Assistance to Aboriginal HACC funded agencies as part of the HACC National Service Standards Agency Assessment Program (DHS)

  • AHA worked with Aboriginal service providers to provide an optional ‘supported self assessment’ to assist them prepare for the mandatory formal assessment against the HACC standards. The process was well received, with positive comments from many Aboriginal services, for example:
    • “The consultant was most supportive and informative. I most appreciate the assistance I have been given today to help me prepare for the HACC accreditation.”
    • “Really worthwhile process, supported and informal forum that provided great help for our agency.”
    • “Great visit. Very supportive and understanding. Good validation of current quality processes.”
  • Where practical, the formal assessments were conducted by the consultant who conducted the supported self assessment visit.
  • Other AHA work related to this initiative included:
    • ­Training Aboriginal Development Workers from each region in the HACC National Service Standards and assessment process, to enable them to effectively resource Aboriginal services, both before and after the assessment process and
    • ­Providing specialist training to DHS regional offices to assist them support and monitor Aboriginal agencies during the implementation of action plans arising from the HACC assessments (refer HACC Quality Assessment Program – Victoria (DHS))
  • Due to our success in engaging with Aboriginal HACC funded agencies, AHA was recently appointed by a regional DHS office to facilitate workshops designed to help agencies develop practices which will assist them to meet the HACC Standards.