Mental Health NGO Quality Oversight Group

Expression of Interest – Carer representative for the Mental Health (MH) Non-Government Organisation (NGO) Quality Oversight Group arising from the Barrett Commission of Inquiry Recommendation 2.

Closing date: Monday 15 January 2017

Queensland Health’s Community Services Funding Branch is seeking an additional carer representative for the Mental Health Non-Government Organisation Quality Oversight Group.

About the committee and project

The Commission of Inquiry Report into the closure of the Barrett Adolescent Centre was provided to the Queensland Premier on 24 June 2016. The Commission made six recommendations, including Recommendation 2: That Queensland Health’s Service Agreements with Non-Government Organisations be carefully drawn to ensure they deal explicitly and sufficiently with matters such as:

  • minimum standards/or staff employed to work in a particular facility;
  • which entity may prescribe and monitor compliance with those standards;
  • which entity may prescribe the extent and quality of the services to be provided by the NGO;
  • which entity may monitor the quality of service delivery and give ongoing directions about it;
  • termination of the service agreement, whether by effluxion of time, for breach of contract, because of policy changes, or any other reason.

The Queensland Government accepted all six recommendations in its response to the Commission of Inquiry Report. In accepting Recommendation 2, Queensland Government agreed to ‘review the Service Agreement arrangements for all Non-Government Organisations providing health services. This review, Queensland Health Review of NGO Service Agreement Report was endorsed by the Barrett Commission of Inquiry Steering Committee on 6 July 2017.

The report made six recommendations which will be progressively adopted into Queensland Health’s contracting arrangements with NGOs. The recommendations focus on operational enhancements and quality standards across all funding streams to ensure efficient, effective and safe services for health consumers.

The Mental Health NGO Quality Oversight Group has been formed to provide guidance and advice throughout the implementation of the Queensland Health NGO quality framework in relation to funded mental health services.

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