SSR and DFFH working together to better protect social service users

The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) and the Social Services Regulator (SSR) have published a statement of roles and responsibilities that clearly outlines how the two organisations will work together to better protect social service users.

The Statement sets out where the Regulator’s responsibilities will overlap with the Department’s work, and how this will be addressed. It also clarifies the distinct responsibilities of each organisation, the Department as funder and contract manager, and the SSR as regulator.

DFFH and the Regulator have a shared goal to ensure the safe delivery of social services, and this statement is designed to reduce duplication, and streamline the administrative processes, and improve outcomes for social service users.

Social Services Regulator Jonathan Kaplan is already working closely with DFFH to ensure the safe and effective delivery of services.

“Both the Regulator and the Department are committed to protecting the rights, safety and wellbeing of Victorian social service users, and making sure safeguarding systems are effectively administrated,” he said.

“We also know how important it is to minimise the regulatory burden on services, so they can focus on their core purpose: to deliver quality services to those who need them.”

In addition to clearly defined roles and responsibilities, the SSR and DFFH have finalised an information sharing protocol that sets out how information will be shared between the two organisations.

The Regulator and the Department will share information with each other to:

• reduce regulatory and reporting burden for service providers
• effectively use regulatory intelligence
• coordinate government responses to social services
• support functions under the SSR Act.

The information sharing provisions in the SSR Act requires relevant agencies to give precedence to the wellbeing and safety of service users or a class of service users over the right to privacy, and allows them to share information for a range of purposes.

This new agreement puts the onus on DFFH and the SSR to be proactive about sharing information, as far as permitted by relevant legislation and privacy principles, and does not prevent either from acting independently to fulfill their responsibilities.

The documents can be found on the Department and Regulator websites, including the Funded Agency Chanel, and below.

Social Services Regulator

Department of Families, Fairness and Housing

Funded Agency Channel