Human Services Standards

The Human Services Standards policy sets out the requirements for service providers receiving department funding in scope of the Human Services Standards.

Service providers that deliver services directly to clients are required to undertake a full certification review against the Standards once in every three year period and maintain their certification as per the process of the endorsed independent review body.

Human Services Standards policy – updated October 2021 (Word)

The evidence guide, including the Aboriginal culturally informed addendum, is not a checklist but a guide to evidence that demonstrates a service provider meets the Standards. It provides further information about the Standards and supports service providers to undertake an independent review against the Standards and meet the requirements.

The evidence guide is not prescriptive and encourages service providers to be innovative in how they demonstrate compliance with the Standards. It includes examples of evidence common to all service types as well as some service specific examples as a guide to the particular needs of different programs. The Aboriginal culturally informed addendum is included as an appendix and gives specific examples of evidence against each Standard that supports Aboriginal culturally competent service delivery.

Aboriginal Culturally Informed Practice

An Aboriginal culturally informed resource tool has also been designed to be used by service providers in conjunction with the evidence guide and culturally informed addendum. 

The tool proposes questions to assist service providers in articulating where they are on the cultural competency continuum and determining where efforts need to be directed. It includes specific measureable indicators in the monitoring and evaluation section and these represent the foundations for a continuous quality improvement approach. The indicators support an outcomes focus enabling service providers to move towards measuring the impacts of their service delivery for Aboriginal people. The tool acknowledges that cultural competence is a journey rather than a destination and the suggested indicators are a starting point upon which organisations can build and deepen their Aboriginal cultural competence.

The resource tool also includes reference to useful contextual and practice documents that will assist service providers in meeting the Standards and delivering quality services and outcomes for Aboriginal people.

Human Services Standards Evidence Guide (word)

Human Services Standards Aboriginal culturally informed resource tool (word)

Where the department has exempted service providers from independent review, they may be required to undertake an online self-assessment, inclusive of a quality workplan, supplementary commentary report and file audit tool (incorporating staff, volunteer, carer and client file audits), to demonstrate compliance with the Standards.

The online self-assessment is a tool for use by service providers applying for registration under the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 and/or Disability Act 2005, or service providers which have been exempted by the department from undertaking an independent review. The tool is divided into a mandatory section to be completed by all service providers plus two alternate streams to be completed as relevant depending on the service provider’s specific circumstances. The streams are as follows:

Stream 1: organisations funded by the department that are exempt from independent review, but are required to undertake a self-assessment

Stream 2: all other organisations that require registration under the Disability Act 2006 or the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005

Service providers that are required to use the online self-assessment tool will be provided with a link to the tool and a User Guide to assist in navigating the tool.

Service providers subject to independent reviews

Service providers in scope of the Standards are required to demonstrate their compliance with the Standards. The key process for assessing compliance is by undertaking independent reviews (unless exempted by the department) and achieving and maintaining accreditation.

Accreditation and independent review processes help to ensure that service providers have acceptable systems and practices in place for management, administration and service delivery and that there is a culture of continuous improvement.

Service providers are required to choose an independent review body from a range of department-endorsed independent review bodies. 

Service providers applying for registration or renewal of registration

The Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 and Disability Act 2006 set out the requirements for the registration and the renewal of registration of community services that deliver community-based child and family services and/or out-of-home care services and of disability service providers, respectively.

The activities that require a service provider to be registered are detailed in the department’s Policy, procedures and forms for the registration of DHHS funded disability service providers and community services.

To be registered or to apply for renewal of registration, service providers need to demonstrate compliance with the Standards. A requirement to meet the governance and management standards of a department-endorsed independent review body has also been gazetted.

To assist the review of staff, volunteer and carer files and client files, the department has developed a file audit tool in Excel format, for mandatory use by independent review bodies.

No identifying information is recorded in the file audit tool.

If you require the tool in an alternative format, please email Standards and Regulation.

Independent review body access to client files factsheet

Human Services Standards staff, volunteer, carer and client file audit tool - updated July 2020 (Excel)

Department endorsed Independent Review Bodies (IRB) are obliged to meet the following criteria set by the department:

• Compliance with Australian Standards
• Authority and ability to review governance and management standards using its own standards, or other department endorsed standards
• Skills, knowledge and competencies to undertake independent reviews
• Capacity to review organisations varying in size, location and type of service delivery
• Processes for sampling, evidence gathering, client stakeholder consultation, acquisition of technical expertise, reporting of review outcomes to organisations and the department and requirements for rectification or reassessment
• Criteria for accreditation or certification against the Standards
• Indicative costing to undertake independent reviews
• Willingness to participate in training delivered by the department and moderation forums
• Mechanisms for self-review and continuous improvement.

The responses to the above criteria are commercial in confidence.

How are the IRBs engaged by the department?

The department endorsed IRBs are engaged via a deed of agreement or the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ) Human Services in Victoria Scheme (Parts 1 and 4). The Deed of Agreement and Scheme define the relationship between the department and the IRB.

Resources

IRB factsheet - updated May 2021 (word)

IRBs and their contact information - updated July 2021 (word)

Selecting an IRB factsheet - updated March 2015 (word)

Content of IRBs review reports - updated October 2021 (word)

Human Services Standards Regulation Survey feedback 

Independent review themes report October 2018 to March 2019

Independent review themes report April 2019 to September 2019

Independent review themes report October 2019 to March 2020

A service provider that holds a service agreement with the department to deliver community-based child and family services and out-of-home care is required to apply for registration as a community service under the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005.

For more information, see Registration requirements for community services. 

A service provider that holds a service agreement with the department to deliver disability services is required to apply for registration as a disability service provider under the Disability Act 2006.

For more information, see Registration requirements for disability service providers.