JAS-ANZ Certification

The advocacy agencies are those funded under the Commonwealth Disability Services Act 1986 (DSA), for the National Disability Advocacy Program (NDAP), administered by the Department of Social Services (DSS) and accordingly required to comply with the Disability Services Act (National Standards for Disability Services) Determination 2014.

This CPG offers certification services and audit advocacy agencies funded by the Australian Government, against the National Standards for Disability Services (2014) (NSDS) set down by the Australian Government. The National Standards for Disability Services (2014), are the applicable standards to the National Disability Advocacy Program (NDAP). They are guided by the relevant Indicators of Practice.  These standards have been allowed for via the Disability Services Act (National Standards for Disability Services) Determination 2014, Disability Services Act 1986.

There are now 6 standards within the National Standards for Disability Services Scheme – NSDS.

Consumers will be offered information from the Client about the audit process including interviews and will be offered independent advocacy support in order to engage in the audit. Consumers shall be invited by the Client to participate in the whole audit process including opening and closing meetings. This shall be undertaken prior to any consent being obtained.

All consumers have the right to be involved in the audit process and CPG shall respect their decision and right not to be involved.  Consent is required of the Consumer to be a part of the interview process and for the auditor/s to access their information, written consent is preferred. Where written consent is not obtained, CPG shall record in the Client audit report the reason for this, and evidence supporting the assumption that consent was sought and has been obtained. CPG will ensure that consumers’ confidentiality and privacy is respected in all aspects of the audit including sampling information, consent, interviews and consumer records.

Client shall ensure that consumer have access to appropriate independent advocacy services and support to be involved in the audit process.

NDIS Commission

The NDIS represents a fundamental change to the way people with disability are supported in their everyday lives. This change requires the right systems and protections to be in place to oversee NDIS services and supports.

The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (NDIS Commission) is an independent regulator body that has been established to improve the quality and safety of NDIS supports and services. This framework is designed to promote high quality supports and safe environments for all NDIS participants.

NDIS Quality and Safeguards (NDIS Commission) began operating in:

• 1 July 2018 New South Wales (NSW) and South Australia (SA)
• 1 July 2019 Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Victoria (VIC), Tasmania (TAS), Northern Territory (NT), Queensland (QLD)
• 1 July 2020 Western Australia (WA)

Until the NDIS Commission begins operating in WA, current state quality and safeguards requirements will continue to apply for providers providing services in WA.

NDIS Practice Standards

The NDIS Practice Standards create an important benchmark for providers to assess their performance, and to demonstrate how they provide high quality and safe supports and services to NDIS participants. Together with the NDIS Code of Conduct, the NDIS Practice Standards will assist NDIS participants to be aware of what quality service provision they should expect from NDIS providers. The outcomes of the NDIS Practice Standards are included within the National Disability Insurance Scheme (Provider Registration and Practice Standards) Rules 2018. The National Disability Insurance Scheme (Quality Indicators) Guidelines 2018 list the outcomes of the NDIS Practice Standards and the associated quality indicators NDIS providers can use to demonstrate conformity with the outcomes. The NDIS Practice Standards consist of a core module and several supplementary modules that apply according to the types of supports and services NDIS providers deliver, and the corporate structure of the organisation.

The Core module covers:

• rights and responsibility for participants
• governance and operational management
• the provision of supports, and
• the support provision environment

The supplementary modules cover:

• High intensity daily personal activities
• Specialist behaviour support
• Implementing behaviour support plans
• Early childhood supports
• Specialised support co-ordination, and
• Specialist disability accommodation.

The Reproductive Technology Accreditation Committee (RTAC) is a professional group of the Board of the Fertility Society of Australia.

It is charged with the responsibility of setting standards for the performance of ART through an audited Code of Practice. It also licences an International Version of the Code of Practice for use by certifying bodies in countries outside Australia and New Zealand.

The purposes of the RTAC Codes of Practice are to:

• Promote continuous improvement in the quality of care offered to people accessing fertility treatment
• Provide a framework and set criteria for the auditing process that leads to accreditation of organisations that deliver fertility services
• Ensure the auditing process is carried out in an independent non-adversarial and constructive manner

Fundamental to the delivery of ART services is that patients and their offspring remain the most important consideration in all decisions. Organisations aspire to deliver services in a manner that recognises patients’ cultural and individual beliefs and values, upholds their dignity and privacy, and acknowledges the rights of children born through ART to know their genetic origins and health outcomes.

There are two Codes of Practice:

• Australian and New Zealand Code of Practice
• International Code of Practice

The RTAC Scheme defines the requirements for bodies providing audit and certification to the Codes of Practice.

How does your clinic benefit from RTAC accreditation?

Provides reassurance to your patients that your clinic is compliant with a set of standards that are routinely assessed by certifying bodies.

How Can CPG assist you with achieving RTAC accreditation?

• Complete an application form that will provide us with information on your clinic such as:
• where you are located
• are you a stand-alone clinic or part of a larger group
• how many staff members
• ART procedures performed
• Sign an agreement with CPG to conduct audits

The accreditation process

You will be assigned an audit team, one of whom must have technical expertise in the field of ART. In some instances this may be one person.

If you are a new ART Unit the accreditation can be a two or three stage process:

1. Have a gap analysis completed (optional)
2. Stage 1 audit (documentation review)
3. Stage 2 audit – this is conducted onsite prior to you commencing services but only when all proposed equipment for use, in particular laboratory and sterilisation equipment has been validated

Following your Stage 2 audit, where there are no non-conformances, a report will be completed and forwarded to RTAC who will issue a RTAC Licence for six months. For a new ART Unit a further onsite visit is undertaken to verify implementation of all processes.

Surveillance audits will be undertaken annually (unless regulatory bodies specify otherwise).