About us

The Quality Improvement Council Limited (QIC) is an Australasian standards development and accreditation body serving the health and community services sectors. An incorporated not-for-profit body, QIC has been awarding accreditation to organisations meeting its Standards for some 20 years. Until 1998, QIC was known as the Community Health Accreditation and Standards Program (CHASP).

Over 450 organisations from more than 30 service types in all Australian states and territories, and New Zealand, are currently in the QIC Program, undertaking a three year Review Cycle of self- assessment, external peer review, feedback, and taking action. Organisations may be accredited if they meet QIC’s requirements - they contract to be in the program for the full cycle, meet the prescribed standards, and demonstrate continuous quality improvement.

The QIC Program has a primary care flavour that emphasises practices which deliver safe, needs-focused, responsive and empowering consumer outcomes in a community context. The Program provides a comprehensive assessment of organisational safety and quality, while working with organisations to foster continuous quality improvement. The central ideas underlying QIC’s Program are set down in the Core Concepts.

QIC has developed a set of Standards that are applicable to most community based services. The centrepiece is the Health and Community Services 6th Edition – a series of 18 Standards covering governance and management, building quality services, and managing the external environment. QIC also endorses Standards owned by other organisations, which can then be used towards accreditation.

In addition to its Standards and Accreditation functions, QIC provides research, training, consulting and advisory services around safety and quality in human services. It also participates in government forums to develop policy on safety and quality in human services.

Governance is provided by a Board of eleven members which meets on a quarterly basis. Day-to-day operations are run by the QIC Secretariat from its Melbourne office.

Accreditation (awarding a Certificate for meeting program requirements) is distinguished from reviewing (assessing organisations, using formal Standards and assessment procedures). QIC licenses three organisations in Australia and one in New Zealand (Licensed Providers) to recruit and train peer reviewers and organise assessments with organisations participating in the Program. It works closely with the licensed providers to develop, review, and maintain Standards, as well as Assessment tools and procedures.

If you want to know more about the Program, Standards, Accreditation, QIC projects or how to participate in a QIC accreditation review, Contact Us.

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Core Concepts

QIC has adopted the following Core Concepts as central to the Program:

1. The value of continuous quality improvement to enhance a service’s capacity to deliver more efficient and effective outcomes for its consumers and communities.

2. Participative decision-making involving consumers, staff and other stakeholders in service planning, programs and evaluation.

3. A population focus which considers the capacity of the service to contribute to meeting the main needs of the community of interest.

4. The importance of working collaboratively with other service providers, funding bodies and sectors to ensure both continuity of care and optimum service planning and delivery.

5. A commitment to ensuring services are provided on the basis of prioritising needs taking account of physical, economic, geographical, cultural and other barriers that people may encounter.

6. A commitment to services being accessible to, available to and appropriate for individuals and communities of interest.

7. Accountability to consumers, the community of interest, funders and/or purchasers and other stakeholders through efficient and effective management practices.

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Who does what

Accreditation (awarding a Certificate for meeting program requirements) is distinguished from reviewing (assessing organisations, using formal Standards and assessment procedures). QIC licenses three organisations in Australia and one in New Zealand (Licensed Providers) to recruit and train peer reviewers and organise assessments with organisations participating in the Program. It works closely with the licensed providers to develop, review, and maintain Standards, as well as Assessment tools and procedures.

If you want to know more about the Program, Standards, Accreditation, QIC projects or how to participate in a QIC accreditation review see details under Contact Us.

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