STEPS Group: Ensuring NDIS compliance and Service Excellence through Outsourced Internal Audits

STEPS Group is a national not-for-profit organisation committed to helping individuals with disabilities to live independently and thrive in their communities. With a focus on both NDIS programs and mental health services, STEPS ensures that participants receive personalised care and skill-building opportunities that meet their unique needs. As STEPS expanded its services, they recognised the need to maintain a high level of compliance with regulatory requirements and continuously improve its operational processes to deliver the best possible support.

Need

To optimise their internal operations and ensure ongoing compliance with the NDIS Practice Standards and the National Standards for Mental Health Services, STEPS Disability Services sought to outsource their internal audit processes to Engels Floyd Quality Consulting. They needed a specialised auditing partner to provide expert feedback, ensure compliance across all services, and identify areas for improvement.

Challenges

STEPS faced several key challenges in maintaining compliance and optimising service delivery:

• Continuous Compliance Monitoring: With their wide-ranging NDIS and mental health programs, STEPS needed to ensure ongoing compliance with evolving regulations across different quality frameworks.
• Objective and Unbiased Auditing: STEPS required an experienced auditor to offer independent, unbiased feedback on how to improve their operational efficiency while maintaining compliance.
• Process Optimisation: As their services grew, STEPS sought opportunities to improve internal procedures, increase efficiency, and continue delivering high-quality support to participants.

Solution

Engels Floyd Quality Consulting provided a comprehensive and cost effective solution by conducting ongoing, outsourced internal audits for STEPS. The approach ensured that STEPS consistently met their quality requirements while identifying opportunities to enhance service delivery:

1. Expert Auditing with Continuity: Over the past two years, STEPS has worked with the same experienced auditor from Engels Floyd. This consistency allowed the auditor to build an in-depth understanding of STEPS’ operations, providing precise, tailored feedback that addressed both compliance and efficiency needs.
2. Unbiased, Objective Feedback: Engels Floyd offered independent auditing services that provided objective insights, free from internal biases. This ensured that STEPS received clear, constructive feedback on how to improve their processes and service delivery.
3. Detailed, Actionable Reports: After each audit, Engels Floyd delivered comprehensive reports that outlined compliance status, highlighted best practices, and identified opportunities for improvement. These reports offered detailed, actionable recommendations that STEPS could implement to improve operations.
4. Best Practice and Process Improvements: Through each audit, Engels Floyd identified ways for STEPS to streamline their internal procedures, improve staff training, and optimise participant care while maintaining compliance with NDIS standards.
5. Specialised Knowledge and Expertise: By outsourcing their internal audits to Engels Floyd, STEPS gained access to specialised knowledge on NDIS compliance and mental health program requirements, ensuring they remained up-to-date with regulatory changes and best practices.

STEPS Group has engaged Engels Floyd Quality Consulting to conduct our internal audits for our NDIS and Mental Health Programs for the past two years. Each audit has been a valuable and informative exercise. We are provided with objective feedback, recommendations for best practice, and value-adding opportunities for improvement.”

What are the benefits of outsourcing Internal audits?

By outsourcing their internal audits to Engels Floyd, STEPS Disability Services experienced several key benefits:

• Cost and Time Savings: Outsourcing audits reduced the time and resources required to manage internal compliance, allowing STEPS to focus on core service delivery.
• Specialised Expertise: Engels Floyd provided highly knowledgeable auditors with a deep understanding of NDIS requirements, reducing the risk of non-compliance and improving service quality.
• Objective Auditing: The external auditing process guaranteed unbiased feedback, helping STEPS identify opportunities for growth and process improvement.
• Focus on Service Excellence: With compliance managed by experts, STEPS was able to focus on delivering high-quality support to participants, confident that their operational processes met industry standards.

Outsourcing internal audits with Engels Floyd has guaranteed we have a specialised and current knowledge base that ensures an efficient audit and an unbiased report. Their services have helped us increase efficiency and ensure compliance with the Standards for registration, allowing us to provide the best quality service to all our participants.”

The Results

Through their partnership with Engels Floyd Quality Consulting, STEPS achieved the following outcomes:

Peace of Mind: Outsourcing internal audits to a trusted partner provided STEPS with the assurance that their compliance needs were expertly managed, allowing them to focus on participant outcomes.

Full NDIS and Mental Health Standards Compliance: STEPS has consistently met NDIS and mental health program requirements, ensuring ongoing compliance and maintaining their registration status.

Operational Efficiency: Engels Floyd’s audits provided actionable recommendations that helped STEPS improve internal processes, streamline operations, and enhance staff efficiency.

Improved Service Quality: By acting on audit feedback, STEPS has continued to improve their service delivery, ensuring that participants receive the best possible support.

Conclusion

By outsourcing internal audits to Engels Floyd Quality Consulting, STEPS Group has ensured continuous NDIS compliance while improving operational efficiency and service quality. The partnership has enabled STEPS to maintain a high standard of care, benefiting participants through ongoing process improvements and expert feedback from an unbiased, external auditing partner.