• Disability Act
• Quality Framework for Disability Services
• Self-directed support
• Register of Disability Service Providers
• Performance reporting
• Direct Payments Project
• Working to improve supports
• Industry development and assistance
• Kew redevelopment
• Community Visitors Program

In this way, Disability Services continually works to ensure that supports best meet people¿s needs ¿ both at the individual level and at the system level.

Disability Act 2006

The Disability Act 2006 establishes a contemporary legal framework for a whole-of-government and whole-of-community approach by reducing barriers and enabling people with a disability to more actively participate in community life. It creates a strong foundation for the provision and regulation of high quality supports for people with a disability and it safeguards and strengthens the rights of people accessing those supports.

Quality Framework for Disability Services

The Quality Framework for Disability Services underpins a culture of quality and continuous improvement across disability services in Victoria consistent with the Disability Services Division's objective to develop and deliver high quality services or supports and improved outcomes for people with a disability, their family members and carers.

Central to the Quality Framework are the Standards for Disability Services in Victoria. The Standards set out the expectations of better practice for the delivery of services and supports to people with a disability.

Self-directed support

A self-directed approach (previously known as the individualised planning and support approach) is the way the Department of Human Services is making sure that people with a disability are in charge of planning their own supports and deciding how funding and supports are managed in their lives.

Register of Disability Service Providers

A list of all service providers registered as Disability Service Providers under the Disability Act 2006 is available. The Register of Disability Service Providers commenced on 1 July 2007 and provides the name, address and contact details of community service organisations that the Department of Human Services funds to provide disability services.

Performance reporting

The Disability Services Policy and Funding Plan 2006-09 has information about the delivery of supports from each program area.

Data collection and reporting - Quarterly Data Collection (QDC) Information System - a data collection process that aims to streamline the data reported to the Department of Human Services by service providers of Disability Services, Psychiatric Disability Rehabilitation and Support Services and Home and Community Care

Direct Payments Project

Through the Direct Payments Project Disability Services is working in partnership with people with a disability to develop another model of administering Disability Services funding.

Working to improve supports

Support workers and carers (paid and unpaid) can develop expertise through learning and development, scholarships and career pathways.

Resources on this site designed to improve supports for people with a disability include information on Cultural and linguistic diversity, and Fire and emergency.

The Child Protection and Disability Service protocol (external link) aims to promote collaboration and improve outcomes for children and young people with a disability.

The Disability Services - Aged Care Assessment Services (ACAS) Protocol provides information and guidance for disability services and ACAS staff working with younger people with a disability at risk of entering, or are residing in, a residential aged care facility.

The Statement of principles for children and young people with a disability and their families is designed to raise the profile of children and young people with a disability, to support staff who work in the field, and to be the basis for mainstream and specialist services to work together to provide support to families that is coordinated, timely and effective.

Industry development and assistance

The Industry Development Plan strengthens the provision of supports to people with a disability by identifying the key industry elements requiring development, and generating a range of activities and strategies that contribute to a sustainable and innovative service sector.

The Department of Human Services engaged PricewaterhouseCoopers to independently review the cost to community services organisations of delivering a range of out of the home disability support services for people with a disability, key factors driving cost growth, strategies to manage these cost pressures, and the scope for further cost control or offsetting in the future. The PricewaterhouseCoopers report prepared for the department in March 2009 is available for download.

Kew redevelopment

The Redevelopment of Kew Residential Services (formerly Kew Cottages) aims to provide better quality of life for the residents of Kew Residential Services.

Community Visitors Program

The Community Visitors Program plays a valuable role in monitoring the quality and standard of care and support provided to residents living in disability residential services.