Draft eligibility criteria for amputations
The Authority has revised the eligibility criteria for amputations in light of feedback received on the Consultation Paper. The draft eligibility criteria aim to improve on the existing wording and remove ambiguity, clarify where more than one amputation is required, and specifically include some types of unilateral amputations that are not currently eligible for the Lifetime Care and Support Scheme under the current eligibility criteria.
Please click here to view the revised draft eligibility criteria for amputations 
(51kb)
The Authority invites all interested stakeholders to provide feedback. This can be sent to Suzanne Lulham, Lifetime Care and Support Authority, Level 24, 580 George St, Sydney NSW 2000 or via email to by close of business on Friday 12 August 2011.
Draft LTCS Guidelines
The Authority has revised the existing LTCS Guidelines, Part 8: Attendant Care and has renamed these guidelines Attendant Care and Domestic Assistance to better reflect the scope of these services. The Authority has also drafted a new Part 18: Approved Attendant Care Providers which includes the current fees for the Authority?s panel of approved attendant care providers.
The changes, including the revised name Attendant Care Services and Domestic Assistance, aims to align these sections of the LTCS Guidelines more closely with the Motor Accidents (Lifetime Care and Support) Act 2006. The new Part 18, Approved Attendant Care Providers, has been developed in order to separate those matters relating to the Authority?s panel of approved attendant care providers from the LTCS Guideline on Attendant Care and Domestic Assistance.
Draft LTCS Guidelines Part 8 (333kb)
Draft LTCS Guidelines Part 18 (125kb)
Submissions on the Guidelines can be sent to Suzanne Lulham, Director Service Delivery, Lifetime Care and Support Authority, Level 24, 580 George St, Sydney NSW 2000 or via email to Suzanne Lulham by close of business on Friday 5 August 2011.
Consultation Paper: eligibility criteria for amputations
The Authority has prepared a Consultation Paper raising issues for consideration relating to the eligibility criteria for amputations. This is part of a revision of Part 1 of the LTCS Guidelines, specifically the eligibility criteria for participation in the Scheme for participants with multiple amputations. Any changes intend to resolve ambiguity in the wording of the current criteria and specify clearly the types of amputations that are eligible for the Scheme.
The Authority is interested in the views of stakeholders on these issues and has framed various questions in the Consultation Paper for consideration and comment, including an option for the new eligibility criteria for amputations. The Authority hopes to receive submissions on the issues raised in the Consultation Paper to assist with finalisng the new draft eligibility criteria for amputations. Stakeholders will then have opportunity to provide comment on the draft Guideline when it is circulated before the Guideline is gazetted.
Click here to access the Consultation Paper (78kb)
Submissions on the Paper can be to Suzanne Lulham via email slulham@lifetimecare.nsw.gov.au or mail to Suzanne Lulham, Director Service Delivery, Lifetime Care and Support Authority, Level 24, 580 George St, Sydney NSW 2000 by close of business on Friday 13 May 2011.
Attendant Care Tender Outcome January 2011
The Lifetime Care and Support Authority (the Authority) released a request for tender (RFT) AC2010 on 18 October 2010. The aim of the tender was to create a list of attendant care service providers for the Lifetime Care and Support Scheme (the Scheme).
The purpose of the panel of approved attendant care providers is to offer choice for participants, service coverage across NSW, disability expertise and quality service providers who meet or will meet the Attendant Care Industry Management System Standard.
The Authority's current approved attendant care provider's contracts expire on 5 February 2011. The Authority invited current and new providers to apply. The request for tender was also used to better define the skill base of the attendant care providers by assessing providers on their ability to provide attendant care to the following participant groups:
1. Physical Assistance
2. High Clinical Needs
3. Cognitive and Challenging Behaviours
Organisations have obtained prequalification to provide services to one or more of these participant groupings based on the evaluation of the response to the RFT and are listed below in alphabetical order:
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Acquired Brain Injury Services NSW Inc
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All About Caring (Bennettcare Investments P/L)
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Allcare Nursing Services
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Alliance Health Services Group
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Australian HealthCall Group
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Australian Home Care Services
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Care Community (Origin Healthcare Pty Ltd)
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Care1 Pty Ltd
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CareWest Inc
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Community Connections Australia
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Complete Care Team (Neville Bush Holdings P/L)
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Cram Foundation (The Cram Foundation)
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Disability Trust (The Illawarra Disability Trust)
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Dolleina Pty Ltd
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EACH
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Headstart
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Hunter Nursing Pty Ltd
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Lifestyle Solutions Australia Limited
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North West Disability Services
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ParaQuad NSW
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Royal Rehabilitation Centre Sydney
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Southern Cross Community Healthcare
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Whiddon Group
Shortly the Authority will be posting Service Information on all of the providers on the websites and publishing a special edition of the E-News.
Advance Notice - Attendant Care Tender
The Lifetime Care and Support Authority (the Authority) has a panel of attendant care providers who are currently contracted to provide attendant care services to Lifetime Care and Support Scheme (Scheme) participants. Members of this panel were selected as part of a tender process and this contract is in place until February 2011.
Attendant care in the Scheme assists an individual perform tasks they would usually be able to do for themselves. The services aim to support the participant in the environment in which they live and facilitate ongoing progress towards their rehabilitation goals. The type of assistance provided to the participant may include physical, prompting and/or supervision. Services may include personal care, domestic assistance, community access, rehabilitation support and registered nursing.
As part of the Authority's overall service quality, the Authority selected this list of approved attendant care providers to ensure coverage across NSW, disability specific expertise and flexibility around meeting participant needs. Panel providers have been required to report to the Authority every 6 months as well as be audited against a set of key performance measures by a third party.
In the latter part of this year the Authority will be seeking applications from existing attendant care panel providers and will be inviting new attendant care providers to apply to the Lifetime Care and Support Attendant Care panel.
The Authority will be seeking applications from attendant care providers who are:
- Able to demonstrate experience in delivering attendant care services to people with severe injuries in NSW, particularly people with a brain injury, spinal cord injury, burns, blindness and/or amputations
- Committed to providing quality services in NSW and have achieved certification to the Attendant Care Industry Association of NSW Inc (ACiA) endorsed certification to the Attendant Care Industry Management System Standard (ACIMSS). For more information on this quality program visit ACiA's website at http://www.aciansw.org.au/ .
For those organisations who have not achieved ACIA Endorsed Certification to ACIMSS the Authority will accept applications if it can be demonstrated they are enrolled* in the ACiA Certification to ACIMSS. It will be a condition of the contract with the Authority that each organisation achieves ACiA endorsed certification to ACIMSS by February 2012.
*What Does 'Being Enrolled in the ACiA Certification to ACIMSS Program' Mean? ACiA July 2010
To be 'enrolled' in the Attendant Care Industry Association of NSW Inc (ACiA) Endorsed Certification to the Attendant Care Industry Management System Standard (ACIMSS), an organisation must have:
- Completed the Application Form for ACiA Endorsed Certification to ACIMSS including agreeing to the conditions outlined in the application form
- Agreed to the scope of audit with ACiA's Endorsed Certifying Body
- Made provisional audit dates for the Stage II (full) Certification audit within 18 months of the application date*
- Accepted the proposal for audit services from ACiA's Endorsed Certifying Body
- Paid the ACiA Application Fee (Once the agreement with the Endorsed Certifying Body is signed, ACiA will be informed and ACiA will send you a letter confirming your enrolment in the program and providing you with an invoice for the Application Fee)
* Note: The application lapses, and an organisation is no longer enrolled in the ACiA Certification to ACIMSS Program, if Certification has not been achieved within 18 months of the application date. An organisation will then need to apply again to reenroll in the Program.
LTCS Guidelines gazetted: Home Modifications & Attendant Care
Amendments to the LTCS Guidelines were published in the New South Wales Government Gazette on 8 October 2010. Part 8: Attendant Care, and Part 14: Home Modifications have been revised and the gazetted versions will replace the existing parts.
Click below to access the new Guidelines:
The LTCS Guidelines are also available from the 'Guidelines and Policies for Professionals' site here.
New Discharge Procedure for Children
The Authority recently convened a working party to review the discharge procedure for paediatric participants in the Lifetime Care and Support Scheme. The working party has developed a new procedure which will apply from 1 July 2010.
For more information about the new procedure refer to Issue 41 of the E-news
Draft Paper: Case Management in the LTCS Scheme
The Authority has revised its paper about case management in the Scheme after feedback from service providers and staff.
Any rehabilitation facility or case management provider that wishes to discuss the content of the position statement with the Authority can contact Dianne Croker on (02) 9394 1317 or via email for an appointment time.
Issue 40 of the LTCS ENews contains further information.
Draft Guideline: Buying into the Lifetime Care and Support Scheme
The Authority has developed a new Guideline about how an injured person may "buy in" to become a lifetime participant in the Scheme if they sustained a motor accident injury prior to Scheme commencement.
This Guideline has been developed in accordance with the legislative amendments that were passed in 2009.
Submissions on the draft Guideline can be sent to Catherine Bain or sent via mail to Catherine Bain, Manager Assessment Review, Lifetime Care and Support Authority, Level 24, 580 George St, Sydney NSW 2000 by close of business on Friday 14 May 2010.
New Discharge Process for Adult Scheme Participants
The Authority will implement a new discharge process for adult participants from 1 March 2010.
This new process has been developed by the Authority with representatives from brain injury and spinal cord injury services.
Please go to the Forms to Request Services page to access the new discharge forms for adult participants.
The Authority plans to review the discharge process for paediatric participants soon.
All enquiries about the new process can be directed to Gemma Lloyd on 1300 738 586 or glloyd@lifetimecare.nsw.gov.au
LTCSA Guideline Amendments
Amendments to the Lifetime Care and Support Guidelines were published in the New South Wales Government Gazette on 25 September 2009.
The following Parts have been amended, and can be accessed on the 'Guidelines-Policies' page of this site:
- Part 1 - Eligibility Criteria
- Part 5 - Treatment, rehabilitation and care needs assessment
- Part 6 - Reasonable and necessary decision making in the Lifetime Care and Support Scheme
- Part 7 - Treatment and rehabilitation services
- Part 14 - Home modifications
- Part 15 - Artificial limb services (New)
All parts of the Guidelines have been circulated to major stakeholders and comment also sought from subscribers of the E-News through previous newsletters during 2009.
All Guidelines have been endorsed by the Lifetime Care and Support Advisory Council.
The 2 October 2009 edition of the LTCS E-News explains these changes in further detail.
Part 1 Guidelines Revised
The Authority has revised the current Part 1 of the LTCS Guidelines relating to the eligibility criteria for participation is the Scheme in accordance with the recent legislative amendments for the Lifetime assessment of children.
The Guidelines also include certification that the medical specialist completing the medical certificate as part of the application form as examined the injured person and has seen the FIM or WeeFIM score sheet where applicable.
Feedback on the Guidelines can be sent to Suzanne Lulham
LTCSA Guidelines are available on the Guidelines & Policies page of this website.