Important information regarding the transition to the National Standards for Disability Services

We are pleased to provide clarity regarding the transition from the Disability Service Standard (DSS) to the National Standards for Disability Services (NSDS). This information applies to your transition from the former SDSV Audits to the new DHSS and NSDS where you are funded by the Victorian Department of Human Services. This also applies where you are funded by the Federal Government to deliver your Australian Disability Enterprises services.

The Victorian Department of Human Services (DHS) requires you to gain full certification to these standards by 30 June 2015 - this means being fully compliant to both standards by this date. We strongly recommend that you book your Stage 1 and Stage 2 audits in advance of January 2015. This is to ensure we have sufficient auditors available and to ensure you have enough time to address any nonconformities.

You may elect to continue to be audited to DSS until 31 December 2014. Should you wish to do so, you will be required to demonstrate a documented transition plan to the new standards to us. However, we encourage you to consider transitioning to the new NSDS as soon as possible. Should you wish to commence with transitioning to NSDS during your next surveillance audit, then your assessment will be against NSDS 1, 3, 4 and 6. Should you wish to transition to NSDS and you are due for a recertification audit, all six NSDS standards will be assessed. All providers are required to be certified to NSDS from 1 January 2015. We wish to advise you that Item 6 of the revised DEES Scheme, requires that all former DSS audits are to be carried out to NSDS from 1 January 2015.

Please feel free to contact us should you have any further queries.

We look forward to working with you and supporting you through these transitionary changes.

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