Supported Accommodation Equipment Assistance Scheme (SAEAS)

20 August 2013

Dear Prescriber,

The State-Wide Equipment Program (SWEP) is the central point where all applications for funding for the following programs will be processed:  Aids & Equipment Program (A&EP)  Supported Accommodation Equipment Assistance Scheme (SAEAS)  Domiciliary Oxygen Program (DOP)  Continence Aids Program (CA)  Vehicle Modification Subsidy Scheme (VMSS)

SWEP REGISTRATION From 1 September 2011, all allied health and nursing prescribers must be registered with SWEP in order to have prescriptions accepted and acted upon. Prescribers will be registered as individuals and not as organisations. Disability Care Australia (DCA) will be provided access to prescriber registration information, but prescriber must ALSO register with DCA if they intend to prescribe equipment for DCA clients.

RECOGNITION OF ADVANCED KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE All SWEP prescribers will be allocated a traffic light colour which relates to the level of recognition SWEP gives to your experience and further education.  “Green” therapists can prescribe commonly used equipment for clients considered as non-complex.  “Amber” therapists will have a higher level of expertise and education. The equipment they can prescribe and clients they can prescribe for are more complex.  “Red” therapists are those recognised as experts in their field. Prescriptions requiring the expertise of these therapists will be the most complicated, and the clients the most complex.

WHAT IS NEEDED TO REGISTER Registration is not difficult and a registration form is attached. To be registered you need to send proof of qualifications (either a copy of your registration certificate, your professional association membership, or your graduation certificate), address for correspondence and contact details to be registered. You may need to provide evidence of name change if your name is different to the one on your documents, and you will need to let us know if you have any restrictions placed on your practice by external bodies. You will also need to nominate the equipment categories for which you normally prescribe, and whether you wish to prescribe for adults or children. All therapists registered with SWEP

029501c925f359b6a40d9fa2ee34c43c.doc 1 will be able to prescribe at a level which is deemed by the SWEP as “Green” in the categories you nominate (Note that if you nominate a category in which current A&EP Guidelines do not permit your discipline to prescribe, you will not be able to prescribe in that category).

The SWEP Equipment categories are:

Category Discipline currently permitted to prescribe Beds, pressure care mattresses and Occupational Therapy bed accessories (includes other Physiotherapy (mattresses only) pressure care products) Continence products Division 1 Registered Nurse (Continence Nurse) Electronic voice aids and voice Speech Pathology prostheses Environmental Control Units Occupational Therapy Home Modifications Occupational Therapy Orthoses and custom/extra depth Occupational Therapy, shoes Orthotics/Prosthetics, Physiotherapy, Podiatry Specialised bathing/toileting equipment Occupational Therapy – (includes hydraulic change tables (SAEAS)) Specialised Seating Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy Transfer equipment/Hoists & Slings Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy Vehicle Modifications – Driver Vic Roads Accredited OT - Driver Assessor Vehicle Modifications – Passenger Occupational Therapy Walking aids and standing equipment Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy Wheelchairs, Scooters, Strollers, Occupational Therapy, Seating systems and Pressure care Physiotherapy cushions All other personal use items (includes Occupational Therapy safety helmets and portable ramps)

Once you have been registered as a Green SWEP prescriber, you will be able to prescribe for most clients.

029501c925f359b6a40d9fa2ee34c43c.doc 2 VALIDATION OF PRESCRIPTIONS If you are a Green prescriber and you wish to prescribe more complex equipment or for a more complex patient, you will need your prescription validated by a higher level prescriber. In this case, the higher level prescriber must sign off that all necessary assessments have been done and that the prescription is appropriate to the client.

CLINICAL ADVISORS The SWEP has contracted a number of experts in equipment prescription across the categories for both adults and children. Their roles and biographies appear on the SWEP website (http://swep.bhs.org.au/prescribers/clinical-advisors ). If requested by SWEP, Clinical Advisors can review prescriptions for remote or isolated “Green” or “Amber” prescribers and either recommend approval or contact prescribers to offer advice about the prescription and how to proceed. The SWEP will let you know if that is appropriate, and will make contact with the Clinical Advisor if needed.

For clinical advice related to assessment of individual clients, for equipment, prescribers should contact the Independent Living Centre (ILC) http://www.nican.com.au/service/yooralla-independent-living-centre-victoria.

HOW TO GAIN SWEP PRESCRIBER RECOGNITION Should you wish to routinely prescribe at a higher level than that allocated to Green registered therapists (ie for more complex clients and/or complex equipment), you will need to submit to SWEP additional information which allow recognition of your knowledge and experience.

Additional information required will include:  Qualifications;  Years of experience prescribing within each category requested, where that experience was gained and the types of clients prescribed for;  Current role and outline of the client/diagnostic groups for whom you prescribe;  Further education or competency based training you have undertaken in the type of equipment you prescribe (including relevant formal qualifications);  Training or mentoring you provide in the area of expertise;  Your role on advisory panels pertinent to the category of equipment;  Professional Referees.

Once the SWEP receives this further information (which should be included in your initial registration application, but can also be applied for at any time) you may receive recognition by the SWEP as either an “Amber” prescriber, or a “Red” prescriber. You will be notified of your rating and given feedback on why you have been rated that way.

Hurdle requirements for “Amber” are 2 years of experience OR PD in the category of equipment. Hurdle requirements for “Red” rating are 5 years of experience AND PD in the category of equipment.

029501c925f359b6a40d9fa2ee34c43c.doc 3 HOW TO GET YOUR REGISTRATION FORMS TO SWEP

Email to: [email protected] (preferred method)

Mail to: Wendy Hubbard Chief Allied Health Officer State-wide Equipment Program PO Box 1993 Bakery Hill Vic 3354

029501c925f359b6a40d9fa2ee34c43c.doc 4 State-wide equipment program Registration Request

Prescriber

Name………………………………………………………………………………………

Address for correspondence

Street name and number……………………………………………………......

PO Box……………………………………………………………………………………..

City………………………………………………………………………………......

State: Victoria Post Code.……………………

Email Address.…………………………………………………………………......

Contact Phone Business ( )……………………. Mobile ……………………………

Discipline (tick one) Continence Nurse  Physiotherapist  Occupational Therapist  Orthotist/Prosthetist  Podiatrist  Speech Pathologist 

(Please attach proof of qualification, proof of name change (if relevant) and any limitations placed on practice by external bodies)

029501c925f359b6a40d9fa2ee34c43c.doc 5 Equipment Category Requested

Category Place a  in category (s) requested Children Adult Beds, pressure care mattresses and bed accessories (includes other pressure care products) Continence products

Electronic voice aids and voice prostheses

Environmental Control Units

Home Modifications

Orthoses and custom/extra depth shoes

Specialised bathing/toileting equipment – (includes hydraulic change tables (SAEAS)) Specialised Seating

Transfer equipment/Hoists & Slings

Vehicle Modifications – Driver

Vehicle Modifications – Passenger

Walking aids and standing equipment

Wheelchairs, Scooters, Strollers, Seating systems and Pressure care cushions All other personal use items (includes safety helmets and portable ramps)

029501c925f359b6a40d9fa2ee34c43c.doc 6 Higher Level Prescriber Recognition Application

If you wish to be recognised as a higher level prescriber please outline your justification below. Please use the template on this link (http://swep.bhs.org.au/library/file/309/Equipment_Category_Request_Higher_Level_Prescriber_Rec_Applicatio n_From.doc ) for additional supporting information.

1. Years of experience prescribing within each category, where that was gained and the types of clients prescribed for. Includes your current role, outline of the client/diagnostic groups for whom you prescribe, and whether for adults or children.

Place of work Current role Years in the role

2. Further education/training/mentoring you have undertaken in the type of equipment you prescribe (including relevant formal qualifications)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. Teaching, training or mentoring you provide in the area of expertise

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

4. Your role on advisory panels pertinent to the category of equipment

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

029501c925f359b6a40d9fa2ee34c43c.doc 7 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

5. Professional Referees (please provide two)

Referee Name and Position Contact Number

1 Name:

Position held:

2 Name:

Position held:

029501c925f359b6a40d9fa2ee34c43c.doc 8 Declaration

By placing your signature below, you:

 Confirm that the information you have provided above is true and accurate.

 Agree to be registered as a SWEP Prescriber at the level deemed by SWEP to be appropriate to your experience and qualifications.

 Agree to maintain your skills at the level described within this application, and to notify the SWEP of any change in your capacity to prescribe.

 Agree to your prescriber registration information being released to Disability Care Australia (DCA).

………………………………………………………………………………………

Signed:

………………………………………………………………………………………

………/………/…………

SWEP will get back to you to advise you of your SWEP registration number and status as soon as possible.

At that time any further information you might need to ensure you can continue to prescribe equipment under the SWEP program will be provided. You will also have an opportunity to discuss your SWEP registration and any implications it may have.

If you have any questions about the process or time-lines, please contact:

Wendy A Hubbard Executive Director, Sub-acute and Community Programs Chief Allied Health Officer Statewide Equipment Program Ballarat Health Services Phone: 03 53203802

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