As a solo worker in the disability sector, you face challenges everyday, some of them are unavoidable. But you do have the power to increase your safety and prioritise your biggest asset to your small business - YOU.
Risk management is the process of identifying, assessing, and controlling risks. It needs to be preemptive and address not only potential hazards but current and future risks. Good practice not only includes your customers but you as well.
The NDIS Commission expects that every NDIS provider has an obligation under the NDIS code of conduct to:
- Provide support and services that are in a safe and capable manner.
- Operate well managed risk plans.
- Effective complaints and resolutions policy.
- Incident management system.
Registered providers:
There are several types of providers who must be registered to conduct business with NDIS participants:
- Plan managers
- SDA (Specialist Disability accommodation)
- Specialist behaviour supports.
Under the practice standards providers must have a framework and policy in place dependent on the business, its size and structure and the services they provide.
Unregistered providers:
There is no formal requirement to demonstrate that you have a risk management system in place, but as a provider of supports to NDIS participants your responsibility falls under the NDIS code of conduct.
Your Safety First: When a prospective customer reaches out to you, and a meeting is scheduled, you may have some details about their plan and funding. But you know nothing about the potential risks within their home. Asking about someone's personal space can sometimes feel like it is impolite, making it challenging to ask these types of questions.
But consider this situation: you visit a customer's home, unaware that they have an unfriendly dog that hasn't been secured while you're there. This lack of awareness could lead to a situation where you get bitten.
Furthermore, there are more serious potential risks. What if you find yourself in a home with domestic violence issues or where drugs and alcohol are being consumed in your presence? Such situations can be uncomfortable and even unsafe. Putting you at risk.
Implementing a brief risk management questionnaire before your visit is valuable, although it's acknowledged that the potential customer may not provide entirely correct information - you are preparing them for your visit.
Remember, if you ever feel uneasy, it's crucial to assess the situation and determine whether it's safe to continue. Even experienced and knowledgeable people has put themselves at risk, inadvertently and with dire consequences.
One story comes to mind: an outback nurse working in a remote community. You may remember the name of Gayle Woodford: She was murdered in the community of Fregon in SA after she attended to a man at night, alone.
Gayle was a longstanding professional who may not have been normally frightened of working with the community people at all hours of the day or night. Standards of practice were seriously underfunded, such as having a second responder for all night call outs. The outcome would have been much different had protocols been in implemented. That’s called hindsight.
Whilst applying risk management continuously feels time consuming, following the correct risk procedures ensures both your safety and the effectiveness of the support you want to provide.
For further information and resources, check these websites:
The Lama Care Team
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