Best Care. Every Participant. Every Time.

People: We all have a role to play 

• We are all responsible for providing an experience that is safe, effective, caring and connected for every participant, every time. 

• Our Executive team, managers, direct and indirect care staff, including volunteers are supported and responsible for creating and contributing to Best Care. 

• Our systems and practices protect our people and participants to deliver better outcomes. If we see something wrong, we speak up. 

• Teams will be supported to implement organisation-wide strategies to achieve Best Care goals, and develop local ideas and improvements to achieve an exceptional experience for participants. 

• The Executive will support achievement of the goals by implementing and strengthening our systems, working in partnership with participants, managers and staff, seeking input and advice from the community, and leading and monitoring progress. 

• Participants, family and our communities draw on their care experience and knowledge to help deliver Best Care. 

As participants, family members and communities we will: 

• participate in our own care to the extent we wish, or is possible, and behave in a way that respects caregivers and prevents harm 

• participate in systems for improvement through representation on governance committees, in planning, review and in opportunities for service improvement, and 

• provide feedback and experience stories to stimulate change and improvement. 

Staff and volunteers: 

Staff and volunteers at the point of care often have the greatest direct impact on a participant experience. However, we all shape the quality of that experience, whether we work in a clinical or non-clinical role, delivering care or supporting care. As part of the workforce providing or supporting Best Care, we will: 

• Perform our work in ways that support a Best Care experience for every participant, every time 

• support those we work with to provide Best Care 

• develop decision-making and resilience skills to high level of competence and maintain that competency 

• actively monitor and engage in improving our own performance and contribute to delivering Best Care 

• work as part of a coordinated team and positively contribute to a culture of safety, transparency, teamwork and collaboration 

• communicate effectively in the best interests of our patients and speak up for the safety of participants and colleagues 

• model positive and empathetic behaviours, and use the improvement cycle and tools to monitor and enhance our care and services. 

• Our participants experience a coordinated transition between services, including effective and appropriate sharing of information to support continuity of care. 

Leaders and managers:

Leaders and managers guide, promote and embed Best Care in our services. As managers we will: 

• Lead and develop our culture and practices to embed Best Care in business as usual 

• Contribute to and provide a safe work environment for staff and participants that supports a culture of safety, transparency, collaboration and teamwork 

• Support and develop staff to pursue and achieve Best Care goals by sharing information, feedback and learnings from Participant incidents and contemporary evidence, and taking action to improve and embed new practices as required 

• Set clear role expectations for staff and model behaviour to support Best Care 

• Monitor and respond to implementation progress 

• Actively manage risks identified for each Best Care goal 

• Provide meaningful performance data and feedback to staff and relevant governance committees, and be actively engaged to identify and implement actions to improve 

• Use the improvement cycle and tools to monitor and enhance care and services to achieve a Best Care experience for every participant.

Pillars: The systems that support us 

Providing participant-centred, high quality care and services at point of care requires a solid foundation of robust governance and organisational systems. The Executive, senior leaders and managers will ensure that robust systems are in place to support staff to provide Best Care for every participant, every time.

The four pillars that support the delivery of Best Care are: 

• Partnering with participants and the community 

• Leading well

• Positive people and practice

• Pursuing high performance

Many standards, activities and measures are already in place and contributing to achieving Best Care, and these will only require linking to the corresponding Policies and Procedures for ongoing and regular maintenance and monitoring of Best Care goals. Other systems are in place but not yet effective contributors to achieving Best Care and these components will require review and enhancement. New strategies and measures will also be developed and implemented where gaps are identified. Actions to achieve Best Care goals will be incorporated into our strategic planning to identify annual priorities for organisation-wide strategies as well as measures necessary to implement, support and track Best Care activities.

Partnering with NDIS, Support Co-ordinators, Participants and the community:

• Participant rights and responsibilities are known and supported.

• Participant feedback informs service improvement and the pursuit of Best Care goals.

• Care and governance policies and processes support a staff and community partnership approach to care planning, delivery and service improvement.

• Victorian Specialist Support Services works with the community and stakeholders to identify and respond to expectations.