View Scheme - SCM11991

Temporary freeze for new applications:

There is a temporary freeze on new approved case manager applications to allow for the change of procurement platform. This means that suppliers will not be able to submit new applications or modify existing applications from Monday 10 April until 26 April 2023.

From the 26 April 2023, suppliers will be able to apply for the approved case manager capability via the Buy.NSW platform.

If you are an existing supplier, no action is required and you will remain prequalified. Please contact NSWbuy@treasury.nsw.gov.au with any questions. 

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This Scheme SCM11991 includes two independent capabilities:

• Approved Case Manager Prequalification List

• Approved Care Needs Assessor Prequalification List - Applications accepted until February 28, 2023, only.

For application periods for either of the capability –see critical dates below.

Important: Prequalification for one capability does not result in automatic prequalification for the other capability.

Applicants may choose to apply for one or both capabilities.  Applications will be assessed separately for the individual capabilities. Applicant may be successful for one prequalification list and not the other, both capabilities or none, subject to assessment outcome.

Lifetime Care requires pre-qualified lists of specialised and experienced allied health case managers and care needs assessors to deliver services to participants of the Lifetime Care & Support Scheme of NSW and the Workers Care Program of the NSW Workers Compensation scheme.

Lifetime Care and Workers Care fund a range of treatment, rehabilitation and care services for people severely injured in motor vehicle accidents on NSW roads or workplace accidents in NSW. Eligible injuries include traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, amputations, blindness and/or severe burns.

Case managers and care needs assessors are expected to understand, and agree to work within, the Scheme legislation and Guidelines, which can be found on the icare website https://www.icare.nsw.gov.au.

It should be noted that prequalification does not guarantee work to service providers. Currently approximately 800 people receive case management from the panel of approved providers, with most injured people located within New South Wales.

Case managers are sourced first from the person’s local area, and therefore case managers from across NSW are encouraged to apply. Smaller numbers of interstate case managers are needed, primarily in the border states of QLD, Victoria, and the ACT.

Care needs assessors are sourced from the participant’s local area where appropriate, and while the majority of care needs assessors will be located in NSW, there is need for a small number of interstate assessors, particularly in QLD, Victoria and the ACT.

Approved Case Managers

Case managers will only be approved for the Prequalification List if they meet the strict experience criteria, including but not limited to:

• demonstrated  min of 5 years full time (or equivalent) work in allied health service delivery and/or case management for people with very severe disability such as those eligible for the Schemes. Core skills and experience which will need to be evident from their application and CV include injury education and management; person-centred planning;

• coordination of complex rehabilitation programs;

• monitoring and evaluation of outcomes;

• sourcing and working collaboratively with a wide range of health and care providers;

• supporting, motivating and engaging people with compromised self-efficacy; and

• working within legislative boundaries.

Suitably qualified and experienced professionals from the allied health sector are invited to apply to become approved case managers. They may be professions governed by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulatory Agency (AHPRA), or from professions which do not require AHPRA registration.

Approved Case Managers (Lifetime Care) provide specialised services across the rehabilitation continuum – from early post-discharge rehabilitation programs to lifelong support to achieve community participation and quality of life outcomes for people with very severe disabilities and complex circumstances.

Requirements for the Approved Case Managers (Lifetime Care) as per the Case Manager Expectations – attached below.  

Approved Care Needs Assessors

Care needs assessors will only be approved for the Prequalification List if they meet the strict experience criteria including but not limited to:

• minimum of 5 years demonstrated clinical experience and expertise in comprehensive, person-centred care needs assessment for people with acquired disability;

• demonstrated understanding of specific considerations for care needs assessments for children (if applying to provide care needs assessments for this group);

• experience in assessing risk and recommending safeguards;

• understanding of the role of the care needs assessor in the context of working with a funder.

• demonstrated excellent writing skills; and

• commitment to accepting referrals for care needs assessments within their scope of practice.

These skills and experience will need to be evident from the care needs assessor application, from the applicant’s CV and from their example care needs assessment report. 

The information displayed below is a summary of the online application process. Please review and, when ready to apply for the scheme, click the Start application button above.

Approved Case Managers

Applicants for the approved case management capability should read the Scheme conditions, Terms of Agreement, Case Manager Expectations and Schedule prior applying to the Scheme. These documents will help potential applicants determine if they are compliant with the requirements for Prequalification.

Applicants for the Approved Case Manager capability of the Scheme can be businesses or sole traders who deliver the Services described in the Scheme Conditions.

Both businesses and sole traders will need to demonstrate compliance with the essential business requirements outlined in the on-line Application (below).

Where a business is applying, they must nominate specific employees/subcontractors who will be assessed individually against the level of experience and skills required to deliver case management services.

A Case Manager application form must be submitted for each applicant being put forward by the business and businesses can submit applications for multiple employees/subcontractors. Each applicant will need to demonstrate compliance with the requirements outlined in the Application Form (template attached in documents section).

In addition to the Application Form, all case management applicants should submit a current CV. The CV should list current and previous work roles and include a description of tasks undertaken within these roles.

When attaching more than one document, please note only one file can be submitted. Please combine multiple documents into a single Zip File.

Approved Care Needs Assessors

Applicants for the approved care needs assessor capability should read the Scheme conditions, Terms of Agreement and Schedules prior applying to the Scheme. These documents will help potential applicants determine if they are compliant with the requirements for Prequalification.

Applicants for the Approved Care Needs Assessor capability of the Scheme can be businesses or sole traders who deliver the Services described in the Scheme Conditions.

Both businesses and sole traders will need to demonstrate compliance with the essential business requirements outlined in the on-line Application (below).

Where a business is applying, they must nominate specific employees/subcontractors who will be assessed individually against the level of experience and skills required to deliver care needs assessment services.

A care needs assessor application form must be submitted for each applicant being put forward by the business and businesses can submit applications for multiple employees/subcontractors. Each applicant will need to demonstrate compliance with the requirements outlined in the Application Form (template attached in documents section).

All care needs assessor applicants should submit the following documents:

• A completed application form;

• A current CV listing current and previous work roles and include a description of tasks undertaken within these roles; and

• A deidentified sample care needs assessment (or similar) report.

When attaching more than one document, please note only one file can be submitted. Please combine multiple documents into a single Zip File.

Care Needs Assessors

IMPORTANT: Applications will be accepted for the care needs assessor Prequalification list from 1st February 2023 to 28 February 2023 only!

Following this, applications will be accepted on a six-monthly basis only if additional care needs assessors are required.

Further information

If you have any questions about the approved case manager (Lifetime Care) panel, or have been asked to provide case management services for Lifetime Care or Workers Care and are not yet approved, please contact the case management team at icare on casemanagement@icare.nsw.gov.au.

Questions about the care needs assessor panel can be directed to CNAPanel@icare.nsw.gov.au

Application Processing

Applications will be assessed for compliance with the essential business criteria via the information provided in the on-line application. Individual case manager and care needs assessor Application forms (and the associated supporting documentation) will be forwarded to icare for evaluation of compliance with the essential case manager or care needs assessor requirements. The care needs assessor application will further be evaluated and scored by icare to form the approved list of service providers.

The information provided in the Application/s may be subject to assessment, reference checking, searches, interview, enquiries, and confirmation.

Applicants are deemed to have authorised any such action.

Any matter in relation to or concerning your Application is at your sole risk. All costs, losses and expenses that may be incurred by you in any way associated with your Application or subsequent registration or otherwise will be borne entirely by the Applicant.

When to Apply

Approved Case Managers

Applicants can apply for the Approved Case Manager (Lifetime Care) Prequalification List at any time. Applications will be reviewed on a quarterly basis. Applications will need to be submitted by the following dates each year: 20 February, 20 May, 20 August, 20 November to be reviewed within the quarter.

Approved Care Needs Assessors

Applications are being accepted until 28 February 2023 only. Following this, applications will be accepted on a six-monthly basis only if additional care needs assessors are required.

Process for approved business wishing to apply to add a new case manager.

Once a business is approved for the case manager capability, that business can submit applications for additional case managers. Applications are accepted for additional case managers at any time and are reviewed on a quarterly basis.

Follow the instructions below to make additional case manager applications

- Select your name (business owner) on the top right side of the website which will display a drop-down menu.

- Select ‘Scheme Application’

- Select ‘View/Modify Application’

- Select ‘Edit Application’

- Continue until your reach ‘4. Questionnaire’

- Locate the drop down menu ‘CAPACITY AND CAPABILITY’

- Enter the details, application form and CV for any new case management applicants.

For assistance with the eTendering website, please contact the NSW Procurement Service Centre on 1800 679 289.

If additional case managers or care needs assessors are approved, the business will be issued with a revised Terms of Agreement – Schedule 1 (listing all approved case managers/care needs assessors from the business).

Lifetime Care and Support requires catastrophic injury rehabilitation experts with at least 5 years clinical health/allied health experience in delivering complex case management for people with very severe, life-long injuries, including traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury.

Lifetime Care requires a panel of care needs assessors experienced in the provision of objective, comprehensive, person-centred care needs assessments in the context of serious injury.

The Applicant must identify its areas of substantial expertise by nominating the categories in which it is seeking prequalification.

• Care needs assessment
  Applicants must be able to deliver comprehensive, person-centred care needs assessment for people with acquired disability. Essential core skills and experience include, expertise in assessing risk and recommending safeguards, understanding of the role of the care needs assessor in the context of working with a funder, and excellent writing skills. Applicants will also need to demonstrate an understanding of specific considerations for care needs assessments for children (if applying to provide care needs assessments for this group)
• Complex Rehabilitation Case Management
  Applicants must be able to deliver expert rehabilitation case management for people with very severe disability such as those with traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury. Essential core skills and experience include injury education and management; person-centred planning; coordination of complex, multi-disciplinary rehabilitation programs; monitoring and evaluation of outcomes; sourcing and working collaboratively with a wide range of health and care providers; supporting, motivating and engaging people with compromised self-efficacy; and working within legislative boundaries

The Applicant must answer the following questions based on the prequalification type they are applying for

The Applicant must answer the following questions based on the prequalification type they are applying for