Insurance Myths and Mysteries
PeakCare dares you to join us in a frightening journey into the unknown. Our journey’s mission is to unravel the mysteries of insurance and clarify how it affects you, your organisation and clients.
Together and with the help of some expert advice, we will debunk the myths and discover the facts. No stone will be left unturned nor small print defeat us, as we courageously tackle the beast named INSURANCE.
Can you be sure that your understandings about insurance are correct? How confident are you that your organisation, your staff or clients are not being disadvantaged by having succumbed to a mis-placed belief in some of the myths? Are you brave enough to join us in this quest and find out the facts?
As a first step in our journey, you are invited to submit any questions you have about insurance that you have never felt quite brave enough to ask before. Alternatively, you may like to send us stories or scenarios that describe some of your own encounters or difficulties that you have experienced with insurance.
These questions and stories can be entered as comments to this post – anonymously if you prefer – or alternatively you can email your questions and stories to groberts@peakcare.org.au. These questions and stories will then be added to the post by us. If you prefer to not be identified as the author of a question or story, please let us know this within your email.
Your questions or stories may relate to insurance issues that are of concern to your organisation or to members of your staff, contractors or carers.
We are expecting that as questions and stories are entered into the post, they will generate more queries, questions and online conversation.
Periodically, we will obtain expert industry advice in formulating responses to your questions and stories. Eventually, these will be compiled in a “Question and Answer” format and be made available online to all PeakCare Member Agencies and Supporters.
Debunking the myths
As previously noted, the aims of this exercise are to de-bunk the myths that often seem to feature in the understandings held by organisations and/ or individuals about insurance. These myths can sometimes significantly disadvantage organisations, their staff, carers or clients.
As an example, what’s your opinion of the accuracy or otherwise of this statement:
“Any damage to property by a young person living in a residential service- either accidental or deliberate- must be reported to the Police Service in order for the service to claim on their insurance.”
Is this a myth or fact? What are the possible implications of the understandings held by your organisation and staff about this issue in relation to their practice? Perhaps you may like to enter some comments below in response to these questions.
Another example:
“The Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services has a policy that states that any property damage caused by a child or young person living in either a residential service or foster care must be reported to the Police Service. The Department’s position is that this is the only way in which children and young people can learn about the consequences of their behaviour and the Department will not accept any claims for ex-gratia payments if the property damage has not been reported to the Police.”
Myth or fact? Is this entirely true, only partly true or completely false? Enter some comments below that indicate your understandings about whether or not such a policy exists.
All questions great and small
No questions that you submit will be regarded as too big or too small. All will be viewed as important and deserving of a response.
Lindsay Wegener
Executive Director – PeakCare Queensland
PeakCare Professional Practice Blog 