Service users, families and carers are an integral part of the Disability Sector Quality System. As specialist disability service providers establish their internal quality management systems, service users, families and carers have an opportunity to be involved in three ways:
1. Ongoing feedback
Service users play an important role in the planning, development and delivery of the specialist disability services they receive. Specialist disability service providers have a responsibility to develop a range of mechanisms for service users to provide feedback. Opportunities for service users to participate in the decision-making processes of their specialist disability service are strongly encouraged.
As part of the audit process, audit teams visit specialist disability service providers and seek service user feedback. Specialist disability service providers are required to 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 becoming an Audit-Trained Service User (ATSU) to add a 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.
An ATSU does not represent other users of the specialist disability service being audited - rather they bring a service user's perspective to the audit team. An 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 specialist disability service provider
- contributing to audit reports.
Lead Auditors and ATSUs for the Disability Sector Quality System attend a mandatory Disability Services awareness workshop which provides information about communicating with people with a disability, disability types, the Queensland disability sector, and the role of the ATSU in the audit team.
Becoming an Audit-Trained Service User
Service users, family members and carers who are interested in becoming an ATSU can contact:
Service users, family members and carers who are 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 specialist disability service providers must undertake.
There is 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 the supports available for service users, families and carers to actively participate in the quality system.
Refer to Resource Kit 2 Resource Kit 2 for detailed information on service user assessment.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia License