service agreement Archives - Lifebridge Australia

Public Holidays and Cancelation of Service

Ariel Hameiri — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 20:02:57 +0000

When it comes to Public Holidays and the provision of support, there is still a little bit of confusion as to how it all works. The following information seeks to clarify any confusion. We have also included below the public holiday dates for the rest of the year for your information.

Aged Care Services

Aged Care Services group programs do not operate on public holidays.
All Aged Care Commonwealth Home Support Services including flexible respite, social support and domestic assistance are cancelled on public holidays.
Home Care Package customers can request in-home support services on a public holiday however, these need to be negotiated.

Disability Services

Disability Services group programs do not operate on public holidays.
The Children’s Respite House and Coral Fern Accommodation houses still operate on a public holiday.
Individual service or holiday group activities can be negotiated within NDIS plans during service agreement meetings if budget permits.

It is important that any organised services that fall on a public holiday are confirmed with a Lifebridge Support Coordinator. If you have any further questions regarding public holidays and the provision of service, please do not hesitate to contact us.

CANCELATION OF LIFEBRIDGE SERVICES

If you wish to cancel a Lifebridge service on either a permanent or temporary basis you are to advise the office before 4pm the day prior to the service being undertaken. When the cancellation is temporary, please provide the details of the length of cancellation and the date for service to be recommenced.

Please note in line with the SCHADS Modern Award 2010, we are required to pay our staff for late cancellations. A Lifebridge Support Coordinator will assess when you will be charged late cancellation fee based on the circumstances of cancellation.

As outlined in our service agreements and in line with NDIS guidelines, Lifebridge can charge up to 8 times the cost of service if 24 hours’ notice is not provided.

The post Public Holidays and Cancelation of Service appeared first on Lifebridge Australia.

Changes to Lifebridge Service Agreements

Ariel Hameiri — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 00:12:18 +0000

Under the NDIS the relationship between time required and funding is ever more important. This fine line determines what is feasible and what isn’t. As some of you may be aware, in the beginning Lifebridge offered Service Agreements less than a six-month duration. What we’ve discovered however, is that the amount of unfunded time required, makes this unfeasible.

As of February 1, 2018, Lifebridge will only offer a minimum Service Agreement length of six months and from July 1, 2018, Lifebridge will only offer a minimum Service Agreement length of twelve months.

Please note, that the duration of the Service Agreement doesn’t impact your right to have choice. There is a clause in the Service Agreement that allows both, participants and Lifebridge to evoke a four-week notice period to end a Service Agreement. This is still an option for both parties.

By increasing the length of Service Agreements, Lifebridge will be able to focus on delivering supports that are beneficial to all involved.

For customers who already have a Service Agreement in place, this is still valid, and the changes will only take place when your current Service Agreement expires.

If you have any questions or concerns about the change to Service Agreements, please contact Lifebridge on 1800 043 186.

The post Changes to Lifebridge Service Agreements appeared first on Lifebridge Australia.

You’ve got your NDIS Plan, what now?

Ariel Hameiri — Mon, 12 Feb 2018 04:23:41 +0000

Starting your Plan

You’ve just received your NDIS approved plan, so what do you do now? Once your plan has been approved it’s time to begin implementation. But how?

Depending on your situation, there are a number of people who can assist you with implementing your plan and help you to start receiving your supports.

If you are self-managed, you can commence your plan by yourself. Self-managed means you have choice and control over your funds, including paying for supports from service providers. You can begin by contacting your preferred service providers and discussing service areas and supports.

Participants can also work with Local Area Coordinators (LAC). The LAC will aid in setting up your plan and should be the first point of contact. If you have Support Coordination in your NDIS Plan you may also seek assistance from existing service provider relationships and Early Childhood Partners.

Remember you can choose the providers you want to deliver the supports you need. It is also important to note that Service Providers also have choice in how they deliver supports and can say no if it falls outside of their scope. Make sure you are clear on your expectations up front.

Whether you are a Self-Managed participant or not, there are a couple of initial steps we recommend before you start using your plan. These steps will ensure you are getting the most out of it.

Make sure you understand your plan

Understand your plan. Where you are unsure of some of the details, it’s important you ask your LAC for clarification. When you understand your plan, you can then commence its implementation. It’s important to note, that your plan is considered ‘active’ from the day it is approved. This is detailed on the front of your plan. Any existing funding will cease from this date.

Manage your plan online

Participants can view and manage their plan, via the ‘myplace’ website. To access the portal, you will need a myGov account. From here you can link to myplace. Details to ‘myplace’ are included in the letter sent with your plan. Note, the letter includes an activation code that will expire after 10 days. If your code has expired, you will need to contact your planner.

Now that you understand your plan and have your accounts set-up it’s time to being speaking with the people who can support you. These people are either a LAC, a Support Coordinator (if Support Coordination is included in your plan) or your existing provider relationships.

Contacting providers

Your LAC or Support Coordinator can assist you with contacting service providers to set up your services and supports. If you want to continue using your existing service provider, you will need to let them know that you have an approved NDIS plan, so they can set up a Service Agreement.

Once you have chosen the provider(s) that you want to deliver service it’s time to enter into an agreement.

Enter into a Service Agreement with preferred service providers

Once you have chosen a provider, you will need to sign a Service Agreement with them. Detailed in your Service Agreement will be the expectations of both you and your provider. It will also outline the terms and conditions of your agreement. In conjunction with the Service Agreement, you will be provided with a Schedule of Supports. This Schedule of Supports will detail how your supports/ services will be delivered. Once you’ve signed a Service Agreement, you can start receiving your NDIS supports.

What is a NDIS Service Agreement and what is its purpose?

Ariel Hameiri — Mon, 12 Feb 2018 04:18:30 +0000

Once you have received your NDIS Plan, you will need to choose your preferred service provider or providers to deliver the supports as detailed in your Plan. A Service Agreement is a written agreement (contract) that exists between you and your provider of choice. Each provider you agree to receive support from will need to provide you with their own Service Agreement.

The purpose of a Service Agreement is to provide a set of rules that you and the provider will adhere to. A schedule of supports should also be attached which will detail the delivery of your supports in accordance with the goals and allocation of funding as outlined in your NDIS Plan.

Service Agreements will vary between each provider, however, there is some key information you should look for in your agreement.

You and your service provider’s details
You and your provider’s responsibilities
Supports that will be provided and at what cost
How long the supports are to be provided
How to change or end the agreement

Remember a Service Agreement is different from your NDIS Plan and when speaking with Providers about the supports you require you should always take your NDIS Plan. This will help the provider to determine which supports they are able deliver and in the right way.

As a recipient, you have choice and control in the delivery of your supports. This means who provides these supports and how they are delivered. The provider also has choice in how they deliver supports. While there may be some flexibility with the provider as to how each support is delivered, it is also highly likely there will be boundaries surrounding what they can and can’t deliver as well. Each provider can say they are unable to deliver a support if it falls outside of their scope.

It is important that if you are unclear of the details included in your Service Agreement that you do not sign this document. Note, service to a participant can only commence once a Service Agreement is signed. If you have questions about your Service Agreement, query these with your provider for clarify and only sign if you are in agreement.

For more information about Service Agreements, contact Lifebridge on 1800 043 186.

Things you need to know about a NDIS Service Agreement

Ariel Hameiri — Mon, 12 Feb 2018 03:48:11 +0000

Before you can begin receiving supports from a Service Provider, you will need to set up a Service Agreement with them. The Service Agreement will outline the supports the provider will deliver and how they will deliver those supports. This is commonly referred to as a Schedule of Supports. In a Schedule of Supports it will also outline the prices of the services you’ve chosen and the part of your NDIS Plan in which funding will be drawn from.

A Service Agreement is a written contract between you and the provider, so it’s important that you understand and are in agreement with all the details included. This means that both you and your provider have obligations and responsibilities to meet as part of this agreement.

At Lifebridge, we’re assisting people to transition to the NDIS every day. And when talking to participants about their Service Agreements, there are some common areas in which people tend to overlook, but are vitally important to understand.

To be as transparent as possible, we’ve outlined these below so you know what questions to ask, and what details to look out for.

Terms

In every Service Agreement, there are terms. These terms relate to a number of different areas, however, the one we would like to draw your attention to is, the terms of cancellation. Many participants don’t realise their obligation when they sign with a provider. Please check these when signing up for service. The terms in a Agreement are there to protect you, but also to protect the provider. If you feel the terms that are detailed are unfair, query them, and then decide if you would like to continue further with that provider.

Provider choice

Because you talk to one provider, doesn’t mean you have to receive all your supports from them. Not all Service Providers will be able to meet all your support needs, and not all providers may be able to meet all your needs to a standard you are comfortable with. As a participant under the NDIS you have choice in who you want to provide service and how. Each provide you agree to provide service will need to provide you with a Service Agreement.

Maintaining existing service

Even if you are an existing customer of a provider and you want to stay with that provider under the NDIS, you will still need to set up a Service Agreement with them. This is necessary, because your supports may have changed, funding changed, and the way in which the organisation operates may also have changed.

Schedule of Supports

Schedule of Supports can also be known as a quote, that is provided to you from the Service Provider you are considering. The Schedule of Supports will be different between each provider you engage with, so it’s important you understand what is detail in this document.

A good Schedule of Supports will offer transparency between the service, the cost and the hours of service able to be provided as well as indicating where the funding allocation against your NDIS Plan. At Lifebridge, we also detail where there are Non-NDIS Supports which are not covered by your funding so that you can make an informed decision whether these are supports that you would like to pursue.

Review thoroughly

Service Agreements between providers will vary and it is importantly if you are receiving services from multiple providers you know and understand the terms within each Agreement.

If you have any questions about a Service Agreement with Lifebridge contact 1800 043 186.

service agreement Archives - Lifebridge Australia

Public Holidays and Cancelation of Service

Changes to Lifebridge Service Agreements

You’ve got your NDIS Plan, what now?

You may also like to read

What is a Service Agreement and what is its purpose?

Things you need to know about a NDIS Service Agreement

What is a NDIS Service Agreement and what is its purpose?

You may also like to read

You’ve got your NDIS Plan, what now?

Things you need to know about a NDIS Service Agreement

Things you need to know about a NDIS Service Agreement

You may also like to read

What is a Service Agreement and what is its purpose?

You’ve got your NDIS Plan, what now?