Customer Engagement Policy and Procedure

Purpose

To outline the key principles that support customers to fully contribute to Northcott’s planning, strategic and development activities; as well as participate in external events on behalf of Northcott.

Key points of the policy

• We call the way we learn about customers’ needs Customer Engagement.
• Northcott will make sure it creates customer engagement opportunities at every level of organisational planning, development and service review.
• To provide high-quality services and supports to people, Northcott’s customers, we need to learn what they want.
• Customer engagement is the responsibility of all Northcott employees including: frontline staff, managers, executives.

This policy applies to:

• All Staff
• All customers

Where to find more information

• Your Manager

Customer Engagement Policy

• Northcott will make sure it creates customer engagement opportunities at every level of organisational planning, development and service review.
• Northcott’s customer engagement opportunities will always meet the individual customer needs, so they can participate and contribute inclusively.
• Northcott will provide appropriate supports and/or expenses to customers so they can participate in a customer engagement opportunity.
• Northcott always provides customers with feedback on their contributions.

Northcott’s approach to Customer Engagement

• Northcott recognises that as an organisation it exists to provide high-quality services to people.
• To provide high-quality services and supports to people, Northcott’s customers, we need to learn what they want.
• Customer engagement is the responsibility of all Northcott employees including: frontline staff, managers, executives and corporate staff.
• Customer engagement will be integrated into projects facilitated by Northcott’s corporate departments as well as operational departments.
• Customer engagement will be integrated into projects facilitated by external parties or consultants
• Customer engagement may be formal or informal
• We call the way we learn about customers’ needs Customer Engagement. Customers are central to shaping how Northcott:
  • Plans for the future
  • Improves existing services
  • Develops or designs new Northcott services and supports
  • Shapes a customer’s individual supports and services

Examples of Formal Customer Engagement

• Customers attend a workshop where they are involved in developing Northcott’s future Strategic Plan
• Customers join a working party where they support the development of Northcott’s Customer Survey and other customer feedback and insights projects
• Customer Survey and other customer feedback and insights projects
• Customers attend a meeting with the local manager, where they can give feedback on annual performance appraisals of staff who support them.
• Customers join a research panel as part of a formal research project Northcott is participating in
• Customers represent Northcott at a formal event, organised by Northcott or organised by another organisation

Examples of informal customer engagement

• Customers who live at 1 Fennell Street are having their regular Tuesday afternoon house meeting. The local Northcott Area manager wants to join the meeting for 20 minutes. She wants to ask customers what they think about a new Northcott service they have recently used.
• A group of customers and their Service Coordinator are talking about what activities they would like to do the next year. During the conversation they also talk about activities they do not want to do again. The Service Coordinator then uses this information to shape the next year’s program.
• A parent mentions to their child’s therapist they found one of Northcott’s forms hard to fill in. The therapist asks if they can call the parent later that afternoon to learn more about the form and how it could be improved. The parent agree.

How to make Customer Engagement happen inclusively

• Northcott recognises that people with lived experience of disability may require supports so they can be fully included in a customer engagement opportunity.
• Northcott recognises that the supports a customer needs will be unique to them.
• The responsible Northcott worker will ask the customer and find out what supports or adaptations they need.

Examples of customer supports

• Written: To make sure that written information is understood by the customer, you might need to print it in large print or a different font. You may need to do an Easy English version.
• Videos or audio: You may need to provide videos, spoken or auditory versions of your written information for customers who cannot read, customers who have low literacy, or customers who have low English language levels.
• Online: You may need to ensure that customers have the technology (including internet) capacity to have inclusive online engagement.
• In-person engagement: You may need to ensure the venue is fully accessible for customers, including required rooms, car parks, bathrooms. You may need to ensure there are areas for customers who benefit from low-stimulation environments (quiet, low lighting, no people walking by).
• Support workers: You may need to ensure a disability support worker is available to support the customers: to communicate their contributions online; to contribute at in-person events; to support them to eat and drink; to support them with personal care.

Supports and Expenses for Customers

Where appropriate, Northcott will provide supports and/or expenses to customers so they can participate in customer engagement opportunities.

There are 3 types of support and expenses:

1. Time spent
   • Preparation – May include: reading briefing notes, thinking about issues that are going to be raised, preparing a presentation, preparing feedback. Northcott will consult and agree on time taken by the customer before the engagement
   • Travel – The time taken for the customer to travel to the engagement 
2. Travel
   • Expenses for travel to and from an in-person This could include a Cab charge, transport fares or an allocated parking spot at the venue.
3. Support Workers
   • Expenses (time and travel) related to a disability support worker providing required supports to the individual.
   • Expenses (time and travel) related to a disability support worker supporting the customer to prepare for the opportunity.

Examples of support and expenses

• Northcott wishes to do a face-to-face consultation at Northcott’s Campbelltown Northcott wants to hear from therapy customers who live in the Campbelltown area about their experience of Therapy’s new approach. Customers attending will receive Volunteer Expenses for their time attending the focus group.
• Northcott has asked James, a customer, to attend a community housing forum in Sydney CBD to talk about his experience as a Northcott Housing James will receive expenses for his time. Northcott will also pay James’ required support worker for their time and travel expenses.
• Northcott wants to hear from customers about how it can improve its newsletter. Customers are invited to share their ideas by taking part in a 5 minute online survey. Customers can choose to do the survey in their own It does not take a long time. As taking part is voluntary there are no expenses offered.

Giving customers feedback on their contributions

Northcott strives to always provide customers with feedback about the contributions they have made. This makes sure that customers know their contributions have been valued and have made a difference.

Considerations for giving customers feedback

Time

• Tell customers when you will give them feedback
• Inform customers if feedback will not be provided for a long Some projects, such as formal research, may take many months

Format

• Feedback should be in an inclusive form that is appropriate for the customer

Transparency

• Feedback should reflect engagement results honestly and accurately

Understanding

• Customers should be provided with the chance to ask more questions or gain greater understanding if they would like to

Responsibilities for this Policy

Chief Executive Office – Final review and approval of this policy 

Policy Owner – Maintain this policy, its related procedures and documents

Supervising Managers

• Ensure the policy is effectively implemented in their services
• Ensure staff have read and understand the policy, and have sufficient skills, knowledge and ability to meet the requirements.
• Ensure staff are following the policy

All Employees – Follow the requirements of the policy, any related procedures and ensure relevant training has been completed

Legislation and Standards Compliance

This policy was developed in accordance with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (Provider Registration and Practice Standards) Rules 2018.