News
EILEEN BUSH
Moray VSO
(this article has been taken from TFN 29th January, 2010 - 3 Supporting Voluntary Action Projects - Quality Matters)
Quality Matters aims to improve the infrastructure of the CVS network by creating a quality framework as a benchmark to guide organisations towards their objectives: increased quality within organisations and across the network.
It is is based on European Framework for Quality Management (EFQM), an industry standard model. This means organisations can compare themselves to others in the public or private sectors. Eileen Bush has sat on the Quality Matters advisory group since its inception. She was keen to do so because she wanted to be part of a project that could improve her own organisation while in turn helping the community she serves.
Crucially however, she wanted to contribute the experiences of a small rural CVS working with limited resources which faced often unique challenges, compared to the larger organisations in the network.
She also sees the issue of quality as the “cornerstone” of practically everything the organisation wanted to do.
The process has enabled Moray VSO to develop three “key actions” and is now working towards those. In the near future, however, her organisation plans to use the knowledge and experience gained through Quality Matters to help organisations in their locality improve their own quality standards.
“We wanted to get to grips with the whole concept of quality and how it can help us, the communities we serve and the network at large,” she says. “It is driven by the fact we want to be better in our procedures so we can deliver an increasingly better service and generally tighten up the way we operate.”
This is crucial says Eileen as funders and regulators are demanding better standards.
“Increasingly it’s important to be able to demonstrate the impact we have in the work we do, as funders become more demanding and regulations tighten. Quality Matters is an ideal way we can robustly demonstrate that we are working to improve the quality of everything we do.” It’s a standard she believes the entire CVS network will aspire to and benefit from once implemented. However, it has not been an easy process. Eileen says it has so far been a huge learning curve for all involved.
“The initial starting point was a shared language so all contributors and participants in the process could better understand each other,” she says. “We wanted to learn from each other to look to other organisations to see what they were doing well and perhaps even to see how ourselves as an organisation was doing when measured against others.”
But just as importantly, she says, Moray VSO can share that good practice with other members of the CVS network across Scotland and the rest of the voluntary sector in Moray.
“We are not there yet,” she says. “We’re still learning how to improve our own standards but we are making good progress and learning all the time,” she says.
Staff, she says, have really welcomed the process. “It was something a number of them already wanted to do, so when the SVA programme came along they were delighted to be a part of it. They embraced it and continue to do so.”
Eileen says the project has now made them more focused as an organisation.
“And because much of the benchmarking and learning is done online, the programme is both adaptable and accessible,” she says, referring to Pathway, the online tool comprising a self assessment questionnaire audited by external verifiers.
Eileen has been very pleased with the process so far. “It does what it says on the tin,” she says. “It highlights what you do well, what you need to focus more attention on and will easily roll out across the new interfaces when they are established.”
West Lothian Council achieve Recognised for Excellence 5 star
Congratulations to West Lothian Council (WLC) who were recently awarded Recognised for Excellence 5 star (Gold level) using Quality Scotland’s
Levels of Excellence programme.
Based on the EFQM Excellence Model, Levels of Excellence gives you a holistic assessment of your organisation and its performance. West Lothian Council used the flexible approach, which involved a smaller submission document followed by a 5-day site visit from a team of Quality Scotland EFQM Assessors.
Dave Bradley, Chief Executive of Quality Scotland stated “Quality Scotland is proud to acknowledge the success of West Lothian Council in achieving European excellence recognition at R4E 5 star (Gold level). The rigorous assessment involved in achieving this award highlights the superb work being done within the council”.
This award recognises the long-term commitment to continuous improvement shown by the council and supported by the Chief Executive Alex Linkston. It has shown what can be achieved by a strong desire to improve services and the overall organisation.
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Congratulations to St Colman's College!
Congratulations to St Colman's College, Newry who were a Prizewinner at EFQM's Celebration Award dinner. There was also individual success for the College's Principal Canon Brown, as St Colman's College were recipients of a prize for leadership.
C2E for The Wise Group!
A further congratulations goes to The Wise Group who have recently achieved Comitted to Excellence using Quality Scotland's Level's of Excellence Programme.
Business Matchmaking Requests!
Three organisations below are looking for assistance - can you help??
1. Helpdesk Voicemail
A public sector organisation is looking to benchmark helpdesk voicemail response times i.e. the length of time to pickup a voicemail and time to respond.
2. Business Partnering
A public sector organisation is introducing an HR Business Partnering model. Each of their 5 Directorates now has a Business Partner and Assistant Business Partner who share HR and OD experience. The public sector is facing major change over the next few years and the BPs and ABPs will be required to work closely with the council Services to bring about that change successfully. They are looking for an organisation that has introduced, or, like them, is introducing this operating model so that they can share experience and gain understanding of how this model works best and what, if any, pitfalls to avoid.
3. Recruitment & Selection using a Competency Framework
A public sector organisation has "refreshed" their competency framework so that it will now apply to all levels of staff within the organisation, albeit with different performance descriptors for the different levels of employees. An HR staff member is working on a project on how we should best use the competency framework in our recruitment and selection processes. Would you be prepared to share how you introduced competencies into your selection process?
Sir Sandy Crombie receives Leadership Award
Quality Scotland's Chairman, Sir Andrew Cubie recently visited Sir Sandy Crombie to award him his Leadership Award that he won at this year's annual Scottish Awards for Excellence.
Standard Life has been a longstanding supporter of excellence and Quality Scotland and it is with great pleasure that we awarded Sir Sandy the winner of the 2008/09 Leadership Award.
VSN Update...
Over recent months the VSN has continued to grow and Quality Scotland would like to welcome our newest additions Penumbra, The Rock Trust, Epilepsy Scotland and Inspire.
At Quality Scotland’s recent Annual Awards for Business Excellence, Quarriers National Epilepsy Assessment Centre, Cornerstone and Alzheimer Scotland were all awarded ‘Committed to Excellence’ in recognition of their dedication to continuous improvement.
Quality Scotland also presented the inaugural ‘Ambassador for Excellence’ award. This is presented to an individual, organisation or group who consistently support excellence in Scotland, sharing their learning and providing mentoring support to other organisations as well as actively promoting quality within their own organisation. Quality Scotland were delighted that the VSN were awarded this for their work as a network throughout the past decade.
The fifth annual VSN conference will be held this autumn in Glasgow and we hope to build on the success of last year’s event and provide a useful learning opportunity for the wider voluntary sector.
Please click here to find out more information on the VSN.
Scottish Awards for Business Excellence 2008-09 – Winners!
Quality Scotland’s annual Scottish Award for Business Excellence was held on Tuesday 19th May at the prestigious Edinburgh International Conference Centre, hosted by Quality Scotland’s Chairman, Sir Andrew Cubie, CBE.
Again, this years ceremony was an outstanding success for organisations across the voluntary, public and private sectors, all celebrating various milestones in their journey to excellence.
This year’s Awards debuted Quality Scotland’s new ‘Ambassador Award’, created to recognise those who have continually represented Scotland as an ‘Ambassador’ for Excellence and assisting Quality Scotland in it’s mission to ‘Make Excellence a National Characteristic of Scotland’. Carla Guerra, Programme Manager of Partnerships and Publications, EFQM, was also in attendance at this year’s ceremony to present the future plans of EFQM as well as celebrate the achievements of Scottish organisations. (to view this presentation, please click here).
Furthermore, Dr. Alaine Sommerville, launched Quality Scotland’s Leadership Programme held in conjunction with Edinburgh Napier University. (For more information, please click here).
Please see below for the 2008-2009 Award Winners, for more information on previous winners, please click here.
For any press related enquiries, please contact Anne Sutherland on 0131 556 2333. Alternatively, please email info@qualityscotland.co.uk.
Committed to Excellence Recipients
- Quarriers
- East Renfrewshire Community Learning and Development Partnership
- Trust Housing Association
- Cornerstone
- Barony Housing Association
- NHS NSS Scottish Health Service Centre
- Employers in Voluntary Housing (EVH)
- Alzheimer Scotland
- Glasgow Housing Association
- AEGON UK Corporate Pensions
Recognised for Excellence – Gold
- Stow College
Recognised for Excellence – Bronze
- Dundee City Council Social Work Services
- NHS National Services Scotland Practitioner Services
- SAAS
- Strathclyde Partnership for Transport
Special Categories
Winner of the Scottish WOW! Of The Year
Caledonian Therapy Academy
Ambassador Award – NEW
Voluntary Sector Network (VSN)
Leadership Award Winner
Sir Sandy Crombie, Chief Executive, Standard Life PLC
Corporate Citizen Award in conjunction with Scottish Business in the Community
Sodexo
People Development Award in conjunction with IIP Scotland
ITF
Scottish Award for Business Excellence Winner
Stow College
Quality Scotland recognised as Scottish Charity!
As of 1st April 2009, Quality Scotland will now be recognised as a registered Scottish Charity No. SC040316.
This is excellent news for the team and emphasises the charitable work Quality Scotland has carried out since its establishment in 1991.
European Accredited Assessors
Congratulations to Alaine Sommerville and Ann Pike, who have both recently become Quality Scotland's very own European Excellence Assessors along with Gordon McCallum.
After completing a robust and credible training process, Alaine and Ann were measured against a comprehensive competency profile delivered by EFQM. As a European Assessor, they are both qualified to carry out assessments against the EFQM Excellence Model as well as licensed to train National Excellence Assessors.
If you are interested in becoming a European Assessor, please find out more by contacting Ann Pike on 0131 556 2333.
PSIF update!
Since the launch of PSIF Phase 2 in March, there has been an exceptional increase and interest from the initial six original organisations involved in Phase 1 to a massive 18 organisations now either adopting or implementing! What’s more, this figure looks set to increase by the end of 2008 with further meetings being set up over coming months.
The Public Service Improvement Framework (PSIF) has been an outstanding success since it was established and clearly demonstrates the commitment of Councils and other public / voluntary sector organisations to continuous improvement, particularly in light of the recent Crerar Review.
The following PSIF Councils and organisations are as follows:
- Angus Council
- Clackmannanshire Council
- Glasgow City Council
- Inverclyde Council
- North Ayrshire Council
- North Lanarkshire Council
- Renfrewshire Council
- Scottish Borders Council
- Stirling Council
- The City of Edinburgh Council
- The Highland Council
- The Moray Council
- West Dunbartonshire Council
- West Lothian Council
- Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service
- Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service
- Skills Development Scotland
- Includem
For further information on PSIF, please contact Dave Bradley on 0131 556 2333.
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