Be ‘ARFA’. Some tips to being Audit ready. Always.
Audits…for me, and for many like me, used to be a ‘rude’ word in the disability industry…and believe it or not, they existed long before the NDIS came along to play.
As a young Mental Health Support Worker, I have vivid memories of middle management scrambling at audit time; yellow case files spread across board room tables- all to ensure that all the case notes were up to date, client assessments completed and staff training was recorded.
With a very vague understanding back then of its importance, I soon learnt in my previous role as a Quality Assurance Officer, what had those managers scrambling at crunch time.
I made a promise to myself right then and there, that if I ever made management that my organisation would ‘Always be ready for Audit’ and, when I was finally handed the reigns in quality assurance, I coined the term ARFA, and we would be ALWAYS Ready for Audit. Look, it may seem a bit silly, but it brought some humour to the otherwise daunting time of the year. It made staff relax.
As part of my strategy, I adopted various information sessions, so no matter what their role in the organisation was, I sought to help staff understand exactly what an audit was, what the Standards meant and what would happen if these standards weren’t met. That included our Board of Management. I didn’t hold back in sharing the importance of their involvement and support at audit time. It was not meant to instil fear by any means, but it gave people a ‘WHY’ to what they were doing on a daily basis.
Whatever their motivation, and one would hope that it was wholly directed at the highest quality care for individuals with Disability, at least staff had a reason WHY. If staff understood that to remain in business, and to continue to be funded, then we had to meet these standards. More importantly, I emphasised the true benefits of auditing. Auditors often pick up on things that we may have missed. Things that, you never know, may end up as tragic front-line news.
So, having support from the ground up and engaging champions who truly advocated the need to be ARFA really helped the process become more effortless each year.
I urge all staff and leadership to view auditing as not a burden that is both costly and time consuming, but as a fresh set of eyes, a safeguard, to ensure that the people you are supporting are receiving, and continue the receive, the highest quality of care.
Another important strategy are those regular ongoing ‘desktop’ self-audits. For examples, each staff member can audit their own client files as they complete a month of case notes.. or have a peer audit them. There are so many strategies to adopt that can work. You just need to find out what works for your organisation and your people.
As a Quality Assurance Manager, one thing I did do was find the document that listed the relevant Standards in a checklist format. I then listed evidence that met each of the standards and included URLs or notes to relevant documents and folders. I found a simple one here that lists the NDIS Practice Standards and Quality Review Checklist in a Template.
The easier you make it for an auditor, the easier the whole process will be (and the less frustrated they will be, too!). Make sure you sort out access early on prior to the audit!
NGO Training Centre happen to offer a suite of courses to ensure that providers are compliant across all NDIS Practice Standards and quality indicators. You really need to check out what we can offer you.
If only we had access to this back in the day… there would be no more scrambling.
Written and illustrated by Amanda Robinson, B.A., MMentalHealth Prac.
Amanda is a professional with over a decade of dedicated experience in the fields of Mental Health and Disability. Her extensive expertise lies in navigating the intricate landscape of the Disability Sector. She brings a unique perspective to her work, being both a person with lived experience of disability and a compassionate carer. She has a passion for advocacy, making her a staunch champion for the rights and well-being of individuals facing similar challenges.
