Quality Assurance
How do you demonstrate the quality of your work?
There are a number of quality standards available for organisations. These vary in terms of the areas of activity they consider. Some are required by commissioners as a pre-requisite for organisations.
Whether you choose to apply for a quality mark or standard, it is good practice to set standards within your organisation and ensure that they are followed.
Here are some quality standards and links to find out more about them.
STANDARDS
PQASSO (Practical Quality Assurance System for Small Organisations)
PQASSO is a straightforward, user-friendly quality assurance system intended to help you run your organisation more effectively and efficiently. It offers a flexible approach to quality which allows your organisation to work at its own pace. It helps you to take a systematic look at what you do, identify areas where you are doing well and not so well, and decide exactly where improvements are needed. It helps you to plan, budget and allocate the resources for making these improvements over a realistic time period.
PQASSO is suitable for small, medium or large voluntary and community organisations, or for project teams in very large organisations. Organisations working in all areas - for example, health, social care, the environment or animal welfare - can use PQASSO. It can also be used by self-help organisations, and campaigning and research organisations.
It can be self assessed or externally assessed for a fee.
See website http://www.ces-vol.org.uk/index.cfm?pg=42
Investors in People
Considers the way you work with staff to develop your organisation.
See website http://www.investorsinpeople.co.uk/Pages/Home.aspx
ISO 9001 2008
International Organisation for Standardisation - Looks at quality management systems in your organisation.
See website http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/catalogue_tc/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=46486
Other quality marks
There are other marks available such as Customer First, Investors in Volunteering, Investors in Diversity. These consider different aspects of activity.
Quality - Distance Learning Workbook.
Aimed at SME's but useful to Third Sector orgs
This workbook has been written to ensure that you understand the typical quality requirements of the public sector and what this can mean for your business.
Download from http://www.haringey.gov.uk/quality_workbook.pdf
