Building Quality and Safeguarding into Disability Service Provision

Abstract

The processes of building quality and safeguarding are important in ensuring that people who use disability services have high-quality support that meets their needs and helps them achieve their goals. High-quality support and services are key safeguards against abuse and neglect. What constitutes good quality varies by each individual, stakeholder group, and type of service. However, compliance with regulatory obligations is the minimum that disability service providers and workers must achieve. This chapter attempts to demystify what workers and providers should do to deliver high-quality and safe supports, while still acknowledging the complexity involved. It argues that strategies for achieving high-quality and safe supports should be integrated into standard ways of working, rather than approached as a box-ticking exercise disconnected from day-to-day practice. It explains the key terms and core concepts, the levels for action, and the reactive and proactive strategies which can be implemented by managers.