Purpose

1. Assess compliance with current laws, policies, and procedures and case practice standards.
2. Continuously evaluate and improve the Adult Protective Services (APS) Quality Assurance (QA) system to meet the needs of departmental leadership, APS staff and our agency partners that serve the vulnerable adults in Florida.
3. Contribute information to support the educational and training needs of APS staff to improve core competencies.
4. Evaluate the quality of adult abuse, neglect, exploitation, and/or self-neglect investigations.
5. Identify areas of strengths and opportunities to improve protective investigations.
6. Identify and communicate best practices across the regions.
7. Identify emerging issues to mitigate future risk.

Model

The APS QA Model is based upon continuous improvement and the QA guiding principles. This model supports the Department’s quality improvement actions in all Regions. Broad communication of results and actions across the Department’s operational and programmatic staff responsible for investigations and administration is a key component of improving APS investigations and services.

QA review is conducted by APS program QA Specialists in each region and includes sample cases from each region’s circuits. The data are summarized at the circuit/region level and statewide, analyzed, and published in formal reports for each region and ultimately a statewide report. Reports include identified strengths and opportunities for improvements in the areas where performance met or did not meet the performance targets.