Fact sheet
Overview
The Home-based care performance reporting requirements policy (HBC policy) requires providers of home-based care (HBC) activities general, complex, intensive, therapeutic foster care and adolescent community placement to report on their performance each month. This reporting increases transparency and accountability in the delivery of funded HBC services.
Under the HBC policy, aquarterly performance threshold of 95 per cent was to apply from 1 January 2015 for all home-based care activities.
Following consultation with HBC providers, the government has decided to lower the performance threshold.
The changes
Following consultation with HBC providers, the quarterly performance thresholds for home-based care have been revised from 95 per cent across all activities, to:
- 90 per cent for complex HBC activities
- 85 per cent for HBC activities:
–general;
–Intensive;
–therapeutic foster care; and
–adolescent community placement).
These revised performance thresholds will apply from 1 January 2015.
The HBC policy also will be amended to remove recoupment provisions.
Frequently asked questions
Why are you changing the performance threshold?
Following consultation with HBC providers and review of the HBC policy, the quarterly performance thresholds for home-based care have been revised from 95 per cent across all activities, to 90 per cent for complex HBC activities, to 85 per cent for other activities.
In HBC, performance can be reasonably expected to fluctuate, for example, because of changing patterns of placement demand.To adhere to a 95 per cent performance threshold would compromise HBC providers’ ability to deliver services.
The adjusted performance thresholds – 90 per cent for complex HBC activities and 85 per cent for other activities – are more appropriate.
The new arrangements better support HBC providers to deliver these services to children and young people.
When do the new performance thresholds commence?
The revised performance thresholds of 90 and 85 per cent will retrospectively apply to performance from 1 January 2015 onwards.
When will targets be realigned against the new performance threshold?
Performance will be reviewed, and targets realigned, from 1 April 2015, based on performance between 1 January 2015 and 31 March 2015.
Will there be any other changes to the HBC policy?
The policy will also be revised to remove the requirement that the Department of Health & Human Services recoup funds for undelivered services. The revised HBC policy will be published shortly.
What is the government doing to address an assessment of need at the point of entry into foster care?
The government has instructed the Department of Health & Human Services to progress discussions with stakeholders about the trialling of a new approach to assessment of client need.
Will the HBC policy counting rules still apply?
The counting rules developed in consultation with HBC providers will still apply.
A CRIS/SP report is being developed to better reflect the counting rules, thus minimising the need for manual calculation. It will be released shortly.
Will providers still be required to report using the Service Delivery Tracking tool?
Yes, HBC providers will still be required to submit performance data using the Service Delivery Tracking tool.
How will this benefit children and young people in home-based care?
The government has listened to sector feedback that the performance threshold of 95 per cent was too high, and would prevent providers from sustainably delivering home based care services.
The new arrangements better support HBC providers to deliver these services to children and young people.
HBC providers will further benefit from a new approach to foster care recruitment and retention I recently announced, supported by an injection of $1.5 million.
Home-based care performance and reporting requirements – revised policy1