Overview of the standards

The Human Services Quality Standards (the standards) set a benchmark for the quality of service provision. Each standard is supported by a set of performance indicators which outline what an organisation will be assessed against in order to show they meet the standard.

The standards cover the core elements for quality service provision, namely:

  • governance and management
  • service access
  • responding to individual need
  • safety, wellbeing and rights
  • feedback, complaints and appeals
  • human resources.

The Human Services Quality Standards are based on the following principles:

  • Respecting human rights - services are planned and delivered in a manner that respects and has regard for the individual's human rights, in keeping with the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights
  • Social Inclusion - services are planned and delivered to promote opportunities for people to be included in their communities
  • Participation - people using services are included in decision-making about the service they receive
  • Choice - people using services have the opportunity to make choices about the services, and where and how they received them, within available resources.

Demonstrating compliance with the standards

Organisations are able to demonstrate compliance with the standards through one of three methods:

  1. Certification under the HSQF - recognition that an organisation has met the requirements of the standard through a process of independent third-party audit.
  2. Evidence of certification or accreditation against a set of standards/quality framework approved by the department.
  3. Self-assessment.

The method of demonstrating compliance will depend on the type and complexity of services provided, the vulnerability of the people using the services, and where funded by Department of Communities, Disability Services and Seniors (DCDSS) and/ or the Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women (DCSYW), the amount of funding investment.

Further information about which quality pathway (demonstration method) is applicable to specific service types and streams can be found in the Human Services Quality Framework.

Tailored resources and specific requirements for demonstrating compliance with the framework are available on this website for: