020 Emergency and Disaster Management (including Pandemic) Policy

1. Purpose

Proactive Support is committed to ensuring each participant benefits from continuity of supports even amid a disaster, emergency, or pandemic. When planning precedes the event, then the participant will benefit by receiving, where possible, the supports they need during a challenging time.

2. Scope

This policy covers emergencies and disasters which could affect the delivery of supports and services by Proactive Support such as:

Fire

Flood / Adverse weather event

Pandemic

Extended power and internet outages

Participant Healthcare emergency

3. Definitions

In this policy:

Staff means any person employed by Proactive Support, including managers and workers, regardless of pay, status or working hours

Participant means a client or potential client who is receiving supports or services from Proactive Support

Advocate is a person speaking or acting on the participant’s behalf, including associated family members, carers, nominees, independent advocates, and significant others

Adverse Event is the term used to identify an emergency or disaster or pandemic situation which may last for a day or continue over several months

4. Rights and Responsibilities

All Staff

It is the responsibility of all staff to:

Communicate effectively with management and participants through an adverse event

Have input into identifying risks, needs of the participant and workable solutions

Be compliant with Proactive Support’s 020 Emergency and Disaster Management (including Pandemic) Policy, 021 Adverse Events Plans and 032 Pandemic Outbreak Plan including COVID-19

Assist participants to complete their own Emergency Preparedness Plans from the Welcome Pack

Management

It is the responsibility of management to:

Adequately prepare for adverse events, including developing Plans to provide guidance should an adverse event occur

Facilitate the testing of the Plans to ensure they are fit-for-purpose and review accordingly

Maintain communication with participants, advocates, carers, nominees and staff prior, during and following the adverse event

Ensure staff are aware of, trained in and comply with the policy and plans

Respond rapidly in an adverse event, making any necessary changes to participant supports, being adaptable and managing interruptions, ensuring continuity of supports where possible

Continuously seek to improve the response to an adverse event by utilising the review process

5. Adverse Events Management

Preparation is essential to mitigate the risks of a potential adverse event having a detrimental effect on participants. Proactive Support will prepare by:

Utilising 021 Adverse Events Plans

Utilising 032 Pandemic Outbreak Plan including COVID-19

Conducting a risk assessment as part of participant support planning (see Participant Profile and Support Plan form and Risk Assessment form) to consider the degree to which participants rely on the provider’s services to meet their daily living needs and the extent to which the health and safety of participants would be affected if those services were disrupted

Ensuring employed staff can work with various participants, live nearby to participants they support where possible, are agile and adaptable and have the training and skills to manage emergencies

Collaborating with other providers and very casual staff to fill shifts where required to ensure continuity of supports for the participant

Keeping informed of potential adverse events by using alerts subscription, NDIS updates and news, tapping into disability provider networks and subscribing to local and regional council notifications

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6. Training

Proactive Support’s comprehensive Training and Resources Manual details all available training sessions for staff to utilise as required. Staff will undergo training in anticipation of an adverse event to ensure that they are well-informed and proficient in their roles. Staff will be offered refresher training as required. All training may be conducted face to face or remotely. The training will be of such a calibre that staff will know how to respond, who to communicate with and what their role will be during an adverse event. Training will be noted in the staff members’ Case and Training notes.

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7. Review

When the Plans are tested management will be able to review and adjust the plans as required. If the adverse event lasts for months, management is committed to reviewing the plans to ensure they are still relevant and effective. The management team will consult with and communicate with staff, participants, carers, nominees and advocates.

8. Related Documentation

Proactive Support

004 Risk Management Framework

005 Risk Management Policy

006 Work Health and Safety Policy

012 Participant's Support Management Plan

019 Hazardous Substances Procedure

021 Adverse Event Plans

022 Continuous Improvement Plan

032 Pandemic Outbreak Plan including COVID-19

#103 Participant Profile and Support Plan form

#108 Risk Assessment form

#117 Emergency Plan

095 Training and Resources Manual June 2024

External

NDIS Practice Standards and Quality Indicators

Support for People with Vulnerabilities in Disasters, Qld Government

Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction, Qld Government

Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction (DIDRR) Framework and Toolkit

Person-Centred Emergency Preparedness (P-CEP) Workbook

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