Achieving Certification to Quality Standards – so much more than compliance

Fiona Louglan, CEO - IHCA

For the past seven years, I have had the privilege of leading the Institute for Healthy Communities Australia (IHCA). At IHCA, we support quality standards excellence through consulting and certification services. Our niche is the care sector – health community and support services across Australia. We work with organisations to advance the quality of their systems and performance to positively impact the lives of the people they service.

We know quality standards, and we assess organisations against 13 of these at the moment, with more on the horizon. The range of services we support is extensive, encompassing primary and acute health care, mental health, employment services, disability services, alcohol and other drug services, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community organisations, domestic and family violence services, child placement and protection services, advocacy services and more. We work with the organisations that support the most vulnerable members of our communities, and we’re proud of it.

For the majority of organisations in the care sector, achieving certification is a condition of being eligible for State or Federal government funding. This first step towards continuous quality improvement can be daunting for people that haven’t walked this path before. It can seem like a mountain to climb, however the IHCA team is skilled in guiding organisations to achieve their objectives. Our people are as close as a phone call or email away, and keen to help. And our team of assessors are selected because of their background within the sector – they have direct experience of the challenges at the coal face.

We’ve witnessed first had the benefits that fostering a culture of continuous improvement can bring to an organisation – significant gains in operational efficiency, cost savings, and enhanced customer service. Over the years, the IHCA team has worked tirelessly to highlight these benefits and change the perception of the value of achieving compliance in the care sector.

Change is constant, and we have more on the horizon – there are fresh opportunities for disability, advocacy, primary health care and mental health service organisations to benefit through independent certification to quality standards.

If you or someone you know is leading a care sector organisation, please encourage them to reach out. We’d love to have a conversation and guide them on their pathway to thriving through embracing continuous improvement.

Ph:  07 3844 2222 | e: certification@ihcac.com.au