Courses · Work Health & Safety
Escalating Care Requirements on Behalf of Participants
Recognise when a participant is deteriorating, communicate it clearly using ISBAR, and advocate until someone acts — including when you are told it is nothing.
About this certificate
This is a non-accredited professional development module and the Certificate of Completion is not a Statement of Attainment. It does not qualify you to diagnose or treat. It is about recognising when something is wrong and making sure the right person knows, quickly. In an emergency, always call 000.
About this module
Avoidable deaths of people with disability are often preceded by days of visible deterioration that was noticed, noted and not escalated. This module covers recognising deterioration and knowing a person's baseline, the conditions that most often kill people with disability — aspiration pneumonia, sepsis, constipation and bowel obstruction, epilepsy, dehydration — when to call 000 versus a GP versus a supervisor, communicating clearly using ISBAR, advocating when your concern is dismissed, escalating changes in support needs, and documenting what you did.
Who it is for
All support workers, team leaders and SIL staff — particularly those supporting participants with complex health needs or limited verbal communication.
What you will be able to do
- Recognise signs of physical deterioration against a person's baseline
- Identify the conditions most commonly associated with avoidable deaths of people with disability
- Decide when to call 000, a GP, a health line or a supervisor
- Communicate a concern clearly using ISBAR
- Advocate persistently and document escalation
Aligned to
- NDIS Practice Standards — Provision of Supports; Management of Participant Health
- NDIS Code of Conduct — providing supports in a safe and competent manner
- Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care — Recognising and Responding to Acute Deterioration
- NDIS Commission practice alerts on avoidable deaths
Lesson plan
What the module covers
| # | Lesson | What it covers | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Recognising deterioration | Baselines, the signs that matter, and the conditions that kill. | 12m |
| 02 | Who to call, and how to say it | Choosing the right pathway, and ISBAR. | 12m |
| 03 | Advocating, escalating further, and documenting | What to do when your concern is not taken seriously. | 11m |
| ✓ | Final assessment | 10 scenario-based questions · pass mark 80% · unlimited attempts | ~15m |
Also in Work Health & Safety
Manual Handling
Protect your back and your participant's dignity — hazard assessment, transfer technique, hoists and slings, falls, and the lifts that must never be used.
Keeping Safe at Work
Your rights and duties under WHS law, how to identify and control hazards in a participant's home, working alone, fatigue, driving, and reporting injuries and near misses.
Waste Management
Handle and dispose of general, clinical, sharps, pharmaceutical and hazardous waste safely — and what to do after a needlestick or body-fluid exposure.