Quality Contact Framework quality checking 111-22010000

The Quality Contact Framework provides a single set of quality expectations to ensure services delivered by Services Australia are of a high quality and meet the expectations of customers and government. It is an integrated approach to quality checking through the consistent assessment of national Quality Contact Standards.

Quality checking measures an interaction against the Quality Contact Standards.

All staff who undertake customer interactions including inbound and or outbound phone calls across Services Australia will have their work evaluated within the framework. This is regardless of their classification, employment status (such as ongoing, non-ongoing, casual) or work type. Quality checking can be undertaken by listening side-by-side/remotely or by recordings.

The number of interactions to be evaluated is determined by the sampling requirements as outlined in Quality Contact Framework.

Calibration measures the variation in the application of the Quality Contact Standards. Calibration exercises and activities give business teams information to drive consistent outcomes and continuous improvement.

Staff participating in calibration exercises or activities must be accredited as a Quality Contact Framework quality checker.

All quality checkers must complete a calibration activity within 3 months of completing accreditation or annual reaccreditation. Where calibration has not been completed within the required timeframe, accreditation/reaccreditation will be revoked and access to online forms will not be available.

Business teams can complete additional targeted calibration exercises as required.

Aim for Accuracy provides assurance of the integrity and reliability of quality checking results.

Business teams facilitate an Aim for Accuracy exercise where it is possible to re-evaluate an end-to-end call that has been quality checked.

Quality and Aim for Accuracy Checkers are responsible for:

• evaluating the interaction against the Quality Contact Standards
• providing feedback that focuses on aspects of the interaction that were done well and identifies areas for improvement
• capturing the results of the evaluation in the system
• ensuring the results of the evaluation are provided to the staff member
• not checking their own work
• maintaining privacy and secrecy when handling customer and staff information, in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988
• undertaking a calibration activity within 3 months of completing accreditation or annual reaccreditation
• participating in Aim for Accuracy as required

When a staff member disagrees with the evaluation outcome, it should be discussed with their immediate supervisor. Business teams are responsible for setting the dispute management process for staff and quality checkers.

The agency is committed to:

• creating mentally healthy and inclusive workplaces, and
• supporting the health and safety of staff in the workplace

All staff experience distress at different times in their lives and in different situations (whether this be at home or work). Early support helps people to connect and feel safe.

Staff safety is a shared responsibility, and open communication plays a vital role in ensuring everyone's wellbeing. If an instance of customer aggression or counterproductive behaviour is identified during an evaluation, it may be appropriate to consider any follow up support for the staff member. In instances where the checker is not the staff member's line manager, this should be brought to the attention of the staff member's line manager to ensure:

• they receive the necessary support, and
• any follow up action is considered

For more information see Customer aggression - Staff support.