Commonwealth Carelink Centres aim to provide information about and referral to agencies providing community care and other related services through a single national telephone number and independent regional centres.  They also aim to provide access to community care services by coordinating information about the full range of services in a region.

Your Rights - As a user of a Commonwealth Carelink Centre.

You have the right to:

• be dealt with without discrimination;
• privacy;
• any information about yourself or your situation;
• be treated as an individual, and to have your rights, and
• complain or pursue action to resolve a dispute.

Your Responsibilities - so that Commonwealth Carelink Centres can continue to offer a quality service, it is essential that you:

• provide Centre staff accurate and complete information about your circumstances;
• respect the rights and needs of other people using the service;
• let the Centre know if you need an interpreter or have any other special needs, and
• treat Centre staff with courtesy.

Commonwealth Carelink Centre responsibilities - in providing services, Commonwealth Carelink Centre have a responsibility to:

• respect your independence and ability to choose;
• respect your privacy;
• allow you to access information about yourself;
• inform you of your rights and responsibilities as specified under this Charter;
• inform you about service availability and alternatives;
• negotiate with you before making decisions regarding services;
• ensure your safety in a Centre, and
• take into account your views when planning, managing, and evaluation Centre service.

COMPLAINTS - Suggestions and complaints regarding Centres may be made directly to the Centre involved or directed to State-based Project Officers of the Department of Health and Aged Care.  Organisations operating Centres are required to follow-up and resolve complaints lodged by clients.  Please refer to our Comments and Questions.

 

2. Under the National Respite for Carers Program (NRCP), Commonwealth Carer Respite Centres have a responsibility to provide services in accordance with the following national service standards:

• Access to Services

    To ensure that each carer’s access to a service is decided only on the basis of relative need.

• Information and Consulatation

    To ensure that each carer is informed about his or her rights and responsibilities and the services available, and consulted about any changes required.

• Efficient and Effective Management

    To ensure that carers and the person(s) for whom they care receive the benefit of well-planned, efficient and accountable service management.

• Co-ordinated, Planned and Reliable Service Delivery

    To ensure that each carer and the person for whom they care, receive co-ordinated services that are planned, reliable and meet their ongoing specific needs.

• Privacy, confidentiality and access to personal information

    To ensure that the rights to privacy and confidentiality of each carer and the person for whom they care, are respected and that the carer and person cared for have access to personal information held by the agency.

• Complaints and Disputes

    To ensure that each carer and person cared for has access to, and knows about, fair and equitable procedures for dealing with complaints and disputes.

• Advocacy

    To ensure that each carer has access to an advocate of his or her choice