Service agreements operational guidelines

• Fact sheet - Background and probity checks

Due diligence checklist for organisations – Change in control, merger, acquisition, change in consortium member

Funded organisations may decide to participate in a merger, acquisition or change in control process involving one or more other organisations. Consortia may also propose a change in membership.

All organisations involved in these change processes must provide written notice to the department. The department will then undertake a due diligence assessment of the proposal and any risks it represents to ensure that the organisations will still be able to meet Service Agreement requirements after the change occurs.

To inform this due diligence assessment, all organisations involved in the change must jointly complete this checklist and submit it to the department with any supporting evidence.

A departmental financial delegate will then decide whether the department will transfer, change or cease any existing funding impacted by the proposal.

Further information

• Due diligence checklist for organisations – Change in control, merger, acquisition, change in consortium member

The department’s complaints management policy is aimed at ensuring our services work for the people who use them.

We are committed to listening to and responding to feedback, including both compliments and complaints. This important data source informs the development and delivery of policies, programs and services that support and enhance the well-being of all Victorians.

Funded organisations must record and respond to feedback, including compliments and complaints regarding the services funded by the department.

Funded organisations should base their complaints policy on the principles of:

• visibility and accessibility
• responsiveness
• assessment
• feedback
• improvement focus
• service excellence.

The department's Complaints management policy for funded organisations provides guidance to funded organisations on developing their complaints management processes.

An organisation entering into a service agreement must have in place an appropriate system to protect people under its care. For this reason, the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing is keen to clarify its role and the role of organisations in protecting the department's staff and clients from fire risk.

A critical part of this commitment is the development of a Fire Risk Management Strategy. Fire risk management procedures and guidelines have been developed to aid compliance with the department and the Director of Housing's obligations for fire risk management in buildings.

Where an organisation is ineligible for insurance coverage under the Victorian Managed Insurance Authority (VMIA) it must provide its commercial insurance documents to the department. This will demonstrate that the organisation complies with its Service Agreement insurance requirements.  

This resource provides guidance on how organisations can upload these documents to their Service Agreement Module via Funded Agency Channel.

• How to upload insurance documents in Service Agreement Module

Due diligence checklist for organisations - Establishing a new service agreement

After provisionally selecting a new provider, the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing or the Department of Health (collectively, the department) must conduct additional due diligence to confirm that the organisation has the capacity to meet all program, contractual and compliance requirements in the service agreement.

Building on information gathered during provider selection, this due diligence assesses the organisation’s legal and financial status, governance arrangements, policies and systems.

To inform this due diligence, organisations must complete this checklist and return it to the department with supporting evidence.

The department’s assessment of this information informs a financial delegate’s decision whether the department will enter into a service agreement with the organisation.

Further information

• Due diligence checklist for organisations - Establishing a new service agreement

In Victoria, workplace health and safety is governed by a system of laws, regulations and compliance codes which set out the responsibilities of employers and workers to ensure that safety is maintained at work.

Worksafe Victoria is the occupational health and safety arm of the Victorian WorkCover Authority, a statutory authority of the Victorian state government. It takes the lead role in the promotion and enforcement of health and safety in Victorian workplaces.

A well maintained records management system supports the delivery of quality client-centred services.

The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing in conjunction with the community services sector and the Public Records Office of Victoria have produced a range of records management fact sheets and guides for funded agencies.

• Fact sheet 1: General information on recordkeeping
• Fact sheet 2: Storage
• Fact sheet 3: Access and security
• Fact sheet 4: Record disposal and transfer
• Fact sheet 5: Freedom of information and funded organisation records
• Fact sheet 6: Digitisation
• Fact sheet 7:  Managing records pre and post transition to NDIS
• Guideline - Archiving disability records
• Checklist for the transfer of records to DFFH (editable)
• Record retention guide for organisations funded under the Service agreement
• Records description list

For information on Service Agreements, visit Service agreement.

For further information, visit Service Agreement Requirements.

Funded organisations may only subcontract all or part of their services with the department’s prior written consent.

Subcontractors must deliver services on the same terms and conditions as the funded organisation. The organisation remains responsible for subcontractors’ performance, quality and safeguarding of service users.

The department must undertake a due diligence assessment before it can approve a subcontracting proposal. The Subcontracting proposal attestation outlines this assessment and approval process.

It includes an attestation form in which the organisation will describe the services to be subcontracted and attest how it has evaluated the proposed subcontractor/s and how it will manage and monitor them.

• Subcontracting proposal attestation form