This page contains resources related to policy development.
For practice ideas and resources, please see the "Practice Development" pages of this accreditation website. Practice ideas are located according to the HASS section they relate to, from 1-5. For example, information on consumer participation ideas is located in HASS Section One.

Whole Policy and Applications/Procedures document:

The document below has been made available to the sector by the Shekinah group of services, who have successfully undertaken accreditation through QICSA. This group of services has been individually accredited, as has the network that they formed. If you use any of this content, please reference Shekinah in your documents.

VCOSS have updated their guides to developing policy and procedure and for community management for small organisations. Feedback from services is that they are a useful aid. Cost is $30 each booklet, for members. Click here to go to the VCOSS site for these manuals

Document Control systems:
I have some contacts of organisations and consultants who have developed Document Control sytems. Please contact Sandy for more information .

Further resources will continue to be attached to this site.

Two useful resources relating to OH&S are the National Workplace Safety Australia site Click here to go to the Workplace safety Australia site .
Click here to go to the Victorian Workcover Authority site .
You may be able to organise an on site safety check through the Victorian Workcover Authority.


The NCOSS Management Support Unit has developed a series of checklists for policy and procedural content, which are available on their website
Click here to go to the NCOSS site .
An example is attached below, relating to boards and governance.

Attached is a prompt list developed by Sue Yorston, HASS Project Officer at Grampians, to guide thinking around gaps analysis and policy work in these areas.

Good Governance
This document was developed by consultants Bradford Nyland Group in 2002 for DHS and covers a range of governance considerations for voluntary committees of management.

Click here for the DHS commissioned resoruces and tools for Good Governance and Practice for Voluntary Committees of Management document.

DHS funded a number of services to support HASS development work which could be then shared with the sector.
Below is the first of these completed documents, which outlines Family Access Network's approach to service quality, including their work towards the HASS requirements.

Below are a number of policy/resource documents which relate to HASS Section One.

Several policies have kindly been made available to the sector by Central Hume Support Services. If material from these documents is used by your organisation, please ensure that you reference Central Hume Support Service in your documents.

The Office of the Victorian Privacy Commissioner is an excellent source of information for information, concerns and queries in regard to the Privacy and Health Records Acts.
Their website address is www.privacy.vic.gov.au.

This group of policies from Central Hume Support Services includes an excellent Privacy policy which has been endorsed by the Privacy Commissioner. Please ensure that if you use material form this document, you reference Central Hume Support Services in your work.

Section 1: Public Record Office Victoria (PROV) guideline issued Feb 09. This guide from the PROV will help tenancy services with record retention and disposal.

Further copies of the Consumer Charter can be obtained from the Sector Development Unit at DHS Office of Housing -contact janelle.cribb@dhs.vic.gov.au

Another policy template from the Grampians region.

Click here to download the Quality Improvement in Case Management (DHS 1998)National Case Management standards document from the DHS website .

Below is a link to the (ex Office for Children)Children and Early Childhood Development website. This site contains information on the Children Youth and Families Act 2005 and its implementation, including fact sheets, the Act itself and other useful links.
click here to access the website.

This example will need to be amended to reflect your organisation's work. It is a guide only.

The Protocol for the case management of unsupported young people (Commonwealth and States) 1994 - this document really only relates to agreements between Comonwealth and state bodies - reference only. Click here for more informaiton from the FACS website .

this document will need to be modified to reflect your organisation's work.

This tool has been largely developed by Deb Western , Practice Development, DVVic. It is designed for all services to provide a guide for the development of policy, procedure and practice which is inclusive of these relevant documents.

The Statewide DHS / Police Protocol 2006-08 document was developed as a part of the Integrated Family Violence Strategy. This document has influenced the development of Statewide and Regional referral protocols between FV services and Police. The document is very large to download - DV Vic are working on a summary for the sector. You may prefer to wait for this summary as the level of detail here may not be required for local protocol and practice development.
If not, click here for the link to this document in the Integrated Family Violence site on the DHS website.

Click here to download the Language Services Policy (DHS 2006)from the website. .

This document will need to be modified to reflect your organisation's work.