NDIS Quality Learnings for Home Care & CHSP
5 minute read
Well over a decade ago, I left being a CEO of a large aged care organisation and a while later ended up setting up DSC in the NDIS. The biggest reflection I have about quality systems after all these years is - you have to play your part.
I had got it wrong, I always left ‘quality’ to the experts to implement, yet it was always my biggest worry. If quality is done by others it is out of your control, it is not viewed as important and it does not get embedded in everything you do. It gets done piecemeal, it gets done poorly and that’s what gets you into trouble.
Although getting on top of the new Standards is a heap of work, it is also work that can benefit you and your organisation. The Standards are well written, their intent is good for your business (who can argue with putting the person at the centre?) and the work is everyones. It’s up to leaders to lead it that way.
So in this spirit, I asked the DSC team to assist me with advice about our learnings in the cantankerous quality journey. DSC’s quality team has been working with providers across Australia for over 5 years to assist them comply with the NDIS Practice Standards. The ACQSC has said their new Standards are closely aligned with the NDIS Standards, so we’ve got some worthwhile experience to share.
The following are a few of the things we have learned.
Where to start?
Start with when. Get started now, don’t leave it until the eleventh hour. Begin with reviewing your current policies and procedures with a fresh and critical eye, noting the new ‘outcomes’ focus and the big emphasis on the consumer.
Watch your language. Communicate a vision for uplifting quality rather than focusing purely on compliance. Build this vision from the ground up, in collaboration with your governance body, staff and consumers. Don’t do what I did and leave it all to a precious few.
Make a genuine effort to find out what’s important to clients and staff. Where do they see the organisation heading, what changes do they suggest to improve services? NDIS providers often received better audit outcomes when consumers and staff were engaged from the outset.
Find your gaps and strengths
Get on the Commission’s website and make sure you understand all the mandatory requirements.
Undertake a comprehensive gap analysis against every Standard and identify your gaps and overlaps and while you are doing it, capture all your evidence. It is a great way to understand what you don’t have, what you might need to change and to ensure you understand what the Standards will mean in practice.
Document what you are doing, then document some more. Remember to capture evidence of what’s working well and what isn’t. Some NDIS providers get caught out unable to access evidence of some of the great work they have been doing.
Document an action plan to address all ‘improvement’ issues over time, including things you are good at but could get better.
New policies and procedures?
Resist the urge to just cut and paste the policies you already have into the new templates. Take the time to reimagine and build what you need, so it’s fit for purpose. While you are at it, you should get rid of older dated materials. They only confuse what you are trying to achieve.
In the new Standards there are some big changes in areas like reportable incidents, complaint oversight, restrictive practice, behaviour support, code of conduct and mandatory worker requirements. You need to get across these and develop robust systems to ensure you meet them. The ACQSC has produced loads of resources to assist you, get on their website, take a look.
Buying off the shelf?
There are a number of compliance packages you can buy that promise to solve everything for you. We understand the appeal of the quick fix, everyone is already overworked.
Some organisations might find some of these policy products useful in setting the foundation to build out their procedures, but ensure you have confidence in the authorship. If you decide to purchase one as a template, you still need to do most of the hard yards yourselves. You need to understand what’s in the documents, develop the systems for implementation, identify responsibilities and ensure adequate training. Keep in mind, the new Standards are modular and tailored, there is no one size fits all.
We generally prefer to work with organisations to help them build on their existing policies and procedures. To comply with the new Standards you’ll still be required to achieve outcomes, understand what keeps people safe, take action and show evidence. You need to understand how your quality system works and explain how it assists you to identify and meet your obligations.
Isn’t it all overkill?
The amount of work required with compliance is a widely shared bugbear in the NDIS. Well, complaining hasn’t changed much in disability and it won’t change much in the aged care sector either. We still need to thoroughly document our processes to ensure consistent, informed, quality services for consumers. Just don’t overcomplicate it, make it relevant and useful to the work that you do.
Prioritise
Balance high-risk issues that need to be addressed with low-hanging fruit. You need to show you are dealing with critical issues and you also need some quick wins to keep everyone engaged and motivated on the never-ending journey.
These are some of the lessons we have learned from our experience in the NDIS. We hope it makes your life a little easier, or at least it makes life a little easier to prioritise!
Share your thoughts while there’s time.
The ACQSC want feedback from the sector on the draft materials, and you’ve got until April 30 to have your say. As you are doing your preparatory work over the next few months, consider directing your frustrations or ideas in a productive way to help improve the final version of the supporting resources for the whole sector. And, a big bonus - it’s a fabulous way for you to get the inside running on the quality process.
www.agedcarequality.gov.au/get-involved/consultation-and-engagement-hub/standards-guidance-consultation
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