A welcoming environment in a health service organisation is about creating a place where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people feel safe, comfortable, accepted, and confident that they will be respected, will be listened to and will receive high-quality care.

Providing a supportive environment and clear processes for the workforce to explore the cultural needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients can be a significant step towards the development of a safe and respectful organisation, where patients, their families and other community members can feel comfortable to engage with and receive care.

Under direction of the governing body, the health service organisation ensures that the agreed priorities to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health are implemented.

The governing body has ultimate responsibility for the safety and quality of a health service organisation. Setting priorities for the health service organisation, including priorities for its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers, is one way a governing body can direct effort and resources to improve care.

The user guide has been developed to support health service organisations implement the six  Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health related actions.

Roles and responsibilities for this component of the Clinical Governance Framework relate to the way in which patients and consumers are involved in partnerships in their own care, and in organisational design and governance.

Roles and responsibilities for this component of the Clinical Governance Framework relate to the creation of an environment that supports safety and quality.

Roles and responsibilities for this component of the Clinical Governance Framework relate to the processes that exist in effective clinical governance systems for ensuring that the workforce has the right qualifications, skills and supervision to deliver safe and high-quality care.

Roles and responsibilities for this component of the Clinical Governance Framework relate to the various patient safety and quality processes that are part of effective clinical governance systems.

The roles and responsibilities for this component of the Clinical Governance Framework relate to the establishment of, and participation in, corporate and clinical governance systems.

The National Model Clinical Governance Framework provides a consistent national framework for clinical governance that is based on the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards.

The Commission has developed resources to assist health service organisations align their patient safety and quality improvement programs using the framework of the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards.

State and territory health departments regulate accreditation.

There are four major steps when preparing for an assessment which include:

• Getting to know the NSQHS Standards
• Allocating resources and coordinating implementation
• Selecting an accrediting agency
• Conducting a self-assessment and gathering evidence.

Advisories are a formal communication from the Commission to accrediting agencies to provide guidance and direction on the interpretation and/or assessment of the NSQHS Standards. Advisories are routinely reviewed to ensure they remain current. Any changes to an advisory are summarised in the notes section of the advisory’s cover sheet.