POLICY

 

Consent is a significant aspect of client rights and responsibilities and risk management.  Just-for-u seeks to ensure that clients have a clear understanding of the service to be provided.
 

RELEVANT DOCUMENTS

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• Terms of Business

• Consent to Share Information

• Privacy and Confidentiality Policy/procedure

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PROCEDURE

 

• Information is to be provided to the client in a form and language they can understand, taking into account any disabilities or impairment they may have and taking into account matters such as stress or pressure.  

• The Coordinators provides the client with sufficient information for there to be a genuine understanding of the nature of the service.  

• The Coordinators should be aware that a client may prefer to discuss service options in the presence of family and/or friends.  To ensure that privacy is respected, a client should be asked for their preference.

• If a client expressly asks not to be told information.  This should be documented clearly on their record and preferably signed by the client/consumer.

• The Coordinators must ensure that the client, parent or guardian has read and understands the information provided (outlined in the Terms of Business) about the:

  • Service to be provided

  • Location of the service to be provided

  • Frequency of the service to be provided

  • Cost of the service to be provided – including cancellation fees

• The Coordinators must ensure that the client, parent or guardian subsequently signs relevant documents eg Consent to Share Information, Terms of Business, relating to consent, offers a copy to the client and then incorporates them in the client record.

• The Coordinators must ensure that clients are made aware that all information collected will be kept confidential.

• When required, interpreters must sign the request/consent form to the effect that they have acted as an interpreter for the client/consumer during the consent process.

• All attempts to obtain an accredited interpreter should be exhausted before using family or friends as the interpreter.

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Exceptions to the General Principles of Consent

 

• The adult unable to give consent – where a person aged eighteen years or over is unable to consent due to a range of physical, mental or psychological conditions, substitute consent and decision-making must be arranged.

• Period of consent validity – best practice suggests that consent should be gained each time a service is to be provided.

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Competency to Give Consent

 

• A person is assumed competent until proven otherwise.  If a decision is made that a client is not competent to take a decision, it is up to Just-for-u to demonstrate a clear process of assessment and evaluation prior to a decision being made.  It is clearly imperative that this be documented in the client record.  Full reference and consideration of assessments made by other clinicians is required.

 

Consent By/For a Child Minor

 

• Appropriate informed consent must be obtained for all clients under the age of 18 years.