Accreditation (SPP)

Information below to register and login to the National Accreditation Scheme.

About the National Accreditation Scheme

NACLC The National Accreditation Scheme has been developed to provide an industry based certification process for Community Legal Centres (CLCs) that will support and give recognition to good practice in the delivery of community legal services. Full members of State and Territory Associations of CLCS must comply with the NACLC Accreditation Criteria.

The NACLC Accreditation Criteria and the evidence requirements by which Community Legal Centres will be assessed for certification incorporate the current Community Legal Services Program Service Standards and the requirements of the NACLC Risk Management Guide (RMG).

The accreditation process

The accreditation process will consist of three steps:

  1. Online self assessment: NACLC is using an online self assessment system (Standards and Performance Pathways – SPP) which has been tailored for CLCs. The SPP guides CLCs through assessing their own organisation against the Accreditation Criteria, automatically generating a plan for addressing any areas where work is needed and providing tools, templates and guides to help complete this work. CLCs will be able to attach their own documents as evidence of meeting Accreditation Criteria and send an electronic report and ‘evidence pack’ to the accreditation reviewer.  These can also be used for reporting against the CLSP Service Standards, or easily adapted for reporting against other standards and to other funding bodies.
  2. Site visit by accreditation reviewer: NACLC (and potentially some State Associations) will be engaging specialist accreditation reviewer who will work with each CLC to review the results of their self assessment and, at least in the first cycle, visit the centre to review other documentation, see how policies and procedures are applied on site and meet with centre representatives.
  3. Report and recommendation: Accreditation review staff will provide a report and recommendation for accreditation to the State Association, or, where there is no incorporated association, to NACLC to decide on accreditation status and certification. There are three levels of accreditation and the centre is issued with certification for the appropriate level.  

Other standards and service types

The quality management requirements of a number of other Government funding areas that commonly apply to Community Legal Centres have also been reviewed. Requirements that are part of the NACLC Accreditation Criteria and also of other common quality standards such as the OATSIH Risk Protocol and the Family Relationships Program standards have been mapped and incorporated into the electronic system that is used for assessments. This means that as a CLC addresses the Accreditation standards, the assessment tool automatically also addresses these other standards, reducing the time and effort required for monitoring and reporting on standards compliance for centres funded under multiple programs.

National Timeline

A national timeline has been developed, with the aim for all CLCs to have been assessed and certified by the end of 2012. Timelines for each state or territory, part of the staggered roll out, have been provided to each CLC. To get underway now simply:

  • Register: You can set up your organisation’s online access at any time – click on the ‘Register’ link above
  • Start your self assessment: Once you have your online access, you can get under way on the SPP – click on the ‘Log in’ link above.