Referring consumers to supported residential services (SRS)
Guide for clinical mental health services and Mental Health Community Support Services

October2015

Purpose

This guide provides clinical mental health services and Mental Health Community Support Services with information about referring consumers to supported residential services (SRS).

A separate guide has been developed to assist SRS proprietors and staff to respond to referrals from mental health services and consumers. This guide is called Prospective resident referral from a mental health service. Mental health service managers, clinical and service staff should be familiar with both guides to effectively communicate with SRS about prospective resident referrals.

Key considerationswhen referring consumers to SRS

Aboutsupported residential services

  • SRS are privately run supported accommodation services and not clinical settings.
  • SRS are not specific mental health or disability support facilities and staff may not be trained to work with people with a mental illness, disability and/or cognitive impairment.
  • Each SRS determines the people they accommodate, the services they provide and the fees they charge.
  • All SRS provide personal support services for residents and accommodation may be provided in single or double rooms.
  • Each SRS determines its own fees and there are no limits on the fees an SRS can charge for accommodation and personal support services.
  • The Department of Health and Human Services (the Department) registers and regulates SRS[1]. A list of all registered SRS is available on the Department’s website.

About referring consumers to supported residential services

  • Information about a consumer can only be shared with the consumer’s consent.
  • If informed consent has been obtained, referring services must share information with an SRS about the consumers’ health and personal support needs.
  • Referring services must be informed of the level and type of personal support services offered in an SRS in order to determine the appropriateness of that SRS for a consumer.
  • Information sharing and appropriate placement reduces the risk of homelessness for theconsumer.
  • Referring services can ask local SRS to send their Information for prospective residents for discussion with consumers.

Sharing information with a supported residential service

Although formal assessments are not required before a consumer can move into an SRS, an SRS will request information from a consumer and their mental health support worker in order to determine if the SRS can adequately support the consumer.

Proprietors will use the question prompts in the complementary guide, Prospective resident referral from a mental health service.

Types of information to be shared

In order to make an informed decision about the SRS’ ability to support a consumer, an SRS proprietor or manager may request information about the consumer’s:

  • diagnosis, risk assessment and treatment priorities (including medication details)
  • physical health, co-morbidity or other complex issues/considerations
  • individual recovery plan
  • discharge papers or a copy of their exit plan
  • name/details of others involved in care such as:

–person nominated or advocate if one has been appointed

–family and/or carers and their likely involvement in support for the consumer

–other professionals involved in care such as general practitioner, support worker, clinical and community service staff

  • behavioural issues/risks including any history associated with violence, strategies previously used to manage the consumer’s behaviour and a behaviour management plan (if applicable)
  • documentation of mental health service visits with the consumer and signing of drug charts after administering medication such as depot injections
  • literacy/language requirements.

When information needs to be shared

There are key periods during an SRS placement in which information is to be shared between consumers, person nominated or advocate, family and/or carers (as appropriate),mental health services and SRS including:

  • on entry to the SRS
  • during the development of the SRS support plan
  • when support plans are review
  • when critical incidents occur in which the consumer is involved
  • when planning an exit from the SRS.

Consumers, person nominated or advocate, family and/or carers (as appropriate), mental health services and SRS should establish an agreed method of communication (e.g. email, fax, or face to face).

Staffing in supported residential services

Key messages about staffing

  • SRS are not clinical settings.
  • Minimum staffing ratios in SRS are one personal support worker per 30 residents, or fraction of 30 residents.
  • If the 1:30 ratio does not meet residents’ health and personal support needs, additional staff must be employed and on duty.
  • SRS staff often have multiple roles including providing support to residents, preparing meals, cleaning and attending to laundry.
Personal support coordinator in SRS

A personal support coordinator is responsible for the coordination and continuity of the personal support provided to residents at the SRS. A personal support coordinator is required to work 38 hours, Monday-Friday, and be trained to a Certificate III level in either:

  • aged care
  • home and community care
  • disability; or
  • Certificate IV in mental health
  • Certificate IV in alcohol and other drugs.

There may be no designated personal support coordinator on duty over the weekends; however, a member of staff (1:30, with minimum first aid) will be available to provide help and support to residents.

Support planning in supported residential services

Key messages about support planning

  • Support plans must include a resident’s health and personal support needs.
  • Support plans outline the services the SRS hasagreed to provide and those provided by other service providers, including clinical mental health services and Mental Health Community Support Services.
  • Support plans are developed with input from:

–the consumer

–person nominated or advocate

–family and/or carers as appropriate

–mental health service support worker

–health service providers

Interim support plans

Interim support plans must be developed within 48 hours of tenancy at the SRS and will include the immediate health and/orpersonal support needs of the consumer.

Ongoing support plans

An ongoing support plan must be developed within 28 days of tenancy at the SRS. It must be reviewed and updated every six months – or sooner if the resident’s support needs change.

Changing health and/or personal support needs

If a consumer living in an SRS requires greater health or personal support than is being or can be provided by the SRS, the proprietor must ensure that appropriate external health and/or personal support is provided to that consumer. If the consumer’s needs are too great, the proprietor must notify the Department immediately.

Making a complaint about a supported residential service

If a consumer or a mental health service has a concern or complaintregarding an SRS, it should be raised with the SRS first.

SRS must have a complaints officer and a system for receiving and responding to complaints. The SRS’ complaints process must be explained to all residents.

Complainants who are uncomfortable approaching the SRS, or who are not satisfied with the SRS' response to their complaint can contact an Authorised Officer at the Department of Health and Human Services.

Residents of SRS can also contact the Community Visitor program to raise a concern or complaint or to request a visit from a Community Visitor.

Resources and contacts

Resource / Contact details
Living in an SRS: Guide for residents and prospective residents booklet
Welcome to our house video
SRS support plan templates
Guide for considering a resident referral from a mental health service: A guide for SRS proprietors and managers /
List of registered SRS /
Department of Health and Human Servicesdivisional contact information /
Request a visit from a Community Visitor / Contact the Office of the Public Advocate by telephone at 1300 309 337

Referring consumers to supported residential services1

[1] The Department regulates SRS under the Supported Residential Services (Private Proprietors) Act 2010 (SRS Act) and Supported Residential Services (Private Proprietors) Regulations 2012 (SRS Regulations).