Our Service Model

Higher Care Services Model

SPACE — Safety, Professionalism, Access, Care and Equity — is the framework that shapes how we work with every participant, family and community we support.

Why SPACE exists

Higher Care Services (HCS) built the SPACE model so participants, families, advocates and staff know exactly what to expect from us — and how to hold us to it. SPACE turns our values into everyday practice: what participants can expect, and what our staff commit to. It aligns with the NDIS Practice Standards, the NDIS Code of Conduct, and our obligations to human rights, safety and quality.

The SPACE Principles

Safety · Professionalism · Access · Care · Equity

Safety

Participants can expect to:

•Feel physically and emotionally safe in every interaction.
•Be free from abuse, neglect, coercion and discrimination.
•Know what to do — and who to speak to — if something feels wrong.

HCS staff commit to:

•Follow safe practice, use required PPE and infection control, and report hazards, incidents and near misses.
•Recognise and act on signs of harm, including safeguarding and reportable incident obligations.
•Support participants and colleagues to speak up without fear.

Professionalism

Participants can expect to:

•Receive support from workers who are trained, screened and know their role.
•Be treated with courtesy, respect and honesty.
•Have their time, choices and information handled properly.

HCS staff commit to:

•Hold current NDIS Worker Screening and required qualifications, and complete NDIS Worker Orientation and role-specific training.
•Arrive on time, in the right presentation, and deliver the supports that were agreed.
•Keep accurate records, respect boundaries and follow the NDIS Code of Conduct at all times.

Access

Participants can expect to:

•Reach services without unnecessary barriers.
•Receive information in a way they understand — including plain language, translated, Easy Read or via an interpreter.
•Use advocates, family, guardians or supporters where they choose.

HCS staff commit to:

•Offer interpreters, Easy Read and accessible formats when needed, and adjust communication to suit each person.
•Make reasonable adjustments to how supports are delivered.
•Actively welcome participants from every background, including CALD, First Nations, LGBTIQA+ and rural or isolated communities.

Care

Participants can expect to:

•Feel genuinely listened to and supported as a whole person, not just a set of tasks.
•Have their dignity, culture, identity and relationships respected.
•Be supported to make their own decisions and pursue their own goals.

HCS staff commit to:

•Deliver person-centred, trauma-aware supports built around each participant's plan and preferences.
•Uphold dignity of risk and supported decision-making.
•Check in on wellbeing and follow up when circumstances change.

Equity

Participants can expect to:

•Be treated fairly, regardless of disability, culture, language, faith, gender, sexuality, age or location.
•Receive supports that reflect their identity and community.
•Have concerns about unfair treatment taken seriously.

HCS staff commit to:

•Provide culturally safe and inclusive practice for every participant.
•Identify and remove barriers that disadvantage particular groups.
•Act on discrimination or unfair treatment — including by other participants, families or staff.

SPACE at a glance

A quick reference showing what participants can expect and what HCS staff commit to under each SPACE principle.

SPACE at a glance — participant expectations and HCS staff commitments across Safety, Professionalism, Access, Care and Equity.
Principle	Participants can expect	HCS staff commit to
SSafety	• Feel physically and emotionally safe in every interaction. • Be free from abuse, neglect, coercion and discrimination. • Know what to do — and who to speak to — if something feels wrong.	• Follow safe practice, use required PPE and infection control, and report hazards, incidents and near misses. • Recognise and act on signs of harm, including safeguarding and reportable incident obligations. • Support participants and colleagues to speak up without fear.
PProfessionalism	• Receive support from workers who are trained, screened and know their role. • Be treated with courtesy, respect and honesty. • Have their time, choices and information handled properly.	• Hold current NDIS Worker Screening and required qualifications, and complete NDIS Worker Orientation and role-specific training. • Arrive on time, in the right presentation, and deliver the supports that were agreed. • Keep accurate records, respect boundaries and follow the NDIS Code of Conduct at all times.
AAccess	• Reach services without unnecessary barriers. • Receive information in a way they understand — including plain language, translated, Easy Read or via an interpreter. • Use advocates, family, guardians or supporters where they choose.	• Offer interpreters, Easy Read and accessible formats when needed, and adjust communication to suit each person. • Make reasonable adjustments to how supports are delivered. • Actively welcome participants from every background, including CALD, First Nations, LGBTIQA+ and rural or isolated communities.
CCare	• Feel genuinely listened to and supported as a whole person, not just a set of tasks. • Have their dignity, culture, identity and relationships respected. • Be supported to make their own decisions and pursue their own goals.	• Deliver person-centred, trauma-aware supports built around each participant's plan and preferences. • Uphold dignity of risk and supported decision-making. • Check in on wellbeing and follow up when circumstances change.
EEquity	• Be treated fairly, regardless of disability, culture, language, faith, gender, sexuality, age or location. • Receive supports that reflect their identity and community. • Have concerns about unfair treatment taken seriously.	• Provide culturally safe and inclusive practice for every participant. • Identify and remove barriers that disadvantage particular groups. • Act on discrimination or unfair treatment — including by other participants, families or staff.

Speaking up — and being heard

SPACE only works if people can say when it is not happening. Whistleblowers will never be disadvantaged for reporting a concern. In fact, participants, families, advocates and staff are encouraged to give feedback or make complaints verbally, in writing, including anonymously in the following ways:

HCS feedback and complaints: speak with any staff member or manager or use the Feedback Form. HCS acknowledges complaints promptly, resolves them fairly, and uses every piece of feedback to improve.
NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission: 1800 035 544 (free call) or www.ndiscommission.gov.au — available to anyone, at any time, about any NDIS provider.
Independent advocacy: HCS will help you find an advocate through the Disability Advocacy Finder if you would like independent support.

How we hold ourselves to SPACE

SPACE is not a poster on a wall. HCS holds itself accountable by:

• Building SPACE into recruitment, induction, supervision and training.
• Measuring practice through incident reporting, complaints, participant feedback and internal audit.
• Reviewing SPACE at management and governance level, and reporting on improvements.
• Meeting our obligations under the NDIS Practice Standards, the NDIS Code of Conduct and relevant law.

SPACE is how Higher Care Services says: this is what safe, professional, accessible, caring and equitable support looks like — for everyone, every time.