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QUALITY MANAGEMENT SERVICESBuilding QualityBuilding Quality

Quality Improvement

Building Quality

NSW/ACT Manager

Jenny Klause

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• Quality language unravelled• The Quality Cycle• Current quality challenges in the sector• Sector values vs quality principles • Promoting a culture of quality over

compliance• Embedding CQI • Benefits for organsiations and the sector

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• NFP, 7 states/territories• Health and community service sector• Quality promotion: training, consultancy,

promotion of good practice, gap analysis/action plan

• Develop Standards with sector input• ACT Provider of the Quality Improvement Council

(QIC) Accreditation Program

QUALITY MANAGEMENT SERVICES

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QMS’ Client Profile

•Sector peaks

•Primary Health Care Services

•Supported Accommodation Services

•Drug & Alcohol Services

•Aboriginal Community Controlled Services

•Women’s Health

•Large Multi Service NGO’s

•Problem Gambling Treatment Services

•Mental Health Services

•Advocacy and health promotion

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Quality Management

Good practice management techniques & methodsSystems theory-includes• planning• communicating• delegating• documenting• evaluating• consulting

CUSTOMER FOCUS

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF

PROCESS PRODUCT AND

SERVICE

INVOLVING AND EMPOWERING

PEOPLE

QUALITY

MANAGEMENT

INFORMATION AND

ANALYSIS

POLICYAND

PLANNING

LEADERSHIP

Continuous Quality Improvement

• Ongoing review, evaluation and refinement of practices across the entire breadth of the organisations operations.

• In this sector improvements generally focus on client outcomes BUT are also important in other systems areas such as human resources, management .

• a subset of Quality Management• Has a focus on acknowledging the

benefits of participation

Accreditation

• a form of recognised industry benchmark review

• usually includes formal external independent assessment against industry set standards in the pursuit of quality, evidenced based services

• includes CQI at the centre of operations

Compliance

• the act of adhering to, and demonstrating adherence to, a standard or regulation

Quality Improvement Cycle

• Plan

• Do

• Check

• Act

Central ideas of Continuous Quality Improvement

(CQI)• Encouraged from the top down• A way of working rather than a set of events• Formal and informal evaluation mechanisms• Resources allocated to CQI• Facilitate staff contributions to CQI• Staff understand purpose, processes and

components of CQI (PDCA)• CQI is evident at all levels of the organisation• Cooperative work practices –sharing and

incorporating new knowledge• Continuous practice of CQI

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Current ‘Quality’ challenges in the Community Sector

1. Focus on compliance not CQI

2. Gov’t preference for ‘accredited’ organisations

3. Multiple compliance issues

4. Limited resources to commence CQI

5. No planned approach to quality

6. Funding does not necessarily promote CQI

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Why people run screaming!

What makes embedding quality management difficult?

• Funded for Service outputs not quality systems

• Reactive decision making

• Excessive funder driven compliance audits

• Staff with a passion for people not paper

• Stretched budget base

• Unclear about the benefits of a quality framework

• Quality silo-ed (ie. responsibility of one person)

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Impact of these barriers • Quality is seen by organisations/staff as being

for the funder not the consumer or service

• Staff are compliance focused

• Quality processes can be seen as punitive

• Organisational culture is quality resistant

• Ad hoc quality systems development

• Responding at program level creates silos

• Overlap and duplication of effort across orgs.

• Resentful, uncommitted and unsupported staff

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CQI Outcomes

Ongoing improvement in service delivery Proud & happy staff More accountable to client and funder Enable staff to be reflective and critical Ensures transparency Acknowledges good practice Gives confidence to/and builds trust with

stakeholders

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Where Quality fits in the Community Sector

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Indicators of QualityFrom the perspective of:

Consumer: Outcomes achieved, needs met, positive experience & relationship with service

Service Manager: Funder expectations re outputs met, minimal complaints, customer & staff satisfaction, consistency of service quality across staff/programs

Staff: Professional & ethical standards met, good client relations, accountability to organisation and client, sense of satisfaction in work and recognition for doing a good job (client/peers/org), input into service improvements

Funder: Risk managed, outputs achieved, accountability for funding and effective efficient services delivered

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Sector Values vs Quality Principles

Equity & accessibility Accessibility & TimelinessClient Focus, social justice

Respectful client relationship

The importance of community& developing own solutions

Sustainability & transparency

Effectiveness, fairness and capability

Acceptable and responsive

Appropriateness and participation

Efficiency and sustainability

Organisational independence; openness; accountability; positive work environment staff focus.

Good management /efficiency

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Benefits of embedding CQI

Achieve improved organisational capacity through:

• Assessment of strengths and weaknesses

• Increased staff knowledge of and contribution to QI, good management and current industry good practice

• New ideas for identified areas for improvement

• Structured way to address areas for improvement

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Benefits of embedding CQI

Cont’d

• Provides guidance around the systems you need

• Staff know who is responsible for what

• People who need to know, understand their role in the system

• You do what you say you want to do

• Client outcomes are monitored and improved

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Making it work for your organisation

• Build a vision and leadership for quality

• Agenda for quality is set internally, the external quality framework is used to drive your agenda

• Choice and control over the journey

• Use a quality framework appropriate to the sector ie. Match between quality framework and organisational values

• Recognize the need for dedicated time and resources

• Train staff, volunteers and management in CQI and standards

• Participation of staff/manager as peer reviewers

• Supportive relationship with Quality Partner (eg QMS)

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CQI and a Strong sector

• Safe and quality services• Consumer confidence• Funder confidence• Organisational pride• Staff/volunteer recognition • Retention and attraction of good staff• Sound reputation• Competitive advantage• Quality Culture not a compliance culture

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Thank you

Building Quality

Jenny Klause

State Manager QMS NSW/ACT/QLD

Email: jenny.k@qms.org.au Phone: (02) 8246 6900

www.qms.org.au