Your care

You have the right to be safe and to be treated with dignity and respect at all times.

The TAC takes the care, safety and wellbeing of our clients very seriously.

This information will help you decide if the care and support you receive is safe and of good quality.

What you should expect from the care you receive

• To be physically safe
• To have your basic needs for food, water and clothing met
• To be given appropriate access to medical care, medications and medical aids
• To spend your money how you want
• To be given privacy when you need it
• To be supported to keep in contact with the people who are important to you
• To be spoken to in a respectful way
• To be listened to
• To have a say in what you do and where you go

Signs you may not be receiving the care you deserve

• You are touched in ways you don’t like and think are unnecessary
• You are not provided with enough food or water
• You don’t feel you are receiving the medical support you need
• You have been physically hurt or are afraid of being hurt
• You feel intimidated
• You don’t get to make choices about what happens with your money
• You don’t get to leave the house
• You don’t get to contact the people who are important to you
• You don’t feel like you can speak up for yourself
• You don’t feel like you are treated with dignity and respect
• You are not listened to and your wishes are not taken into account

Any of these things are unacceptable and you are entitled to speak up about the quality of your care.

Who you should speak to

To raise concerns about the quality or safety of services provided by a TAC funded service, send an email to saferservices@tac.vic.gov.au. Or you can call the TAC Safer Services Support line at 1800 931 233 (your call can be anonymous) 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

You can speak to anyone in your treating team about the quality of your care. You should keep speaking to people until you feel the matter has been resolved.

The TAC expects that your care will not be affected if you raise your concerns. The TAC will continue to support you and make sure your needs are met.

The TAC is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. Read more about our commitment to child safety.

There are also other agencies that can help:

EMERGENCY: 000
(Police, Ambulance, Fire Brigade)

Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
1800 550 552
www.agedcarecomplaints.gov.au
Complaints about aged care services

AHPRA - Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency
1300 419 495
www.ahpra.gov.au
Complaints against registered health practitioners

Commission for Children and Young People
1300 782 978
www.ccyp.vic.gov.au
Promotes improvement in policies and practices that affect safety and well being of Victorian children and young people

Department of Human Services Child Protection Services (Victoria)
131 278
www.dhs.vic.gov.au
Support to children and young people at risk of harm or where families are unable or unwilling to protect them

Disability Services Commissioner
1800 677 342
www.odsc.vic.gov.au
Complaints about disability services

Health Complaints Commissioner
1300 582 113
www.hcc.vic.gov.au
Complaints about healthcare and the handling of information in Victoria

Lifeline (24 hours)
13 11 14
www.lifeline.org.au
Telephone personal crisis support and suicide prevention services

National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline
1800 880 052
www.jobaccess.gov.au/complaints/hotline
For reporting of abuse and neglect of people with disability

NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
1800 035 544
www.ndiscommission.gov.au
Works with participants and providers to improve the quality and safety of NDIS services and supports

Office of the Public Advocate
1300 309 337
www.publicadvocate.vic.gov.au
Provide advocacy and guardianship services for people with a disability

1800 RESPECT
1800 737 732
www.1800respect.org.au
Support with experience of sexual assault or and family violence

‘Safe Steps’ Family Violence Response Centre
1800 015 188
www.safesteps.org.au
Supporting women and children experiencing family violence

Sexual Assault Crisis Line
1800 806 292
www.sacl.com.au
Telephone crisis counselling service for people who have experienced sexual assault

Victorian Disability Worker Commission (VDWC)
1800 497 132
www.vdwc.vic.gov.au
Can receive any enquiry, complaint or notification about any disability worker in Victoria, regardless of the way in which the service is funded.

Victorian Mental Health Commissioner
1800 246 054
www.mhcc.vic.gov.au
Complaints about public mental health services in Victoria