Niara Upgrade – extended outage

Update

None

General Information

We are experiencing an extended Niara system outage from the upgrade. Unfortunately, this means that access to Niara is not available.  

You can refer to the communications emailed to staff on Monday 19th August here.  

Please follow the business continuity processes noted below that are related to your role to ensure that essential tasks and responsibilities are managed effectively during this period.  

If you require any support or guidance, do not hesitate to speak with your manager. 

SIL Houses and Respite Houses

Who is Directly Impacted

• Customers and Staff from SIL and SDA services  
• Support Workers, Service Coordinators 

Preparations

• All customer documentation and plans should be available in folders in the office and desktop files 
• All customers should have an Admission to Discharge Folder with paper copies of important support plans  
• Emergency Folders are located on site
• Service Roster print out

Communications

• Customer contacts can be found in the office or desktop files.  
• Staff who need to change their roster must email their service Coordinator with the change over the outage period
• Staff can contact the On-call Manager as per the On-call procedures.  

Alternate Processes  

• Write shift notes on paper shift note templates  
• Refer to files and folders on site for customer information
• Refer to printed rosters
• Write shift notes on paper shift note templates  
• Refer to files and folders on site for customer information 
• Refer to printed rosters

Escalation  

• Contact On-call if you require support or guidance outside of business hours  
• Discuss with your manager during business hours

In Home Community Support Staff

Who is Directly Impacted  

• Customers with essential IHC shifts
• Support Workers rostered to support IHC customers  

Preparations  

• Refer to screenshots for your rosters 
• Reach out to Rostering for a copy of your roster

Communications

• Any changes to staff shifts will be communicated via email, phone call or text message
• Customers will be contact by text message or phone

Alternate Processes  

• Write shift notes on your phone  
• Review customer information that is stored in the customer’s house 
• Transfer notes to Niara once the system is back online
• Contact your manager if you need to make changes to your roster

Escalation 

• Business Hours: Please call your Service Coordinator or Service Manager  
• After Hours: Contact the On-call if you require support or guidance

Group Services: Life Skills, Work and Study

Who is Directly Impacted  

• Support Workers – unable to check rostered shifts, complete shift notes, access customer documents/plans, sign in and out of shifts 
• Customers scheduled to attend group services

Preparations  

• Refer to your roster screenshots
• Copies of important customer information can be accessed in local drives. Discuss with your manager  

Communications

• Staff roster changes will be communicated by email, phone or Text  
• Updates on outage will be communicated to staff via email  

Alternate Processes  

• Refer to service roster located on-site   
• Contact Rostering for Service Roster if not found on site 
• Write notes in the computer or on paper and keep secure until they can be added to the system

Escalation 

• Business Hours: Service Manager or Senior Operations Manager.  

Clinical Services

Who is Directly Impacted  

• Clinical Services Staff 
• Customers with scheduled therapy services.  

Preparations 

• Refer to list of appointments printed in preparations for a copy of all upcoming appointments  
• Refer to previous notes reviewed in preparations

Communications

• Customers may not receive appointment reminders. Reminders may be sent manually until system access resumes.

Alternate Processes  

• Write therapy notes on your device or word document. Ensure you can copy over when system access resumes.  
• Manually send text messages to customers to remind them of upcoming appointments.  

Escalation 

• Contact Service Manager or General Manager (QLD).  

Support Coordinators

Who is Directly Impacted  

• Support Coordinators 
  • unable to check/change rostered shifts 
  • complete shift notes, access customer documents/plans 
  • complete service agreements & amendments 
  • not access the enquiries 
  • not able to address calls from enquiries as the team will be unable to access information in NIARA 

Preparations 

• Get copies of documents you will need for your meetings with stakeholders and save information in alternate secure location.   
• Save contact details of providers you will need.   
• Get copies of information from NIARA on Plan review/COC documentation if you have any meetings with the agency from alternate secure location.   
• Ensure your roster is clear on the day and you put in the shifts the next day or when system access is restored.   
• For shifts already rostered on the day that were unable to be done, ensure you have cancelled the shifts the next day

Communications

•  Email and SMS to Support Coordinators & Enquiries Team 

Alternate Processes  

• Save documents for customers in the X drive in the Support Coordination Folder.

Escalation 

• Senior Operations Manager  

Customer Partners and Therapy Admins

Who is Directly Impacted  

• Customers needing an amendment to top up, change their service agreement  
• Customers needing a short-term agreement or new service agreement (new plan has dropped in)  
• Operations – will be unable to roster jobs if a service agreement is not available  
• Customer Partners unable to complete key role functions (service agreement, management access customer documentation, see key customer contacts if a customer query is raised)  
• Customer Partners unable to access reports to determine customers with service agreements ending.   
• Service Coordinators and Therapists unable to roster jobs.

Preparations  

• Sign-ups 
  • Customer Partners to record requests for service agreement changes/amendments and resigns on a word document.  
  • Use emails for communication with customers/external stakeholders and operations to advise of delay.  
  • Updates service agreements in the system once it is back online and communicates with operations and other stakeholders as required, regarding the same.   

Communications

Customer Partners, Sales and Operations should be advised via email of outage updates and steps to prepare and support customers.   

Alternate Processes  

Manual recording of any other items that will need to be updated in the system post outage. 

Escalation 

Contact team leader: Vanessa Harrison, Nayn Ram Harisunker, Rebekah Kirkwood and Annette Gregory   

Contact Customer Retention Manager: Kate Kovach   

General Manager Engagement: Amanda Dawson  

Sales and Therapy Admins

Who is Directly Impacted  

• Customers needing an amendment to top up, change their service agreement  
• Customers needing a short-term agreement or new service agreement (new plan has dropped in)  
• Operations – will be unable to roster jobs if a service agreement is not available  
• Customer Partners unable to complete key role functions (service agreement, management access customer documentation, see key customer contacts if a customer query is raised)  
• Customer Partners unable to access reports to determine customers with service agreements ending.   
• Service Coordinators and Therapists unable to roster jobs.   
• Enquiries team will not be able to enter new enquiries into NIARA.   
• Sales coordinators will not be able to look into a customer’s file or complete their sign up (new customers). 

Preparations  

• Sign-ups 
  • Customer Partners to record requests for service agreement changes/amendments and resigns on a word document.  
  • Use emails for communication with customers/external stakeholders and operations to advise of delay.  
  • Updates service agreements in the system once it is back online and communicate with operations regarding the same.

Communications

Enquiries team, Customer Partners, Sales and Operations to be advised via email of outage updates and steps to prepare and support customers.   

Alternate Processes  

Manual recording of other items that must be updated in the system post outage.  

Escalation 

Contact team leader: Necia Allen 

Rostering

Who is Directly Impacted  

• Support Workers – unable to check rostered shifts, complete shift notes, access customer documents/plans, sign in and out of shifts   
• Rostering Team – unable to check rosters, add leave, access customer information and access staff contact details. Unable to record enquiry cases

Preparations 

• Copies of rosters includes rosters for location and individual services. 
• Support worker contact details. 
• Customer details which will need to include primary contact/NOK, address, essential service, alerts. 

Communications

• Email and SMS to Support workers and Customers (group supports/individual services)   
• Email comms to all Niara users (Rostering, Therapy, Operations etc)   

Alternate Processes  

Rostering alternate processes – email confirmation to relevant SC/SM and record on a spreadsheet for roster changes.   

Escalation 

Rostering coordinators to escalate to Rostering Manager – Megan Akapi.   

Support Workers out of business hours – Rostering   

Support Workers during business hours – Service Co/Service Manager   

QLD Services

Customers coming in for: 

• Therapy  
• Group Programs  
• Short-stay  

Therapist unable to complete Jobs, write notes, access previous notes  

Support workers unable to complete jobs, write notes, access documentation for the customer care needs  

Service coordinator unable to access or make roster changes  

Service manager unable to access reporting and error check