Desk support contacts

What is a support contact?
A support contact is usually a shorter visit than an accreditation site audit or review audit, and looks at a smaller sample of the residential aged care home’s systems.

What is a desk support contact?
A desk support contact is a planned teleconference with key personnel of a residential aged care home. Desk supports are rarely conducted and are generally used to monitor the progress of resolving issues identified at a residential aged care home. A site visit is always conducted to determine if any non-compliance is rectified.

One assessor is appointed to conduct the desk support contact.

What happens before a desk support contact?
The residential aged care home submits a plan for continuous improvement, progress report or other information relating to issues identified at the residential aged care home. These are then reviewed by an assessor as part of their planning phase.

The approved provider receives information on when an assessor will be telephoning the residential aged care home and organises key staff to be present as appropriate.

What happens during a desk support contact?
Introductions are made to establish who is present. Any documentation provided prior to the visit is then discussed with the residential aged care home, including progress made, and future actions to be undertaken.

Information on next steps such as the provision of a support contact record is then discussed and the phone call is ended.

The phone call generally takes approximately 45 minutes.

It is the responsibility of the approved provider to demonstrate the residential aged care home complies with the Accreditation Standards. Please be aware that providing false or misleading information is a serious offence under the Criminal Codes Act 1995.

How can management and staff assist during a desk support contact?
Information and documentation should be available to the residential aged care home to help answer questions during the teleconference. Copies of documentation supplied to the Agency prior to the teleconference should also be available to the residential aged care home’s representatives.

What happens after a desk support contact?
The assessor prepares a support contact record and recommendation and submits this to the Agency for a decision to be made. If negative information is identified in the report, the decision-maker may invite the approved provider to submit a response within up to five days.

This report is then submitted to the Agency, for a decision to be made. No further work by the assessor is then required in relation to the desk support contact.