Public Sector Residential Aged Care (PSRACS) Alleged or Suspected Physical Assault or Sexual Assault Report Form

Page contents: Introduction | Guidelines to assist reporting | 1. Details of Person Reporting Incident | 2. Details of Agency | 3. Details of Incident | 4. Have you notified? | 5. Submit the form | 6. Closure by DHS | Online reporting form

Introduction

In mid 2006 the Commonwealth Government, Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) announced its intention to introduce a number of major new safeguards against elder abuse that would apply to aged care providers subsidised under the Aged Care Act 1997, including residential aged care services, Community Aged Care Packages (CACPs), Extended Aged Care at Home (EACH), EACH Dementia and transitional programs.

The reforms were:

• Compulsory national police checks for aged care staff and volunteers;
• Increased numbers of random spot checks by the Agency on residential aged care services;
• New Aged Care Commissioner (formerly the Commissioner for Complaints), with wide ranging investigative powers;
• A new Office for Aged Care Quality and Compliance to replace the Aged Care Complaints Resolution Scheme with rigorous new complaints investigative procedures;
• Compulsory reporting of alleged and suspect sexual and serious physical assault;
• Legislative protection for whistleblowers.

The reforms are underpinned by changes to the Act and Aged Care Principles. For more information see the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing website.

The new Commonwealth Government compulsory reporting requirements and whistleblower legislative protection commenced on 1 July 2007. For more information see the Australian Goverment Department of Health and Ageing website.

These reforms will provide improved protections against abuse of the elderly in residential care homes, as well as a greater capacity to investigate incidents of alleged sexual and physical assault.

In this context, DHS requires all Public Sector Residential Aged Care Services (PSRACS) to inform it of any such report parallel to advising the Commonwealth Government and Victoria Police, consistent with basic accountability principles that underpin funding to all Victorian public health services.

Guidelines to assist reporting

• PSRACS key personnel or authorized person to complete all details as accurately as possible
• Submit this completed form electronically to DHS at the same time you report to the Commonwealth Government and Victoria Police (within 24 hours of the incident)

1. Details of Person Reporting Incident

• Record your contact details; your email address is not essential but you must include a telephone number on which DHS can contact you immediately if necessary.
• Record the date on which you submit this report here in Section 1 - record the date on which the alleged or suspected assault occurred in Section 3.

2. Details of Agency

• Record the details of the Agency as well as the actual PSRACS name at which the alleged or suspected assault occurred.

3. Details of Incident

• Mark the box/boxes that are relevant to the report: was the incident an alleged or suspected physical assault, sexual assault or both?
• Record the date on which the alleged or suspected assault occurred here in Section 3 – record the date on which you submit this report in Section 1.

4. Have you notified?

• All alleged or suspect assaults must be reported to the Victoria Police, dial 000.
• All alleged or suspect assaults must be reported to the Commonwealth Aged Care Complaints Investigation Scheme with in 24 hours of the incident, which can be contacted on 1800 550 552.
• All alleged or suspected assaults of PSRACS residents must be reported to DHS as per Hospital Circular 18/2007.

5. Submit the Form

Please notify DHS using the following link to the Online reporting form

Alternatively, you can notify DHS using the form below and faxing to: 1300 658 090

PSRACS reporting form (111kb, MS Word)

PSRACS reporting form (40kb, pdf)

6. Closure by DHS

Once the incident has been investigated please provide outcome details, including copies of correspondence and/or reports to DHS via email or fax as given below.

For more information regarding this form please contact:

Manager, Public Sector Residential Aged Care Services
Tel: (61 3) 9096 7795
Fax: 1300 658 090
Email: psracscir@dhs.vic.gov.au

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