Quality

Quality standards and monitoring

The Quality Assessment Framework (QAF) was introduced in 2003. Following the success of this tool, Communities and Local Governments (CLG) along with Sitra and the National Housing Federation (NHF) created a working group and together they produced the refreshed QAF. This was released in 2008. There are now five core objectives.

The core objectives will be continuously monitored by the supporting people team. You are contractually required to achieve level B in these areas.

C1.1 Assessment and Support Planning
C1.2 Security, Health and Safety
C1.3 Safeguarding and Protection from Abuse
C1.4 Fair Access, Diversity and Inclusion
C1.5 Client Involvement and Empowerment

The supplementary objectives may be introduced by the supporting people team at any time during the contract period. These objectives have not been refreshed, and may be found on SPKweb.

The QAF evaluates and assesses standards using the following criteria:

Level A means excellence and is associated with providers striving to be leaders in their field.
Level B means the service can evidence good practice.
Level C means that the service meets, and is able to evidence, the required minimum standard but there is scope for improvement.

Failure to meet level C means that the service is failing to meet the minimum quality standard.

An overall rating is achieved by taking the standard most frequently achieved across the five sections.

There are a number of externally validated quality monitoring frameworks that could potentially be used to passport services through the QAF. Salford will passport using the CHS Code of Practice (at a level B). You will need to produce a valid certificate in order to do this.

Service providers are expected to make improvements in the core objectives throughout the life of the contract.

The quality standards will be monitored assessed and evaluated as part of a contract management appraisal framework.

The service provider must self assess, evaluate, monitor and report back on all aspects of service quality and provide this information as and when required by the Supporting People team.

Providers should strive to include and involve service users, families, carers and other key stakeholders when they evaluate and monitor all aspects of the service.

Reporting

Services must provide an annual Self Assessment of the QAF core objectives.

Contract appraisal meetings

As part of the contract appraisal process the Supporting People team will arrange a meeting with the service provider to validate the self-assessed level.