Client’s Rights and Responsibilities

The Italian Day Centre Committee shall ensure that their main responsibilities are that the rights and responsibilities of consumers are respecting those rights as set out in the “ Rights and Responsibilities for Home and Community Care Program Service Users” brochure.

Services funded by the Home and Community Care (HACC) Program are required by government to maintain certain Standards in order to provide quality care. The Rights and Responsibilities described in the booklet are all related to those Standards. The Management Committee shall ensure clients using HACC services have a number of rights as a service user, and also responsibilities, and, in addition that staff and volunteers have a responsibility to the clients in providing appropriate care.

Your Rights as a HACC Service User:

• The Right to be treated with respect and courtesy. Service Providers must respect your ideas and the decisions you make about your life. They should listen to what you have to say, and are expected to show courtesy in their behaviours to you

• The Right to be informed and to be consulted. As a client you have the right to be informed about the service available to you and about your rights as a service consumer.

• The Right to be part of decisions about your care. You have the right to remain in control of the care you receive by being part of the decisions made about the services provided to you.

• The Right to receive quality service. An agency needs to inform you about what services it can and cannot provide. You have the right to receive a planned and reliable service.

• Access. The Right to privacy and confidentiality. You have the right to confidentiality and privacy, and to obtain information held about you on agency files.

• The Right to an advocate. Everyone has basic rights as Australian citizens and these include expressing your views. It can be helpful to have family or friends to speak on your behalf, or agencies whose role it is to advise people about their rights and responsibilities when receiving services, and to act on your behalf with services providers.

• The Right to make a complaint. As someone using services funded by HACC, you have the right to give honest feedback about the service you are receiving without fear of losing the services, or having it reduced.

Your responsibilities as a HACC Service User:
HACC services ask their consumers to:

• Treat staff with respect and courtesy.

• Provide a safe work environment for staff and help them to provide you with services safely.

• Take responsibility for the results of any decisions which you make with staff about your care.

• Further information about your rights and responsibilities, including questions you might ask the Italian Day Centre staff, are outlined in the HACC Rights and Responsibilities booklet. This booklet is available from the Coordinator or staff at the Italian Day Centre.