Include requirement for quality standards into the funding agreement
Introduction
This note provides practice examples of the inclusion of quality standards into funding agreements, focussing on the Scottish National Standards for Information and Advice Providers.
This note remains under review and we welcome any feedback on its contents or suggestions of additional material to include. Contact details are provided under “Further support”.
Contents
Introduction
Scottish National Standards for Information and Advice Providers: audit
Purpose
Benefits
Current activity on audit
Further support
Date of last revision
Case study: SLAB’s requirements around quality
Purpose
Benefits
Extract from SLAB’s guidance to applicants
Further support
Date of last revision
Scottish National Standards for Information and Advice Providers: audit
Purpose
This section sets out the current position with regards to the audit process for the Scottish National Standards for Information and Advice Providers.
Benefits
The context for including quality standards in funding agreements is clarified.
Current activity on audit
The Scottish Government has asked the Scottish Legal Aid Board to engage with stakeholders to determine a number of options for delivering the audit service. The options appraisal will cover a number of areas where there is a need for improvement, that is, in how we:
- deliver the audit service;
- support advice organisations to implement the Standards and prepare for audit, and
- fund accreditation.
Getting the views of stakeholders on potential ways forward is crucial to reaching a solution that will provide a high quality and uninterrupted audit service.
There will be no change to the overall structure of the Standards. The Scottish Government will continue to update the organisational standards and technical competencies for advisers when this is required.
You can read more on the Scottish Government’s website.
Further support
If you would like to know more about the work to deliver the audit service for the SNSIAP, please contact either of:
- Sarah Hamer, SLAB, Tel. 0131 240 2177, email Sarah
- Hazel Thoms, SLAB, Tel. 0131 240 2040, email Hazel
For general queries about working to the Standards or accreditation please contact the Information and Support Unit, Tel. 0131 244 3337, email the unit.
Date of last revision
16th January 2015
Case study: SLAB’s requirements around quality
Purpose
This section sets out an extract from a recent round of grant funding administered by SLAB.
Benefits
The extract could be used as the basis for wording in other funders’ processes to ensure that quality requirements are included in the funding agreement, even where the organisation is not accredited to the SNSIAP.
Extract from SLAB’s guidance to applicants
SLAB asks all organisations that wish to deliver services under a SLAB administered grant funding programme to demonstrate a commitment to high quality services.
For those with quality standards in place
Please provide details of the quality assurance arrangements in respect of advice provision in place in your organisation (or for local authorities, the relevant team/department) and in all partner organisations. For instance, this may be any memberships, accreditations, quality standards, or regulation by the Law Society.
For those seeking to achieve quality standards
Where you do not hold such accreditation or membership, and you are committed to achieving these, you should outline the timetable you have for gaining these.
For those who do not intend to seek quality standards
Where you do not hold such accreditation or membership and do not intend to achieve these, please ensure that you demonstrate how the quality assurance arrangements are robust and how they comply with the Scottish National Standards for Information and Advice Providers.
For all organisations, to ensure match between general quality standards and specific service to be delivered
We expect each organisation to evidence that they have the relevant quality assurance and technical supervision arrangements in place to match the staff and the project responsibilities allocated to them. This is particularly important if the project is seeking to employ specialist (Type III) staff or solicitors.
If any organisation does not have the required experience and/or expertise we are looking for please make this clear and indicate how you will overcome this, for example by locating specialist staff in a partner organisation.
Standards 5.5 and 5.6 on competence within the Scottish National Standards for Information and Advice Providers provide further details on the kind of technical supervision and quality control arrangements that we expect to be in place.
Further support
If you would like to know more about how SLAB includes quality standards in funding requirements, please contact:
- Raphael Bleakley, SLAB, Tel. 0131 240 1883, email Raphael
- Hazel Thoms, SLAB, Tel. 0131 240 2040, email Hazel
Date of last revision
16th January 2015
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