Lifetime Support Authority
2023–24 Annual Report
To: The Hon Stephen Mullighan MP
Treasurer
This annual report will be presented to Parliament to meet the statutory reporting requirements of the Motor Vehicle Accidents (Lifetime Support Scheme) Act 2013 and the requirements of Premier and Cabinet Circular PC013 Annual Reporting.
This report is verified to be accurate for the purposes of annual reporting to the Parliament of South Australia.
Submitted on behalf of the LIFETIME SUPPORT AUTHORITY by:
- Andrew Culley, Chair, Lifetime Support Authority Board
- Rick Howe, Chief Executive, Lifetime Support Authority
From the Chief Executive and Board Chair
From the Chief Executive and Board Chair
It is with great pleasure that we present to you the annual report for the Lifetime Support Authority (LSA) for the financial year ended 30 June 2024. Details of the LSA’s activities and achievements for the year are provided within this report, highlighting how the organisation has delivered on its core purpose to provide lifelong treatment, care and support to individuals affected by very serious injuries from motor vehicle accidents on South Australian roads.
Performance highlights
During the year, the LSA accepted 39 new participants into the Scheme. Eight existing participants exited the Scheme as a result of their injuries recovering to an extent that they no longer qualify for the support of the Scheme. A further four existing participants passed away during the year and two participants also transitioned out of the LSS into the Return to Work scheme after confirmation of their entitlement to RTW benefits. This meant there were 371 active participants in the Scheme as at 30 June 2024, up from 346 last year.
The number of new participants was thankfully significantly lower than both last year’s record high number of 63, as well as being below the forecast for the year. This reflected improved outcomes from road safety initiatives across South Australia generally, by comparison with the previous year.
Consequently, the financial performance for the Scheme was also strong. The LSA recorded an operating profit of $90.1 million (against a budgeted loss of $20.3 million), primarily due to a lower than expected increase in outstanding liabilities for future treatment, care and support.
This means the accounting funding ratio has risen from 87% at the beginning of the year to 93% at the end. Whilst this remains below 100%, it is still well within the Board’s target range for this metric of between 80-120%. We also report an Economic Funding ratio, which is based on long term anticipated investment returns, which rose from 116% to 127%. These numbers give an indication that the recent trend of declining capital adequacy may have turned around. Our actuaries have also confirmed that they anticipate our funding ratio returning to above 100% earlier than the Board’s prior expectation of 20 years.
Strategic Plans and KPIs
Strategically, the LSA has continued with the implementation of the 4-year plan adopted in 2022. The major milestone during this financial year was the implementation of our new core IT system - SALSA2 - which went live in November 2023. Whilst this was delivered later than the original schedule, it now provides a platform for us to be able to progress with process and administrative improvements in the coming years. As is often the case with large IT projects, a number of transitional teething issues were experienced immediately post implementation, but these have been largely resolved by the support team and our front-line staff are now operating confidently with the new system.
Another key strategic project was the development of the new Living Life Model for supporting participants who have been in the Scheme for several years. This model allocates participants with less complex and well defined needs, to a team of Service Planners. The team then collectively manage their needs, primarily on a reactive basis as participants get on with living their lives. With a number of LSA staff being familiar with their situation, the dependency on a single Service Planner being available to address issues is ameliorated and hence responses can be managed more quickly as well as more efficiently. Within the Living Life team there are now two teams operating on this basis with monitoring of its effectiveness being undertaken.
The LSA has nine KPIs which it reports on annually (shown later in this report) and for financial year 2024 we delivered successfully on seven of them. The two which were not met related to our budgeted costs, which were adversely impacted by the retrospective reallocation of prior years’ project expenditure from capital to operational expenses. Without this adjustment, both these KPIs would also have been met.
Operational Activity
Operationally, the LSA delivered services to a total value of just under $50 million in the year to current Scheme participants. Our annual survey of participants recorded an excellent 82% overall satisfaction level (above the target of 80%) in relation to the planning, funding and delivery of these services. The survey also showed that 87% of participants considered the LSA had made a positive difference in their lives.
The dedicated workforce at the LSA numbered 95.2 active FTE at the end of the year, down from last year, reflecting the reduction in project staffing, but also a result of a number of staff taking up opportunities to work on secondment in other areas of government to advance their careers. Allowing for staff turnover and the addition of new roles, this meant we welcomed 22 new staff during the course of the year.
The engagement of staff remains strong, with an average score of 71 over the year (above the target of 70+, but below last years score of 75). It is recognised that the implementation of the new IT system resulted in a number of short-term work arounds needing to be in place, impacting on staff workloads. This resulted in a dip in engagement scores below our minimum target of 70 in the latter part of the year reflecting this, noting that by June the score was back up to 74.
Throughout the year we engaged many of our key stakeholders in a number of interactive forums. This included two Participant Forums, four Service Provider Forums focused on allied health providers, and regular biannual meetings with peer schemes from other jurisdictions across Australia. Staff from the LSA also presented at key national conferences across Australia including the Spinal Cord Injury conference in Adelaide, the Actuaries Institute Seminar in Hobart and Personal Injury Education Foundation conference in Adelaide. The delivery of two of these conferences being held in South Australia allowed for many of our front line staff to attend sessions to advance their professional development.
The LSA’s Research, Education and Programs (REP) grant program progressed during the year, with 6 new grants allocated in addition to the 17 projects which continued from prior years. In November 2023, the inaugural LSA Innovate forum showcased the outcomes from three recently completed projects to an audience of relevant researchers, health care professionals and other key stakeholders, with very positive feedback. The forum will be held again this year with a further three successful research projects being showcased.
In the wider community environment, the LSA is monitoring changes within the disability sector, with changes anticipated to flow through the NDIS in coming months and years, potentially affecting demand in the attendant care industry as well as other service providers used by both the LSA and NDIS.
As in previous years, a number of our participants have also been making contributions in the road safety space, sharing their stories with key stakeholder groups to reinforce core road safety messaging.
Board renewal
The Board commenced a planned renewal process in 2021-22, which concluded this year with the retirement of Ken Williams, George Potter and Melinda OLeary from the Board. All three had served on the Board since the inception of the LSA, with Melinda holding the position of Chair most recently, and we thank them for their dedicated service to the LSA over the last 10 years. The Treasurer appointed Nicole Sykes, Sian Goodson and Tim Binks to the Board and appointed Andrew Culley as a Board Member and Chair of the LSA Board, during the year.
The new Board look forward to continuing the legacy of the LSA into the future, beginning with the recognition of 10 years of operation of the LSS over the course of the new financial year.
- Rick Howe, Chief Executive, Lifetime Support Authority
- Andrew Culley, Board Chair, Lifetime Support Authority
Overview: about the agency
Our Purpose
We plan and fund person-centred treatment, care and support services to make a positive difference to participants’ recovery and independence.
Our Vision
Making a difference in the lives of Lifetime Support Scheme Participants, who are at the centre of what we do.
Our Values
At the LSA, our values are brought to life each day by our committed and passionate staff:
People and Passion:
- Our dedicated team offer valuable skills and a like-minded community, always working to better the lives of others.
- Passion fuels our motivation, and with a true sense of purpose and solidarity, we work towards our shared long-term vision. Together we’re committed to building authentic relationships with each other, participants, their families and carers.
Innovation and Growth
- Inspired by the courage and determination shown by participants and their families, we’re continuously searching for new ways to make a greater difference.
- Always learning, it’s with our innovative mindset and curious nature we ask; if not, why not?
- Encouraging growth, we empower those around us with knowledge and resources to overcome obstacles and reach new goals – so together we can look to the future with enthusiasm and optimism.
Trust and Respect:
- At the LSA we’re accountable and lead by example. We understand trust is earned when actions meet words, so our colleagues, participants and their families can always expect honest, open communication and a genuine sense of care.
- We build mutual respect by treating everyone with dignity and kindness.
Our functions, objectives and deliverables
Launched in 2014, through the LSS the LSA plans and funds necessary and reasonable treatment, care and support for people who sustain serious injuries in a motor vehicle accident on South Australian roads, regardless of fault.
Approximately 50 new participants on average are accepted into the LSS each year, although over the past financial year there have been fewer participants accepted than predicted.
Serious injuries including brain and spinal cord injuries, amputations, burns and blindness can require a lifetime of support to help people engage in rehabilitation and maximise their independence in the community. Approximately 70% of participants have traumatic brain injuries due to a motor vehicle accident.
Importantly, the LSS supports the state to deliver on the National Injury Insurance Scheme (NIIS), which operates in conjunction with the Commonwealth’s National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
We deliver services and support in accordance with five strategic themes:
- Person-centred treatment, care and support for participants
- Staff and systems which make a positive difference for participants
- A sustainable Scheme for current and future participants
- Strong and productive relationships with key stakeholders and service providers, to benefit participants and the Scheme
- Research, education and programs that ultimately aim to make a positive difference for participants and the Scheme.
LSA’s Participant Reference Group - comprised of participants and their families/carers - offers unique, experience driven insights that influence the delivery of our services.
Our participants range in age from newborn babies to 90+ years old and live in metropolitan, regional, interstate and in a small number of cases international locations.
The chart below reflects the LSA’s organisational structure as at 30 June 2024.
Lifetime Support Authority Organisational Structure
The LSA is governed by the LSA Board with three subcommittees – the Audit Committee, the Rules & Organisational Performance Committee and the Finance & Investment Committee.
During 2023-24, the Board members were:
- Melinda OLeary (Chair of the Board - July 2023-April 2024)
- George Potter (Board Member - July 2023-October 2023)
- Kenneth Williams (Board Member and Chair of the Finance & Investment Committee - July 2023-October 2023)
- Kevin Cantley PSM (Board Member and Chair of the Audit Committee)
- David Russell (Board Member)
(Chair of the Finance & Investment Committee - October 2023-March 2024) - Linda Matthews (Board Member and Chair of the Rules & Organisational Performance Committee)
- Talia Begley (Board Member)
- Nicole Sykes (Board Member – October 2023-Present)
- Sian Goodson (Board Member – October 2023-Present)
- Tim Binks (Board Member – December 2023-Present)
(Chair of the Finance & Investment Committee – March 2024-Present) - Andrew Culley (Board Member – December 2023-Present)(Chair of the Board – April 2024-Present)
During 2023-24 the agency implemented the following changes to its structure and objectives.
The Services Directorate reporting structures were reviewed resulting in the following changes:
- The Acute and Transition Service Planning teams joined the Specialist Support and Project teams in reporting to the Senior Manager Specialist Support (renamed the Senior Manager Primary Support).
- The two Living Life Service Planning teams and the Participant Support Officer teams remained reporting to the Senior Manager Service Planning (renamed Senior Manager Lifetime Support).
These changes were made to enhance the frequent co-work between the Acute, Transition and Specialist teams as participants discharge from hospital, and to provide greater focus on the development of the Living Life service delivery model to ensure capacity for the team’s growth as participant numbers increase over time.
The Hon Stephen Mullighan MP is the Treasurer in South Australia.
The Motor Vehicle Accidents (Lifetime Support Scheme) Act 2013 was committed to the Treasurer on 26 May 2022 (The South Australian Government Gazette, No 34, 2022).
The current Executive Team consists of:
Position | Responsibilities |
Chief Executive | Rick Howe is the Chief Executive, who leads the LSA. |
Director Services | Kylie Smith is the Director Services, responsible for overseeing the LSA’s core operations that support LSS participants, including service planning, specialist technical services, as well as quality and safety. |
Director Corporate | Boris Petrovic is the Director Corporate, responsible for overseeing finance, procurement, legal, governance and risk, and information technology functions. |
Director People & Partnerships | Mandy Turnbull is the Director People and Partnerships, responsible for overseeing human resources, work health and safety, people systems, culture and capability, as well as communication and engagement functions and research, education and programs. |
During the course of the year there were changes to the Director of People and Partnerships. Gemma Cooper was the Director People and Partnership up to 12 March 2024. Following her departure Kylie Smith acted as the Director People & Partnership until the commencement of Mandy Turnbull on 8 July 2024. During the same period, Sharon Cates acted in the role of Director Services.
- Department of Treasury and Finance
- CTP (Compulsory Third Party) Insurance Regulator
- Funds SA
The agency’s performance
Since the Scheme commenced, 467 participants have been accepted into the Scheme as at 30 June 2024. Due to injuries no longer being eligible, transferring to other schemes or death, 96 participants were no longer in the Scheme as at 30 June 2024.
Financial performance
The LSA funds treatment, care and support services for LSS participants. LSS Levies collected each year are intended to fully fund the estimated lifetime costs for new participants who have accidents in the relevant year and meet the eligibility criteria for acceptance into the Scheme.
LSS Levy collections during 2023–24 were $209.3 million (compared to $188.7 million in 2022–23) which is mainly related to an increase in the number of registered vehicles and the LSS Fund Levy rate increasing. The average annual LSS Levy paid by motor vehicle owners, $126.53, increased by 8.6% compared to 2022–23. Currently, only a small part of the LSS Levy is required to fund current Scheme costs and LSA’s operating costs, with the balance required to meet the future liabilities associated with current participants. These unspent funds are invested in a diversified high growth investment portfolio until they are required.
The LSA invests with Funds SA, the South Australian Government owned corporation which invests and manages funds of approved authorities. Financial assets of the LSA have grown to $1,698.6 million as at 30 June 2024 primarily as a result of LSS Fund Levy contributions being invested. The nominal investment return for the LSA investment fund was 6.8%, resulting in a $105.3 million return on investments for the year ending 30 June 2024. LSA’s investments assets will be used to fund treatment, care and support for all current LSS participants over the next several decades.
The total payments for treatment, care, and support services in 2023-24 amounted to $49.4 million (compared to $40.5 million in 2022-23). The types of treatment, care and support funded are shown in the table below.
| 2023-24 | 2022–23 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $’000s | % | $’000s | % |
Attendant Care and Support | 29,094 | 58.9% | 22,130 | 57.7% |
Hospital | 6,275 | 12.7% | 8,201 | 14.2% |
Rehabilitation | 6,629 | 13.4% | 6,027 | 17.4% |
Equipment | 3,677 | 7.5% | 2,623 | 6.4% |
Medical Treatment Services | 1,722 | 3.5% | 937 | 2.3% |
Home and Vehicle Mods | 1,727 | 3.5% | 458 | 1.4% |
Other | 229 | 0.5% | 256 | 0.6% |
TOTAL | 49,353 |
| 40,460 | |
In addition to the above expenses, a further $126.8 million has been added to the provisions in relation to future treatment, care and support costs compared to last year. The increase compared to last year is mostly related to accidents which occurred during 2023–24 which added $244.6 million in new provisions. This was offset by favourable changes to actuarial assumptions as well as scheme experience which decreased the expected cost of participants included in the valuation by $55.2 million and changes to the economic assumptions (i.e. risk-free discount rate) which resulted in a $62.5 million reduction to the total provision for future treatment, care and support costs.
The LSS is growing, and it is expected that approximately 54 new participants will enter the Scheme each year for the next several decades. As such, the increase in total costs compared to last year is expected and is within the amount modelled by the independent actuary.
The LSA sets Key Performance Indicators which are contained in the 2022–26 Strategic Plan. These are used for the purpose of reporting on LSA’s performance to the Board and the responsible Minister as required by LSA’s Charter.
Key Performance Indicators
The LSA sets Key Performance Indicators which are contained in the 2022–26 Strategic Plan. These are used for the purpose of reporting on LSA’s performance to the Board and the responsible Minister as required by LSA’s Charter, and we share here:
Agency objectives | Indicators (Target) | Performance |
|---|---|---|
Participant survey – experience | ≥80% | In 2023, 60% of eligible LSS participants and decision makers completed the Participant Survey. 82% of LSS participants and decision makers were satisfied with the LSA. 87% agreed that the LSA is making a positive difference in their lives. |
Current MyPlan in place for active participants | 100% | The 100% target for a current MyPlan was achieved. |
Staff engagement – Teamgage | ≥70% | Staff engagement averaged 71% in the year (as reported via Teamgage) which is above the target of 70%. |
Performance measurement – bi-annual reviews | 100% | The LSA continues to meet the KPI relating to staff performance reviews. In both Performance & Development Conversations (September & March) 100% of eligible staff completed their review. The last round of six-monthly performance reviews was completed throughout March 2024. |
Research Education and Programs – delivery of contractual milestones | ≥80% | The Research, Education and Programs (REP) KPI was met, with 97% of contractual milestones delivered as planned. |
Funding Ratio | 80–120% | The accounting funding ratio for the scheme is 93% (up from 87% as at June 2023) and remains within the Board’s target range of 80% to 120%. |
Investment returns since inception | ≥6.25% | The investment return since inception for the Funds SA LSS Strategy is 7.2%, which is 0.95% above the long-term investment return target of 6.25%. |
Net expense ratio | ≤12.5% | Net expense ratio is 14.2% year to date, compared to a target of 12.5%. This is primarily due to a change to the accounting treatment of prior year project expenditure from capital to operating expenditure in 2023-24. The KPI result without the prior year adjustment is 12.1% |
Costs managed against budget | Favourable variance | Operating expenses (excluding treatment, care and support) are unfavourable compared to budget by $3.6 million year to date. This is primarily due to a change to the accounting treatment of prior year project expenditure from capital to operating expenditure in 2023-24. The KPI result without the prior year adjustment is a $0.3m favourable variance. |
Key corporate initiatives in 2023-24 included:
- A new service delivery model for the Living Life team was developed and implemented. The new model supports the achievement of strategic theme #1 (person-centred treatment, care and support for participants), ensuring systematic improvements to participant allocation and service planning practices, systems and approaches.
- To support the achievement of strategic theme #1 (person-centred treatment, care and support for participants), a detailed action plan for Service Provider Capability Development was developed to understand the long term need to support a growing number of participants with specialised needs. The plan is to be implemented over the next 2 years.
- The implementation of the LSA’s primary Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, Salesforce, occurred in Q2 2023-24. The new solution supports the achievement of strategic theme #2 (staff and systems which make a positive difference for participants), and delivering the benefit of a cloud platform to provide enhanced collaboration, flexibility, scalability, rapid deployment of changes, and automation of business processes.
- To support the achievement of strategic theme #2 (staff and systems which make a positive difference for participants), succession plans and/or career plans were put in place for key talent, a LSA specific Leadership and Management Program was delivered to develop future leaders, and a competency matrix was developed and implemented to further develop the skills of the Service Planning team.
- To support the achievement of strategic theme #5 (Research, Education and Programs that ultimately aim to make a positive difference for participants and the Scheme), a proposal was developed and approved to ensure a sustainable level of Research, Education and Programs funding. As a result of this funding, the 2024 grant round has been launched successfully with 23 research, 3 education and 4 program grant applications received.
Performance management and development programs | Performance |
|---|---|
Culture & Capability | Business partnering meetings across the LSA ensure Culture & Capability continue to capture both individual and team learning and development needs. The LSA has a professional development policy, procedure and guidelines to support staff with professional development opportunities and study assistance. Working collaboratively with the Services Directorate, a professional development series is formulated and delivered annually for Services staff. Functional and operational improvements continue in the myCareer learning management system and we are now utilising events and sessions functionality to track and capture organisational development initiatives. We continue to use myCareer to assign curriculums based on job roles and specifics and this year saw the introduction of People Leader workshops to support new managers to understand LSA HR, Systems and Finance functions and delegations. All LSA e- Learns now have accessibility features and have been updated to reflect changes. |
LSA Leadership Program | A total of 24 People have participated in the LSA leadership Program to date. Soji Learning PTY LTD delivered the 2024 Leadership Program designed to align with LSA values and strategic objectives. 12 people commenced the course and each selected a personal or business impact goal as a focus. The LSA Leadership engagement Forum now has 19 members and meets quarterly to discuss leadership learnings and or challenges, hear from subject matter experts or experienced leaders and connect with other leaders. |
Organisational Development | The following programs were delivered in line with LSA strategic objectives: LSA Leadership Program
Leader as Coach Program
Crucial conversations
Creatures of Statute
|
Performance & Development Conversations | 100% of LSA staff completed biannual performance and development conversations in the new myCareer platform. |
Program name | Performance |
|---|---|
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) | LSA employees are provided with access to an independent and free counselling service through the Employee Assistance Program. LSA employees have two EAP providers to choose from. |
Mental Health First Aid | LSA has five trained Mental Health First Aiders, with two more attending training in late July 2023. All employees are eligible to nominate for this training. |
Wellbeing for Our People Program (DTF) | LSA employees have access to a range of DTF work health and safety, and wellbeing initiatives including the Wellbeing for Our People Program. Program initiatives include flu vaccinations, psychological and physical health, workplace support, engagement and connection |
Work Health, Safety, and Injury Management | Work Health and Safety, and Injury Management education and training is essential in developing knowledge, skills, and competence to enable our people to carry out their duties safely while at work. |
Workplace injury claim | 2023-24 | 2022-23 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
Total new workplace injury claims | 1 | 1 | 0% |
Fatalities | 0 | 0 | N/A |
Seriously injured workers* | 0 | 0 | N/A |
Significant injuries (where lost time exceeds a working week, expressed as frequency rate per 1000 FTE) | N/A | N/A | N/A |
*number of claimants assessed during the reporting period as having a whole person impairment of 30% or more under the Return to Work Act 2014 (Part 2 Division 5)
Work health and safety regulations | 2023-24 | 2022-23 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
Number of notifiable incidents (Work Health and Safety Act 2012, Part 3) | 0 | 0 | N/A |
Number of provisional improvement, improvement and prohibition notices (Work Health and Safety Act 2012 Sections 90, 191 and 195) | 0 | 0 | N/A |
Return to work costs** | 2023-24 | 2022-23 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
Total gross workers compensation expenditure ($) | $50,845 | $74,354 | -32% |
Income support payments – gross ($) | $0 | $178,713 | -100% |
**before third party recovery
Data for previous years is available at www.lifetimesupport.sa.gov.au/about-us/governance/annual-report
Executive classification | Number of executives As at 30 June 2024 |
|---|---|
Non-SAES Executives | 3 |
The Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment has a workforce information page that provides further information on the breakdown of executive gender, salary and tenure by agency.
Financial performance
The following is a brief summary of the overall financial position of the agency. The information is unaudited. Full audited financial statements for 2023-24 are attached to this report.
The 2023-24 comprehensive result of a $90.1 million profit is $110.4 million higher than the budgeted deficit of $20.3 million.
This is predominantly due to the less than expected actuarial valuation provision for treatment, care and support, which is in part due to the lower number of actual participants compared to expected, and favourable changes in long-term actuarial inflation assumptions.
Statement of Comprehensive Income | 2023–24 | 2023–24 | Variation
| 2022–23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Total Income | 316,068 | 304,890 | 11,178 | 293,007 |
Total Expenses | 225,963 | 325,200 | 99,237 | 421,480 |
Net Result | 90,105 | (20,310) | 110,415 | (128,473) |
Total Comprehensive Result | 90,105 | 0 | 0 | (128,473) |
Statement of Financial Position | 2023–24 | 2022–23 |
|---|---|---|
Current assets | 8,467 | 5,829 |
Non-current assets | 1,701,400 | 1,485,980 |
Total assets | 1,709,867 | 1,491,809 |
Current liabilities | 73,621 | 67,685 |
Non-current liabilities | 1,760,299 | 1,638,282 |
Total liabilities | 1,833,920 | 1,705,967 |
Net liabilities | (124,053) | (214,158) |
Total Equity | (124,053) | (214,158) |
The following is a summary of external consultants that have been engaged by the agency, the nature of work undertaken, and the actual payments made for the work undertaken during the financial year.
Consultancies with a contract value below $10,000 each
Consultancies | Purpose | $ Actual |
|---|---|---|
Alto People | Consultancy for an Options Paper | $7,650 |
| Total | $7,650 |
Consultancies with a contract value above $10,000 each
Consultancies | Purpose | $ Actual payment |
|---|---|---|
Adapt Well Pty Ltd | Consultancy for an Options Paper | $26,240 |
BDO Services Pty Ltd | Post Implementation Review | $66,000 |
Finity Consulting Pty Ltd | Provision of actuarial services | $437,434 |
Guy Carpenter & Company Pty Ltd | Provision of reinsurance brokerage services | $83,333 |
Intelligent Business Research Services Pty Ltd | IT Advisory services | $16,875 |
PricewaterhouseCoopers | Actuarial Peer Review services | $19,000 |
PricewaterhouseCoopers | Project assurance services | $4,156 |
PricewaterhouseCoopers | Internal Audit | $67,500 |
Scyne Advisory | Actuary Peer Review | $38,000 |
Scyne Advisory | Project assurance services | $18,518 |
Scyne Advisory | Internal Audit | $70,500 |
SFDC Australia Pty Ltd | IT project consultant | $143,000 |
Total | $990,916 |
Data for previous years is available at: https://www.lifetimesupport.sa.gov.au/about-us/governance/annual-report.
See also the Consolidated Financial Report of the Department of Treasury and Finance for total value of consultancy contracts across the South Australian Public Sector.
Under s43(5) of the Motor Vehicle Accidents (Lifetime Support Scheme) Act 2013, where the responsible Minister, in acting under subsection (4), makes a determination that is inconsistent with the determination embodied in the Authority's report under subsection (3), the Authority must include a report on the matter in its annual report.
In April 2023, the responsible Minister (the Treasurer) made a determination that the LSS Fund Levy for 2023-24 would increase by 8.6% from 1 July 2023, compared to LSA's recommendation of a 9.6% increase. The impact of this decision is reflected in the agency's results for 2023-24.
Risk management
The LSA, as an independent statutory authority, has appropriate internal control and risk management frameworks in place. The LSA’s Audit Committee is a sub-committee of the Board and meets four times a year to provide assistance to the Board on the operation and effectiveness of the LSA’s accounting, control, risk management, legislative compliance, budget management, key financial risk, quality and safety relating to service planning, internal and external auditing. The LSA has internal compliance, review and process assessments, monitored by the LSA Board and/or Board Committees where appropriate. The LSA management of its internal control framework is incorporated into the LSA Governance Program. The LSA’s Internal Auditor is Scyne Advisory.
The LSA continues to invest in its capability to prevent, detect and respond to non-compliant payments and fraud. Details of fraud detected during the year are shown here:
Category / nature of fraud | Number of instances |
|---|---|
External provider charging for services not delivered | 1 |
The LSA has a Fraud and Corruption Control Policy, Framework and Reporting Procedure, and maintains a Fraud Incident Register. The Policy incorporates the obligations under the following:
- Code of Ethics for South Australian Public Sector
- South Australian Public Sector Fraud and Corruption Policy
- Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) Act 2012
- Public Interest Disclosure Act 2018
- Treasurer’s Instructions
- Public Sector (Honesty and Accountability) Act 1995
- the LSA Code of Conduct and Participant Service Charter
- OPI and Ombudsman Directions and Guidelines.
The LSA Chief Executive reviews Executive Declarations annually, confirming that risk controls, including fraud controls, have been in place in their respective areas. Allegations of fraud, misconduct and maladministration are reported as soon as practical to the Audit Committee and Board Chairs. The LSA annually provides an updated summary of all matters and their status to the Audit Committee.
Number of occasions on which public interest information has been disclosed to a responsible officer of the agency under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2018:
- 0 (nil)
Note: Disclosure of public interest information was previously reported under the Whistleblowers Protection Act 1993 and repealed by the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2018 on 1/7/2019.
Reporting required under any other act or regulation
Act or Regulation | Requirement |
|---|---|
Not applicable | Not applicable |
Public complaints
Complaint categories | Sub–categories | Example | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|
Professional behaviour | Staff attitude | Failure to demonstrate values such as empathy, respect, fairness, courtesy, extra mile; cultural competency | 1 |
Professional behaviour | Staff competency | Failure to action service request; poorly informed decisions; incorrect or incomplete service provided | – |
Professional behaviour | Staff knowledge | Lack of service specific knowledge; incomplete or out-of-date knowledge | 1 |
Communication | Communication quality | Inadequate, delayed, or absent communication with customer | 3 |
Communication | Confidentiality | Customer’s confidentiality or privacy not respected; information shared incorrectly | – |
Service delivery | Systems/technology | System offline; inaccessible to customer; incorrect result/information provided; poor system design | – |
Service delivery | Access to services | Service difficult to find; location poor; facilities/ environment poor standard; not accessible to customers with disabilities | 4 |
Service delivery | Process | Processing error: incorrect process used; delay in processing application; process not customer responsive | – |
Policy | Policy application | Incorrect policy interpretation: incorrect policy applied; conflicting policy advice given | – |
Policy | Policy content | Policy content difficult to understand; policy unreasonable or disadvantages customer | – |
Service quality | Information | Incorrect, incomplete, | 1 |
Service quality | Access to information | Information difficult to understand, hard to find or difficult to use; not plain English | – |
Service quality | Timeliness | Lack of staff punctuality; excessive waiting times (outside of service standard); timelines not met | 2 |
Service quality | Safety | Maintenance; personal or family safety; duty of care not shown; poor security service/ premises; poor cleanliness | 1 |
Service quality | Service responsiveness | Service design doesn’t meet customer needs; poor service fit with customer expectations | 0 |
No case to answer | No case to answer | Third party; customer misunderstanding; redirected to another agency; insufficient information to investigate | 5 |
Total | 18 |
Additional Metrics | Total |
|---|---|
Number of positive feedback comments | 10 |
Number of negative feedback comments | 0 |
Total number of feedback comments | 10 |
Number of complaints closed in financial year | 23 |
In 2023-2024, the LSA continued to consolidate its approach to complaints management, including reviewing the complaints management framework. The LSA reports on the performance of its complaints management system to the LSA Board at each meeting. In addition, the LSA has a Quality Assurance Program (QAP) that is delivered and reviewed regularly by our Quality, Service Improvement and Safety team. The QAP identifies opportunities for improvement and minimises risks in the service planning process. |
The LSA is compliant with Premier and Cabinet Circular 039 – complaint management in the South Australian public sector. | Y |
The LSA has communicated the content of PC 039 and the agency’s related complaints policies and procedures to employees. | Y |
