QUALITY ASSURANCE ASPECTS OF THE CONTRACT

An important responsibility of Support Brokers is to monitor their own performance, as well as the performance of each provider who delivers supports to the adult with a disability. This is called Quality Assurance.  Each negotiation and follow up contract should include a strategy for the employer and his or her Circle of Support to give feedback on how things are going. If services and supports are not satisfactory, how will an employer make that known? Where will that statement or complaint go? Any negotiation or contract that leaves out Quality Assurance language is incomplete.

In many circumstances quality assurance is about the safety of the person with a disability.  If for example, a provider does not show up to help John get dressed and ready for bed, provisions for an alternative provider have to be written as part of the contract.  Additionally, John will have to understand what the contingency plan is. That is, who should John call for assistance? Is there a way for John to let key people in his Circle of Support know that his provider did not show up? What happens if John's neighbor gets a flat tire on the way to pick John up for work? A provision for communication with John, his Support Broker, and other members of his Circle of Support should be clearly established and written in the contract.  What happens if John shows up to work one day to find that his place of employment is closed for a Holiday that he was unaware of?  How are situations like this handled?

Quality Assurance is the responsibility of the Support Broker. Make certain that as you negotiate and draft contracts that you and the partners involved brainstorm as many circumstances as possible that may jeopardize the safety or well being of the adult with a disability.  Identify solutions to each potential problem, write out the solutions, and the parties responsible in the contract.  

QUIZ
Once you have read and studied everything in this section you are ready to take the quiz. Click on the quiz link below, then download and print the quiz questions. You must score at least 80% on the quiz before moving onto the next section in Module E. Questions will appear in a random order.
Good Luck!


Quiz 3: Negotiation and Contracting



List of reading assignments:
Pearpoint and Forest - Negotiation and Partnership
Peter Lowe - Principles of Negotiation


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