Quality System

The Disability Services Commission (the Commission) is committed to ensuring the highest quality of supports and services for people with disability.

The Commission’s enhanced Quality System commenced on 1 July 2014. It is for all Commission contracted and provided supports and services and incorporates the National Standards for Disability Services (the Standards).

The Quality System:

maintains the basic structure of self-assessments, quality evaluation visits and follow up action
increases focus on individual outcomes, good planning processes and a person-centred approach
specifically includes safeguarding
integrates complaints and serious and critical incident reporting.

To support service providers in their understanding of the Quality System and updating of policies and procedures to meet the new Standards, the Commission has created a series of fact sheets (see below) and employed NDS WA to deliver Quality System training and Safeguarding and Complaints Handling forums from 2015-2016.

Informing your clients

The Commission has developed the ‘Ensuring Quality’ brochure to inform people with disability using Commission-funded services about the quality evaluation process. During the quality evaluation process, the quality evaluators present this brochure to the service users they interview about the services they receive.
Service providers who wish to inform their clients, families and carers about the Quality System can use this brochure.

Download the ‘Ensuring Quality’ brochure (PDF).

Printing instructions: set your printer to print on both sides of A4 paper and select the ‘flip on short edge’ option.

Quality Standards related to Registration (Disability Service Provider Panel)

WA’s Quality System is based on the National Standards for Disability Services (NSDS) 1-6. The NSDS help to promote and drive a nationally consistent approach to improving the quality of services. They focus on rights and outcomes for people with disability. For more information, and to access a range of resources, visit the National Standards Resources page.

Quality Standards related to Registration are set out in the Request for Registration (Section 5). Please refer to the Tenders website.

It is a mandatory requirement that all applicants must provide evidence of compliance with quality standards before becoming registered to provide individually funded services in WA.

There are three (3) quality standard categories.

Download the Overview of Quality Standards: Requirements for Registration (PDF only)

Applicants must provide required evidence against one Quality Standard Category. The categories are:

Category 1: Applicants offering only communication assistance; coordination of catastrophic injury support; aids; equipment; and general supports

Category 2: Qualified allied health professionals – Applicants with less than five qualified allied health professionals (inclusive of consortiums and sub-contracting arrangements)

Category 3: All other applicants

NB. For Applicants needing to provide evidence against Category 3, Condition 3, please refer to '6 Simple Steps to Standard 6: Service Management compliance' below.

Related documents

PDF versions (also available in Word below)
Overview of Quality Standards: Requirements for Registration (PDF only)

6 Simple Steps to Standard 6: Service Management compliance

Word versions

6 Simple Steps to Standard 6: Service Management compliance