5 Ways Internal Audits Empower Disability Service Providers
The message is clear for disability service providers in Australia. Empower yourself with an organisational deep clean to find and fix a wealth of potentially hidden problems.
This involves assessment and documentation of multiple processes, along with full reporting on all business operations - from the inside out.
Genuine quality control means there are no nasty surprises when the external auditor comes to call.
In an ideal world, every NDIS provider would use a failsafe system of internal audits to mitigate persistent risks in an increasingly complex industry. But the world of NDIS compliance is not ideal, and can be relied upon to change constantly.
Here are five ways internal audits can streamline organisational processes and empower NDIS service providers.
1. Go digital
Many providers in the disability arena are wary of doing away with paper-based audits.
Yet this stops them achieving optimal performance. After all, paper gets lost - thrown away or stored in the wrong filing cabinet. Store your data in the cloud and it provides you with a virtual office that is scalable and secure.
Manual, paper-based audits also tend to get done erratically, if at all – either forgotten or pushed back to another date. Time-poor staff spend valuable hours transposing data manually to collate results. It’s a laborious process.
Cloud-based audits allow employers to more effectively track, measure and assess performance.
2. Simplify risk assessment
The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission lays down strict guidelines concerning risk management in NDIS organisations.
Disability service providers now face a dizzying array of statutory reporting obligations relating to:
Management of incidents, complaints, information and human resources.
Work health and safety.
Governance issues.
Smart assessment tools allow you to simplify and streamline your entire risk assessment process - identifying, documenting, evaluating, assessing and treating key risks proactively versus reactively in your organisation.
3. Pursue continuous improvement
NDIS disability service providers are now expected to demonstrate continuous improvement in every aspect of operation.
If your own self-auditing process is ad hoc, incomplete or messy, you won’t be able to document or prove your progress in any consistent way.
Beat your own benchmarks by using a digital internal auditing system which supports a Continuous Improvement plan.
4. Turn up the transparency
Disability service providers are in constant communication with clients, employees, contractors, auditors and the NDIS Commission – or they should be.
NDIS Practice Standards are cracking down on poor reporting practices, along with failure to document, communicate and act on a range of incidents and complaints.
A fit-for-purpose system with audit scheduling and tracking capability could effectively supports one or many auditors in your organisation.
5. Provide the evidence
Disability service providers can no longer survive with sloppy work practices and gaps in documentation.
The Commission requires them to collect evidence, share results, show improvement and demonstrate compliance to external auditors – in a systematic way.
An evidence-based audit system ensures you can record critical data, rate performance, measure and review progress.
Make a smart choice for your auditing platform
Disability sector providers face numerous challenges in today’s climate of high compliance. The most robust and agile organisations will succeed in an increasingly competitive market.
Empower yourself by getting to know as much about your organisation as the auditor will. Choose a versatile auditing program which helps you get up to speed stay ahead with of all your compliance and reporting obligations.
Internal Audit is the only NDIS-specific assessment tool offering 100% visibility on internal audits, helping you align what you say you’re doing with what you actually do.
User-friendly platform allows you to set alerts and customise questions relevant to your organisation’s needs.
Plan, schedule and carry out fit-for-purpose self-audits at chosen, regular intervals.
Achieve clear vision and transparency across every aspect of your organisation.
Share selected information so key stakeholders have eyes on critical data.
Demonstrate results and meet quality standards to impress external auditors.
Discover industry best practice at your fingertips. Contact us today to find out more.
Alternatively, for an all-in-one system to manage quality and maintain compliance, explore Centro QMS.
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