Commonwealth Home Support Programme

Commonwealth Home Support Programme

FACT SHEET FOR SERVICE PROVIDERS

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What is the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP)?

The CHSP provides entry-level aged care support for frail older people who need assistance to keep living independently at home and in their community.

Service providers work with clients to build on their strengths and capabilities.

The CHSP is funded by the Australian Government. In 2016-17, the CHSP provided support for around 900,000 older Australians delivered by around 1,500 service providers nationally.

When did the CHSP begin?

The CHSP began on 1 July 2015 and brought together four programs:

·  Commonwealth Home and Community Care (HACC) Program

·  Planned respite from the National Respite for Carers Program (NRCP)

·  Day Therapy Centres (DTC) Program

·  Assistance with Care and Housing for the Aged (ACHA) Program.

Victoria fully transitioned to the CHSP on 1 July 2016.

In Western Australia, HACC services for older people will transition to the CHSP and My Aged Care from 1 July 2018.

Objectives of the CHSP

The CHSP is designed to:

·  simplify access to entry-level home support services for older Australians

·  provide a standardised national assessment process and entry point through My Aged Care

·  increase focus on wellness and reablement approaches

·  promote equity and sustainability through client contributions

·  reduce red tape for service providers through more streamlined funding arrangements.

Who is eligible to receive CHSP services?

People may be eligible to receive CHSP services if they are:

·  Aged 65 years or older (50 years or older for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people)

·  50 years or older (45 years or older for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) and are prematurely aged, on a low income, and homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Eligibility is determined by need — CHSP services are provided based on an individual’s needs, according to the outcomes of a home support assessment.

The entry point for new clients is My Aged Care.

My Aged Care

My Aged Care includes a website (www.myagedcare.gov.au) and contact centre

(1800 200 422) set up to give people information about Australian Government-funded aged care services.

Contact centre staff can make arrangements for people to have aged care assessments to determine their care needs and get referred for appropriate aged care services, if eligible.

Contact centre staff can also create a personalised ‘client record’ that holds information about a person’s care needs and preferences; the results of any aged care assessments they have had; and what services they receive.

Regional Assessment Services (RAS)

RAS assessors conduct face-to-face home support assessments to determine people’s eligibility for CHSP services.

During the assessment, the RAS assessor explores the client’s current level of support, family and community engagement, health and lifestyle considerations, functional ability, cognitive or psychosocial considerations, and any issues relating to home and personal safety.

The RAS assessor and the client work together to establish a Support Plan that reflects the client’s strengths, goals and motivations, and agreed supports to meet the client’s needs.

RAS assessors can arrange to have ‘referrals for service’ sent to relevant providers in a client’s area.

Data reporting system: Data Exchange (DEX)

The Data Exchange is a whole-of-government approach to reporting data for grant-administered programs, including the CHSP. Meeting the Data Exchange reporting requirements is part of all CHSP service providers’ funding agreement obligations.

Technical specifications, training resources and e-learning modules for service providers can be found at www.dex.dss.gov.au/DSS

The Data Exchange Helpdesk can be contacted on 1800 020 283 or by email at .

Key resources for service providers

CHSP Manual

The CHSP Manual outlines the requirements supporting the delivery and management of the CHSP. It is primarily for use by service providers and forms part of their grant agreement.

CHSP Guidelines

These guidelines form the basis of the business relationship between the Department of Health and the CHSP grant recipient. They provide an overview of the CHSP and its related activities, selection criteria, performance management and reporting.

Living well at home: CHSP Good Practice Guide

This guide describes the concepts and principles of wellness and reablement approaches in CHSP service delivery. It builds on existing examples of wellness practices and draws on communications, capacity-building and training products that have been developed over a number of years in Australia and overseas.

The above resources (as well as others) are available on the Australian Government Department of Health website at: www.agedcare.health.gov.au/programs/commonwealth-home-support-programme/resources.

Where to go for help and more information

For further information, please go to the Department of Health website at www.agedcare.health.gov.au/programs-services/commonwealth-home-support-programme/about-the-commonwealth-home-support-programme.

Western Australian service providers can email questions to the Department of Health at: .

This fact sheet was RELEASED IN AUGUST 2017