Quality Framework for Disability Services in Victoria
HDAA provides a range of auditing and audit support services to support disability providers achieve certification for the Industry and Outcome Standards for Disability Services in Victoria.
These services include:
- Pre-Audit Preparation
- Audit for Certification
- Maintenance Review (Surveillance Audit and Progress Reporting).
Pre-Audit Preparation
The purpose of Pre-Audit Preparation is to provide you with a report that identifies aspects of improvement that can be taken to better prepare you for an Audit for Certification. It is designed in consultation with you to meet your individual needs and requirements and provides you with an improvement plan which you can use to prepare for your audit.
Audit for Certification
Audit for Certification requires an evidence-based assessment against the Industry and Outcome Standards for Disability Services in Victoria. We always utilise at least two people on the audit team including a lead auditor and an audit-trained service user.
HDAA provides Audits for Certification using its comprehensive audit methodologies and tools.
Audit for certification involves:
- Pre-visit co-ordination
- Pre-review of documentation by audit team
- Visit by the audit team which include:
- Discussions with management
- Review of policies and procedures against relevant standards
- On-site observations
- Interviews and discussions with staff
- Interviews and discussions with service users and families
- File review of a sample of service user files
- Summary discussion of any improvements
- Post-audit documentation development
- Draft report developed and forwarded to you for your comments;
- Integration of comments with the final audit report
- Quality review of audit reports;
- Final audit report and provision of certification.
Our aim is for your audit report to provide a blueprint for your ongoing continuous improvement plan. Remember your Relationship Manager is available to discuss your audit and answer any questions you may have at each step in the process.
The Victoria Government's Department of Human Services manages the auditing requirements of the Standards using Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ) Procedure 34. To be able to audit and certify the Standards for Disability Services HDAA must adhere to rules set out in Procedure 34:
Download a copy of JAS-ANZ Procedure 34
Maintenance Review (Surveillance Audit and Progress Reporting)
Surveillance audits will conform to the requirements set out in the relevant procedure governing our accreditation. A surveillance audit will be scheduled annually, unless there is need for more frequent reporting as identified in the conditions of any certificate issued. The audit will involve reviewing a sample of each of the standards as well as any corrective measures that were identified at the previous audit (including surveillance audits).
Periodic follow-up reviews may be arranged with you to check aspects of the standards, ongoing implementation and other quality improvement initiatives. This may include a requirement for you to complete Written Progress Reports that describe the action you have taken in relation to audit findings.
Progress reports represent an additional service that requires your agreement and may be a necessary requirement to approve your certification, or conducted at your request.
Standards for Disability Services in Victoria
The Department of Human Services has established both Industry and Outcome Standards. The Industry Standards are typical of standards used in other jurisdictions (e.g. the Queensland Disability Service Standards). The Outcome Standards represent a new and exciting process as they attempt to measure how people with disabilities achieve their capacity. The standards are available below:
