History

The company was established in the early 1990s and funded in the mid 1990s by Queensland Health to provide quality assurance services using the then Community Health Accreditation Standards Programs (CHASP), now known as the QIC Standards and Accreditation Program, to Queensland Health services and non-government community services. At that time, the Institute became incorporated under the Associations Incorporation Act (Qld) 1981 as a non-government, not-for-profit agency titled the Community Health Association, Queensland (CHAQ). The company became known as the Institute for Healthy Communities Australia Inc. in June 1998. On 20 September 2001 the Institute for Healthy Communities Australia changed from an Association and was registered as a company limited by guarantee.

 

The company provides a range of services in the areas of certification, accreditation, performance reviews against recognised standards and service development, consultancy and education services to assist organisations to implement good practice requirements in the human services and community sectors. 

 

For several years the IHCA has been a reviewing agency for the Quality Improvement Council (QIC) Standards and Accreditation Program and is a licensed in Queensland and the Northern Territory. The services include health service districts, non-government community services, allied health professional services, national counselling and support services, and Community Controlled Aboriginal Medical and Health Services (Corporations and Councils). The geographical location of these services range from metropolitan to provincial to remote areas. 

 

In 2005, the IHCA was contracted by Queensland Health to initially design and pilot the framework for the Home and Community Care (HACC) National Service Standards Instrument in Queensland. The company was then contracted by Queensland Health to be the third party reviewer of the process and at the conclusion of the second term of the contract on 31 December 2008, over 42 training courses had been conducted and over 2000 separate reviews completed.

 

In 2007 the IHCA was contracted (initially for three years) by the Western Australia Network of Alcohol and other Drug Agencies (WANADA) to design, develop, implement and undertake the review of over 84 alcohol and drug services against the WANADA Quality Framework. This project has required the IHCA to undertake consultations with key stakeholders, design, implement and support a peer reviewer-training program and design, implement and evaluate policies, procedures and processes for the review of the services.  

 

The IHCA has a long history of working with governments through its direct involvement in the conduct of quality review and auditing programs as well as consultancies related to governance and quality programs, and evaluation processes within and across medical, oral and social health program. At the Queensland State level, the IHCA has been contracted by a number of State Departments to assist with the design, development and implementation of quality frameworks and/or to undertake quality assessments and evaluation against a range of quality human services and quality standards.

 

Since 1993,the IHCA has been involved in research, planning and the development of assessment instruments in both the human services and community sectors all designed to improve the quality of lifestyles and well being for all Australian residents and clients, specifically including the sectors which are the subject of this grants program. The IHCA has for many years provided consulting services, aimed at improving the quality of care and in administration, management and cost-effectiveness to individual and group facilities in the public, private and church and charity sectors across Australia. This has involved direct contact with service providers across the length and breadth of Australia, many in remote and socially and economically disadvantaged communities, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. 

 

Through its work the IHCA will continue to foster the values and principles of primary health care and to promote the rights of individuals and communities to quality health and community services.