Information about the National Quality Framework can be found on the National Quality Framework for Drug and Alcohol Treatment Services webpage. For information about the NSW Health approved accreditation standards and transition to the updated requirem, please see below.
Non-government organisations (NGOs) and Aboriginal community-controlled organisations (ACCOs) funded by NSW Health to provide alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment and/or support services are required to hold current organisation accreditation against NSW Health approved accreditation standards. NSW Health approved accreditation standards align with the National Quality Framework. Information about the National Quality Framework can be found on the National Quality Framework for Drug and Alcohol Treatment Services webpage.
Organisations must hold current accreditation to at least one of the approved accreditation standards listed below. Note: organisations may voluntarily elect to hold accreditation to other standards in addition to the mandatory requirement.
Organisation accreditation against the NSW Health approved accreditation standards for AOD treatment and/or support services must be awarded by an accrediting agency that is certified through the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ) and/or the International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQua).
The approved standards support organisations to establish and maintain quality improvement processes and they address minimum standards of operations such as governance, accountability, risk management, financial management, human resources, workplace safety, client engagement and service delivery. These standards are considered appropriate for the range of organisations funded by NSW Health:
Level one standards meet the minimum requirements of the National Quality Framework. Services accredited to these standards do not need to submit supporting documentation to demonstrate alignment with the National Quality Framework (unless specifically requested by NSW Health). Standard-specific conditions may apply and are outlined alongside the relevant standards below.
Australian Service Excellence StandardsGovernment of South Australia, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion
RACGP Standards for General PracticesRoyal Australian College of General Practitioners. Note: For RACGP Standards to be considered acceptable, the service must: (a) hold RACGP accreditation; and (b) submit Form 1- Declaration for organisations accredited under RACGP Standards confirming that the AOD treatment service adheres to the same standards, policies and procedures as the accredited GP service.
Level two standards have been assessed by NSW Health as requiring additional documentation to meet the minimum quality standards outlined in the National Quality Framework. Services accredited to level two accreditation standard are required to complete and submit Form 2 - Declaration for Level two accredited services to declare that clinical service delivery is consistent with the National Quality Framework.
In special circumstances, other accreditation systems may also be accepted as a 'level two accreditation' at the discretion of NSW Health, where the service is considered to have an appropriate level of quality and governance. To seek further guidance organisations may reach out to their contract manager.
From 1 July 2026, the revised AOD-Core 2 Organisation accreditation and clinical governance KPI and updated list of approved accreditation standards will apply to all newly funded services.
Services funded prior to this date will transition to the revised KPI and accreditation requirements progressively, as their existing funding agreements come up for renewal.
Services that do not currently meet the National Quality Framework (NQF) will be supported through a transition period of up to two years from the commencement of their new agreement. During this period, providers will be expected to implement improvement measures to achieve compliance with the NQF. Services may like to use the NQF Guiding principles self-assessment tool to review their alignment with the NQF.