting to feel anxious or depressed. Once you have used MoodPrism for a while, it makes personalised suggestions of resources that could be helpful for you.
What’s up is a free app that uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) methods to help you cope with Depression, Anxiety, Stress, and more.
Need a happy fix? With its psychologist-approved mood-training program, the Happify app is your fast-track to a good mood. Try various engaging games, activity suggestions, gratitude prompts and more to train your brain as if it were a muscle, to overcome negative thoughts. The best part? Its free!
Some apps are designed specifically for people experiencing specific mental health conditions. Here’s a few of them:
MoodTools aims to support people with clinical depression by aiding the path to recovery. Discover helpful videos that can improve your mood and behavior, log and analyze your thoughts using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) principles, develop a suicide safety plan and more with this free app.
Feartools is an evidence-based app designed to help you combat anxiety, aiding you on your road to recovery. This application is especially useful for those experiencing Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Phobias, and Social Anxiety Disorder.
Rise Up + Recover is a unique app as it not only allows you to track your meals and how you feel when you eat them, but you can also transcribe your progress into a PDF printout. Pull up the Rise + Recover app on your mobile when you feel the urge to binge or skip a meal, and need quick coping strategies.
eMoods is a mood tracking app designed specifically for people with bipolar disorder. Throughout the day, users can track depressive and psychotic symptoms, elevated mood, and irritability and give an indication of the severity of their symptoms. Users can then see their mood changes on a color-coded monthly calendar and even export a monthly summary report to identify specific triggers and better understand their fluctuating mood.
Resources to learn about specific mental health conditions
Goal setting
OK, so you have NDIS plan and in it you will have identified some goals and received funding to help you achieve those goals. What now?
Well, you have already made the first step, you’ve connected with Suitsme and hopefully you’ve already booked in with one of our awesome workers!
Your worker’s job is to support you to achieve your goals, but to do that they are going to need some guidance from you. We have this resource which give tips on Guiding your workers which we encourage you to look at, but the most important way you can guide your worker is by having clear steps to achieving your goals.
Where in the app do I add goals?
In the "My Account" section of the app. You can also check out a "how to add goals" video here.
If you have ideas about how to improve the goal setting part of the app , we would love to hear from you. Please get in touch and you can help up design it.
Why can’t we just use the goals in the NDIS plan?
The goals in your NDIS plan are the starting point, but they tend to be big goals like:
When you’re looking at a big goal like that, it can be hard to know where to start and easy to lose motivation when you don’t feel like any progress is being made. It can also take more than one year (or one plan) to achieve these goals. That’s why it helps to break the goal down into steps.
How do I break my goal down into steps?
It’s easiest to explain this with an example. Let’s use “Connect to my community”.
There are lots of ways that you can connect to your community, so we need to work out where to start. There’re some questions you can ask to help you work it out
For example:
“I’d see myself attending a group/club each week, I'd feel at home and welcome and I’d get along with the other people there. I’m good at painting and I enjoy doing it. I have some paints and brushes. To achieve this goal, I’ll need to find a group, I may need to pay membership fees and pay for supplies. I’ll need to be feeling well to be able to attend and interact with people. I’d also like to have someone to come to support me at the group, so I don’t have to go alone.”
OK, so now I have a pretty good idea of how I will achieve this goal. From this I can make a list of activities that I can do in the next three months and I can enter these into my goal plan.
How does my worker support me with my goals?
Your worker supports you in a few ways:
What if I change my mind?
It’s fine to change your mind. It’s fine to try something and then decide that it’s not for you. Thinking about our “Connect to my community” example; I might try a couple of art groups and decide that, painting is a self-reflection activity for me, and I don’t want to be in an art group. I still want to want to connect to my community, but I think a better way to do that would be to find some people I can go for a regular walk with.
I’ll mark this goal as “I’m not working on this any more” and put in a new goal “Join a walking group” and then add some steps outlining how I plan to do this.
How often can I update my goals?
You can update them as often as you want to. We recommend you review your goals at least every 3 months or whenever you achieve a goal.
What if I haven’t done the activity but I still want to achieve this goal?
That’s fine, just set a new timeframe for yourself and you can work towards it in the next three months.
Guiding your workers
Suitsme only hires workers with the skills and qualifications required to work in this sector. Suitsme also tries to have a range of workers for you to choose from, so you can find a worker that you click with.
Once you’ve found a worker that suits you, they are still going to need some guidance about what support you want and how you like to be supported.
Your profile
Your first opportunity to guide workers is in your profile. Workers will read your profile when you request a booking with them. In your profile, you can tell workers how you like to be supported.
When you signed up with the app we asked about things that are important to know. You can edit these at any time.
Some examples of things you could include in there are:
Loud banging sounds can be a trigger for me. When triggered, I become fearful and want to get away from the sound as soon as possible. I need you to help me get somewhere safe, to be with me while I calm down and to debrief with me afterwards.
It’s important to me that you respect my decision if I tell you I’m not up to doing a planned activity.
Sometimes I’ll tell you I don’t want to do a planned activity, but it’s important that you try to motivate me. Give me encouragement to try the activity. If I still say no, try making me again after 30 minutes.
I can sometimes be a bit forgetful, it’s important to me that we sit and write a to do list at the end of every session
I find it hard to concentrate when there’s lots of noise around me. It’s important that we find a quiet place when we are chatting.
If I seem to be hallucinating, call my GP and if they’re not available call MHERL.
My mum helps me a lot and keeps track of things for me, it’s important to keep her updated.
These are just examples – you can put anything that is important to you. If it is important to you, then it is important that your worker know.
We also asked who for key contacts who we can get in touch with if you are unwell. You can edit these at any time too. If you mention someone as important then you should add their contact details so staff can find them if they need to.
If there is other information that you want workers to know then you can include it in the “about me” section of your profile.
Communication
The key to keeping any relationship on track is communication; the more you give your worker clear instructions and feedback the better your relationship will be.
Everyone is different and has different preferences. Sometimes things seem obvious to us, but it’s not obvious to everyone else. For example:
Anne works with two clients, John and Sean. If they have two bags of shopping, John may think it’s obvious that Anne would carry one of the bags, so they have one each. Whereas Sean may think it is obvious that he would carry both bags (he has two hands after all).
Neither John nor Sean’s preference is obvious to Anne, she needs them to tell her how they like to be supported.
Direct instructions and feedback tend to work well, but if something comes up and you are not comfortable telling staff directly, you can let Suitsme know and we can help address it with them.
Goals
You will have identified some goals in your NDIS plan and received funding to help you achieve those goals. It is helpful to your worker if you share your plan with them and explain which goals you want them to support you with.
It is also helpful to spend some time planning how you will achieve your goals and breaking them down into smaller, more achievable parts. You can do this in the app either by yourself or with a worker. You can find a more detailed guide to goal setting here
Training
Your worker will have generalist training, but they may not have specific knowledge of your culture, diagnosis etc. Suitsme has a range of resources that both you and your worker can access which you can find here.
If you want to increase your worker’s knowledge in a specific area, then you can instruct them to complete the training during shift time. Suitsme will charge your funding to pay the staff to complete training that you instruct them to complete. Staff will get the most value out of the training if you both look at the resource together and you can explain to them how it applies to you.
Suitsme endeavours to provide resources that are relevant and helpful to you and your workers. If you have any suggestions of resources you would like offered, then please let us know.
Dress
Your worker is instructed to dress appropriately for the activity they are supporting you with. It's helpful to message your worker in the app to let them know what you want to do that day so they can wear the right clothes. For example, if you want them to come for a run with you, then they'll want to wear exercise clothes.
Workers may also ask you if you have any preferences for how they dress. It’s fine to let them know your preferences, as long as you are respectful and appropriate.
Cancellations
Sometimes plans change and sessions get cancelled. We get it, life can be unpredictable sometimes, but cancellations can be frustrating for clients and workers. You can help ease these frustrations by being courteous and following these guidelines:
If a session is booked in the app both the worker and client are expected to be there. If you can’t make it, you must cancel the session in the app.
Give as much notice as possible if you are cancelling. This gives clients time to find an alternative worker and workers time to accept an alternative shift.
Cancel the session in the app
Contact the person to make sure they know the session is cancelled
Each month Suitsme has a look at the cancellation data. If you’re regularly getting charged for cancellations, we’ll touch base with you to check in.
Will I be charged?
If a worker cancels a shift, then you won’t get charged. (If you re-book with another worker, then you will get charged for that shift but not the original one)
If you cancel with at least eight hours’ notice, then you won’t get charged
If you cancel with less than eight hours’ notice you will get charged for the full shift
If Suitsme is actively managing your services (i.e making bookings and cancellations on your behalf), then the eight hours notice must be business hours (9-5 Monday to Friday)
If you cancel at the door or don’t attend, you will get charged for the full shift and worker travel time.
If you end the shift early, you will get charged for the whole shift
Travel and transport - a guide for clients
What’s the difference between travel and transport?
Travel means a worker driving to or from you.
Transport means a worker taking you with them in their car.
Does Suitsme charge me for staff travel?
It depends.
If workers are travelling to or from their home, then we do not charge you.
If workers travel from you, directly to another client then we don’t charge you.
If workers are travelling directly to you from another client, we charge you 30 minutes additional time for them to get to you. If it takes them less than 30 minutes to get to you then you get extra shift time. We will also charge you for the kms that workers travel to get to you at a rate of $0.85 per km.
Does Suitsme charge me if staff transport me?
Yes.
Staff can only provide you with transport if you have agreed to pay transport costs when you set up your services in the app.
If you have agreed to pay transport costs, we will charge you $0.85 per km that staff transport you. If workers incur parking or public transport expenses we will charge that to your funding too.
I can drive and have a car; can we use my car instead?
Maybe.
If you are interested in this option, have a read of the "Client driving with Worker in the car" and "Workers driving a Client's vehicle" section of this document (below) and contact Suitsme management to discuss.
Will my worker’s car be suitable and accessible?
Workers at Suitsme use their own personal car. Suitsme has a wide range of workers and this will mean a wide range of different cars.
Regardless of what type of car your worker has, they will have insurance
What do I do if my worker’s car is not suitable?
One option is to take public transport. This is a great option to consider because it can build your independence to get out and about without your worker. Another option is to try another worker. Once you have sent them a booking request, you can ask them in the app chat what sort of car they have and decide if that is more suitable.
If you have an accessible vehicle then your worker may be able to drive you in that. Read the "Workers driving a Client's vehicle" section (below) and contact Suitsme management.
If you have specific accessibility requirements, then it’s unlikely that a worker will have a suitable car to accommodate you. While we can’t guarantee anything, it is worth contacting Suitsme management a to see if we can come up with a solution together.
Client driving with Worker in the car
Can I drive my worker’s car?
You must not drive your worker’s car under any circumstances.
Can I drive my own vehicle with a worker as a passenger?
You can drive with your worker as a passenger in your vehicle as long as you have been approved to do so by Suitsme management. Suitsme is required by law to ensure a safe working environment for workers.
If you want to drive workers in your car:
These must be kept up to date with Suitsme management and you must inform Suitsme management if anything changes prior to expiry (e.g. if you lose your licence).
Suitsme management will consider other factors when assessing your request. For example, your request will not be approved if risks around your use of alcohol and/or other drugs have been identified. Approval for any client to drive a Suitsme worker is at Suitsme’s absolute discretion.
If you have been approved to drive workers then this will be indicated in admin notes in the Safety Plan section of your profile. This will also indicate the licence plate of approved vehicle(s) and expiry dates of any licences, registrations and insurance policies.
Workers driving a Client's vehicle
Can a worker drive my car?
A worker can drive your vehicle as long as the vehicle has been approved by Suitsme management. Suitsme is required by law to ensure a safe working environment for workers. If you want a worker to drive your vehicle:
If your is approved for workers to drive then this will be indicated in admin notes in the Safety Plan section of your profile. This will also indicate the licence plate of approved vehicle(s) and expiry dates of any registrations and insurance policies. These must be kept up to date with Suitsme management and you must inform Suitsme management if anything changes prior to expiry (e.g. if your car is yellow stickered).
Ensure the support worker knows how to operate your vehicle.
Insurance information for clients
Suitsme’s insurance does not cover car insurance for workers or clients. Any client using their own vehicle must have compulsory third party insurance and third party insurance.
We recommend you also have comprehensive insurance. If you’re not sure what all these insurances mean, have a look here for definitions. https://rac.com.au/car-motoring/info/car-insurance-quick-guide.
If you are the owner or driver of a vehicle in a crash, you must report it to ICWA Motor Injury Insurance Scheme as soon as practicable after the crash. See their website for more details on the process https://www.icwa.wa.gov.au/motor-injury-insurance .
Share your story
The culture around mental health in Australia is changing and Suitme wants to be part of the change. Let’s work together to reduce the stigma associated with Mental Health!
It’s ok to say that you aren’t doing so well and it’s ok to ask for help. One of the ways you can help is by sharing your story about your mental health experience and recovery. When you are brave and tell your story, it helps other people ask for help and see that recovery is possible.
We want to hear and share your story.
Sharing your story doesn’t have to mean writing an essay (although essays are more than welcome). It can be as simple as sharing a picture of yourself working on one of your goals, or maybe video yourself sharing some strategies that you find helpful.
We’d love it if you post your stories on our Facebook page. It’s a cool way to share because others can reach out and connect with you if your story resonates with them. If you’d rather stay anonymous, you can email us, and we can share your story on your behalf.
Co-design
What is co-design?
Co-design means making something together.
At Suitsme, it means we ask you to tell us about your experience and what you think. It's about you telling us what you want; because you know what’s best for you. It's also about us listening to your ideas and making changes based on what you tell us.
Some examples of co-design are:
Us asking you about what works for you in a service
Us asking you what you think of a new document
You meeting with us and our app developer to give ideas on how to build new features
You testing new features of the app and giving us feedback
How does co-design work?
It will probably be a little bit different each time we do co-design, depending on what we are asking you about, but there are some rules that we follow:
We’ll give you information about the topic we are co-designing
We can give this in a document or talk to you. We can also get it translated.
We’ll give you time to think about the information
If we ask you to come to a meeting, we will pay for you to get to the meeting
We’ll reimburse you for your time
We’ll respect what you say, so be honest and say what you think.
We’ll keep what you say private
We’ll tell you how we use your ideas
At the end, we’ll ask for your feedback on the co-design process
Who is involved in Co-design?
Depending on what we are working on, we may involve:
Clients
Client’s family members, carers or advocates
Support workers
How to get involved?
If you are interested in being part of a co-design process please let us know, by call or email. You can also follow us on social media where we will post open invitations to be part of co-design projects.
Suitsme may also proactively contact you to ask you to participate in co-design.
Professional boundaries - a guide for clients
One of Suitsme’s values is human connection. We believe that support works best when you (as well as your family, carers and any other people who are important to you) have a strong, meaningful relationship with your workers
There are many different types of relationships; friendship, romantic, transactional, clinical to name a few. Having lots of different relationships helps us to live a full, rich life; but we need the right relationships with the right people.
For example, you may have a great romantic relationship with your spouse, but it would be confusing if you also had that relationship with your doctor.
The appropriate relationship for you to have with your worker is a professional relationship. Here we’ll explain why this is important to us and let you know what you can do to help.
We also give workers guidance on what they need to do to maintain a professional relationship with you, you can read about it here Professional boundaries guide for workers
The most important thing you can do is to always use the app to contact and book workers. If there is no booking in the app then your worker should not be with you.
Friend Vs Worker
You and your worker should get along really well and sometimes it might feel like a friendship. One big difference between your relationship with your worker and a friendship is that your worker is being paid to be with you. Friends spend time together because both people get mutual enjoyment out of it, not because one of them is getting paid to be there.
If making friends is something you want to work on, your worker can help you with that. Some ways they can do this is by connecting you with a local club or coming along to meetup events with you. If a worker acts as your friend it is demotivating for you to make natural friendships and if that worker leaves Suitsme, you are back where you started.
Support from Friends and Family
When you are browsing for workers, you may see people you know such as family members or friends. We ask that you please don’t book with these people. This is because friends and family have a natural, pre-existing role in your life. When they spend time with you and help you out, it is because they care about you and you are important to them; not because they are getting paid. We don’t want to complicate things by altering pre-existing relationships by adding a new set of rules on top.
Deactivating profiles
There are situations where suitsme may deactivate either a worker or client’s profile.
If we deactivate the profile of one of your workers, then we will contact you to let you know what has happened.
If we deactivate your profile, we will contact you to let you know:
We have deactivated your profile
If it is temporary or permanent
Why we deactivated it
We will also contact any workers who you had existing bookings with and let them know what has happened.
Deactivating client profiles
Deactivating a client’s profile is a last resort for us, we do everything we can to continue to work with you. There are three main reasons that we would deactivate your profile:
Breach of Service agreement
In the Service agreement, we explain what we expect of you.
If you breach the terms of our service agreement, we will put your account on hold while we investigate.
We will keep you informed during the investigation and will let you know the outcome. Depending on the outcome of the investigation, we will consider a range of options including:
Reactivating your account
Adding additional information to your profile and then reactivating your account
Placing restrictions on your account so that you can only book with certain workers.
Deactivating your account permanently
If we deactivate your account permanently, we will also:
Staff Safety
Suitsme have an obligation to provide a safe working environment for staff. If staff raise any safety concerns, we will usually deactivate your profile while we work through any safety issues with you.
Some things that can make staff feel unsafe are:
Aggression towards them or around them
People using drugs or being intoxicated around them
Unexpected people being present for the support session
Suitsme is unable to claim your funding
When you sign up with Suitsme you tell us your NDIS plan end date. You will not be able to book services after your plan end date. If you get a new plan, it is important that you update your details in the app or contact us so we can help you set it up.
When you sign up with Suitsme a “Service Booking” is created in the NDIS portal. If you alter or delete this “Service Booking” and Suitsme is not able to claim your funding, then you won’t be able to make bookings until this is resolved.
If your funding is self or plan managed, then you are responsible for ensuring invoices are paid. We will contact you to follow up on unpaid invoices, however if you refuse to pay or don’t respond, then you won’t be able to make any more bookings.
Appeals process
Suitsme management add admin notes to client’s profiles. Suitsme management do this to ensure workers have all the information they need to keep themselves and clients safe.
These notes come from:
Initial Risk Assessment
Information that clients tell Suitsme management but that they have not added to their profile
From incident and hazard reports submitted by workers
Information provided by people who a client has given us permission to talk to, E.G. a support coordinator or clinical team
Here are a few examples:
Suitsme management add admin notes to your profile we will contact you to let you know we are doing it. If you are not happy with the information we are adding, you can appeal it by following the process below. The information must be added before a worker visits you again, even if you are appealing the decision, we still add the information and it remains there while the appeal is processed.
Appeals Process
Inform Suitsme management that you are unhappy with the information in admin notes.
Explain why the information should be removed. Continuing with the examples above you might explain:
Suitsme management will consider your appeal and let you know what we decide within two business days. Possible outcomes are:
The information is removed
Someone from Suitsme attends to verify the change of circumstance and the information is removed
We negotiate with you to amend the information so that both you and Suitsme are happy that it is accurate
We work with you and put a plan in place so that the information can be removed in the future
The information remains on your profile
If you are unhappy with the outcome of an appeal, you can:
Wait 3 months and appeal again
Follow Complaints, compliments and feedback to make a complaint.
Development resources
You can get your worker to complete any of the units listed here. They will get the most out of it if you are with them while they complete it because you can add your own experience and context. If you ask a worker to complete one of these units, they will do it during a shift with you.
You are also welcome to access these resources yourself.
Orientation videos
If you want to know what we tell workers when they join Suitsme check out the onboarding videos here
LGBTIQA+ inclusion
Reimagine provides some great resources that were co-designed by people from within LGBTIQ+ communities, with lived experience of mental health concerns, their carers and chosen supports. The resources on this hub give personal stories and experiences as well as advice on engaging with the NDIS.
QNADA provides this training that, although developed for clinicians of AOD services, is helpful for anyone.
MHPOD
MHPOD provided a wide range of units. To access them, you or your worker just need to follow this link and sign up an account. Here's a few that we think are useful:
NDIS Review Processes
Carer advocacy
Carer participation
Recovery
Recovery based practice
Skills for promoting physical health
Skills for supporting consumers to study or work
Social relationships: working with families
Social wellbeing, connection and belonging
Trauma and mental health
Cultural awareness
Culturally sensitive practice
Classification of mental disorders
Citizenship and recovery
If you identify with one of the specific conditions or situations in this next block it could be worth getting your worker to complete the unit with you:
Acquired brain injury & sensory impairment
CAMHS and youth MH: conditions and assessments
CAMHS and youth MH: interventions
Dual diagnosis – i.e. mental health and AOD
Dual disability – i.e. mental health and another disability
Eating disorders
Gender issues in mental health
Impact of medical conditions
Living with chronic ill-health
Mental health histories and MSE (Mental State Examinations)
Mental health care for indigenous Australians
Mental health for older persons: conditions and assessments
Mental health for older persons: interventions
Mental health for same sex attracted persons
Strategies for working with people at risk of suicide
Working with people who self-harm
Working with people with borderline personality disorder
Working with people with forensic histories or at risk of offending
Then there’s a whole host of other modules which are all good, though some are probably more relevant than others.
WA Mental Health Commission
The Mental Health Commission provide a couple of resources that we recommend.
The first is called "Mental Health Act (2014)". It's a set of units that cover the mental health system in WA and client’s legal rights under the Mental Health Act.
The second is "Introduction to Alcohol and Other Drugs (2nd Edition)" The name says it all.
Follow this link to access these. You or your worker will need to register an account to access them.
Abuse and neglect
Abuse, neglect and violence are not ok. Freedom from abuse, neglect and violence is a basic human right. Suitsme has zero tolerance for abuse, neglect or violence.
Types of abuse may include:
Physical abuse - such as punching, hitting, slapping, burning etc.
Sexual abuse - forcing someone to take part in sexual activity against their will
Psychological or emotional abuse - threatening, harassing or intimidating a person
Financial abuse - the wrongful use of another person's assets or denying a person the use of their own assets
Use of constraints or restrictive practices outside of clinical recommendations and parameters in relevant plans
Legal or civil abuse - unfair legal action initiated with selfish or malicious intent
Systemic abuse – where a system enables or encourages abuse
Types of neglect may include:
Physical neglect - failure to provide adequate food, shelter, clothing and protection. Supervision medical or dental care that places people at undue risk through unsafe environments or practices
Passive neglect - withholding or failure to provide the necessities of life
Willful deprivation - willfully denying a person assistance and thereby exposing that person to the risk of physical, mental or emotional harm
Emotional neglect - restricting the social, intellectual and emotional growth or well-being of a person
As an organisation Suitsme is committed to acting on:
Anything that makes a person with disability be or feel unsafe
Anything that doesn’t support a person’s human rights
Anything that we could be doing better
Suitsme fosters a culture where it is safe to report that abuse has occurred. This means that we protect the confidentiality of those who report, take all reports seriously and ensure a “no wrong door” approach to reporting.
If abuse or neglect is reported to a support worker, they must inform their manager immediately (within 1 hour of the client disclosing to them). Abuse or neglect are a serious incident and the worker must follow the incident management document.
Suitsme will refer any allegations of abuse, neglect or violence to the police. Suitsme will follow police advice regarding conducting their own investigation into the matter. Where the alleged perpetrator is a Suitsme staff member, Suitsme will conduct an internal investigation. Suitsme will use the following resource to guide any investigation into abuse and neglect: https://www.nds.org.au/images/resources/wa-safer-services/Investigations-Workbook.pdf
If you would like to know more about abuse and neglect and how to recognise that it is occurring you can learn more here, https://www.nds.org.au/resources/zero-tolerance
Incident Management - Guide for clients
What is an incident?
Safety of clients and staff is our top priority. The way we do things and the systems we use are designed with safety in mind. Despite this sometimes things happen, and client or staff safety is put at risk.
Some examples of incidents are:
A client falls over and scrapes their arm
A worker is in a car accident while travelling between clients
A client dies
A client is admitted to hospital
A client hurts a member of the public
Abuse or neglect of a client (see also Abuse and neglect – Zero tolerance)
A worker can’t find or contact a client
Someone threatens a worker or a client
Client has an open wound
Near misses are also incidents, for example:
A client falls over but is uninjured
A worker feels unsafe
A client tells a worker they feel suicidal
A client tells a worker things that do not reflect the worker’s experience of reality
What happens if an incident occurs?
The worker present will put submit an incident report via the app. If a serious incident (see below) has occurred, the worker will also contact Suitsme management as soon as possible.
The worker’s first priority is to ensure they are safe. Once they are safe, they will provide emotional support to you and support you to access the appropriate services (where required).
What happens next?
Once Suitsme receives the incident report, we will follow it up within one working day. This means Suitsme management will:
Follow the Abuse and neglect document if the incident relates to abuse or neglect of a client
Assign the incident to a specific person (usually a manager) to follow up
If an investigation is required, it will be done fairly
Communicate to anyone who was involved in the incident
Identify learnings from the incident and make improvements to reduce the risk of it happening again
Submit a Serious Incident Report within 7 days of the incident occurring (if required)
Collect de-identified data about the incident to monitor trends
How will I be supported aft an incident?
A manager from suitsme will get in touch with you to talk about the incident. They will ask you what support would be helpful for you. This could include:
Checking in and debriefing with you
Problem solving and brainstorming with you
Ensuring your medical needs are met
Linking you to services and resources that can assist you further
Ensuring you have appropriate support from suitsme staff
Talking to your family, carer or other supporters
Serious incident management
In the event of a serious or notifiable incident Suitsme will:
Follow the Incident management process outlined above
Report the incident to the Department of Communities: Disability Services Directorate within 7 days
Work with the Disability Services Directorate with any additional follow up required
A serious incident means one or more of the following:
The death of a person with a disability
Serious physical injury or psychological harm suffered by a person with disability
Abuse including physical, emotional, sexual, psychological, financial and neglect of a person with disability
The person is judged as posing a serious risk to the health, safety or welfare of themselves or others
Exploitation or unjustified restrictive practices used with a person with disability
An assault on staff or a visitor to the service by a person with disability.
Notifiable Incident: means any of the following:
The occurrence of a Serious Incident
Where a Service User causes or contributes to injury, illness or death of any person, or poses a serious risk to the health, safety or welfare of any person
Any referral of any matter or complaint regarding any Service User, the Services or the Service Provider generally, to any regulatory or investigative body
The charging of the Service Provider or an Associate with a criminal offence involving a sexual offence, dishonesty or breach of trust or which otherwise may result in imprisonment of that person
Serious verbal or written complaints received in relation to the Service or in relation to the Service Provider generally
The occurrence of any event which may cause adverse publicity including but not limited to if the Service Provider is contacted by the media for comment on any aspect of the Services or involving a Service User.
Positive behaviour support and eliminating restrictive practices
Suitsme does not support the implementation or continuation of restrictive practices. Suitsme promotes positive behaviour support as an alternative to restrictive practices.
Suitsme values the uniqueness of each individual and while Suitsme staff support clients to make positive change, we do not seek to impose change on clients. Suitsme staff are employed to work with clients towards the goals they identify, not to work on them. Suitsme staff will never attempt to coerce clients to change their behaviour through restrictive practices or otherwise.
What are restrictive practices?
Suitsme considers the following practices to be restrictive:
Seclusion - confining a person to a room or physical space, on their own and preventing them from leaving day or night.
Chemical - using medication or a chemical substance for the primary purpose of controlling a person’s behaviour. This does not include prescription medication used to treat illness or disease.
Mechanical - using a device to prevent, restrict or subdue a person’s movement or to control a person’s behaviour. This does not include devices used for therapeutic purposes.
Physical – using physical force to prevent, restrict or subdue a person from moving for the primary purpose of controlling a person’s behaviour. This does not include physical assistance or support related to duty of care or in activities of daily living.
Environmental - restricting a person’s free access to all parts of their environment. Example include physical barriers, locks, limiting use of personal items and limiting social engagement by failing to provide necessary supports.
Psychosocial - using power-control strategies that include but are not limited to: ignoring, withdrawing privileges or otherwise punishing as a consequence of non-cooperation. Understanding duty of care and dignity of risk will help you to avoid psychosocial restriction, we strongly suggest you watch this video to increase your understanding.
What is positive behaviour support?
Positive Behaviour Support is an evidence-based approach with a primary goal of increasing a person’s quality of life and a secondary goal of decreasing the frequency and severity of their “challenging behaviours”.
For Suitsme, we deliver positive behaviour support by maximising choice and control for clients. This means ensuring that clients have full control over who supports them, what they get support for and (perhaps most importantly) how they are supported.
What are “challenging behaviours”?
First up, Suitsme doesn’t really like this term, but it’s what is used in the literature so we’re going with it for now. . It’s a behaviour that someone else finds challenging to deal with. Some examples are aggression, shouting and ignoring. Suitsme views a “challenging behaviour” as a reasonable response to an unreasonable situation. They are a way that someone can tell those around them that something is not working for them.
To use an everyday example:
I get a bill from my phone company for services I never used. I call them to resolve the issue and after keeping me on hold for an hour, they transfer me between four different people, and I need to keep retelling my story. By the time I’m transferred to the fourth person I exhibit a “challenging behaviour” and yell at them. I didn’t intend to yell at them, I don’t want to be yelling, but this situation isn’t working for me and I don’t feel heard.
Have you ever exhibited “challenging behaviours”?
What do positive behaviour support, restrictive practices and challenging behaviours have to do with each other?
To put it simply, when someone’s behaviour is challenging there are two options. Either restrict the person so they can’t behave that way or support them in a positive way to change the behaviour. Let’s use the phone company example again:
I’ve yelled at this person, so now they have two options:
Which option would you prefer?
How does positive behaviour support work at Suitsme?
There are two broad ways Suitsme does this.
The first is in our day to day practice of providing choice and control. Clients and staff both have profiles on the app, this means each can make a choice about who they work with. We provide some hints on building your profile on the FAQ page. Suitsme also encourages clients to give guidance and feedback to workers and Suitsme.
If a worker finds client behaviour challenging, the worker should have an open and honest conversation with the client. This conversation should be framed as “this doesn’t seem to be working for you, what can I do differently?”. The worker must be prepared to either change the way they support the client, or to stop working with them.
If a client is not happy with how a worker is supporting them, they should let the staff member or Suitsme know. If the staff member doesn’t change, the client may choose to stop working with them.
Suitsme management are able to assist clients and workers with these conversations.
The second is a more formal approach. Some clients will have funding in their NDIS plan specifically for positive behaviour support. In this situation a psychologist (or some other expert) will work with the client to create a positive support plan. If you are a client and you have a positive behaviour support plan, it would be very helpful for you to share it with Suitsme. We will ensure staff who support you have a copy and understand how to work with you.
How do restrictive practices work at Suitsme?
We don’t support restrictive practices.
Where a client is not able to be supported without the use of ongoing of restrictive practices, Suitsme management will discuss this with the client and their family and support them to transition to an alternative organisation.
Incidents
Sometimes a restrictive practice might be necessary in an emergency. An emergency means trying to save a person’s life, trying to stop a person from being injured or trying to stop other people being injured. This is considered an unplanned restrictive practice and is must be reported as a serious incident.
All incidents, including near misses and restrictive practices must be reported as per the Incident management document.
Involuntary Admission
If a client poses a serious risk to themselves or others Suitsme workers or management may initiate a process which results in a client being involuntarily admitted to hospital. In these cases, it is medical professionals who make this decision; Suitsme hands duty of care to the medical system, which has its own process to reduce restrictive practices.
If a client is admitted to hospital this must be reported as soon as it is safe to do so.
Staff Responsibilities
Suitsme monitors practice for effectiveness and this includes ensuring staff have adequate skills, knowledge and ability to meet the requirements. Suitsme management is responsible for scheduling roll out of development resources via the app and social media. This includes maintaining a register of development resources rolled out related to restrictive practices.
Reporting
More information
If you’ve found this interesting and want to know more, here are some resources we used when developing this document
Positive Behaviour Framework – Effective Service Design
What are Restrictive Practices and what service providers need to know
Code of Practice for the Elimination of Restrictive Practices
Privacy statement
Our Privacy, Confidentiality and Consent Document applies to all personal and sensitive information collected, received, or held by Suitsme about clients, job applicants, volunteers, contractors, and employees (for purposes unrelated to their employment agreement).
What information do we collect?
We will always notify you either at the time or before we collect information. We will only collect information that is necessary for, or directly related to, Suitsme’s work. Where information is collected for research and /or evaluation purposes, additional consents will be sought. Personal information will be collected from the individual directly (or if information is received by referrals, the information will be checked with the client). In addition, staff will only collect sensitive information with the individual’s informed consent.
Informed consent
Consent and confidentiality are fundamental rights that must be available to all people accessing services. Staff obtain informed consent before collecting information, disclosing personal information, or providing services.
To provide informed consent, clients need to understand:
what services Suitsme can provide
conditions for accessing Suitsme’s services, including client rights and responsibilities
how personal information is managed by Suitsme
the extent and limits of client confidentiality
the right to change and withdraw consent at any time, and the consequences of withdrawing consent
When do we use or disclose personal information?
Personal information about an individual that is collected for one purpose (e.g., engagement in a Suitsme program, making a complaint, or a job application) must not be used or disclosed for another purpose (e.g., soliciting donations), except when the individual would reasonably expect it or when they provide consent.
Disclosure of personal information about an individual is permitted when:
there is a serious and imminent threat to an individual’s or other’s life, health, or safety;
the disclosure is authorised or required by law (please refer to Responding to Subpoenas and External Requests for Information); or
the disclosure relates to significant criminal behaviour, and is made to authorities with responsibility for dealing with such behaviour, and disclosure is not outweighed by other privacy principles;
When personal information is used or disclosed, in accordance with the above, a written note of the use or disclosure must be made in the individual’s record. Any staff member involved in making this disclosure will not make the decision to do so alone, but will liaise with their line manager, on-call or other senior staff member.
Access to personal information
Suitsme provides access to an individual’s personal information, on request, unless an exception applies. Suitsme must be satisfied that a request for personal information is made by the individual concerned, or by another person who is authorised to make a request on their behalf (e.g. a legal guardian or authorised agent).
All requests to access personal information will be responded to within 30 calendar days of receiving the request. If there is a delay for any reason, Suitsme must contact the individual to explain the delay and provide an expected timeframe for finalising the request.
In some cases, Suitsme may decline access to information as outlined in The Australian Privacy Principles. In these cases, Suitsme must provide the individual with a written notice that sets out the reasons for the refusal and the complaint mechanisms available to the individual.
How you can complain about a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles
We are committed to protecting your privacy and upholding the Australian Privacy Principles. If you believe we have breached the Australian Privacy Principles, please contact us with your concerns, using the contact details below.
We take all complaints very seriously and we will endeavour to respond to your complaint and address your concerns as soon as possible.
How you can provide feedback or comments on this policy
If you have some questions or feedback about our Privacy Policy Statement or anything you have seen or read at Suitsme, please contact hello@suitsme.app. We will endeavour to respond to your feedback as soon as possible.
Privacy, confidentiality and informed consent
Privacy
This document outlines how Suitsme manages personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act, 13 Australian Privacy Principles, and Notifiable Data Breach Scheme.
This procedure applies to all personal and sensitive information collected, received, or held by Suitsme about clients, donors, job applicants, volunteers, contractors, and employees (for purposes unrelated to their employment agreement).
Confidentiality and Informed Consent
This procedure outlines the process of providing information for individuals about service options and disclosure of personal information, and the extent and limits of confidentiality, so they can make informed decisions in their interest.
Privacy - Australian Privacy Principles
The Privacy Act, which contains 13 Australian Privacy Principles, regulates how personal information must be managed to protect an individual’s privacy. Suitsme complies with these in the following ways.
Open and transparent management of personal information; Suitsme manages personal information in an open and transparent way by having:
Procedures and systems that enable compliance with the Australian Privacy Principles
A readily available Privacy Statement on Suitsme’s website, in client welcome packs that clearly outlines the kinds of information Suitsme collects, how we collect the information, and the purposes for collecting the information.
Anonymity and pseudonymity
Whenever it is lawful and practical, individuals must be given the option of not identifying themselves while dealing with Suitsme. Options for anonymity include using an alias.
Collection of personal information
Personal information is primarily collected via the App. There is limited scope for staff to collect personal information other than information input into the app by a client. Staff must only collect personal information that is necessary for, or directly related to, Suitsme’s work. Where information is collected for research and /or evaluation purposes additional consents will be sought. Personal information will be collected from the individual directly (or if information is received by referrals, the information will be checked with the client). In addition, staff will only collect sensitive information with the individual’s informed consent.
Unsolicited personal information
When Suitsme receives unsolicited personal information, the staff member who receives the information must decide whether the information is necessary for, or directly related to, Suitsme’s work. If the information could have been collected as part of Suitsme’s core work, the other privacy principles apply to that personal information. If the information couldn't have been collected under Suitsme’s normal work, then steps must be taken to either destroy the information or de-identify it so that it no longer contains personal information, unless the information is contained in a Commonwealth record.
Notification of the collection of personal information
Either at the time or before Suitsme collects information, staff must ensure that the individual is aware that Suitsme collects personal information about them. All client referral/assessments, recruitment advertisements, and Suitsme’s website must notify individuals that Suitsme collects personal information.
Use or disclosure of personal information
Personal information about an individual that is collected for one purpose (e.g. engagement with Suitsme, making a complaint, or a job application) must not be used or disclosed for another purpose (e.g., soliciting donations), except when the individual would reasonably expect it or when they provide consent. Disclosure of personal information about an individual is permitted when:
There is a serious and imminent threat to an individual’s or other’s life, health, or safety
The disclosure is authorised or required by law
The disclosure relates to significant criminal behaviour, and is made to authorities with responsibility for dealing with such behaviour, and disclosure is not outweighed by other privacy principles
When personal information is used or disclosed, in accordance with the above, a written note of the use or disclosure must be made in the individual’s record. Any staff member involved in making this disclosure should not make the decision to do so alone, but should liaise with their line manager, on-call or other senior staff member.
Adoption, use, or disclosure of government-related identifiers
Suitsme uses government-related identifiers (e.g., driver license, passport) to confirm the identity of prospective employees. This personal information is handled in accordance with the other privacy principles.
Quality of personal information
Suitsme must take reasonable steps to ensure that all personal information it holds is accurate, up-to-date, and complete. Regular client file audits and personnel record checks assist Suitsme to meet this requirement.
All staff are responsible for updating the records they maintain to reflect changes. If some personal information is likely to change regularly, staff must check the records periodically to ensure that they are accurate, up-to-date, and complete.
Where a worker identifies client records that require update, they will request that the client updates this in the App. If this is not practicable, workers will report the record to their manager.
Security of personal information
Suitsme takes reasonable steps to protect personal information from:
Misuse, interference, and loss
Unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure.
Suitsme takes reasonable steps to de-identify or destroy personal information when:
It is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was collected and allowed to be used or disclosed
The information is not contained in a Commonwealth record
Suitsme is not legally required to retain the information.
To ensure the security of personal information:
Client and personnel records and other forms of personal information must only be accessed by authorised staff who require access for their duties.
Unauthorised access may result in termination of employment with suitme. It may constitute a Notifiable Data Breach that has legal implications.
All records containing personal information must be destroyed securely or de-identified in accordance with the Record Retention and Disposal Schedule
Access to personal information
Suitsme provides access to an individual’s personal information, on request, unless an exception applies (as outlined below)
Verify identity
Suitsme must be satisfied that a request for personal information is made by the individual concerned, or by another person who is authorised to make a request on their behalf (e.g. a legal guardian or authorised agent). If Suitsme gives access to the personal information of another person, this could constitute an unauthorised breach of privacy.
Timely response
While in practice it is likely to be much quicker, Suitsme must respond to a request for access within 30 calendar days of receipt of the request. Suitsme must respond by giving access to the requested information, or by notifying refusal to give access. If there is a justifiable reason for delay (e.g. need to clarify scope of request, or to locate and assemble the requested information, or to consult a third party), Suitsme must contact the individual to explain the delay and provide an expected timeframe for finalising the request.
Exceptions to requests for access
The Australian Privacy Principles outline circumstances when a request for access can be declined, including when:
the information relates to a current or former employment relationship or the individual’s employee record;
the information relates to existing or anticipated legal proceedings between the organisation and the individual, and would not be accessible by the process of discovery in those proceedings
giving access would reveal the intentions of the organisation in relation to negotiations with the individual in such a way as to prejudice those negotiations
giving access would have an unreasonable impact on the privacy of other individuals
giving access would pose a serious threat to the life, health or safety of any individual, or to public health or public safety.
If a decision to refuse access is made, suitme must provide the individual with a written notice that sets out the reasons for the refusal and the complaint mechanisms available to the individual. The individual may have a right to complain to the Information Commissioner under the Privacy Act. After investigation, the Commissioner may determine that Suitsme failed to comply with Australian Privacy Principles and require that Suitsme give access.
Method of access
Suitsme must give access to personal information in the manner requested by the
individual if it is reasonable and practical to do so. The manner of access may include by email, phone, in person, hard copy, or electronic record.
Correction of personal information
Suitsme must take reasonable steps to correct personal information it holds about an individual if the individual requests that it be corrected. When personal information is used or disclosed, staff may need to correct it before use or disclosure if it is satisfied the information is inaccurate, out-of-date, incomplete, irrelevant, or misleading.
Direct Marketing
Suitsme will only use or disclose an individual’s personal details for direct marketing when:
Suitsme collected the personal information directly from the individual and the individual would reasonably expect their personal information to be used or disclosed for direct marketing
the individual has consented to their personal information being used or disclosed for direct marketing or
it is impractical to get the individual’s consent to their personal information being used or disclosed for direct marketing
When Suitsme uses or discloses an individual’s personal information for direct marketing, Suitsme will:
Provide the individual with a simple means of opting out of future direct marketing communications
Give the individual information about how to opt out in each direct marketing communication (such as by including an obvious statement in the marketing material)
If requested, stop using or disclosing an individual’s personal information for direct marketing within 30 days of the individual making the request, and
If requested, tell the individual where you got their personal information from (unless this is not reasonable or practical). You must provide the individual with a response within a reasonable period of time – generally within 30 days of the request
Where Suitsme utilises a form of direct messaging (such as text or email) for direct marketing, Suitsme will ensure compliance with the Spam Act. This will include;
Obtaining the individual’s consent prior to sending
Clearly identifying Suitsme as the sender
Including a clear unsubscribe option
Cross-border disclosure of personal information
Suitsme does not disclose information to any overseas recipient
Privacy – data breaches
What is a data breach?
A data breach occurs when personal information held by Suitsme is lost or accessed or disclosed by an unauthorised person or in an unauthorised manner. A data breach may be caused by malicious action (by an external or internal party), human error, or a failure in information handling or security systems.
Examples of data breaches include:
Loss or theft of physical devices that contain personal information (e.g. laptops)
Unauthorised access to personal information by an employee
Inadvertent disclosure of personal information due to human error, e.g.an email sent to the wrong person
Disclosure of an individual’s personal information to a scammer, due to in adequate identity verification procedures
A data breach may result in serious harm to the individual whose personal information was breached. Examples of serious harm include:
Financial fraud including unauthorised credit card transactions or credit fraud
Identity theft causing financial loss or emotional and psychological harm
Physical harm or intimidation
What is a notifiable data breach?
The Notifiable Date Breach Scheme in Part IIIC of the Privacy Act requires Suitsme to notify affected individuals and the Privacy Commissioner when:
There is a data breach; and
The data breach is likely to result in serious harm to any of the individuals to whom the information relates; and
Suitsme has been unable to prevent the likely risk of serious harm with remedial action.
What to do if there is any breach of privacy or data breach
If any data breach occurs, it must be treated as a critical incident and escalated and investigated in accordance with Suitsme’s Risk Management process
The breach must be escalated to the CEO to ensure Suitsme can respond to the breach as required by the Privacy Act.
Informed consent
Consent and confidentiality are fundamental rights that must be available to all people accessing services. Suitsme obtains consent via the App before collecting information, disclosing personal information or providing services.
To provide informed consent, clients need to understand:
What services Suitsme can provide
Conditions for accessing Suitsme’s services, including client rights and responsibilities
How personal information is managed by Suitsme
The extent and limits of client confidentiality
The right to change and withdraw consent at any time, and
The consequences of withdrawing consent
Clients have a choice about whether to access Suitsme’s services. Without consent, Suitsme is not able to deliver services. Clients are encouraged to discuss with carers and other stakeholders prior to providing informed consent.
Clients must be provided with enough information to make an informed decision and must also be capable to do so. Capability to provide informed consent includes, for example, clients who do not have diminished capacity requiring a Guardian or Power of Attorney and must be over 18 years of age or assessed as a mature minor.
Consent for sharing information
Clients are provided with information about the how Suitsme manages information securely and the extent and limits of confidentiality.
Suitsme obtains written permission before any personal information is provided to or obtained from an external organisation, the public, a client’s carer or family member.
Extent and limits of client confidentiality
Clients are informed of the limits of confidentiality. Suitsme has a duty of care and in some cases a legal responsibility to inform relevant parties to ensure the safety and wellbeing of individuals and the public, as outlined under the Australian Privacy Principles
Mature minors and consent
Under the WA Mental Health Act 2014 a young person in Western Australia under the age of 18 years can be considered competent to provide their consent to be referred to and to participate in a mental health service.
The number of young people requiring such assessment by Suitsme is relatively small and the assessment, undertaken using the Gillick Principle, is considered a specific skill set. Suitsme recognise that to meet the requirements of all legislative and client expectations in this area, the assessment of a young person’s ability to make these decisions are largely subjective. Therefore, all such cases must be assessed and signed off by a manager.
In determining if a person aged 16 to 18 years of age can provide consent, managers need to consider:
The age of the child (anyone aged under 18 years is legally a child)
The child's history of making their own decisions
The length of time the child has been living independently (if applicable)
The child's cognitive functioning, i.e. presence or absence of any decision making or psychiatric impairment, or drug/alcohol use that may affect the child's ability to understand the implications/impact of decisions being made
The child's level of understanding of the matter and the likely consequences of any decisions made
What the child is consenting to (e.g. consenting to discuss their personal relationship problems versus to consenting to medical treatment or to live away from home).
Legal guardianship and consent
Some clients have an enduring power of attorney, enduring power of guardianship, or an administration order through the State Administrative Tribunal. Suitsme ask clients if this is the case on entry to a service, via the App.
If power of attorney or guardianship or administration order are identified, consent forms are required to be completed by the nominated guardian. Consent forms signed by clients on a Guardianship Order are not considered legal documents because the individual has been assessed as incapable of providing informed consent.
Definitions
Personal Information
Information about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable. Common examples are an individual’s name, signature, address, telephone number, date of birth, medical records, bank account details, and opinion about the individual (e.g., notes in staff or client records).
Sensitive Information
A type of personal information that includes information about an individual’s race or ethnic origin, political opinions, memberships of a political association, professional or trade association or trade union, religious or philosophical beliefs or affiliations, sexual orientation or practices, gender identity, genetic or biometric information, health information, and criminal record.
Informed Consent
The process for providing clear understandable information for individuals about service options and disclosure of information, so they can make decisions in their interest; obtaining permission before providing services or disclosing personal information; permission granted with full knowledge of possible risks and benefits.
Confidentiality
The legal and ethical obligation not to disclose information to a third party when that information has been provided in confidence.
Confidential information
Information about an individual that the individual can reasonably expect not to be disclosed and which has not already been made public.
Ceasing Services
I don’t want support from Suitsme anymore, what do I do?
We really hope that this is because you have achieved your goals and no longer require support.
If you are leaving Suitsme because you are unhappy with your services, we would love to talk to you so we can make things better. You can find out more about how to give feedback or make a complaint here.
Suitsme does not require a notice period if you wish to cease services. If you decide to leave Suitsme and change provider, then please contact Suitsme to let us know.
If you get a new plan and change provider:
If you change provider mid way through a plan:
You have a couple of options here
Using the App
These videos show you how to do things in the app
Setting up a client account
This video shows you how to set up a client account in the Suitsme app
Booking a worker
There are two ways to book a worker and this video shows you both of them.
Goals
This videos shows you how to add goals in the app
Recurring Bookings
This videos shows you how to book a worker to come at the same time/day every week.
Extra Features
This videos shows you a few extra features in the app
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