A conflict of interest is when someone makes a decision so they get a better result.

This means that the decision could be unfair.

We don’t want there to be any conflicts of interest with any Quality Assurance Panel members.

A Quality Assurance Panel is a group of people who check behaviour support plans.

They decide if a restrictive practice can happen.

They follow the rules in our policy about restrictive practices.

A behaviour support plan is a document that explains what support a person with disability needs.

It can include restrictive practices.

We don’t want there to be any conflicts of interest with external behaviour support practitioners.

External behaviour support practitioners are people that:

• need to be on all Quality Assurance Panels
• help decide if a restrictive practice can happen.

In this bulletin, we just call them external practitioners.

All Quality Assurance Panel members should only make fair decisions about if a restrictive practice is okay.

There are 3 types of conflicts of interest:

1. When someone makes a decision so the result is better for them.

For example, if an external practitioner is:

• on the Quality Assurance Panel

and

• helped make the behaviour support plan.

2. When someone might make a decision so the result is better for them.

For example, if a provider asks somebody who used to work for them to be a part of a Quality Assurance Panel.

3. When it seems like someone is making a decision so the result is better for them.

For example, if a provider keeps asking the same practitioner to sit on Quality Assurance Panels.

If you answer ‘Yes’ to any of these questions, you might have a conflict of interest.

Have you ever worked for the provider who is running a Quality Assurance Panel?

Have you ever worked with the person who wrote the behaviour support plan that you’re looking at?

Were you ever in charge of that person?

Do you already know the person with disability who the behaviour support plan is for?

Have you ever asked an external practitioner to be on a Quality Assurance Panel because you:

• know them well?
• know they will make a quick decision?

Have you avoided asking people to come to a Quality Assurance Panel because you wanted it to finish quickly?

For example:

• people who wrote the plan

• the person that the plan will support

• their family or support workers.

Have you ever asked an external practitioner, who is also an employee with your organisation, to be on a Quality Assurance Panel?

If you think there might be a conflict of interest, you must tell the panel members before the Quality Assurance Panel meeting.

You also have to explain how it won’t affect your decision.

If it does affect your decision, you won’t be able to be part of the Quality Assurance Panel anymore.

There are things you can do if:

• you think there is a conflict of interest

and

• you are a person with disability or a member of their family.

You can contact the provider and tell them about the conflict of interest.

You can also email us if you think they haven’t solved the problem.

clo@communities.wa.gov.au