Purpose and Scope

Purpose

Empowering Connection is committed to striving for consistently exceptional outcomes and to keeping people connected and engaged with their friends, family, homes, and communities.

To support this commitment, Empowering Connection provides a high-quality care and support service outside core hours of business (8:30 am – 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday). This service is delivered through a dedicated First Response and Escalation Team.

Scope

This policy applies to all Empowering Connection employees who are contracted to participate in the First Response and Escalation Team.

Objectives

This policy aims to ensure:

• Timely and effective responses to matters requiring urgent attention outside core business hours, with a focus on participant outcomes and safe delivery of supports.
• Workers are supported through clear, consistent first response and escalation arrangements.

Definitions

First Response

Active daytime shifts on Saturdays and Sundays, focused on:

• Remote care monitoring
• Care and support matters handed over by the Care Team, including:
  • Participant health and wellbeing follow-up
  • Hospital discharge planning
• Responding to incidents occurring over weekends
• Supporting the On-Call service, including assistance for workers in participants’ homes

Escalation