Sydney Local Health District Mental Health Services is currently accredited under the National Safety and Quality Health Care Standards (NSQHS Standards).

What is accreditation?

Accreditation is an evaluation process that involves assessment by qualified external peer assessors to assess our health service’s compliance with the National Safety and Quality Standards.

Checking that the NSQHS Standards are being followed helps assessors to evaluate if:

• our service is safe and reliable
• you are matched with the right care for your needs
• you are treated as a valued partner in your own care
• you are supported to guide your own recovery in a meaningful way
• you are respected and heard
• your carers or family members are respected and listened to
• you are involved in giving feedback and evaluating service quality

We are given 24 hours notice for when a survey will happen.

The accreditation cycle

There are four main parts to the accreditation cycle – review, listen, report and action plan.

What happens during assessment?

To become accredited, we must pass an assessment by an external agency to show we have implemented all the requirements of the NSQHS Standards. Independent assessors will come to check that our service is providing safe and high quality mental health care. 

During the review stage, assessors check:

• written information, like policies, plans and committees or meeting notes
• our health record documentation

During the listen stage assessors will visit us and talk to:

• consumers
• carers and family members
• staff who provide mental health services

The assessors will observe our staff in healthcare to check the quality of care.

This is the stage that you might see assessors around the health care service.

It’s important that assessors have a chance to ask consumers and carers about their care. Assessors will identify themselves and ask permission to talk to you. You can say no to talking to an assessor if you don’t want to talk.

What goes into the report?

All information that assessors put into their report remains anonymous. Once the accreditation process is complete, the Mental Health Service receives a report which shows what they have done well and what can be improved. The Mental Health Service is expected to create an action plan and work closely with consumers, families and carers and continue to make improvements in preparation for the next accreditation cycle.

How can I be involved?

You can talk to a assessor when they visit about your experiences of mental health care, and let them know the great things you’ve experiences, and the gaps.

You can complete the YES and CES survey, and contribute feedback to how we improve services. YES and CES contribute to continuous feedback on how our service is performing.

You can join our Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP), which meets monthly to provide input into improving our mental health services. LEAP advisors sit on many of our mental health services committees and provide a lived experience perspective on our services.

How do I know if Sydney Local Health Service Mental Health Services are accredited?

We display an accreditation logo on the entrance of our buildings.

Sydney Local Health District Mental Health Services is currently accredited under the National Safety and Quality Health Care Standards.

For more information about accreditation please talk to our staff or visit the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care website.