Policy templates have been developed by QCOSS to assist organisations with implementing the Human Services Quality Framework (HSQF). The Human Services Quality Standards (the standards) set a benchmark for the quality of service provision. Each standard is supported by a set of performance indicators which outline what an organisation will be assessed against in order to show they meet the standard.
The templates provide a way for organisations to check whether their existing policies and procedures meet all the criteria of the standards or to draft new policies and procedures if needed.
Find an overview of the Human Services Quality Framework and additional resources including assessment user guides on the Queensland Government website.
Using the templates
The HSQF standards are designed to apply to a range of service types and it does not prescribe specific policies. In order to be compliant organisations need to demonstrate they have guiding documents (policies, procedures, plans etc), records, staff awareness and client understanding around each of the indicators.
Your organisation may reuse, adapt and build upon these templates, and include any branding for your organisation as required – no acknowledgement of QCOSS is necessary. Please note, these policy templates respond to the indicators but are not intended to be exhaustive. Depending on how your organisation works some policies may make more sense if they are combined into one. Other areas may be complex and more manageable if divided into several separate policies.
The policy templates sit beneath the relevant standard, below. Please note, some policy templates sit beneath multiple standards – where this applies you only need to write one policy to meet all applicable standards.
Supporting documents
This section contains useful related templates such as forms, registers and plans. It indicates to your staff where else they may need to look for relevant information or what particular form they need to access to complete a process or task. It can also be helpful when you need to make changes to a process as it will give you a prompt to check related or supporting documents in case changes need to be made to those documents as well.
Additional tools and templates
These supporting documents are additional tools and templates that you may find useful for your organisation.
- Complaints and Appeals Policy and Procedure
- Client Rights and Responsibilities Statement
- Code of Conduct
- Complaints and Feedback Form
- Complaints Register
- Compliance Register
- Confidentiality Agreement
- Conflict of Interest Register
- Continual Improvement Plan
- Delegations Register
- Induction Checklist
Factsheets
Quality Collaboration Network (QCN)
The Quality Collaboration Network is a peer-led network for those involved in implementing the Human Services Quality Framework within their organisation. It provides an opportunity to share experiences, information and resources on audit and quality matters, as well as identifying common issues across the sector to inform system updates to government.
Monthly meetings offer guest speakers and discussion on a range of topics, while access to peers and experts provides a community of knowledge and experience to draw on for everyday support. Involvement is open to quality, policy or compliance risk professionals working in community services non-government organisations in Queensland.