Our Policies
Feedback and Complaints
Somerville has established mechanisms for anyone to lodge a complaint or grievance and provide compliments. Complaints and compliments are a valuable source of feedback and an effective tool for improving service delivery and development.
Somerville actively seeks constructive feedback, both positive and negative, as a source of ideas for improving services and activities. Somerville Board Members, Executive and Management are committed to maintaining a workplace free of all forms of misconduct and are supportive of whistleblowing.
Rights and Responsibilities
Somerville acknowledges that individuals who access our services (participants) come from a multicultural society of individuals with their own principles, standards, beliefs, values, and capabilities, who hail from a wide variety of ethnic, religious and socio-economic backgrounds. All people have the right to the same level of dignity, privacy and confidentiality as is expected by the rest of the community.
We are committed to ensuring that people retain maximum control over their own lives by having primary involvement in, and influence over, decisions that affect them. People we support have the opportunity to develop and maintain skills and to participate in activities that enable them to achieve valued roles in the community.
Somerville is committed to establishing culturally sensitive practices that ensure people receive services that recognise and support their cultural heritage and maintain links with their family, friends and significant others.
Furthermore, it is also important that people we support, their families and/or legal guardian(s) are offered opportunities to be involved in various aspects of the organisation. To this end we invite all individuals, their families and legal guardian(s) to participate in policy development, surveys of service, recruitment, individual meetings and appointments, organisational network functions and other activities or events as they arise.
Somerville has a zero tolerance approach to violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation and discrimination of all peoples.
NDIS Worker Screening
Somerville is committed to the safety and provision of quality support to its participants and their families. The NDIS Worker Screening Check (NWSC) is a national tool which helps Somerville determine that workers seeking to work (or already working) in certain NDIS roles do not present an unacceptable risk of harm to participants.
In the Northern Territory, NWSC will be completed by the NDIS Worker Screening Unit (Screening Unit) within SAFE NT. This check is in addition to the requirements of Somerville staff having a current Criminal History Check and Ochre Card.
Whistleblower
Our Whistleblower policy is an important tool for helping Somerville Community Services Inc. (Somerville) to identify wrongdoing that may not be uncovered unless there is a safe and secure way to disclose wrongdoing.
Somerville is committed to the highest standards of integrity and conduct. If you are aware of possible wrongdoing, we encourage you to disclose this information and will support you in doing so.
Somerville is committed to encouraging the reporting of any instances of suspected unethical, illegal, fraudulent, or undesirable conduct involving Somerville’s businesses and provides protections and so that people who make a report can do so confidentially and without fear of intimidation, disadvantage or reprisal.
This policy is written to reflect our regulatory obligations under section 73ZA-D of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (NDIS Act) and has been guided by Section 1317AI of the Corporations Act 2001.
Positive Behaviour Support and Restrictive Practices
We acknowledge restrictive practices involve the use of interventions and practices that have the effect of restricting the rights of freedom of movement, or decision making of a person with a disability.
Somerville will implement regulated restrictive practices that have been authorised by the Northern Territory Senior Practitioner and an NDIS specialist behaviour support provider. These practices are documented and reported in a manner that is compliant with legislation. Restrictive practices will only be considered where necessary to prevent harm to the person we support or to other people.