Consumers of disability services are entitled to receive a service that meets the Disability Services
Standards. Under the standards, a consumer is defined as a person with a disability, a family member
or members of the person with a disability or an unpaid carer of the person with a disability.
These standards define what governments expect services to achieve when assisting people with
disabilities and their families. The Western Australian Government adopted eight standards in 1993,
following widespread consultation with service providers, consumers and other stakeholders. The
standards describe how the principles and objectives of the Disability Services Act (1993) should be
put into practice in disability services.
In 2004, following consultations with service providers and consumers, the Disability Services
Commission (the Commission) approved the adoption of the ninth standard, ‘Protection of Human
Rights and Freedom from Abuse and Neglect’. This standard is expected to be fully implemented by
1 July 2006.
The nine standards cover:
• service access;
• individual needs;
• decision making and choice;
• privacy, dignity and confidentiality;
• participation and integration;
• valued status;
• complaints and disputes;
• service management; and
• protection of human rights and freedom from abuse and neglect.
The Commission provides services including individual and family support, accommodation and
respite services and local area coordination. Non-government services are provided by organisations
that receive funding from the Commission but manage their own affairs.
The major focus of the Commission’s approach to implementing the standards is to provide a
framework to assist service providers, people with disabilities and their families to work together to
improve the quality of services.
The State Government expects services to be measured against the standards, providing one means
of accountability for the public money spent on disability services.
Each consumer seeking a service has access to a service on the basis of relative need and available resources.
For example, services should have a set of written entry criteria to ensure that everybody is given
the same consideration when seeking support from the service.
Each person with a disability receives a service that is designed to meet, in the least restrictive way,
his or her individual needs and personal goals.
For example, each person should have the opportunity to participate in the development of an
individual plan that explains what services the person should be receiving.
Each person with a disability has the opportunity to participate as fully as possible in making decisions
about the events and activities of his or her daily life in relation to the services he or she receives.
For example, each person should be enabled to choose how he or she would like to be assisted by staff.
Each consumer’s right to privacy, dignity and confidentiality in all aspects of his or her life is recognised
and respected.
For example, staff should not discuss a consumer’s private business or support needs with others
without gaining prior approval.
Each person with a disability is supported and encouraged to participate and be involved in the life
of the community.
For example, activities should be offered which enable the person to do things that others in the
community enjoy and to make friends in the community.
Each person with a disability has the opportunity to develop and maintain skills and to participate in
activities that enable him or her to achieve valued roles in the community in an age-appropriate manner.
For example, people should be supported to gain skills that enable them to do things like others in the community, such as taking a course or joining a club.
Each consumer is free to raise, and have resolved, any complaints or disputes he or she may have
regarding the service provider or the service.
For example, services should welcome comments from consumers which lead to improved services
and should have complaints management processes that are easy for consumers to use.
Each service provider adopts sound management practices that maximise outcomes for consumers.
For example, services should ensure that the premises are safe and fire procedures are in place, staff
are well trained and consumers have a say in running the service.
The service provider acts to prevent abuse and neglect, and to uphold the legal and human rights of consumers.
For example, services should ensure that they provide an environment free from abuse and neglect.
People can expect the services they use to meet the standards and be of good quality.
If the service is not measuring up to the standards, people have the right to let the service provider
know and expect something to be done about it.
There are two major checks on how well services are meeting the standards:
through the self assessment that the service completes each year; and
through a standards monitoring visit.
In both of these processes, consumers have an opportunity to have a say about the service, how well
it runs, what they are satisfied with and what changes they would like to see.
If consumers feel uncertain about discussing concerns with a staff member, they can ask for an
advocate to assist. The advocate could be a family member or friend, another service provider, a local
area coordinator or a person from an advocacy organisation.
Each year, the Commission requires services to complete a self assessment of how well they meet the standards. The self assessment enables service providers to gather information about their progress
in implementing the standards. The service is expected to ask the people who use the service to give feedback about their experiences. The completed assessment is sent to the Commission.
The service’s self assessment document is an integral part of the standards monitoring process, serving
as a reference for progress towards improved quality of service outcomes and compliance with standards.
Consumer participation in the self assessment is a critical factor. Reviewing the quality of service must
involve the consumers who are the focus of the service. Many services are imaginative in the ways they involve their consumers in measures to improve service quality.
The Commission arranges for independent monitors to visit the service to assess how well it is meeting
the standards. This process commenced in February 1997.
Visits can be either comprehensive or abridged. On comprehensive visits, the monitors will consider all
the standards. Abridged visits are carried out by one monitor and usually address one or two standards
and some aspect of service management such as a safe environment.
The monitoring team provides an external review of a service, paying particular attention to consumer outcomes. Monitors examine the annual self assessments prior to their visits. The monitoring report
provides an external assessment of the service’s performance against the standards.
The main steps in the monitoring process are:
• the Commission sends a notice of the monitoring visit to the service;
• the monitors hold a preliminary on-site meeting with the management, staff and consumer
representatives;
• the monitors visit and:
– see the service in action;
– examine the service’s policies and other documents; and
– interview consumers, staff and others;
• the monitors prepare a draft report and send it to the service so that the management, staff
and consumers can comment on it;
• a post-monitoring meeting is sometimes held with the monitors to discuss the draft report; and
• the final report is sent to the Chairperson of the Commission Board and the service.
The standards monitoring process is designed to:
• use the same process for both government and non-government services;
• be as independent of the Commission as possible;
• provide a balance between requiring compliance and promoting service improvement;
• be interactive and open;
• encourage the participation of consumers in all aspects of the process;
• take into account how large or small the service is, and its geographical location;
• expect a pace of change that is not beyond the capacity of the service;
• support everybody to use the standards as a way to improve services; and
• involve staff from all levels of the service.
If you would like more information about the standards, you can talk to staff at your service, or call
the Standards Monitoring and Quality Assurance Unit on 9426 9727.
146–160 Colin Street, West Perth WA 6005
Telephone: 9426 9200 Facsimile: 9226 9315
TTY: 9426 9315 Freecall (Country): 1800 998 214
PO Box 441, West Perth WA 6872
dsc@dsc.wa.gov.au
www.dsc.wa.gov.au