What is the QAF?

The QAF is a Quality Assessment Framework and is one of several tools that have been produced by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) to help providers and administering authorities to implement the quality and monitoring requirements of Supporting People.

• The QAF consists of a set of nationally defined standards designed to ensure high quality services along with guidance on how to use it.
   
• The QAF provides a standardised means for administering authorities to assess the quality of services.
   
• The QAF gives provider organisations a framework for internally reviewing the services they operate.

Inbuilt within the QAF is the drive to continuous improvement.

What is a validation visit?

• Validation visits are not statutory inspections.
   
• Validation visits provide a ‘reality check’ and a means for establishing whether providers achieve the standards that they have been contracted to deliver.
   
• Visits give authorities real insight into service quality as experienced by service users.
   
• Visits should clarify how providers are working for continuous improvement.
   
• Validation visits need to be undertaken at a service level.

A service may include flexible support services provided to individuals in a number of dispersed units (for instance floating support) or it may involve a scheme in one property.  The key objective is to ensure the quality of service received across the board.  So where there is scope for significant differences to arise in the standard of service in different schemes they will be checked separately.

The relationship between validation visits and service reviews

Validation visits feed into the processes of contract monitoring and service review.  Where possible, visits will be programmed prior to a service review.

• This will enable the review officer to be better informed about the quality of the services provided.
   
• It will enable the review officer to obtain feedback from service users on the particular service objectives that are being validated.

The programming of validation visits will depend on the risk category that a service falls into. A service that has self-assessed at level D on any of the core objectives will be seen as high risk.  High-risk services may need to be visited annually, while medium and low risk services will be visited less frequently.

Where a service review finds that there are concerns with a service, and it has been re-designated as high risk, then a validation visit may need to take place each year following a service review until the level of risk has reduced (this may be assessed at a subsequent service review or as a result of the ongoing monitoring).

Therefore the sample of visits to medium risk services and the spot visits to low risk services will focus on those services that are to be reviewed during the year.

What happens in a validation visit?

Since April 2006 there have been six core objectives and two supplementary objectives. The supplementary objectives are S1.2 - consulting and involving service users and S3.3 - the living environment.

In Manchester, validation visit practice has been developed so that Supporting People works with providers before, during and after the actual visit. The purpose is to enable providers to reach quality standards, and to achieve continuous improvement.

Providers can expect review assistants to contact them prior to the visit, to work together in devising a timetable for the day.  Review assistants will be flexible and work around the needs of service users.

Service user involvement

Service user involvement is central to the Quality Assessment Framework.  Services can only evidence continuous improvement where consultation and involvement take place in a regular and meaningful way.

The validation visit cannot be completed without service user involvement.  Where service users have regular meetings or activities, review assistants would like to attend whether they take place on the day of the validation visit or not.  This approach has proven to be successful as a means of meeting people. 

After the Validation Visit

Review assistants will provide immediate feedback on the day of the visit.  This may be provisional if, for instance, review assistants have not yet met with staff or service users.  Feedback will identify points of good practice, and will identify areas requiring action.

A report will be produced, summarising the overall visit, and detailing both good practice and action points.  Where services have been validated at Level D, there will be a requirement to produce an action plan, to be implemented within set timescales.  A further validation visit may be necessary, to ensure the provider’s ability to implement any necessary actions.  Review assistants will work with providers throughout this period.

The QAF provides the framework for continuous improvement.

The Review Team will offer support and guidance around the QAF, to ensure providers are able to enter the process in a positive and meaningful way.  The aim is to improve the standard of service delivery to vulnerable people within the City, and by working together we can achieve this.

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