Participant Information Sheet

1.      About the project
This Participant Information Sheet tells you about the project and what your participation would involve in more detail. Please read this information carefully. Participation in this project is voluntary.

 If you would like a copy of your Participant Information and Consent Form, please contact: Amanda Niciak, Family Planning NSW, 328-336 Liverpool Rd, Ashfield NSW 2131 Australia, 02 8752 4302, AmandaN@fpnsw.org.au

 2.      What does participation involve?
As disability support workers you play a critical role in supporting people with intellectual disability on a day to day basis.  One of the most significant ways you can perform this role is to promote the importance of preventative health care and provide opportunities for the people you support to access preventative health services. 

Family Planning NSW would like to ask you to complete an evaluation of the learning program you have recently completed to identify if the online learning program met the learning objectives.  Family Planning NSW would also like to contact you  (via email) in three months to ask you another set of questions to identify if this learning program had an impact on the cervical, breast and bowel cancer screening rates of people with intellectual disability you support.

 3.      Do I have to take part in this project?
Your participation in this evaluation is voluntary. You can choose not to participate or to stop at any time without giving any reason and without any consequences. Your decision to participate or not will not affect your relationship with the staff at Family Planning NSW or anyone else involved in the project now or in the future. If you decide to take part in the project and then change your mind later, you are free to withdraw at any time.

 4.      What are the possible benefits of taking part?
You will receive no personal benefits from completing the evaluation forms.  However, your feedback and input will be invaluable as it will contribute to improving the learning experiences for other disability support workers and supporting people with intellectual disability to access cancer screening.

5.      What risks are involved if I participate?
Apart from your time we do not anticipate any risks associated with your participation in this project. However, if participation in this project makes you feel upset or uncomfortable, please contact the research team and appropriate support will be arranged for you.

 6.      Can I withdraw from this project?
Yes. If you do consent to participate, you can withdraw at any stage with no associated consequences.

 7.      How will the information collected be used?
All participants are assured of confidentiality in relation to data collected for the research and in any reports published following the completion of the research project. When the project is finished, any identifying information will be removed prior to data being analysed so you will not be identifiable during analysis or dissemination of findings. All the findings will be collated and a summary of the findings will be available from Family Planning NSW.

 8.      What if I have any questions, concerns or complaints?
If you have any questions about the project or your participation, please feel free to contact Amanda Niciak, Project Officer, Family Planning NSW.   

 If you have a complaint please contact the Family Planning NSW Ethics Executive Officer at ethics@fpnsw.org.au or call 02 8752 4352.

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