EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988
Section 34D
Notice of a Disallowable Instrument
Variation of Criteria for Initial approval or Renewal of Approval as a Rehabilitation Program Provider (Workplace Rehabilitation Provider)
The purpose of the Instrument to which this Explanatory Statement relates is to vary the criteria for approval of rehabilitation program providers (Approval Criteria) by revoking the current Approval Criteria and substituting new Approval Criteria to apply on and from 1 January 2010.
Section 37 of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (the SRC Act) provides that a rehabilitation authority (employer) can provide a rehabilitation program to an employee itself or arrange for it to be provided by a rehabilitation program provider that has been approved by Comcare. Section 34D of the SRC Act authorises Comcare to determine criteria to be applied by Comcare in assessing applications for approval, or renewal of approval, as a rehabilitation program provider.
The new Approval Criteria, together with the new Operational Standards for rehabilitation program providers determined under section 34E of the SRC Act and new application forms approved under section 34S of the SRC Act, have been developed in consultation with:
employers to whom the SRC Act applies;
employee representatives;
rehabilitation program providers;
the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission;
the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission; and
the Heads of Workers Compensation Authorities (HWCA)
and implement the nationally consistent provider approval framework developed by HWCA with additional Comcare developed requirements to maintain the integrity and quality of the existing Comcare approval regime.
Applications to Comcare for approval or renewal of approval must be made on the new approved forms and will be assessed against the new Approval Criteria and Operational Standards.