HEDSS participant Rights and Responsibilities

Hunter Ethical Disability Support Services support all participants of their service in upholding the freedom of choice available to all people. This document outlines the rights and responsibilities of HEDSS service participants and employees.

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO

1. 1. Make your own decisions and choices in all respects of your life.
2. Be free from any form of abuse
3. Personal privacy
4. Access to your own confidential records held by HEDSS
5. Be fully informed of any conditions of receiving support
6. Ask for more or less support
7. Disagree with any actions of staff and raise any concerns with staff members and/or the organisation
8. Express personally or through an advocate, complaints or grievances without fear of retribution and to have them investigated and resolved quickly and fairly as in accordance with the feedback and complaints policy
9. Information about the legal consequences of your behaviour
10. Meaningful participation in the running and direction of the service
11. Be free from any coercion or exploitation in any area of your life
12. Have access to advocacy services of your own choice at any time.

YOU HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO

1. Uphold boundaries, including confidentiality, privacy, limitation of personal disclosure, lending or borrowing monies and personal property
2. Ask for more or less support
3. Accept responsibility for you own actions and choices
4. Treat staff with respect. i.e.: No harassment, no threats of violence, no violence, presenting appropriately for appointments, no requests beyond their job description (asking for money) and no illegal activities in their presence.
5. Use the appropriate grievance mechanisms as per the feedback and complaints policy.

EMPLOYEES HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO

1. Respect the rights of participants
2. Assist participants to work towards their goals by offering support within the support worker role
3. Make appropriate referrals when necessary
4. Regularly review the participants’ progress and keep documentation accurate and up to date
5. Act as an advocate for participants where necessary
6. Offer participants their choice of advocacy service access
7. Express complaints or grievances towards inappropriate behaviour of participants
8. Respect the property and privacy of others
9. Maintain suitable professional boundaries
10. Not enter any financial, commercial or business transactions with participants.

EMPLOYEES HAVE THE RIGHT TO

1. Be treated with respect and be free from any form of abuse, coercion, discrimination or exploitation whilst working with you
2. Work within agreed support times in a safe environment
3. Have privacy and confidentiality respected and upheld
4. Be able to terminate support sessions at any time if they believe it is appropriate to do so
5. Not be put in compromising situations by individuals utilising the service.