• Consumer Advisory Body

    Nominate to be involved

    Under new Government requirements, from 1 December 2023, all accredited aged care providers are required to establish a Consumer Advisory Body at least once every 12 months.

    Although Resthaven has previously had a Consumer Advisory Group, we have taken this opportunity to review our process in alignment with the new guidelines set by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.

    Resthaven highly values the contributions of consumers in improving the quality of our care services and is committed to establishing a Consumer Advisory Body (CAB) to support our organisation.

    The Consumer Advisory Body will serve as a bridge between consumers, care recipients, their representatives and Resthaven. The primary purpose will be to provide guidance on matters relating to care delivery, offering insight into our continuous improvement initiatives and foster direct connections between our community and the Board and Executive team. This ensures that the voices and concerns of all our Residential Aged Care and Home Care clients are heard.

    We are now seeking nominations from Resthaven consumers, care recipients and their representatives to join the Consumer Advisory Body as a Consumer Representative, nominations close on 30 November 2023. Click the link below to nominate.

    In nominating for the CAB, you confirm that:

    Nominate now

    Nominations close on Thursday, 30 November 2023.

    Consumer Advisory Body- FAQs

    Under new Government requirements, from 1 December 2023 all approved aged care providers must offer to establish a Consumer Advisory Body at least once every 12 months. While Resthaven already had a Consumer Advisory Group, we have taken the opportunity to review this in line with the new Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.

    The primary purpose of the Consumer Advisory Body will be to represent Resthaven’s community in the design and development of Resthaven’s services and to offer insight into the quality of care and services offered by Resthaven. The group will act as a link between Resthaven and service users and their carers, family members or advocates and the community in which the organisation operates.

    Expressions of interest will be offered to Resthaven clients, residents, their family members or nominated representatives receiving services from Resthaven Community Services, Resthaven Residential Aged Care or Resthaven Retirement Living services. To register your interest or for further information:

    Nominate now

    The Consumer Advisory Body(s) will meet twice annually on a date and at a time advised in advance to group members. Venues will be communicated to members well ahead of the meeting, this may be at a Resthaven service site. Resthaven will work to support all members to attend the meetings, in person or virtually. Resthaven will reimburse reasonable costs of attendance. Meetings will only be held if at least half of the people attending are residents, clients, and/or representatives. Cancelled meetings will be rescheduled wherever possible. Board members may attend Consumer Advisory Body meetings but are not members.

    Each of the two groups will be made up of no more than 15 members, each including the Chair. Participation is voluntary and does not involve any payment. The Consumer Advisory Body(s) will be chaired by an independent person, fully supported by Resthaven.

    Nominations will be reviewed against set assessment criteria such as the nominee’s background, motivation for nominating and understanding of our ‘Working Together’ purpose. Nominations from residents and clients will be preferred over those from representatives. Our aim is to represent the diversity of people we provide services to, including various geographic locations, people living with dementia, and people who belong to cultural or special interest groups.
    This means that even a strong nomination may not be successful. All nominees will be notified of the outcome of their nomination.

    Each member will act in the best interests of the broader Resthaven community by using their lived experience to identify areas for improvement that will strengthen the quality of care and services. Members are also expected to:

    • Attend meetings or let us know if they can’t attend
    • Review documents provided before the meetings (with support from staff as required)
    • Respect the confidentiality of meetings
    • Declare any conflicts of interest
    • Commit to participate in the Consumer Advisory body for a minimum of one year.

    Members can suggest agenda items for the meetings and will be encouraged to provide feedback about the performance of the consumer advisory body. The advisory body does not have decision-making authority and members cannot make public comments on behalf of Resthaven.

    The Consumer Advisory Body(s) is not a forum to resolve individual concerns. Such concerns are better addressed through conversations with our staff, or by completing an online feedback form here. Printed copies are available at all service locations.

    It may not be possible for the Consumer Advisory Body(s) to cover every area of care or service. If there are issues you are passionate about, please include this in your expression of interest.

    Members will be invited to submit any topics for consideration at least 28 days ahead of the meeting date.

    We will listen to and consider all feedback. We hope to have many people from diverse groups on the Consumer Advisory Body and will listen carefully to what you have to say. The aim is ‘Working Together’, to understand the different views people hold and do our best to improve services. Resthaven’s Board will carefully consider all feedback provided about the quality of care and services at Resthaven. A written response will be made to the Consumer Advisory Body(s) explaining how the feedback was used and/or considered.

    We offer a range of methods for you to engage with us. Just let us know your preferred method. For some tasks we may be able to phone you and arrange for you to participate in a meeting.