UnitingCare Wesley Port Adelaide (UCWPA) has a commitment to continuous improvement and quality management. UCWPA has adopted the Service Excellence Program to guide organisational activities and link them to deliver integrated, coordinated and cohesive results. In November 2009 UCWPA successfully achieved independent validation at AWARD Level of the Service Excellence Program. This is the highest level of excellence that can be achieved in the program. The Service Excellence Program is an internationally accredited quality improvement program funded by the Department for Families and Communities (DFC), aimed at supporting non-government organisations to improve and achieve sustainable excellence.

We achieve this through maintaining a culture of business and service excellence, encouraging innovation and continuously working to achieve enhanced outcomes for clients, residents, staff and other stakeholders of the organisation.

UCWPA’s quality management system is based on:

• A sound value base
• Corporate and strategic planning
• Provision of services which reflect an understanding of client needs, rights and expectations
• Clear policies and procedures
• A structure of quality teams at organisational and service levels
• Systematic auditing and review
• Strong governance and management of resources
• All staff have a responsibility to contribute to UCWPA’s commitment to quality.

Planning
UCWPA’s goals, strategies and indicators of success are documented in the Corporate Plan and in strategic plans that are specific to each service. The Corporate Plan is reviewed regularly and comprehensively redeveloped every 3 years (2004-2007, 2007-2010).

Client / Resident Focus
We always focus on the needs of clients and residents and use a variety of strategies to gather information, plan and continuously improve services. These strategies include:

• Resident / relative / client feedback
• Surveys and questionnaires
• Analysis of comments and complaints
• Data collection and analysis
• Ongoing review and assessment of practice
• UCWPA welcomes comments, suggestions and/or complaints about any aspect of our service, and views them as a key part of our continuous improvement strategy. All complaints are taken seriously, handled confidentially and impartially. We strive to resolve complaints promptly and fairly. 
• A copy of the Complaints Resolution policy is available at all UCWPA services.

Standards and Accreditation
All UCWPA services comply with external standards. This ensures accountability to clients and funding bodies and is a clear statement of our commitment to service excellence. Internal and external audits, as well as monitoring and evaluation are therefore important and regular activities across UCWPA services.

Each of UCWPA’s residential Aged Care facilities has achieved accreditation with the Department of Health and Ageing. This means that all services meet the requirements of legislated standards that address the areas of Management Systems, Health and Personal Care, Resident Lifestyle and Physical Environment and Safe Systems.

Similarly, UCWPA’s Community Service programs conform to relevant standards and regulations.

Policies and Procedures
Copies of UCWPA's Policy and Procedure Manual are available at all services. UCWPA's Quality and Planning policy sets out the philosophy of UCWPA to Quality Management and provides procedures for the implementation of Quality Management systems.

Additional Information
For additional information about Quality at UCWPA please contact:

Judi Carpenter
Manager, Quality
Telephone: 08 8440 2255
Email: jcarpenter@ucwpa.org.au