About us

The Australian Vietnamese Women’s Association Inc. is a growing public benevolent institution servicing Vietnamese and other culturally and linguistically diverse clients. Our income comes mainly from providing government-funded services for all ages and genders. Our main services include aged care, training, playgroups, justice and other services.

About the Program

Home Care Packages are funded by the Commonwealth Government, Department of Health. The aims of the AVWA Home Care Packages Program (HCPP) are:

• To assist senior people from Vietnamese background to remain living at home for as long as possible; and
• To enable consumers to have choice and flexibility in the way that culturally and linguistically appropriate care and support is provided at home

KEY OBJECTIVES OF THE POSITION:

To provide high-quality case management for consumers receiving AVWA Home Care Packages by undertaking a comprehensive assessment of each consumer and in collaboration with the consumer and their family, identifying the consumer’s goals, developing care plan and individualised budget, determining a number of health and well-being maintenance and promotion strategies, aimed at encouraging independence and assisting the consumer to maintain a quality of life. The consumer’s progress will then be ongoing monitored and reviewed to ensure optimal outcomes are achieved.

• When assigned, to arrange and monitor brokerage services as ordered by service buyers.
• To provide supervision and support to Care workers.

KEY DUTIES:

The Care Manager will have a wide knowledge of community resources and be sensitive to multicultural/diversity issues thereby ensuring care recipients receive high quality, seamless and cost-effective care and services. The Care Manager will work within a team environment but will be self-directed and independent with the ability to work closely with other organisations in a flexible and collaborative manner to ensure positive objectives are achieved for care recipients.

Service Delivery

The Quality of Care Principles 2014, the Aged Care Quality Standards and AVWA Policy & Procedures are used as a baseline for the practice of our Case managers.

Case Management

Under the direction of the HCPP Coordinator, the Care Manager is responsible for provision of case management to consumers on CDC (Consumer Directed Care) basis, act in a professional manner at all times ensuring that optimum, flexible, individualised care is delivered to all consumers in a responsive manner, through a process of consultation, assessment and care planning, by:

• Providing information to consumers about the Home Care Packages Program as mentioned in Home Care Agreement, Consumer Handbook and Charter of care recipients’ rights and responsibilities

• Conducting an initial assessment for HCPP consumer and home safety assessment
• Identifying the consumer’s goals
• Developing a care plan and individualised budget for the consumer in partnership with the consumer and/or their representative
• Ongoing monitoring and reviewing the care plan and services for consumer
• Evaluate individual goals and service outcomes
• Conducting formal re-assessment of the consumer’s needs, and adjusting the care plan and individualised budget if required

• Ensuring appropriate documentation to enhance service delivery and meet government requirements
• Maintaining up-to-date consumer’s records, agreements and care plan
• Monthly monitoring the cost of individual care plans, ensuring that they do not exceed the package individualised budget for consumer
• Referring consumer with their agreement to external service providers when the need arises
• Coordinating delivery and brokerage of services within the package individualised budget as per care plan
• Monitoring equipment supplies and ensures items are used efficiently and effectively. Taking appropriate action in the event of malfunction of equipment
• Acting as an advocate on behalf of consumers with their agreement within the framework of the Home Care Packages Program guidelines
• Promoting safe practice at all times and being aware of the requirements for Occupational Health and Safety, and ensure that all work practices are consistent with organisational policy
• Reporting all incidents to the Coordinator and implementing appropriate action
• Providing supervision and support to Care workers
• Monitoring and updating Care workers’ roster, preparing Duty statements for Care workers and briefing Care workers about the required tasks
• Using CareLink Plus software for recording consumer’s information, case note and for rostering Care workers

Other tasks as assigned by Coordinator

• Providing information to prospective consumers about the Home Care Packages
• Referring prospective consumers to My Aged Care for eligibility assessment
• Referring existing consumers to My Aged Care or ACAS for reassessment when required
• Providing brokerage services including:
  • Conducting initial home safety assessment
  • Arranging and monitoring services to consumers of service buyers as required
  • Responding to requests/ queries from service buyers
  • Giving feedback to service buyers as appropriate
• Providing 24-hour on-call service for HCPP consumers on a rotating basis with other team members when required
• Assisting the Coordinator with the requirements for accurate statistical data collection
• Assisting the Coordinator in reviewing records, forms, manuals, working procedures of the program when required
• Be flexible in your approach to work hours to provide relief while other staff are on leave
• Attend staff and team meetings

Public Relations

The Care Manager will be pro-active in the promotion of the program at all times, by:

• Maintaining a highly effective level of interpersonal interaction with consumers, their families and other health professionals
• Liaising with external service providers
• Maintaining professional community networks by attending relevant meetings as directed by the Coordinator
• Inviting and receiving feedback from consumers, their representatives and other service providers and take action as appropriate
• Being aware of the importance of maintaining the reputation of AVWA and the Home Care Packages Program in the community and develop strategies that contribute to promoting this profile

Professional Development

The Care Manager will promote professional development by ensuring that their skills are up to date to ensure best practice, by:

• Undertaking regular professional development/training sessions to enhance skills and knowledge
• Participating in regular support and supervision sessions with the Coordinator
• Participating in an annual performance appraisal
• Keep up to date with issues and strategies relating to sector changes and requirements

Dignity, Privacy and Confidentiality

The Care Manager is responsible for ensuring that the personal dignity and privacy of all consumers and other staff are maintained and that all interactions with consumers and their representatives are treated confidentially.

Quality Systems

The Care Manager ensures a total continuous management approach to care delivery, focusing on reviewing practice in a professional and organised manner, by:

• Assisting in the implementation of strategies for improvement of all service delivery as required
• Fostering a work culture that promotes ownership and commitment to best practice service delivery and actively encourages effective communication and a co-operative team spirit between staff
• Responding immediately to complaints received according to policy

The Care Manager will report on the effectiveness of consumer care and related activities and identify opportunities for improvement, by:

• Attending meetings and contributing to quality review activities and program management review processes.
• Encouraging feedback and suggestions from staff and promoting their contribution to continuous improvement activities.
• Ensuring consumers, their representatives and staff understand/have access to Comments and Complaints procedures.
• Ensuring feedback is encouraged from consumers, their representatives and staff.

Complying with Legislation

It is the responsibility of the Care Manager to be aware of and comply with legislation and regulations affecting their role, as well as adhering to the code of ethics that may apply to their profession, maintaining best contemporary practice.

KEY SELECTION CRITERIA:

• Appropriate tertiary qualifications in community welfare, health disciplines, or other tertiary qualification appropriate to the human services field.
• Highly developed interpersonal communication skills, and the ability to liaise effectively with care staff, organisations and persons from diverse background and cultures,
• Understand and sensitive to the needs of the Vietnamese aged people in the Australian context.
• Demonstrated experience and expertise in working with Vietnamese aged people and their families including counselling, assessment, and case management.
• Administrative work skills such as staff rostering, case notes writing are essential.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the ageing process and aged care system, eg. My Aged Care
• Demonstrated knowledge of available interventions, support services and the appropriate referral networks.
• Demonstrated ability to achieve positive outcomes and manage time to respond to the consumers’ changing needs and their care plans.
• Demonstrated supervision and staff motivation abilities.

OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION:

• Ability to speak English and Vietnamese fluently
• Good writing skills in English and Vietnamese
• The successful applicant may be required to work at different locations (Richmond, Braybrook, or Springvale). Outreach tasks and on-call duty may be required.
• Initiative and flexibility.
• Staff management skill.
• Computer skills.
• Working well independently in a team.
• Holding a current Victorian driver’s licence.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU:

• SCHCDS Award with all entitlements
• Fringe Benefit Tax
• Flexible working hours
• Generous and flexible leaves
• Great culture (bonding lunches/coffees all year round)
• Extra benefits on Vietnamese New Year
• Onsite healthcare (fitness facilities, flu shots, etc.)