Standards for Community Services - Update
In readiness for compliance with the Standards for Community Services in Queensland, many organisations embarked on a process of self-assessment and quality improvement commencing in 2008. As a part of this process compliance with Disability Services, Child Safety or Home and Community Services standards was recognized, and exemption from submitting a self-assessment report on all or the majority of the 11 Standards was granted. Organisations receiving less than $100K in triennial funding were encouraged, although not required to complete the process. Under current service agreements, all organisations are expected to implement the Standards for Community Services.
In the interim, pending the outcomes of the trial and implementation of the Human Services Quality Framework in 2012, the following will apply to those organisations who were required to complete the Standards for Community Services:
- Organisations who have completed their improvement plans as identified in their self-assessment and are currently meeting their service agreement requirements and the Community Service Regulation 2008, will be deemed to be meeting the Standards to a satisfactory level during the interim period.
- During regular monitoring visits, funded service providers will be asked by Community Support Officers (CSO’s) if they have implemented their improvement plans developed through the self-assessment process 2008-09; and
- Additional monitoring will occur with organisations that have yet to move towards compliance with the Standards. Resources have been developed by the Department to assist CSO’s in this task.
Regional departmental staff will be contacting community service organisations in the near future to progress the compliance and monitoring phase of implementing the Standards for Community Services.
