Quality, Risk and Safety
Seymour Health has a robust Clinical Governance Program to ensure clinical effectiveness and safety across the organisation. We welcome consumer participation and feedback as these assist in the organisation’s provision of quality safe care.
As an innovative and integrated health service, Seymour Health demonstrates our commitment to safety and quality through accreditations against a wide range of health system standards. Accreditation is an evaluation process that involves assessment by qualified external reviewers to assess our compliance with safety and quality standards.
NSQHS
National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards 2nd edition
The NSQHS Standards were developed by the Australian Commission for Safety and Quality in Health Care. Their purpose is to provide a nationally consistent standard of care for consumers attending any health service organisation across Australia. Seymour Health follows robust processes to ensure we not only meet these standards, but strive to exceed them.
Seymour Health is accredited by the Australian Council on Health Care Standards (ACHS) and is accredited until October 2025.
Aged Care
Aged Care Quality Standards
In Australia, residential aged care homes are required to be accredited to receive Australian Government subsidies.
Our residential aged care facility, Barrabill House, continually provides exceptional care to our residents and is continually monitored by Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC) to ensure we meet the resident needs.
Barrabill House is accredited until August 2025.
NDIS
National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Practice Standards
Seymour Health is a registered NDIS provider to provide supports and services to NDIS participants. The following areas of Seymour Health are included in the registration: Community Nursing, Social Support Group, Allied Health Services and Residential Aged Care.
The period of registration obtained is 24 June 2021 until 24 June 2024. Seymour Health is currently undergoing NDIS accreditation.
Child Safe Standards
The original Child Safe Standards were released in 2017 with seven standards that organisations were required to comply with. In 2019 a review was conducted by the Department of Health regarding these standards. There are new Child Safe Standards that Seymour Health is working towards in order to be compliant by the regulated date of 1 July 2022. A self-assessment was requested by the Department of Health and was completed in June 2023. Ongoing compliance is required and maintained.
Statement of Commitment to Child Safety
Seymour Health is guided by the Victorian Child Safe Standards and as such is committed to child
safety and the promotion of children and younger people’s health and wellbeing.
Seymour Health:
• Has zero tolerance for child abuse
• Actively works to listen to and empower children
• Has systems to protect children from abuse, and will take all allegations and concerns very seriously and respond to them consistently in line with the organisation’s policies and procedures
• Is committed to promoting cultural safety for all children including First Nations children, cultural safety for children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, and to providing a safe environment for children with a disability.
Our organisation takes our legal responsibilities seriously, including:
Failure to disclose: Reporting child sexual abuse, and/or neglect, is a community-wide
responsibility. All adults in Victoria who have a reasonable belief that an adult has committed a sexual offence against a child under 16 have an obligation to report that information to the police.
Failure to protect: People of authority in our organisation will commit an offence if they know of a substantial risk of child sexual abuse, and/or neglect, and have the power or responsibility to reduce or remove the risk, but negligently fail to do so.
Standards
If you would like to know more about quality and safety at Seymour Health, please contact the Director Quality, Risk & Safety, simply call reception on (03) 5793 6100.
Risk Management
Seymour Health addresses risk management as a requirement of State Legislation and ensures quality Corporate and Clinical Governance. SH’s risk management framework is aligned with the Australian Standard, ISO 31000:2018 – Risk Management and also Standing Directions of the Minister of Finance: 3.7.1 – Risk Management Framework and Processes.
SH is committed to establishing organisational structures and processes that ensure risk management is an integral part of corporate objectives and management systems.
SH uses the Victorian Health Information Management System (VHIMS) for the reporting of incidents, feedback, quality activities and the risk register.
SH has an Emergency Management Committee to oversee the continuous review, maintenance and improvement of the emergency management systems at Seymour Health. The committee membership includes the Chief Warden (Chair), Deputy Chief Warden, Area Wardens, CEO, Facilities Coordinator and the Education Manager. The responsibilities are to review and test the Emergency Management Manual, Business Continuity Plan and the Emergency Codes throughout the organisation in line with the State Health Emergency Response Plan (SHERP). Committee members are also responsible for ensuring compliance with Fire Safety Legislation.
OH&S
Seymour Health is committed to supporting a strong safety culture that proactively works to improve on practices and comply with the legislation. This is achieved through monitoring safety management systems and by regular consultation with employees, management, contractors, visitors and consumers to identify, assess and reduce risks, with the aim to prevent injuries within the workplace. The Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) Committee evaluate all safety matters and provide recommendations for improvements in practices to the Executive team.
The OHS Committee is made up of Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs), across all departments within the organisation and whom are elected by their peers. All new HSRs undertake the initial five day legislated OHS training and internal Manual Handling Assessor training is conducted to provide valuable knowledge and skills in supporting staff to assist with facilitating training and prevent risks within the workplace. Our OHS Committee is supported by the OHS and Injury Management Coordinator.