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  3. Matters Handled by Trial Units

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12. Trial units handle the following tasks:
(1)Domestic recruitment and applications to employ foreign workers: In accordance with the Employment Service Act and the Regulations on the Permission and Administration of the Employment of Foreign Workers, the trial unit must first seek to recruit domestic workers and offer reasonable labor conditions. If domestic recruitment does not meet the needs, only then can the trial unit apply to the ministry to recruit and employ foreign care workers to meet the recruitment shortfall.
(2)Employer's responsibilities: Employers of care worker are responsible for all statutory employer obligations.
(3)The trial unit must define targets for total service hours and people served, work processes, reporting and handling of irregular situations, quality improvement mechanisms, work ethics and rules.
(4)Establish fee standards: The trial unit must announce fee standards and charging criteria based on the diverse companionship and care service plan approved by the ministry. If these standards are revised a request must be submitted to the ministry for approval.
(5)On receiving an application from a service applicant, the trial unit must assess the companionship and care needs of the service recipient and sign a service contract.
(6)Establish a training mechanism:
1. The trial unit must arrange for care workers to receive the following training:
(a)20 hours of pre-service training before starting work.
(b)A minimum of one on-the-job service training session every three months, with a requirement to complete 20 hours of on-the-job training annually, including work communication and care work skills.
2. The trial unit is required to arrange for supervisors to receive on-the-job training once every six months.
(7)Establishing an internal supervisory mechanism:
1. The trial unit is required to appoint a program manager responsible for overseeing the execution and management of care work services.
2. The trial unit is required to establish supervisory procedures and service record forms.
3. The trial unit must appoint supervisors to ensure appropriate companionship and care services are provided by care workers. One supervisor is required for every 60 service recipients. If there are fewer than 60 service recipients, a minimum of one supervisor must be appointed. The qualifications and job responsibilities of supervisors are detailed in Attachment 4.
(8)Coordinating with the ministry and professional organizations: The trial unit is required to cooperate with the ministry’s supervision and the guidance of professional organizations commissioned by the ministry, making improvements based on their recommendations.
(9)Producing and keeping records:
1. The trial unit must create forms to help care workers and supervisors produce work and case records. Case records should include such information as care recipient case acceptance, assessment, care work plan, service provision, supervision, case closure, medication status, and other related specific matters that need to be recorded.
2. The trial unit is required to create financial records and maintain detailed income and expenditure accounts based on accounting principles.
3. The records mentioned in the above two points should be regularly updated, retained for at least seven years, and comply with related provisions in the Personal Data Protection Act.
(10)The trial unit must use Ministry of Labor information systems to manage applications, case assignments, individual case services, external supervision, and other related tasks, while ensuring the security of all information pertaining to program services.
(11)The trial unit is required to submit service data for the previous month (including a list of service recipients, service provided case assignments, monthly statistical reports etc. )to the professional organization commissioned by the ministry by the 15th day of each month.
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13. The trial unit is required to submit the first trial results by the end of the month that falls six months after approval from the ministry; thereafter, reports for the previous year are to be submitted by January 31 each year.
At a minimum the aforementioned trial results report should include the following information:
(1)Statistics on service outcomes and service recipient satisfaction surveys.
(2)Service models and processes.
(3)Utilization and efficacy of care workers.
(4)A list of employed care workers.
(5)Supervisory visit records and meeting minutes.
(6)Financial income and expenditure statements.
(7)Education and training records.
(8)Self-assessment and improvement plans.
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14. The number of foreign care workers employed by the trial unit must not exceed the number approved by the ministry.
If the trial unit needs to increase the number of foreign care workers, it is required to submit a new request to the ministry.
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15. If the employment permit of foreign care workers originally hired by the trial unit extends beyond the trial period of the program, the unit may continue the program until the employment permits expire.
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16. When the ministry delegates management of the program to a professional group, the commissioned group should undertake the following tasks:
(1)Assist the ministry in accepting trial unit application-related information and provide preliminary opinions and evaluation process planning.
(2)Assist trial units after service commencement with applications to the ministry to increase the number of foreign care workers and provide preliminary opinions on applications from trial units to the ministry for trial subsidies.
(3)Assist trial units with the launch of services: Establish an expert advisory group to provide the trial unit with operational guidance, design foreign care worker training courses, assist with service launches and promotions.
(4)Guidance, recommendations and service quality follow-up:
1. Establish expert advisory groups to provide guidance on case management, care work training courses and professional consultation services based on information provided by the trial unit, and convene quarterly supervisory meetings for individual trial units.
2. Regularly or occasionally review the service and supervisory records of trial units, conduct field inspections of service provision, and other guidance and related matters.
3. Conduct satisfaction surveys with service recipients, with a response rate of 80% or higher.
4. Review service assignment schedules, monthly statistical reports, and other data submitted by trial units.
(5)Develop systems for program application processing, case assignment and case management.
(6)Analyze the effectiveness of program execution.
(7)Organize promotional and information sessions to publicize the program.
(8)Assist the ministry in verifying related documents and amounts when processing trial subsidy applications and performance bonus applications, as detailed in Item 17 and Item 18.
(9)Conduct program performance and impact assessments.
(10)Other tasks designated by the ministry.