Advocacy, Access and Equity
Advocacy
The HACC National Guidelines advises that HACC services should "ensure that each consumer has access to an advocate of his or her choice".
In the course of assessment and/or service delivery, HACC clients may wish to have their rights and concerns represented. All HACC clients have the right to use an advocate at any given time and Frankston City Council accepts clients' rights to representation by an advocate and encourages the use of advocates during the consultation process.
HACC clients can choose their own advocates, who may include friends or family members or professionals such as medical practitioners. Advocates may also include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Service agencies with which clients are involved
- The Office of the Public Advocate (OPA)
- Victorian Legal Aid, the Peninsula Community Legal Services or other legal services
- Action for Disability within Ethnic Communities (ADEC), the Migrant Resource Centre, etc
- Indigenous groups
- Disability rights and advocacy groups
Clients will be advised of their rights to use an advocate at the point of assessment or alternately in instances where they would like to have representation in voicing their needs and concerns. In such instances, clients will be advised of the range of advocates or advocacy services that exist, so that they can make a choice about whom you would like to use.
Clients will be advised that interpreters may be utilised as required.
Access and Equity
"Access and Equity" is aimed at preventing discrimination on the basis of race, culture, religion, political affiliation, language, age, gender, disability or health status, financial disadvantage, marital status, pregnancy, parent / carer status or lawful sexual orientation.
The HACC National Guidelines states that "service providers should ensure that services are provided in such a way as to encourage their use by all members of the client group on an equitable basis". Frankston City Council's Access and Equity Policy and Action Plan [link] provides a broad framework to ensure openness, access and equity in local government facilities, service delivery and activities for the Frankston community.
Additionally:
- Frankston City Council promotes a practice of no discrimination
- Frankston City Council targets its information and activities to be accessible to all identifiable groups within the target population
- Frankston City Council responds to the particular needs of particular groups within the target population
- Frankston City Council systematically monitors access to services by all identifiable groups within the target population
- All aged services are provided in a manner that is sensitive to clients' cultural, linguistic, religious and health needs and backgrounds.
[may need to link this to Community Projects - if other information available on access and equity]