Regional ForumsDeputy Secretary Disability, Housing and Community Services

Agenda

• Provide an Update on some –DHHS matters– Whole of Government issues

Overview of the Community Sector – from DHHS perspective• DHHS funds:

–244 organisations–$233 million– to provide 709 separate services –across 14 program areas

• Very important and growing sector

Community Sector Relations Unit (CSRU)

• DHHS has established a central co-ordinating unit responsible for community sector relations.

• The CSRU involves:– Strategic and policy issues (Jo White)– Quality and Safety Team (Mandy

Bosworth)– Grants Management Team (Ulo Raabus)

Governance

Peaks Network and Government – Strategic Forum

Regulatory and Government PolicyPartnership Agreement

Industry Development Unit

DHHS Community Sector Steering Committee

Program Policy and PerformanceService Standard development

Community Sector Contract Management Network

Contract Management & MonitoringRoundtables on multi-service organisations

External Interface

(Strategic)

Internal DHHS

(Strategic)

InternalDHHS

(Operational)

Quality & Safety Framework Evaluation• Quality Futures introduced in 2009• Commitment to review Framework

after 3 years• Riley and Riley feedback:

– Lots of positives • common set of principles and standards• Useful framework to ensure NGO’s doing the

right thing• All organisations now have a process and a

Quality Improvement Plan in place and are 98% compliant.

• Quality and Safety team – helpful and supportive

• Lot of value, especially the on-site visits

Riley and Riley feedback (continued)• Areas for Improvement

– Framework needs to be more nuanced - one size does not fit all.

– Diversity of views on workbooks, some regarded them as onerous, others a useful tool

– Too much focus on safety, not much on quality

– Many do not see it as part of service delivery

– Multiple DHHS contact points for CSOs

Overview of Quality & Safety changes• Wont have ‘one size fits all’ - no requirement

to formally submit Workbooks after July• Have to demonstrate a process for

continuous quality improvement – show evidence that standards are being met

• Agree which standards, depending on your service type, fall back position will be Quality Futures

• Participate in audits to the agreed service standards

• Continue to report Code 1 and 2 rated incidents

Quality & Safety changes (continued)• Quality and Safety monitoring will become

more integrated into operational contract management processes

• Quality and Safety Team – take on regulatory role perform independent audits

• Provide tools, resources and support to Operational units and NGOs

• New process commence after the last workbooks - towards end 2012

• Information session later in the year

Other Government Issues

• Indexation• Fair Work Australia decision

–Treasury–DHHS project

• Joint Reference Group • Survey of sector

• State of the State Address• Cost of Living Round Table 28th March