Themes:

• Quality Assurance
• Self-evaluation
• Capacity for improvement

Level 5 illustration:

Quality assurance

Leaders at all levels set well understood service standards and expectations which drive improvement. We ensure clear and effective quality assurance processes are in place to assist in identifying strengths and any areas where improvement is required. These processes result in improved outcomes for learners and communities. Leaders at all levels, support staff, volunteers and partners to engage regularly in performance review, self-evaluation and reflection. Leaders closely monitor and report progress to stakeholders against aims objectives, targets and benchmarks. We use data and other information effectively to identify, assess and respond appropriately to emerging and changing needs and persistent and systemic inequalities.

Self-evaluation

Leaders at all levels ensure self-evaluation is embedded in the organisation and across all activities. It is rigorous, comprehensive, systematic and transparent. Outcomes of self-evaluation informs, supports and drives improvement priorities. We work well with stakeholders, including community organisations to undertake joint self-evaluation. This helps us to understand and improve shared outcomes. We encourage the use of CLD methodologies and quality improvement frameworks to support this process. We have a strong understanding of the impact our practice makes on meeting local, regional and national priorities. We use a wide range of peer, local, regional and national good practice examples and research to reflect on, evaluate, inform and improve our practice.

Capacity for improvement

Our planning for improvement is evidence based and ambitious in its aspirations. Our leaders ensure we have robust and sustainable policies, processes and systems in place which are reviewed regularly and applied consistently to support and drive improvement. Our leaders ensure that staff and other stakeholders have a shared understanding of these ambitions and aspirations and how they inform their own practice. Staff at all levels are supported well and enabled to take responsibility for leading and implementing change. As a result, we have developed increased capacity to respond and adapt well to change. We have effective strategies and processes in place which monitor and evaluate the impact of changes on the outcomes for learners and communities.

Challenge questions:

1. How well do leaders set out and communicate expectations and service standards that support the organisation to improve?
2. How effective are our systems and approaches to planning for continuous improvement?
3. How well do we support partners and practitioners from other sectors to use CLD methodologies and quality improvement frameworks in their work?
4. How do we know outcomes for learners and communities are improving as a result of our quality assurance processes?
5. How well do we use data and other information to identify, assess and respond appropriately to emerging and changing needs and persistent and systemic inequalities?
6. How well is self-evaluation for improvement embedded in the culture of our organisation and our partnerships?
7. How well do we support staff and volunteers to understand their role in quality assurance and engage in regular and robust self-evaluation practice?
8. How effectively do we work with partners to undertake shared self-evaluation to support planning, innovation, identify and agree improvement priorities?
9. How well do we use research and sharing of effective practice to reflect on and improve our own practice and performance?
10. How do we ensure there is a continued focus on improvement outcomes for learners and communities?
11. How well equipped are leaders to consider and agree their overall capacity to improve?