Accident Compensation Corporation
New Zealand Disability Strategy Implementation Work Plan. 1 July 2005 – 30 June 2006
Introduction: About ACC
The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) administers New Zealand’s Accident Compensation scheme. The scheme provides no fault injury cover for everyone, everywhere in New Zealand, seven days a week. ACC also works to reduce the overall incidence and impact of injury in New Zealand, through the delivery of injury prevention, effective rehabilitation and compensation services.
ACC is a Crown entity responsible for:
- preventing injury
- collecting personal injury cover levies
- determining whether claims for injury are covered by the scheme and providing entitlements to those who are eligible
- paying compensation
- buying health and disability support services to treat, care for and rehabilitate injured people
- advising the government
- We provide accident cover, injury prevention services, case management, medical and other care and rehabilitation services.
ACC’s pledge is to prevent injury, to provide the best treatment and care if injury occurs, and to quickly rehabilitate people back to work or independence at a price that offers high value to levy payers and all New Zealanders.
To fulfil this pledge, ACC works to ensure that it treats disabled people with dignity and respect by improving the quality of information available, the services available and how to access them. Through its services and responsibilities, ACC has a significant connection with the New Zealand Disability Strategy.
1. Code of ACC Claimants’ Rights
Desired Outcome
The Code of ACC Claimants’ Rights (ACC Code) will encourage positive relationships between ACC and claimants. The ACC Code is designed to foster a partnership based on mutual trust, respect, understanding and participation.
Description
The Code of ACC Claimants’ Rights was established under the Injury Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Compensation Act 2001 and implemented on 1 February 2003. The ACC Code confers rights on claimants and imposes obligations on ACC in relation to how ACC should deal with claimants.
The purpose of the ACC Code is to meet the reasonable expectations of claimants about how ACC should deal with them. This includes providing procedures for lodging and dealing with complaints following breaches of the ACC Code, and remedies for addressing any breaches.
Measures and Timeframes
A formal external review of the ACC Code is currently in progress and is expected to be completed by December 2005. This will consider whether the ACC Code is meeting its objectives.
A number of claimants will be interviewed during the research phase of this review, including those who have lodged complaints under the ACC Code and those who have not.
As part of this review ACC will consider mechanisms to specifically target disabled people to ensure that the ACC Code is meeting their needs.
Links to Strategy Objectives and Actions
Ensure rights for disabled people – action 2.6.
Foster an aware and responsive public service–action 6.1.
Develop mechanisms to ensure that all government policy and legislation is consistent with the objectives of the NZ Disability Strategy – action 6.1.
Ensure that all government agencies treat disabled people with dignity and respect – action 6.3.
2. Review of the ACC Rehabilitation Model
Desired Outcome
Ensures that services are ACC claimant centred and the delivery of services is designed to meet the needs of ACC claimants.
Description
The ACC Rehabilitation Model is based on the assumption that the ACC claimant is central to the rehabilitation process. Surrounding the ACC claimant are supports and entitlements, which assist in the restoration of health and independence. ACC is only one partner in the rehabilitation process. Other partners may include whānau/family, community and other health agencies.
The model seeks to ensure that services are ACC claimant centred and their delivery designed to meet the needs of ACC claimants.
Measures and Timeframes
The updated Rehabilitation Model was introduced in 2002. A review of the model was scheduled for December 2003 however; this was not achieved as the scope of the review had been recognised as a corporate wide project.
ACC has included the review of the Rehabilitation Model as a central point of focus for the 2005/06 Business Plan. Due to the breadth of the project, an inter-divisional project team has been established. The first stage of the review is defining problems with the understanding and operation of the current Rehabilitation Model and establishing a vision for rehabilitation.
The main focus of the review will be to ensure that ACC’s rehabilitation framework meets current best practice rehabilitation methodologies and provides a consistent response to policy, purchasing and management while taking account of the requirements of ACC’s legislation. Opportunities for improvement are to be identified during the 2005/06 year.
Links to Strategy Objectives and Actions
Foster an aware and responsive public service – action 6.1.
Create long-term support systems centred on the individual – action 7.2.
Develop and maintain effective rehabilitation services – action 7.4.
Recognise that it is disabled people who are experts on their own experience – action 1.2.
3. Review of Pain Management Services
Desired Outcome
Improved pain management services to meet the needs of ACC claimants and aid early and effective rehabilitation.
Description
ACC plans a review of Pain Management Services in 2005/06. The review will look to examine the effectiveness of current pain management services in contribution to rehabilitation outcomes.
Measures and Timeframes
The review is planned for the 2005/06 year. Once the review is completed, ACC will put in place an implementation plan to facilitate service development. ACC plans to consult with the Ministry of Health and District Health Boards when conducting any service development that comes from the review.
Links to Strategy Objectives and Actions
Create long-term support systems centred on the individual – action 7.6.
Develop and maintain effective rehabilitation services – action 7.4.
Improve timeliness of service provision – action 7.7.
4. Improved focus on services to Māori
Desired Outcome
Improved services to Māori will positively impact claimant satisfaction by identifying service gaps for Māori claimants.
Description
ACC plans to focus on improving services to Māori through enhanced collection of ethnicity data, service gap analysis and enhanced monitoring of Māori providers.
Outcome Measures and Timeframes
ACC plans the development of standard reporting templates focussing on access to services, based on enhanced collection of ethnicity data, service gap analysis and enhanced monitoring of Māori providers.
ACC also plans the development of cultural competency guidelines to improve services to Māori by Māori organisations.
Monitoring and evaluation of all providers will incorporate cultural competency considerations developed within the generic monitoring framework.
This work has been incorporated in the 2005/06 business plan.
Links to Strategy Objectives and Actions
Create long-term support systems centred on the individual – action 7.6.
Develop and maintain effective rehabilitation services – action 7.4.
Improve timeliness of service provision – action 7.7.
Ensure mainstream providers of disability services are accessible to and culturally appropriate for disabled Māori and their whānau – action 11.3.
Establish more disability services designed and provided by Māori for Māori – action 11.2.
5. Children and Young Persons Working Group Report
Desired Outcome
To collect useful information about children and youth claimants to inform future work.
Description
The Children and Young Persons Working Group Quarterly Report was established to provide information to ACC management, service delivery teams and purchasing and policy teams. The reports inform future improvement work, especially in terms of injury prevention, case management practice and service delivery.
Measures and Timeframes
The reports will be provided on a six monthly basis.
Links to Strategy Objectives and Actions
Collect relevant and useful information about disability through all relevant surveys to inform the research programme – action 10.2.
Use disability research, and analyse disability data, to contribute to policy work, service development and monitoring – action 10.3.
6. Improving access to the ACC scheme
Desired Outcome
ACC works with claimants, their representatives, and community organisations, to develop, identify, prioritise, and plan initiatives to address access issues for the targeted groups.
Description
The ACC Māori Development and Customer Access division will hold a series of engagements with Māori, Pacific and Asian communities throughout New Zealand to raise awareness about ACC and to improve access to ACC services and entitlements for key customer groups, including disabled people.
Measures and Timeframes
The series of engagements with Māori, Pacific and Asian communities has been incorporated within the 2005/06 business plan.
Links to Strategy Objectives and Actions
Improve the quality of information available, including where to go for more information, the services available and how to access them – action 6.4.
Ensure that disabled people are able to access appropriate health services within their community – action 8.4.
Ensure mainstream providers of disability services are accessible to and culturally appropriate for disabled Māori and their whānau – action 11.3.
Promote participation of disabled Pacific peoples – action 12.1.