Home Assist Community Service exists to assist members of the community who are aged and/or have a disability and their carers to live in a home of their choice, to remain safely in their home longer, in a community of their choice.

Home Assist Community Service aspires to be a leading provider of quality, client focused services.

Home Assist Community Service is a non-profit community based public benevolent institution. It was established in the year 1999 to provide a range of services for older people and people with disabilities in the Queensland Local Government Areas of Bundaberg, Cherbourg, Fraser Coast, Gympie, North Burnett and South Burnett.

Home Assist Community Service employs 20 staff to assist some 14,500 registered clients in an area over 48,000 square kilometres.

Home Assist Community Service treats all service users with dignity, respect and confidentiality. At your first interview we provide brochures and information about the services we offer and explain about your rights and responsibilities, advocacy, privacy and confidentiality, but if you are in any doubt about the information or have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact the service.

Home Assist Community Service constantly strives to offer service users the most appropriate, cost effective and responsive service available and in order to do this we need your help and involvement. If during the course of requesting or receiving a service you can see any way we can improve please don’t hesitate to contact us; likewise, if you have any complaint or compliment about us or our contractors please let us know, ’we won’t know if you don’t tell us’.

You are invited and encouraged to become a member of Home Assist Community Service and by doing so you will have a say in the way its run, just contact Home Assist Community Service for a membership form.

THE AREAS WE SERVICE AND THE SERVICES WE DELIVER

Home Assist Community Services receives recurrent funding from the Queensland Governments Department of Housing and Public Works to provide –

HOME ASSIST SECURE provides services to eligible clients in Fraser Coast Regional Council area (except Hervey Bay), Gympie Regional Council area, South Burnett Regional Council area, Biggenden, Gayndah and Mundubbera areas in the North Burnett Regional Council area.

To be eligible you have to be 60 years or over or any age with a disability living in your own home or rented accommodation. If you hold a Commonwealth Pensioner Concession Card, you are eligible to receive subsidised assistance.

HOME ASSIST SECURE aims to remove some of the practical housing related difficulties experienced by older people (over 60) or people of any age with a disability who wish to remain living in their own or rented home. Home Assist Secure provides safety and security related information and subsidised assistance to eligible clients who are unable to undertake or pay for critical maintenance without assistance.

When a client contacts Home Assist Secure for assistance we can either:-
Carry out the work ourselves with our own staff and any material costs are paid by the client Or contact a contractor who is registered with us, on behalf of the client and we can subsidise $200.00 Inc GST of the labour cost. The client then pays for any labour charge in excess of the subsidised amount and any material costs

Please note: The maximum eligible person’s household subsidy per financial year is $400.00 Inc GST (Conditions Apply)

All requests for assistance are prioritised on the clients Health, Safety & Security and are subject to the clients and service funding status. We can also arrange quotes from contractors on behalf of clients and provide information regarding the same. You can contact us at any time to arrange for a staff member to visit your home to identify and discuss any areas of potential service need.

All contractors registered with us have agreed to be bound by our code of conduct, have all the required trade qualifications and are fully insured.

Home Assist Community Services receives recurrent funding from the Australian Governments Department of Health to provide – COMMONWEALTH HOME SUPPORT PROGRAM (CHSP) – HOME MAINTENANCE services to eligible clients in the Fraser Coast Regional Council area (except Hervey Bay).

COMMONWEALTH HOME SUPPORT PROGRAM (CHSP) – DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE services to eligible clients in the Fraser Coast Regional Council area (except Hervey Bay).

COMMONWEALTH HOME SUPPORT PROGRAM (CHSP) – HOME MODIFICATION services to eligible clients in the Regional Areas of Bundaberg, Cherbourg, Fraser Coast, North Burnett and South Burnett.

To be eligible you must be 65 years and over, frail aged with functional limitations as a result of a disability and living in the community or 50 years and over frail aged Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander person with functional limitations as a result of a disability and living in the community; and the unpaid carers of these frail aged people. All clients are assessed using the Ongoing Needs Identification screening tool prior to a service provision to determine their eligibility.

The (CHSP) HOME MAINTENANCE service provides home maintenance and minor home repairs together with garden maintenance and the removal of rubbish to keep their home in a safe and habitable condition.

When a client contacts the Home Maintenance service for assistance we can either: –

Carry out the work ourselves with our own staff and any material costs are paid by the client

Or contact a contractor who is registered with us, on behalf of the client and we can subsidise the labour cost. The client then pays for any labour charge in excess of the subsidised amount and any material costs

The amount of the subsidy can vary and is based on the demand for service versus the funds available.

The (CHSP) DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE service provides one off cleaning to areas around the homes of eligible clients that cannot be cleaned by other Home Care services due to occupational health and safety and other constraints.

This service provides one off spring cleaning, pre-cleaning of client’s homes prior to the commencement of Home Care services together with the provision of specialised cleaning for clients with incontinence or blood issues.

When a client contacts the Domestic Assistance service for assistance we can either:-

Carry out the work ourselves with our own staff

Or contact a contractor who is registered with us, on behalf of the client and we can subsidise the labour cost, the client then pays for any labour charge in excess of the subsidised amount

The amount of the subsidy can vary and is based on the demand for service versus the funds available.

(CHSP) HOME MODIFICATION (minor) include structural changes to the person’s home to enable them to live and move safely about the house such as the fitting of grab rails, small ramps, step modifications, appropriate tap sets, hand held showers and other safety and mobility aids. Any material costs are paid by the client, the labour is supplied at no cost to the client. Modifications require assessment by an occupational therapist, at no cost to the client.

(CHSP) HOME MODIFICATION (major) provides information, assessment, project management and financial assistance to eligible clients or their carers. The service aims to remove some of the practical housing related difficulties experienced by those persons who wish to remain living in their own homes by providing subsidised, significant home modifications such as wheelchair accessible bathrooms, wheelchair ramps, stair climbers and water lifts etc.

Clients can be referred or self referred by sending a completed application form. An Occupational Therapist and a Modifications specialist are engaged to assess the client’s requirements and complete reports addressing selection criteria and design requirements. The reports are assessed by the Home Modifications Advisory Committee and if approved, quotes are obtained and the amount of client contribution is negotiated. Modifications require assessment by an occupational therapist, at no cost to the client.

These Guide Lines have been developed to make all contractors aware of the expectations that will be placed upon them when undertaking work for the clients of the Home Maintenance and Security Service Association Inc.

Legal Requirements

Contractors will need to provide the following: –

1. Australian Business Number (ABN)
2. Public Liability Insurance (Minimum of $10 million)
3. National Criminal History Check (current – within the last 3 years) i. OR
4. Blue Card (current – within the last 3 years)
5. Contractors and staff will hold formal qualifications, and carry out all work in accordance with the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 the relevant Building Codes, Local Government Authority Regulations, Licence Regulations and Australian Standards.

Code of Behaviour

Contractors will be expected to abide by the following: –
Represent HOMESSA Inc in a positive way
Treat all clients and /or their carer’s with understanding, dignity and practise polite and sensitive communications
Never solicit work from a client
Never offer to purchase any item from a client and/or carer unless publicly offered for sale
Present oneself and carry out all work in a professional manner
Refrain from smoking in a client’s home

Respect the rights of client and/or their carers
Respect the personal property of the client and/or their carers

Treat all client information as confidential
Any conflict of interest or potential conflict of interest which may occur will be declared in writing as soon as possible to the Program Coordinator
Never sub-contract any part of any work, unless permission has been given by HOMESSA Inc., any breaches of this code will result in suspension of work.

Paperwork Requirements

1. When you receive an enquiry sheet please notify the issuing office if you cannot complete the job within 5 working days
2. Telephone the client before going to the job to arrange a suitable time and keep a record of the call on the enquiry sheet, even if you did not get an answer
3. Be punctual, neat and tidy and when you arrive at the job let the client know you have been sent by HOMESSA Inc
4. Give the client an estimate of the cost of materials, if required, before you commence the job
5. If the client requests extra work that is not on the enquiry sheet, contact the issuing office to get approval before any work is carried out
6. Record the time taken to do the job in the ‘Time Taken’ box on the enquiry sheet
7. Ensure the client signs and dates the enquiry sheet when you have completed the job
8. Ensure a receipt is provided for any monies paid to you from the client
9. Return the completed enquiry sheet with your tax invoice/statement, without the signature or the breakdown of costs will delay payment into your bank
10. Ensure all work is carried out in a timely and efficient manner and the work site left clean