Our commitment to consumers and carers.
When you come to Uniting, we become partners, and you are at the centre of what we do.
Our commitment to you
Consumer Handbook.
The Consumer Handbook tells you about your rights and responsibilities when using Uniting services. You will receive this handbook when you start services or at service review. You can also download a copy.
The handbook and our website contain key information about:
The consumer handbook is available in an easy read format for people with cognitive disabilities, learning difficulties, and those for whom English is a second language. The read aloud version is tailored for software used by people who are legally blind or have low vision.
Your rights and responsibilities
- Be treated with respect and dignity and feel welcome regardless of ethnicity, faith, beliefs, age, disability, neurodivergence, culture, language, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or sex characteristics
- Be referred to by your preferred name and correct pronouns, including protecting your gender and sexuality as required
- Receive services in line with Uniting's policies in a safe and secure environment without abuse and neglect, violence, and preventable injury
- Have information about your rights and responsibilities in a language and format that you understand
- Privacy and confidentiality
- Access to your information held by Uniting
- Be informed, and involved in decisions that affect you, including planning and goal setting
- Have decisions that affect you explained to you
- Make complaints that we listen to respectfully, take seriously and respond to quickly
- Have information about external advocacy and complaints services
- Give feedback about how you think we can improve our services
- Access an interpreter that we will work with, as you want us to
- Contact a support person or advocate
- Refuse, decline or withdraw from services at any time
- Receive information about other services and support options.
We commit to helping you understand your rights and responsibilities.
- Treat other consumers and our workforce with dignity and respect regardless of ethnicity, faith, beliefs, age, disability, neurodivergence, culture, language, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or sex characteristics
- Take part in activities according to the policies, rules, and guidelines of the service
- Go to scheduled appointments or tell staff members in good time if you cannot come
- Work towards the plans and goals you have agreed to
- Not be negatively affected by alcohol or drugs
- Not bring any illegal items or substances onto Uniting premises
- Take care of your own safety and do not put others in danger
- In an emergency, follow instructions from Uniting staff
- Not be violent or threaten people
- Let us know if you wish to decline or withdraw from services.
If you cannot meet these commitments, we may not be able to offer you our services and programs.
Keeping you safe
The safety and wellbeing of all people we work with is important to us. That includes being physically, emotionally, spiritually, and psychologically safe.
Uniting works hard to keep all people we work with safe from harm and protected from abuse. We aim to provide trauma-informed services and care environments.
We provide safe workspaces and make sure we have good safety practices and systems in place.
If you have any concerns about your safety or wellbeing, or should ever feel unsafe, please let us know.
How we prevent harm and manage incidents
An incident is when someone is harmed or could have been harmed (also known as a near miss).
Harm can be anything that causes you damage or injury including physical, emotional, or psychological damage.
Uniting has strong systems to prevent harm to you and others. We report and investigate incidents, and we act when things have gone wrong.
We want to know as soon as possible if you know about an incident that involves Uniting. You can:
- Speak to your main contact, or if you are not comfortable doing that, ask to speak to the program manager or the Quality team by calling (03) 9192 8100
- Write to the Quality team at 130 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
- Email the Quality team at [email protected]
- Complete a feedback form
- Contact an advocacy service.