Managing the Organisation

CLSP Compliance & Accountability

Service Standards (CLSP Program)

Key points about Service Standard Audits as per the New CLSP Service Agreement (05-06)

Self Service Standard Audits

VLA independent Service Standard Audits of your centre

Centre may be audited by VLA during the term of the agreement. It won't happen to everyone, but it might happen. Be prepared!!!

However, regardless of whether VLA independently audits your centre…

If your centre is already Service Standard compliant…

Compliant? ie all documentation is completed and staff are trained.

If your centre is already SSPI compliant then by signing this Service Agreement you will be warranting that your centre is compliant and that it will remain compliant. This will be confirmed by your Management Committee Chair each year when they sign the certificate of compliance. Accordingly you should have some basic internal process to check basic compliance so that your Management Committee can confidently sign off.

If you centre is not yet Service Standard compliant…

Then there will be an obligation to become compliant by a certain date in the Service Agreement. In summary you will need to certify by 31st March 2006 that you are fully compliant with all of the Service Standards (ie all at level 1). There is no possible extension to this deadline. If VLA does not receive the notification that your centre is fully compliant with the service standards by 31st March 2006 at the latest, then your centre’s funding may be suspended until your centre meets the service standards.

There are many people within the Federation Member Centres who are available to help your centre to get compliant. If you would like to get some assistance call the Federation on (03) 9652 1500.

• Accountability & Compliance Requirements for CLE Information Sheet (2006, PDF, 119KB)
• Service Standards Checklist (2003, Word, 148KB)
• Australian Government A-G Department`s Website Information on Service Standards
  

CLSP Financial Reporting

The following link will direct you to the login page of the Australian Government Attorney-General's Department, Commonwealth Community Legal Services Program (CLSP)website which contains useful CLSP related materials, www.ag.gov.au/cclsp.You will need to enter a username and password to gain access to the site. If you have forgotten this information, please contact the Federation's Administrator on 9652 1501.

Other important information and resources;

• Financial Report Guide for CLSIS (2004, Word, 400KB)
  The Commonwealth Government`s Financial reporting guide for CLSIS.
• Information sheet on preparing CLSP Budgets (2008, Word, 33KB)
  This sheet provides guidance from Victoria Legal Aid on preparing CLSP Annual Budgets.
  

CLSP Compliance Dates

• 2008/09 Compliance Dates  (2008, Word, 113KB)
  This document lists the Service Agreement compliance dates for 2008/09 for CLCs funded under the Community Legal Services Funding Program administered in Victoria by Victoria Legal Aid.
  

CLSP Workplans

Information on preparing CLSP Workplans and sample CLSP Workplans are located in the Planning section on the Planning and Evaluation page of the Toolkit.