What are the Human Services Standards
The Human Services Standards (Standards) (gazetted as Department of Health and Human Services Standards) represent a single set of service quality standards for department funded service providers and department-managed services. The Standards comprise the department’s four service delivery standards and the governance and management standards of a department endorsed independent review body.
The Standards help to meet the Victorian Government’s commitment to reducing red tape faced by funded service providers by streamlining departmental accreditation requirements. On 1 July 2012, the Standards replaced the former program specific standards: Standards for Disability Services in Victoria, Registration Standards for Community Service Organisations and Homelessness Assistance Services Standards.
The Standards and independent review process seek to ensure that people experience the same quality of service no matter which service provider they access. The Standards aim to:
- embed and promote rights for people accessing services
- assure the community that service providers are providing services that meet clients’ needs
- develop a common and systemic approach to quality review processes
- build greater transparency in quality requirements between the department, service providers, clients and the community
- enable service providers to select an independent review body from an approved panel that meets their requirements and expectations
- foster a culture of continuous quality improvement that is embedded in everyday practice and supports the meaningful participation of people in giving feedback about the services they require and the quality of services they receive
- reduce red tape to help ensure service providers have more time and resources to provide services by reducing the number of quality reviews they are required to undertake.
The standards are summarised as:
- Empowerment: People’s rights are promoted and upheld.
- Access and Engagement: People’s right to access transparent, equitable and integrated services is promoted and upheld.
- Wellbeing: People’s right to wellbeing and safety is promoted and upheld.
- Participation: People’s right to choice, decision making and to actively participate as a valued member of their chosen community is promoted and upheld.
Easy English versions of the Standards
The Standards have been developed in Easy English as a word only version and with pictures version. The documents are titled Rules: We call them the Human Services Standards.
- Rules: We call them the Human Services Standards, Easy English (words only) - December 2015
- Rules: We call them the Human Services Standards, Easy English (with pictures) - December 2015
Which funded service providers need to undertake independent reviews?
Department funded service providers, that receive funding in scope of independent review, including those registered under the Disability Act 2006 and/or Children, Youth and Families Act 2005, that deliver services directly to clients are required to:
- undertake an independent review against the Standards once every three years, regardless of the number of departmental activities they are funded to provide
- achieve and maintain accreditation against the Standards.
For further information regarding activities in scope of independent review and applicable funding thresholds, refer to the following:
Human Services Standards evidence guide and resource tool
The Human Services Standards evidence guide (evidence guide) supports service providers to undertake an independent review against the Standards and meet the requirements of the Standards. The evidence guide has been updated to include an Aboriginal culturally informed addendum.
An Aboriginal culturally informed resource tool has been designed to be used by service providers in conjunction with the evidence guide and culturally informed addendum.
- Human Services Standards evidence guide and resource tool - updated November 2015
Independent review bodies
The department has endorsed a number of independent review bodies to conduct reviews of funded service providers against the Standards.
- Human Services Standards independent review bodies - updated February 2016
File audit tools
To assist the review of staff, volunteer and carer files and client files, the department has developed file audit tools for use by independent review bodies.
- Staff, volunteer and carer file audit tool and client file audit tool - updated January 2016
Self-assessment report and quality improvement plan
Service providers that are required to undertake an independent review are required to use their chosen independent review body's self-assessment process.
Service providers that receive funding below a certain threshold for in-scope activities may be exempt from independent review. For further information, refer to the Human Services Standards Policy scope of independent reviews for funded service providers.
Service providers exempt from review may be required to undertake a self-assessment report and quality improvement plan using the department’s self-assessment template.
Service providers exempt from independent review that apply for registration or renewal of registration under the Children, Youth and Families Act and/or the Disability Act will be required to undertake a self-assessment report and quality improvement plan using the department’s template.
- Human Services Standards self-assessment report and quality improvement plan - updated March 2015
Standards and Regulation Unit fact sheets and information updates
Fact sheets and information updates have been developed to provide updates on the Standards, as well as registration under the Disability Act and Children, Youth and Families Act and their related requirements.
- Standards and Regulation Unit fact sheets and information updates - updated November 2015
Human Services Standards Quality Reference Group
The Quality Reference Group includes members from community service organisations, Aboriginal community controlled organisations, sector peak bodies, and the Department of Health and Human Services. It provides information and discusses matters regarding the implementation of the Human Services Standards and registration of service providers under the Disability Act and the Children, Youth and Families Act as they relate to the Standards.
- Human Services Standards Quality Reference Group - updated November 2015
Policy, procedures and forms for registration of disability service providers and community services
The department’s policy, procedures and forms for the registration of disability service providers and community services sets out the registration requirements for disability service providers and community services under the Disability Act and/or Children, Youth and Families Act.
- Registration information for Disability Service Providers
- Registration information for Community Services
National Disability Insurance Agency
The launch of National Disability Insurance Agency, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), has seen an agreement between the Commonwealth of Australia and Victorian Government for the existing Quality Assurance and Safeguards of the State of Victoria to remain in place during the launch, until a nationally consistent risk-based quality assurance approach is developed.
National Disability Insurance Agency service providers may be required to be registered by the department under the Disability Act. Registration information is available from the link below.
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