CALHN Disability Action and Inclusion Plan - Easy Read WORD version
DOCX 34 KB
Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN) acknowledges and respects
Aboriginal people as the State’s first people and recognises their traditional
relationship with Country.
We acknowledge that the spiritual, social, cultural and economic
practices of Aboriginal people come from their traditional lands and waters,
and that the cultural and heritage beliefs, languages and laws are still of
importance today.
The CALHN Disability Access and Inclusion Plan (DAIP) 2020 – 2024 is available on our corporate website https://centraladelaide.health.sa.gov.au/ and can be made available in other accessible formats and languages upon request.
You can contact us by emailing Health.IC_Correspondence@sa.gov.au
It is with great pleasure that I present the Central Adelaide Local Health Network’s Disability Access and Inclusion Plan (DAIP) for 2020 – 2024.
Our Plan is part of the broader South Australian Government’s agenda to improve the lives of people living with disability and moves us closer to a fully inclusive society for all.
Our Plan outlines our commitments to identify and meet the needs of people with disability, builds on our previous work undertaken, and describes what we will do to ensure that people living with disability have the same opportunities as others to access and be included in health services.
To achieve these five key themes have been developed and consulted on, they are:
Our Plan articulates strategies and actions to achieve this to guide and foster a genuinely inclusive environment for all of our consumers, their carers, families and our staff.
We will hold ourselves accountable for ensuring that people living with disability who use our services are engaged in developing our policies, procedures and services, and have equal access to our services and programs.
There are great benefits that come with genuine inclusivity. We recognise that full inclusion of people with disability in both our health services and the community will require a shift in culture and attitudes.
Key to the development of this Plan was consultation with people living with disability, their carers and families and CALHN staff to identify opportunities to create a more inclusive health service experience. The principles, strategies and actions for disability inclusion in this Plan are intended to enhance the whole health system and improve our commitment to person centred care.
We will monitor our progress against this Plan and continue to identify ways of ensuring our commitment to create a supportive and inclusive environment for all. I encourage you to read the Plan and actively work together towards progressing better access and inclusion in our workplaces and services.
Lesley Dwyer
Chief Executive Officer
Central Adelaide Local Health Network
The Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN) provides care for more than 495,000 people living in the central Adelaide metropolitan region and a significant number of others from rural, remote, interstate and overseas locations who access the Network’s highly specialised, Statewide services.
The Network brings together the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) as a major quaternary facility, TQEH as a general hospital, Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre (HRC) and St Margaret’s Hospital (SMRH), and Glenside Hospital for acute and community mental health rehabilitation, and a number of intermediate health services focusing on providing safe care in the community, supporting hospital avoidance and hospital substitution.
CALHN also governs a number of Statewide services including SA Dental Service (SADS), SA Prison Health Service (SAPHS), SA Cancer Service (SACS), DonateLife SA (DLSA), and Statewide Clinical Support Services incorporating BreastScreen SA (BSSA), SA Pathology, SA Medical Imaging (SAMI) and SA Pharmacy.
CALHN has more than 11,750 skilled staff who provide high quality patient care, education, research and health promotion services.
As of August 2020, 0.84% of the total CALHN workforce had a declared disability.
Note: This number will differ from the number used to derive the % of employees who have declared a disability because the reported number will include employees irrespective of having had worked in the last reporting period, irrespective of appointment types and declared absences.
We are committed to workforce diversity and reducing the barriers that prevent full participation at work for people with disability through ensuring an accessible workplace and technologies.
Our vision is to shape the future of health with world-class care and world-class research and to be one of the top 5 performing health services in Australia and one of the top 50 health services in the world within five years. Upholding the rights of people living with disability to access quality health care will help CALHN to provide a more include service for people living with disability.
Our Plan describes the strategies and actions that we will put in place to ensure that people living with disability have the same opportunities as others to be included in quality services, events, information, buildings and facilities, consultation, complaints processes and employment, and includes input from CALHN consumers who live with disability as well as their carers.
We are committed to building on the work we have already undertaken and will actively work together to foster a genuinely inclusive environment for all of our patients, their families and our staff.
The Disability Inclusion Act 2018 (SA) supports the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) acknowledging that people living with disability have the same human rights as other members of the community.
Our DAIP sets out the actions we will take over the next four years to achieve a more inclusive Local Health Network. Our actions align to the key themes and priorities in the State Disability Inclusion Plan.
The Disability Inclusion Act 2018 (SA) defines disability in relation to a person as including long-term physical, psychosocial, intellectual, cognitive, neurological or sensory impairment, or a combination of any of these impairments, which in interaction with various barriers may hinder the person’s full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.
The Disability Inclusion Bill 2018 is explicit in describing community and service responsibilities in addition to content of a DAIP.
The Bill is “An Act to promote the full inclusion in the community of people living with disability; to assist people living with disability to achieve their full potential as equal citizens; to promote improved access to mainstream supports and services by people living with disability”. It further notes its intent “to provide for responsibilities of the state during and following the transition to the National Disability Insurance Scheme“. (SA Disability and Inclusion Bill 2018, Pg1)
Core to implementing and leading the CALHN DAIP will be how consumers and staff who live with disability are included and partnered with. Once consumers endorse the Plan, each service and division within CALHN will be responsible for implementing and evaluating their actions.
CALHN’s DAIP explicitly details the role of leadership and staff. Leadership is important to increase understanding of the intent of the plan, actions to be undertaken and service planning to ensure high quality responsive services.
The eight National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (NSQHSS) are a nationally regulated framework of standards developed by the Australian Council of Healthcare Standards (ACHS). ACHS drives the implementation of safety and quality systems, and improves the quality of health care in Australia.
The eight NSQHS that inform and guide the work of CALHN’s services are:
Ensuring that the rights of all people, including those who live with disability, is the responsibility of the whole community and requires a statewide response.
People who live with one or more disabilities should be able to access and participate in all aspects of our society, including using mainstream services and programs. Most people take the ability to go about daily life for granted.
Social inclusion is also fundamental to one’s quality of life and critical to achieving positive life outcomes across all domains.
CALHN is committed to the implementation of this DAIP and is dedicated to supporting people who live with disabilities. It does this by promoting the Network as disability-friendly, improving physical access to buildings and facilities for people with disability, and improving disability awareness and understanding among staff, consumers and volunteers.
The CALHN Executive Quality Governance Committee will monitor progress of CALHN DAIP 2020 - 2024. An annual report will be provided to the Chief Executive, Department of Human Services.
Social inclusion is a priority for people living with disability as it affects all aspects of their lives. It is our aim that the contributions and rights of people living with disability are valued and understood by all South Australians and that their rights are promoted, upheld and protected. We also want to ensure that people living with disability are supported to advocate for their own rights.
CALHN will support social inclusion and promote and uphold the rights of people with disability through the following actions:
Measureable target
People living with disability want to have a greater role in leading and contributing to government and community decision-making. It is our aim that the perspectives of people living with disability are actively sought and that they are supported to participate meaningfully in government and community consultation and engagement activities.
CALHN will support people with disability to have a greater role in influencing government and community decision making and participating in consultation through the following actions:
CALHN maintains and enhances positive relationships with disability service providers, NGOs, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services and CALD community organisations facilitating streamlining of services and reduction of barriers.
Relationships strengthened with disability service providers, NGOs, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services and CALD community organisations
Care plans demonstrate clinician engagement in processes and systems that support services to patients with disability.
The CALHN NDIS and Disability Governance Committee establishes engagement and consultation mechanisms with all disability groups for participation in decision making of development, implementation and review processes.
The accessibility of the built environment, quality services and information are key to ensuring people living with disability are included and have the opportunity to equally participate in all aspects of community life. It is our aim to increase accessibility to public and community infrastructure, transport, services, information, sport and recreation and the greater community.
CALHN will help increase access to its buildings and services through the following actions:
Information is developed for the CALHN website and intranet on access to facilities and prominently featured on the CALHN home page.
[NSQHS Standard 2]
Consumers and carers, review consumer information sheets and marketing
material in a variety of formats, for accessibility and representation of
people who live with a range of disabilities.
All publications, information and marketing material use inclusive language, correct symbols and access information and where possible assistive technologies are utilised.
Information about how to request information in alternative formats is included in core business/templates and website.
Consumers, carers, family members and CALHN staff report increased access and participation.
Staff are educated
and resources readily available on how to book an AUSLAN interpreter for
patients and/or their carers.
Workforce participation is fundamental to social inclusion. It provides economic independence and choice, social connections and friendships, value, identity and belonging. It is our aim that people living with disability have access to inclusive places of study and that education and training provides pathways to meaningful and inclusive employment and volunteering opportunities.
CALHN will undertake the following actions to foster learning and employment opportunities for people with disability:
Create a support system for workers with disabilities.
Education is
available to supervisors, managers and Human resources staff to provide support
to staff when matters are raised.
Involving consumers, carers and families in decisions about their care is fundamental to patient engagement and improved health outcomes. The NSQHSS provide a framework for this work and Standard 2.6 notes: CALHN has processes in place for clinicians to partner with patients and/or their substitute decision maker to plan, communicate, set goals and make decisions about their current and future care.
Consumers and carers understand how they can be involved in the comprehensive care plan
Fact sheets to access services on discharge to inform consumers are developed.
The CALHN DAIP 2020 – 2024 incorporates feedback and recommendations from CALHN staff, the South Australian community, people living with disability and carers, our stakeholders and partners.
Our DAIP is available on our corporate website https://centraladelaide.health.sa.gov.au/ and promoted via social media.
We would like to thank the many people who
have contributed to the development of this plan including the consumers and
carers who generously gave their time.
COMMONWEALTH: The government of the Commonwealth of Australia – commonly referred to as the Australian Government or the Federal Government.
DAIP: Disability Action and Inclusion Plan prepared by State authorities for their own agency, department or council area.
DHS: The South Australian Department of Human Services.
INCLUSION /INCLUSIVE: Enabling the involvement of people living with disability in everyday activities, the same as people living without disability. This includes other groups including older persons Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people, people with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, LGBTIQA.
NDIA: National Disability Insurance Agency
NDIS: National Disability Insurance Scheme is an insurance support scheme of the Australian Government that funds costs associated with disability. The scheme was legislated in 2013 and went into full operation in 2020. The scheme is administered by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).
NSQHSS: National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards are a nationally regulated framework of standards developed by the Australian Council of Healthcare Standards (ACHS) that drive the implementation of safety and quality systems and improve the quality of health care in Australia.
STATE AUTHORITY: As defined in the Disability Inclusion Act 2018: and administrative unit (within the meaning of the Public Sector Act 2009 (SA), or local council established under Local Government Act 1999 (SA).
THE STATE PLAN: Inclusive SA: State Disability Inclusion Plan 2019 - 2023
UNCRPD: The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – the convention is a human rights treaty that aims to change attitudes and approaches to people living with disability
UNIVERSAL DESIGN: Universal design involves creating facilities, built environments, products and services that can be used by people of all abilities, to the greatest extent possible, without adaptations.