Service Portal News Bulletin from FACS-ADHC

Published 10th February 2014

National Standards for Disability Services

The revised National Standards for Disability Services (NSDS) were endorsed by all State,Territory and Commonwealth Governments on 18 December 2013.

Ageing, Disability and Home Care’s (ADHC) Quality Framework is built on the National Disability Quality Framework and is based on the updated NSW Disability Service Standards (NSW DSS), which align with the recently endorsed NSDS.

ADHC engaged the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ) to independently map the updated NSW DSS against the revised NSDS and the mapping has verified a 100 per cent match.

What does this mean for my organisation?

Service providers in NSW that meet the NSW DSS will also meet the requirements of the endorsed NSDS and will not need to comply with two separate sets of disability standards.

ADHC funded service providers are required to meet the quality requirements as outlined in the Funding Agreement including:

• Implement a quality management system (if one is not already in place); and
• Provide evidence to an independent third party to confirm organisational performance against the NSW Disability Services Standards.

Through the use of third party verification, service providers will be able to give people with disability, their families and carers confidence that they are meeting quality standards that are nationally consistent.

Further information about the NSW Quality Framework for disability services can be found at http://www.adhc.nsw.gov.au/sp/quality.

The National Standards for Disability Services can be be found at https://www.dss.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/12_2013/nsds_web.pdf (pdf)

If you have any enquiries regarding the quality requirements under your Funding Agreement please contact the Quality and Safeguards Unit, ADHC on 02 9377 6016 or e-mail .