Sexual assault and abuse survivors will be able to access ACC-funded therapy and benefits more quickly and easily under a new sensitive claims service that launches on Sunday, the Accident Corporation’s chief executive says.
The new service has been three years in the making, after survivors and providers shared concerns about the limitations of the current regime, which had been in place since 2014.
A particular concern was the length of time it took to lodge a claim and the process to get cover approved to access longer-term care, ACC chief executive Megan Main said.
“It was imperative that we address this concern and provide a faster way for survivors to get support.”
The Corporation began consulting with survivors and providers in late 2021 to design a new service.
“It is the result of three years of working with the sector co-designing a new service that should be faster for people to get access, easier and more importantly, more flexible,” said Main.
Under the current regime, all sensitive claimants got 14 hours of pre-cover support, but in order to access tailored support or financial entitlements had to undergo a specialist assessment, known as a ‘supported assessment’.
One of the main criticisms of this assessment is that it can take a long time to be assessed, due to a shortage of therapists allowed to do them, and that survivors often found the process retraumatising because they had retell their story to someone they did not know.
Under the new service, Main said most would be able to get tailored support and therapy for up to two years without having to go through a specialist assessment, and if they did, this could be done by their current therapist.
Once a claim was lodged, a survivor could access up to 14 hours of therapy and up to 30 hours of other supports and services.
A specialist assessment would be needed if a client’s needs were more complex, or they seeking to access financial support.
The increase in more tailored support earlier would likely result in fewer people opting to undergo a specialist assessment, which would hopefully reduce the longer-term costs of sensitive claims, said Main.
An additional 250 treatment providers had been signed up to the new service, which should reduce waiting times. Data on waiting times to access support would also collected for the first time by ACC giving the agency a centralised picture, though it was not expected to be fully up and running until the middle of next year.
The new service would have a six-month transition period, although it could take a while for clients to notice a difference, said Main.
“I hope that what they notice is a simpler, faster, more, more flexible service that meets their individual needs and that gives them a better experience and also gives them better outcomes and helps them to get on with their lives.”
Nearly 39,000 people accessed ACC’s sensitive claims service in 2023/24.
About 91,000 survivors had received sensitive claims treatment and support since its inception, ACC said.
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