Service user involvement
Service users, families and carers are an integral part of the Disability Sector Quality System. As service providers set up their internal quality management systems, service users, families and carers have an opportunity to be involved in three ways:
- providing ongoing feedback
- becoming an audit-trained service user
- participating in a service user assessment.
1. Ongoing feedback
Service users play an important role in monitoring the quality of services they receive. Service providers have a responsibility to investigate and implement a range of mechanisms for service users to provide ongoing feedback on their level of satisfaction. There should also be opportunities for service users to participate in the decision-making processes of the service.
When audit teams visit service providers as part of the audit process, they seek service user feedback. Service providers must seek permission from service users before organising any interviews or feedback sessions.
2. Audit-trained service user (ATSU)
Service users can participate in the audit process by being an audit-trained service user (ATSU) in an audit team to add a strong service user perspective. The ATSU is either a person with a disability who has experience as a service user of a disability support service, or a family member, guardian or carer of a person with a disability.
The ATSU does not represent other users of the service being audited – rather it brings a service user’s perspective to the audit team. The ATSU collaborates with other audit team members to plan and conduct the audit, including:
- talking to service users and support people during the audit to collect evidence relevant to the Queensland Disability Service Standards and Queensland Disability Advocacy Standards
- reviewing service user files or following-up on issues with service users and support people
- reviewing all audit evidence before presenting the audit findings to the service provider
- contributing to audit reports.
The ATSU role statement on JAS-ANZ’s website provides further information on the ATSU role.
Auditors and ATSUs for the Disability Sector Quality System attend a mandatory Disability Services Queensland Auditor Awareness workshop which provides information about the experience of people with a disability, the Queensland disability sector, and the role of the ATSU in the audit team.
To support ATSUs in their role, Capability Queensland, the training organisation engaged by Disability Services Queensland, provides training on the quality system to ATSUs and lead auditors.
Becoming an ATSU
Service users, family members and carers who are interested in becoming an ATSU can contact:
Service users, family members and carers who are also interested in acquiring skills and knowledge in auditing, will need to discuss this when they contact a certification body.
3. Service user assessment
Service users may also take part in service user assessment, one of the five implementation steps for service providers.
There has been a range of publications, tools and resources developed to accommodate the diversity of information needs among service users.
The supporting service users, families and carers section provides details about supports and information available for service users, families and carers to actively participate in the quality system.
Refer to Resource Kit 2 for detailed information on service user assessment.
Last updated May 2008
ATSU role statement
Resource Kit 2