The Service Standards and Contracting Directorate ensures that resources are allocated transparently across districts and between service providers (departmental and non-government) to meet the Department's objectives, and that allocations can be varied in response to changing needs.
The Directorate was established in April 2007 as a direct result of the Ford Report.
The Directorate also manages services provided by non-government agencies where a formal funding agreement is in place.
As part of its quality assurance role, the Directorate has a standards monitoring unit, two advocacy services: the Advocate for Children in Care and the Complaints Management Unit; and the Duty of Care Unit.