Aims of this Quality Standard

At Level 1, you should have clearly stated aims and objectives and will show awareness of your organisation's legal obligations and explain how you intend to meet them.

At Level 2, you will have written policies relating to your legal responsibilities, and procedures for carrying them out.

At Level 3, you will be able to show evidence that you periodically review your aims and objectives and update written policies relating to your legal responsibilities when necessary.

Examples of acceptable evidence: -

Aims of this Quality Standard

* To ensure you have a properly constructed budget which is independently checked

* To ensure you have good systems to manage your income and expenditure

* To ensure responsibility and accountability are clear within your organisation

At Level 1, you will have verified or audited accounts and can show how your budget is set. Your expenditure is monitored and controlled.

At Level 2, you will have written policies on financial management issues (budgets, petty cash, verification/audit) with written procedures on expenditure and accountability.

At Level 3, you will show how you periodically review and improve your financial control procedures.

Examples of acceptable evidence: -

Aims of this Quality Standard

* To ensure that the skills and knowledge of new and existing staff and volunteers are updated.  This is important for an effective and quality service. 

* To ensure all staff and volunteers are trained to a level appropriate to their work. For example, advice giving requires training in relevant skills, techniques and application of knowledge

* To develop training needs analysis as a way of matching the needs of the agency with the needs of staff and volunteers

 At Level 1, there will be training opportunities available to staff and volunteers.

 At Level 2, you will have a training and induction plan which is implemented.

 At Level 3, your training delivery and training related policies and plans are reviewed regularly. Training undertaken is evaluated and influences future training plans.

 Examples of acceptable evidence: -

Aims of this Quality Standard

* To ensure access to services by all sectors of the community

* To challenge and end discrimination and exclusion

* To ensure equality of opportunity in employment, management, and volunteering as well as service delivery

* To demonstrate commitment to meeting the needs of all sectors of the community

 At Level 1, you should have a clear statement of intent with regard to meeting the needs of all parts of the community including disadvantaged groups and those experiencing discrimination (unless your aims and objectives clearly define you as a specialist service for a defined sector of the population).

 At Level 2, you will be carrying out Equal Opportunities awareness training. You will have an equal opportunities policy and procedures clearly related to meet the requirements of Equal Pay and Sex Discrimination legislation, Race Relations Amendment Act and Disability Discrimination Act.

 At Level 3, you will be reviewing your equal opportunities procedures and practices periodically and incorporating improvements  following review.

 Examples of acceptable evidence: -

Aims of this Quality Standard

* To assure service users that their concerns will be listened to and acted on

* To give your organisation the opportunity to put things right

* To help you understand when service users have a different expectation of the service you can provide

* To make sure the forward planning of your organisation better reflects the needs of your service users

 At Level 1, you will have in place a publicised and easily understood method of recording complaints from service users. This could be a form which service users fill in and/or an informal recording procedure used by staff to record complaints from personal callers and phone enquirers.

 At Level 2, you will have a complaints policy (which should incorporate a formal method of complaints investigating) with written procedures for staff and volunteers on how to handle complaints.

 At Level 3, you will have a complaints monitoring system which should include keeping statistics on complaints by number, type and outcome. Where complaints are upheld there should be evidence that feedback has informed service improvement. You will be reviewing your complaints policy periodically. You will be pro-active in making your complaints procedure accessible to your customers.

 Examples of acceptable evidence: -

Aims of this Quality Standard

* To make potential users aware of your service

* To ensure users, staff and other stakeholders have a say in shaping service delivery

* To let service users know where, when, how and why they should contact you

* To make best use of resources by targeting your service user groups

 At Level 1, you will provide general information leaflets, posters and/or advertisements (which describe you and your services). You will also be consulting with stakeholders.

 At Level 2, you will summarise your consultation and communication strategy in a communications plan.

 At Level 3, you will be reviewing your communications plan periodically.

 Examples of acceptable evidence: -

Aims of this Quality Standard

* To reflect the aims of your agency in the quality of service you hope to deliver

* To make clear to service users what they can expect from your agency

* To focus staff on the quality of service they deliver

* To utilise the service standards process as a tool for continuous improvement

At Level 1, you will have a printed set of service standards which you hope to achieve, available to staff and users.

At Level 2, you will have a more formal set of standards, developed and informed by customer experience. The actual performance against standards will be internally monitored.  

At Level 3, you will be periodically reviewing your service standards and will be measuring and appropriately reporting on actual performance against these standards. These reviews and customer feedback will influence developments to your service standards.

 Examples of acceptable evidence: -

Aims of this Quality Standard

* To enable your agency to deal effectively and consistently with issues service users might raise

* To enable service users to feel confident they can talk to you and clearly understand your professional boundaries and when you may share information with others

At Level 1, you will have adopted simple data security processes (e.g you will use forms for service users to sign to give your agency permission to contact other agencies. Proper protection of computer facilities will prevent unauthorised access to information on service users. Paper files will be locked away). You will be meeting your legal requirements under Data Protection and Freedom of Information legislation.

At Level 2, you will have a Confidentiality & Data Protection Policy and also a policy on access to personal information. Staff and volunteers will be aware of your Confidentiality & Data Protection Policy and will be following the written procedures for implementing the policy.

At Level 3, you will be periodically reviewing your Confidentiality & Data Protection policy and procedures.

Examples of acceptable evidence: -

Aims of this Quality Standard

* To ensure service users receive appropriate and effective information and advice as quickly as possible

* To ensure agencies and services know where and when appropriate referrals should be made

 At Level 1, you will make available to service users a statement of how you make and accept referrals.

 At Level 2, you will have a policy and procedure on accepting and making referrals.

 At Level 3, you will be regularly monitoring and reviewing your referral policies and procedures and implementing improvements both from these reviews & feedback from referrals you have made to other agencies.

Examples of acceptable evidence: -

Aims of this Quality Standard

* To ensure your service users can act on your advice and believe in its' accuracy

* To ensure the provision of high quality advice

* To ensure high quality advice is consistently provided throughout the agency

 At Level 1, you will be carrying out checks on the advice you give, but these may be occasional or informal.

Appropriate action will be taken where checks have identified limited or inaccurate provision.

You will be checking staff and volunteers have access to appropriate up-to-date reference material.

 At Level 2, you will be carrying out more formal checks on a regular basis on a random sample of cases.  You will be internally monitoring and reporting appropriately on the results of the checks.

 At Level 3, you will be regularly monitoring and reviewing the checking system.

Examples of acceptable evidence: -

Aims of this Quality Standard

* To ensure a consistent case management system is in place

* To ensure each service user receives a good service which upholds your other stated policies

* To ensure mistakes are spotted and put right at the earliest opportunity

* To record case work and avoid repetition

At Level 1, you will have a clearly defined case management system in place. You will have a procedure in place to handle mistakes identified.

At Level 2, you will have a policy on case management that is fully implemented by staff and volunteers. This will be supported by training, written procedures and forms used to record case work.

At Level 3, you will have a system in place for monitoring your recording system, to check how well it is working. You will be carrying out periodic reviews of the recording policy, supported by the outcomes of the monitoring exercise.

Examples of acceptable evidence:-

Aims of this Quality Standard

* To enable your staff to deal effectively and quickly with child protection incidents

* To enable service users to feel confident that child protection is a priority within your agency

At Level 1, you will have:

• Procedures and arrangements for the appropriate vetting for those engaged in unsupervised work with children.
• The emergency/contact number for the relevant social services department and the Child Protection Unit.
• A copy of the local authority child protection procedures.
• A named person in the organisation with responsibility for child protection.*
• A clear recruitment policy consistent with best practice guidelines applied to children's services.*
• An easily understandable child protection statement outlining your service's response to child protection incidents.*    
  

At Level 2, you will be providing all relevant staff and volunteers with basic child protection training. You will have a written policy on child protection.  The records relating to children and young people will be safely stored in line with good recording practice.  You will have links to forums where good practice can be shared (e.g. FRF, Children's rights and Protection Theme Groups).
You will also have:
a) clear supervision arrangements in place; *
b) a whistle blowing policy;* and
c) a formal disciplinary code with the capacity where necessary, to address concerns about abuse by staff, where there is not evidence for a criminal prosecution or conviction.*  

At Level 3, you will have

• Procedures in place for monitoring and collating information relating to child protection incidents and vetting. 
• Reviewed your policies and procedures in the last year and any changes will be reflected in the policy and procedures documents. 
• You will be committed to helping the staff develop skills appropriate to delivering a high level of child protection.*   

* This applies only to services whose primary focus of work is children or young people.

Aims of this Quality Standard

* To ensure your organisation demonstrates a genuine commitment to children's rights and participation

* To ensure that children and young people who use your service feel confident that their feelings and opinions will be prioritised

 At Level 1, you will have:

• A statement that outlines your organisations' commitment to children's rights and participation. 
• Evidence that the service makes available a wide range of children's rights contact numbers.
• A named person responsible for children's rights and participation.*
• A statement of intent on non-discrimination (consistent with article 2 of the UNCRC)*
• A copy of the key rights and participation principles (consistent with the UNCRC).*.

 At Level 2, you will

• Have a written policy on children's rights and participation. You will also:
• Have a non discrimination policy.*
• Ensure that relevant staff and volunteers are trained in children's rights.*
• Record and acknowledge children's and young peoples' contributions to service development.*
• Have a clear understanding on the role of expert advice in supporting children and young people.*
  

 At Level 3, you will be periodically reviewing your policies and procedures and any changes will be reflected in the policy and procedures documents. 

 * This applies only to services whose primary focus of work is children or young people.

UNCRC  = United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

Examples of acceptable evidence: -