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Information for Providers

Accreditation of Hearing Services Providers

This is a document that relates to the Hearing Services Administration Act 1997 which makes provision for hearing rehabilitation services to be delivered to voucher holders by contracted service providers. An entity wishing to be contracted to provide these services must be accredited by the Office of Hearing Services before a contract can be offered.

Accreditation of Hearing Services Providers

The Hearing Services Administration Act 1997 (the Act) which makes provision for hearing rehabilitation services to be delivered to voucher holders by contracted service providers. An entity wishing to provide these services must first be accredited by the Office of Hearing Services (the Office) under the Accreditation Scheme.

To be an accredited service provider, an applicant must demonstrate to the Office that they meet specified conditions of accreditation as set out in the Hearing Service Providers Accreditation Scheme 1997 (the Scheme). Subsection 5(2) of the Scheme establishes the matters that the Minister must have regard to in deciding whether to accredit an entity, including:

(a) experience in providing hearing services;
(b) proposed staffing profile and qualifications of the staff;
(c) the accessibility of the premises in which it is proposed to provide the services;
(d) whether the proposed premises are of a satisfactory standard;
(e) capacity to meet the rules of conduct;
(f) financial viability;
(g) any other matter that might affect the standard of service.

The Office has not entered into an agreement with any other agency or authority for the accreditation of businesses outside the purposes of the Program. As an applicant for accreditation, you are applying for accreditation to provide hearing rehabilitative services to eligible clients of the Program.

It is a requirement under Program regulations that contracted service providers not refuse services to eligible clients. The Office monitors hearing service providers contracted to deliver services under the Program.

Changes to the Application for Accreditation Kit

The Application for Accreditation Kit has recently undergone considerable change. Based on feedback from applicants, it has been re-designed to include more detailed information about all requirements needed to meet approval as an accredited service provider under the Program.

The Application package has been separated into two parts: the Application for Accreditation Manual and the Application for Accreditation Forms Package. The Application for Accreditation Manual provides detailed instruction for applicants seeking accreditation and should be read carefully prior to and in conjunction with completing the Application for Accreditation Forms Package.

Provided that all required information has been provided by applicants, the accreditation process will take approximately four to six weeks from the receipt of a completed application.

Once completed, applications can be forwarded to the Office of Hearing Services at the following address:

Attn: Assistant Director
Quality Assurance Section
Office of Hearing Services
MDP 113
GPO Box 9848
CANBERRA ACT 2601

For additional information about the accreditation process or inquiries relating to existing applications, please make contact with the Quality Assurance Section on (02) 6289 8506 or at ohsaccreditations@health.gov.au.

• Application for Accreditation Forms Package (PDF 95 KB)
• Application for Accreditation Forms Package (Word 504 KB)

• Application for Accreditation Kit Manual (Word 563 KB)
• Application for Accreditation Kit Manual (PDF 1210 KB)

If you are unable to download the PDF or Word versions of the document please contact ohsweb@health.gov.au and a copy will be provided.