Policies

Our Policies

Cerebral Palsy Alliance is committed to quality services for our clients and families that demonstrates our commitment to good governance and compliance with state and federal legislation. Below are some key organisational policies and procedures.

Privacy Policy

Cerebral Palsy Alliance respects the service users right to privacy and dignity in all aspects of their life and will protect the confidentiality of information that it maintains about service users / families.

S04:07 - Privacy Policy

Rights and Responsibilities

Cerebral Palsy Alliance will support and actively encourage each person with a disability desire to participate and be involved in the community.

S05:01 - Clients Rights and Responsibilities

S05:01 - Client Rights and Responsibilities

Related Forms/Guidelines

Complaints and Disputes

Cerebral Palsy Alliance is committed to ensuring service users and their families are encouraged and supported to make and resolve complaints regarding the organisation or service they receive and that this is done in a timely and efficient manner.

S07:01 - Service User Complaints

Related Forms/Guidelines

Research and Ethics

This policy is designed to ensure that all research undertaken and supported by the organisation is ethical and in line with the organisations' research agenda.

S08:01:02 - Research & Ethics S08:01:02 - Research & Ethics

Cerebral Palsy Alliance recognises the need for sound and effective management systems and supports management practices that are in line with its mission statement and strategic plan. It values its staff and will provide systems to ensure staff work in an environment that maximises their personal and professional skills in ways that promote positive outcomes for people with a disability.

Cerebral Palsy Alliance Ethics Committee is a recognised National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC), EC00402.

Submission Process

For any administrative queries, please contact Deborah Hoffman at (dhoffman@cerebralpalsy.org.au).

For all research queries please contact Sarah McIntyre (smcintyre@cerebralpalsy.org.au) or Iona Novak (inovak@cerebralpalsy.org.au).

Application Process

You can submit to the Ethics Committee using a choice of 2 processes.

Option 1: Multicentre trials, including public hospitals - https://www.ethicsform.org/au/SignIn.aspx
Multicentre or single trials, excluding public hospitals - https://www.neaf.gov.au/Default.aspx
NEAF is a web-based tool that has been developed to assist researchers of all disciplines to complete research ethics proposals for submission to Human Research Ethics Committees (HRECs), and to assist HRECs to consistently and efficiently assess these proposals. NEAF allows you to identify more than one HREC to which you will be submitting your proposal, and you can complete one proposal to submit to multiple HRECs. This removes the need for researchers to prepare multiple application forms and means that all HRECs receive identical information about the proposal.

Option 2: Standard Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research and Ethics Application (See Att 5 in the list of forms below).

Overview of the Standard Research and Ethics Application Process

We use a four stage submission process.

Stage 1: Expression of Interest* - The purpose of this phase is to alert the Committee to your proposal and for you to receive initial feedback about whether it is likely to be approved before you complete a full submission. The Research Committee is assessing whether (a) the project has appropriate supervision, i.e. do no harm, and (b) the resources you request from the organisation to support your project, such as staff time and funds, is a good match with the organisation's agenda.
* Experienced researchers or postgraduate students enrolled in a supervised research degree can elect to omit this phase and start the process at stage 2.

Stage 2: Formal Research Proposal – The purpose of this phase is to provide the Research Committee with a detailed research plan. The Research Committee is assessing whether (a) the project has sound rigour, i.e. do no harm, and (b) it is feasible to recruit the sample group you are proposing to work with and that they not currently being over-researched by other projects underway.

Stage 3: Ethics Application – The purpose of this phase is for the Ethics Committee to assess ethical principles including: respect for people; potential benefits versus harm; and justice

Stage 4: Board Approval – The Board of Directors of Cerebral Palsy Alliance provides the final approval to enure potential liabilities have appropriate risk management strategies in place.