Consumer Charters

Consumer charters are one way of recognising and communicating agency policy in regard to language services. A consumer charter is a statement of consumer rights and responsibilities and can provide the basis for a shared understanding between consumers, carers, communities and service providers about what consumers can expect from the service or organisation they are accessing.

Examples are provided in Appendix M.

The following Best Practice Example of a consumer charter which has been translated into Italian.

Best Practice Example: Campaspe PCP Consumer Charter As part of the Quality Language Services in Rural Primary Care Settings best practice project, the Consumer Charter of Rights and Responsibilities for Campaspe PCP was translated into Italian. The charter was written by consumers for consumers in collaboration with the Campaspe Primary Care Partnership. Translation of the charter was commissioned using the procedures in this toolkit. The following example is an extract only. Please contact Campaspe PCP for further information about the full charter document and Italian translation.
EnglishItalian
The Campaspe Primary Care Partnership believes that:-

The term consumer is based on the conscious assertion that service users are individuals who are able to make informed decisions when they have access to appropriate information. Consumers are as diverse as the community in which they live, and have individual requirements which may change over time;

Health is a complete state of physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity;

The fundamental conditions and resources for good health are: peace, shelter, education. Food, income, a stable eco-system, sustainable resources, social justice and equity;

There is strength, resilience, leadership and intelligence within the communities in the Campaspe Shire and that these communities be given every opportunity to determine their future;

Consumer participation in the Primary Care Partnership Initiative is an ethical and democratic right; and,

Consumer-focused services are created by inquiring into, planning, acting and evaluating with the community.		La Campaspe Primary Care Partnership ritiene che:

La parola ‘utente’ sia basata sulla conscia asserzione che coloro che usano un servizio sanitario sono individui capaci di prendere decisioni ragionate quando hanno accesso alle appropriate informazioni. Gli utenti sono altrettanto diversi quanto è diversa la comunita in cui vivono, ed hanno necessità individuali che potrebbero cambiare con il tempo;

La salute sia uno stato completo di benessere fisico, mentale e sociale e non significa solamente-l’assenza di malattie o infermità;

Le condizioni e le risorse fondamentali per la buona salute sono: pace, riparo, educazione, cibo, reddito, un sistema ecologico stabile, risorse sostenibili, giustizia sociale ed equità;

Ci sia forza, capacità di ripresa, senso di direzione e intelligenza tra le comunità del Campaspe Shire e che queste comunità dovrebbero avere l’opportunità di determinare il loro futuro;

La partecipazione degli utenti alle iniziative della Primary Care Partnership sia un diritto etico e democratico; e,

Consultando la comunità, facendo piani e lavorando insieme, e soppesando tutti gli esiti aiuti a creare servizi sanitari diretti specificatamente agli utenti.