Minimum & Quality Standards

This section is intended for guidance only, and is not a comprehensive statement of the law.

Minimum Standards & Quality Assurance

Minimum standards are the legal requirements to which all voluntary sector organisations must comply. Stakeholders, such as local authorities and funders, may develop their own 'higher' minimum standards, for their particular purposes. A minimum standard is not an assessment of quality, though it may form a foundation from which a quality standard is developed. For example, the Borough of Waltham Forest Certificate of Minimum Standards (CMS), equates with the Continyou Supplementary Schools bronze award.

1: Quality Assurance Systems

A quality assurance system is both a way of checking - through on-going monitoring of performance - that your organisation is meeting recognised minimum standards, and a vehicle for exceeding those standards on a drive towards outstanding performance. 

The methodology depends upon the quality assurance system that you choose to use. Most quality assurance systems focus on defined areas, for which standards have been established. Usually, how an organisation achieves the standards is a matter for it.

2: The Categorisation and Value of Quality AssuranceSystems

Quality systems can be self-assessed, or externally- accredited. There is usually a cost associated with external accreditation, though the 'Positive About Disabled People' standard is provided by Job Centre Plus, without charge,as part of its objective of promoting job opportunities for disabled people.

The right quality standard for an organisation will depend upon a range of factors, including costs, the characteristics of its sub-sector,  and what it wants to achieve. Quality assurance systems may be generic, industry-specific,or have elements of both e.g. the PQASSO quality assurance system, which has been developed for the voluntary sector, but is generic within it. Internal evaluation can be just as effective as external accreditation, however, most funders and other stakeholders regard nationally- recognised accreditation as being more credible than self-assessed statements on standards.

All quality assurance system are tools, that can assist Boards of Management in ensuring compliance with minimum legal standards. In addition, funders want to know that legal standards are being met and, increasingly, seek evidence of 'quality' as a value-for-money measure. Staff can be motivated by quality assurance, not only to take pride in service delivery, but also in personal professional development.

3: Choosing an Appropriate Quality Assurance System

It's recommended that anybody new to the subject of quality assurance, and responsible for selecting a quality standard for their organisation, read  the Charities Evaluation Services publication ' Tools for You'. It gives details on 20 quality assurance systems relevant to at least some organisations in the third sector. In addition, where an organisation is a member of a sub-sector 'umbrella' advisory body, that guidance be sought from that body, on the most appropriate quality assurance scheme for the sub-sector.

Investors in People (IIP) is probably the most well known of all quality systems or standards in the UK. It is externally evaluated and is based entirely on an organisation's people base, i.e. its staff and/or volunteers. The standard is mostly used by relatively large organisations where the staff are the primary resource of the organisation. Whilst  it has been successfully applied in the voluntary sector, Voluntary Action Waltham Forest recommends 'PQASSO' for small voluntary bodies in the borough.

PQASSO stands for Practical Quality Assurance System for Small Organisations. As the name suggests it has been developed specifically for smaller organisations for which many of the other Quality Assurance systems are not appropriate. It was developed by the Charities Evaluation Service specifically for the voluntary sector and, as a result, is widely used in it.

4: Help Available for Voluntary Organisations in  Waltham Forest

Voluntary sector organisations can contact Waltham Forest Voluntary Action, for a free action- pack and consultation, on quality assurance systems.

Members of Voluntary Action Waltham Forest can seek approval for access to a fund, which will meet the costs of accreditation for relevant quality marks.

5: General Help

The following websites are recommended for addtional information :

i. British Quality Foundation www.quality-foundation.co.uk/

ii. The Charities Evaluation Service offers training, consultancy, external evaluations and publications on quality improvements.

Email: enquiries@ces-vol.org.uk

www.ces-vol.org.uk

iii. www. knowhownonprofit.org

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