High quality services
Summary: The Act supports the Quality Framework for Disability Services in Victoria.
Information on this page:
The Disability Act (external link) has a number of mechanisms to improve the quality of disability services.
Registration
The Secretary may register a service provider as a disability service provider, if they can meet the requirements of the Act when providing a service to people with a disability.
The Secretary must keep a register of disability service providers, which can be viewed by the public.
The 
Policy on Registration of Disability Services Providers (Word 447 KB) outlines the requirements of the Act including application, renewal and revocation of registration of community service organisations funded by the Secretary, Department of Human Services to provide disability services.
Information sheet 8 — Registration of disability service providers (PDF 155 KB) provides an overview of registration and some frequently asked questions.
Standards and performance measures
The Act supports the Quality Framework for Disability Services in Victoria.
The Act will make sure services are of high quality and accountable to people with a disability and their family members and carers, by ensuring standards and performance measures for disability services are set and monitored.
The Act states that the Minister must determine standards to be met by disability service providers. It is an offence if a disability service provider does not comply with these standards.
The Act states that the Secretary must specify performance measures in relation to the standards. The Secretary may monitor how disability service providers are meeting the performance measures.
If a disability service provider does not meet the performance measures, conditions of their funding or any other requirement of the Act, the Secretary has the power to take action.
Information sheet 7 — Standards and monitoring performance (PDF 158 KB) provides an overview of these parts of the Act and some frequently asked questions.
Community visitors
The community visitors program is managed by the Office of the Public Advocate (external link.)
Community visitors are volunteers who inspect and make inquiries in relation to residential services. The Act outlines how community visitors are appointed and what they can do when visiting a residential service. The Community Visitors Protocol — November 2007 (PDF 158 KB) outlines the roles and responsibilities of community visitors and disability service providers in relation to community visitor visits.
If a person living in a residential service asks to see a community visitor, the disability service provider must notify the community visitors within 72 hours.
Community visitors can, through the Community Visitors Board, provide reports to the Minister for Community Services. Community visitors can also refer a matter to a more appropriate person such as the Disability Services Commissioner (external link.)
Information sheet 9 — Community Visitors (PDF 158 KB) provides more information about community visitors and some frequently asked questions.