Unable to contact the participant

Standard Operating Procedure

OFFICIAL For Internal Use Only

Unable to contact the participant

The content of this document is OFFICIAL. This Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will help you when you have made at least one unsuccessful attempt to contact a participant. For example, you have called the participant and left a message to set up an initial planning meeting and they haven’t returned your call.

1. Recent updates

Date What’s changed

April 2021 New format with updated guidance. Additional options for locating a participant. Including the use of the participant’s known informal, community, mainstream or funded support providers, when the participant is not responding to usual methods of contact.

2. Checklist

Topic Checklist

Pre-requisites () You have made one or more unsuccessful attempts to contact the participant.

() You are unsure whether to use the UTC or UTP procedure, refer to

Do | use the UTC or UTP procedure?

() You have made sure you are using the correct procedure, this SOP does not cover Unable to Progress (UTP). Refer to Standard Operating Procedure — Unable to Progress with planning

Actions 3.1 Contact attempts

3.2 Make contact attempts and create interactions 3.3 Update the application sub status and supress the system

generated letter 3.4 Reassign the application

3.5 Send Unable to contact letter

4.1 Do | use the UTC or UTP procedure

4.2 When are automatic system extensions applied to plans?

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3. Procedure 3.1 Contact attempts

This might be to set up an initial planning meeting, to review their plan, and/or ongoing monitoring of their plan. These conversations help build your relationship with the participant or their authorised representative, allowing you to get to know them better.

When contacting the participant or their authorised representative you will need to try to contact them:

 a minimum of five separate times  over a minimum four week period  on different days of the week  at different times of the day  using the participant’s preferred contact method and at least one other contact

method. For example, if the preferred contact method is SMS, try to contact the

participant by SMS and also try to make contact by email  use known informal, community, mainstream or funded support providers

For example:

• if there is a Support Co-ordinator make contact with them and ask them to facilitate contact between the participant and the NDIA

• if the participant has provided consent to another person, contact that person

• if the participant is receiving regular face to face supports contact the service provider and ask them to pass on a message, requesting the participant contact

the NDIA  use Health or Justice Liaison Officer referrals, where appropriate  for a school aged child, discuss with your line manager about available options in

your state for contact with:

• Education Departments
• Child protection or Guardian authorities  if you have access to the Centrelink Mainframe system check for updated contact

information  use all other systems or avenues available to you within your role to locate contact

information for the participant.

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During contact attempts, information may be provided which explains why the participant cannot be contacted for a period of time. For example, they are in hospital or incarcerated. If you are aware of circumstances that make it more difficult to contact the participant, but they are able to engage in the planning process for example they are homeless or they work shift work, you should continue to try and make contact.

Reasonable contact attempts will be dependent on the participant’s individual circumstances. For example, contact attempts may be reasonable if you attempt contact:

 outside normal business hours if you know the participant is a shift worker  more than five separate times if you know the participant has complex support

needs  more than five times if you know the participant moves between rural and remote

communities.

Use your discretion, if information is provided which gives a reason for being unable to contact the participant or their representative. For example, they are in hospital or incarcerated. Refer to Standard Operating Procedure – Unable to progress with planning for how to proceed.

All contact attempts must be recorded in the NDIS Business System (System). When you have made at least five contact attempts, using different methods and are still unable to contact the participant you will also need to send or email the Letter – Unable to Contact using their preferred method of communication.

Note: If you have concerns about the wellbeing of a participant who still cannot be contacted, it may be appropriate for the LAC, Support Co-ordinator or Planner to visit the participant at home.

Before any home visits are undertaken, make sure the NDIA WHS Home Visit Risk Screen is complete.

If this attempt is unsuccessful this may be escalated by the State Manager to the local police to do a welfare check.

Note: It is important to make sure all contact options are exhausted before this occurs. This option could be quite distressing for the participant and/or their family.

3.2 Make contact attempts and create interactions

It is mandatory to create an interaction for each contact attempt made through any channel. For example, phone/SMS, email, letter or face to face.

Refer to 3.1 Contact attempts for information on the different types of contact methods you can use to locate the participant or their authorised representative.

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1. Search for and select the participant.

2. The NDIS Account screen displays. Select Add Items.

3. Select Interaction from the menu options.

4. Use the Interaction Templates - General - Contact attempt interaction template to record each contact attempt.

5. Record each contact attempt by adding the details of the each new contact attempt to the Open interaction. Include contact method, date and time interaction. Status remains Open until:

 all contact attempts have been recorded and Letter – Unable to contact has been

sent or  you have successfully contacted the participant.

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6. Select Submit 3.3 Update the application sub status and suppress the system generated letter

Note: You must try all contact methods available to you to give appropriate and reasonable opportunity for the participant to be contacted before progressing with this step. Refer to 3.1 Contact attempts for guidance.

When you update the sub status during plan review you need to update the In Progress review application and the current Approved application.

1. Update the application Sub status. Important: For some sub status options the System will generate a letter. This letter is not the current approved letter. You need to suppress the system generated letter at the same time you update the sub status. If you do not suppress the system generated letter the participant will receive a letter that says that their funding may be at risk.

The System will display the available Unable to Contact sub status options, depending where the application is in the Pathway. Only select Unable to Contact sub status options. Choose the Unable to Contact sub status most closely aligned with the current status of the application.

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2. If the Send outbound correspondence for this status change tick box appears when you choose a sub status, you must select the box to remove the tick and select OK. This will stop the system generated letter being sent.

3. Success message appears. Select OK.

4. Check the sub status has been updated correctly. 3.4 Reassign the application

5. Search for and select the participant.

6. Select Pathway.

7. The NDIS Account screen displays. Select the current In-Progress application or the current Approved application.

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5. Select Re-assign.
6. Reassign the application to the SDS AU UTC National Unable to Contact inbox. Note: during plan review, use the current Approved application.

The application is assigned to the National Unable to Contact inbox until the participant or their authorised representative re-engages with the Agency.

Note: Do not reassign to Service Delivery Support (SDS) team until after all reasonable contact attempts have been made.

3.5 Send Unable to Contact letter

After all available contact methods have been exhausted, send the Letter - Unable to Contact.

Important: Check the Details screen to ensure the correct postal address is used.

If the participant has indicated they prefer to receive information in a format that is accessible for them, provide the letter or email in this format.

1. Upload the letter or copy of the email to Documents.

2. Use the following information to complete the Inbound Document screen:  Description – Unable to contact letter  Document Type – Others  Manual Document Type – Unable to contact letter  Site Location –  Priority – Low  Status – Completed  Category 1 – NDIA Service  Category 2 – Participant Correspondence  Contact –

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    Business Process – <select the specific application or plan that the letter relates to

   from the list displayed>  Employee Responsible –

   3. After the Unable to Contact letter has been uploaded, select Documents from the NDIS Account screen.

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   4. Select Inbound Documents.

   5. Select Unable to Contact letter.

   6. The New Inbound Documents screen displays. Select Attachments.

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   8. The attachment will display at the bottom of the screen. Select the attachment to view the letter in Microsoft Word.

   If the letter is not attached to the participant’s record, go back to the step 2.

   9. Close the letter in Microsoft Word. The New Inbound Documents screen is displayed. 3.5.1 Create a Contact attempt Interaction

   After you have sent the Unable to contact letter you need to record this as a contact attempt interaction in the System.

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   2. Select Interaction # to open the interaction.

   3. Select Edit.

   4. In Notes – Unable to contact letter sent via and uploaded to Inbound Documents on DD/MM/YYYY.

   5. Status Completed.

   6. Select Submit.

   7. Appendices 4.1 Do I use the UTC or UTP procedure?

    If you do not know the circumstances around why you are unable to contact the

   participant, follow the UTC procedure.  If you know the circumstances around why you are unable to contact the participant,

   refer to the Standard Operating Procedure – Unable to Progress with planning.

   4.2 When are automated System extensions applied to plans?

   The System will apply a 365 day System extension to the plan if it has not been replaced by a new plan prior to the scheduled review date. The System extension gives the participant continued access to funded supports until a plan review is undertaken. It does not replace the requirement for a plan review to occur.

   Important: This is not a plan extension but a System extension. The System extension will continue to be applied until the plan is replaced by a new plan.

   When an automated extension has been applied, you must undertake a plan review as soon as possible.

   The plan will appear on reporting for expired plans. Operational reporting will also include reporting on the number of times a System extension occurs.

   A System extension will not generate any correspondence to the participant or providers relating to the plan, as a new plan has not come into effect. A message will display on the myplace participant and provider portal to advise of the automatic extension and that service bookings have been extended. Providers will need to manually adjust the service booking however to include the appropriate funding for the extension period.

   5. Related procedures or resources  Standard Operating Procedure – Unable to progress with planning  Guide to Interactions in the NDIS Business System

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   Standard Operating Procedure

   OFFICIAL For Internal Use Only

   e Practice Guide — Assisting Communication

   e Letter - Unable to Contact

   e Standard Operating Procedure — Manage Inbound Documents

   e Standard Operating Procedure — Assign an Application Sub Status

   e Standard CRM Inbox Structure — Service Delivery and Performance

   e Standard Operating Procedure — Manage My Inbox — Individuals

   e Interaction Templates - General e Standard Operating Procedure — View an Extension or Indexation in the System

   6. Feedback If you have any feedback about this Standard Operating Procedure, please complete our Feedback Form.

   7. Version control

   Version Amended Brief Description of Change

   by

   1.0 CW0032 |Additional options for locating a participant. APPROVED | 2021-02-17

   Including the use of the participant’s known informal, community, mainstream or funded support providers, when the participant is not responding to usual methods of contact.

   Replaces SOP Unable to Contact v9.10

   transitioned to two SOP’s. Unable to Contact and Unable to Progress with planning.

   Class 2 - Approval

   2.0 JSO0082 |Reviewed with minor word changes APPROVED | 2021-03-31

   Class 1 - Approval

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