Quality system overview
Implementation of the Disability Sector Quality System began in July 2004 and provides a framework that recognises the importance of providing quality services that are responsive to the needs of people with a disability, their families and carers.
The system aims to:
- develop a self-sustaining culture of quality and continuous improvement across the disability sector
- ensure that people with a disability are actively involved in how a service develops, operates and maintains its management systems
- provide opportunities for people with a disability to have a role in assessing the quality of services provided
- support and promote innovation in the type of services and how they are delivered
- strengthen the link between funding and the delivery of quality services
- ensure the development and implementation of the system is owned by the sector.
To achieve this, the quality system project team uses four principles to guide the framework and implementation of the system across the disability sector:
- ownership
- diversity
- flexibility
- partnerships.
All services delivered or recurrently funded by Disability Services Queensland must implement their own quality management system and achieve certification against the Queensland Disability Service Standards, Queensland Disability Advocacy Standards or ISO 9001:2000, as appropriate to their service.
Those services receiving Disability Services Queensland recurrent funding prior to January 2007 have till 30 June 2008 to achieve certification through an accredited certification body. All new recurrently funded services from January 2007 have up to 18 months to achieve certification from the date their recurrent funding commenced.
Each service usually progresses through a five-step implementation cycle of establishing their quality framework, self assessment, service user assessment and continuous improvement followed by external assessment by an independent certification body.
Once certified, services must progress through their post-implementation activities including annual maintenance audits and recertification after three years.
A background on the quality system provides more information on how the system was developed.
This overview section provides information on:
Last updated May 2008