European Quality in Social Services

EQUASS
Expansion European Quality in Social Services
Standards Organization European Platform for Rehabilitation
Effective region European Union and EFTA
Effective since 2003
Predecessor EQRM
Product category Social services of general interest
Legal status Advisory
Website www.equass.be

EQUASS (European Quality in Social Services) is an integrated sector-specific quality certification system that certifies compliance of social services with European quality principles and criteria. EQUASS aims to enhance the social sector by engaging service providers in quality and continuous improvement and by guaranteeing service users quality of services throughout Europe.

EQUASS,[1] formerly called the European Quality in Rehabilitation Mark (EQRM) is an initiative of the European Platform for Rehabilitation (EPR) [2] and its secretariat is based in Brussels.

History

In July 1995, the European Platform for Rehabilitation, then called the European Platform for Vocational Rehabilitation (EPVR),[3] tasked its working group "Quality management and cost effectiveness" to study the launch of a "Quality Award for Vocational Rehabilitation"[4] for European institutes of vocational rehabilitation. The award would require an audit which, if successful, would show that the institute of vocational rehabilitation works in accordance with the standards of the platform. The certification system to be launched was mainly inspired by the CARF certification.[5] The European Platform for Rehabilitation enrolled a few of its members to implement the quality standard that was then named EQRM (European Quality in Rehabilitation Mark). The first awarding event took place in Rome in December 2003.[6] The main values behind the quality mark were:

In 2008,[7] the European Platform for Rehabilitation decided to create an additional quality assurance mark (EQUASS Assurance), alongside its EQRM mark (now renamed EQUASS Excellence). In December 2008 the European Platform for Rehabilitation launched a two-year project, partially funded by the Progress programme of the European Commission. The aim of the project was to develop, with the collaboration of the major European stakeholders in social services, a European Quality Framework for Social Services of General interest (SSGI). The Framework would include quality principles and criteria for quality assurance validated for the whole sector, and operational performance indicators for measuring and benchmarking performance on the quality criteria in social services.[8] In 2010, the platform launched the results of the Common Quality Framework for SSGI,[9] including the certification of a few pilot sites in charge of testing the new quality system in various types of social services.[10] In January 2012,[11] EQUASS deployed its new quality standard, now available for all social service providers in Europe, and no longer limited to rehabilitation providers and other disability services providers. The new quality standard was then based on the results of the Common Quality Framework for SSGI, but also other quality standards, listed below.

Main EQUASS characteristics

Compliance with the European quality requirements

Social services providers that meet the certification requirements for European Quality in Social Services have demonstrated their compliance with the following requirements:

- The Voluntary European Quality Framework for Social Services [12] which was adopted by the Social Protection Committee in October 2010.[13]

- The Common Quality Framework for Social Services of General Interest [14] (December 2010) in which 50 major stakeholders from various social services sectors agreed on the different components and pre-conditions of quality. [15]

- Vocational Education and Training institutions that fulfil the criteria for EQUASS also comply with the European Quality Assurance Reference Framework for VET[16] which was adopted by the European Parliament and the European Council on 18 June 2009.

- The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (December 2006).

Principles of Quality

EQUASS is built on ten quality principles that reflect the wishes of its European stakeholders (funders, social partners, client representatives and advocacy groups),[17] balancing business efficiency requirements, with a strong focus on protecting the rights of the clients, and a person-centred approach, while ensuring a professional development and training of the staff.

Presentation of EQUASS Principles of Quality

EQUASS certification programmes

EQUASS certification offers a formal recognition of meeting the European quality requirements. EQUASS Assurance and EQUASS Excellence are based on the same Principles for Quality, with EQUASS Assurance being a stepping stone towards achieving the EQUASS Excellence level.[18]

Quality Assurance in Social Services (EQUASS Assurance)

EQUASS Assurance guarantees quality of service provision by certifying compliance with 50 criteria based on the ten Principles for Quality. It can be viewed as a fundamental requirement for operating social services, having a feasible threshold in terms of costs, efforts and resources required. An organisation that meets the EQUASS Assurance criteria is certified for a two-year period.

Excellence in Social Services (EQUASS Excellence)

EQUASS Excellence is awarded to service providers that can demonstrate achievements and continuous improvement on all 50 criteria based on the ten Principles for Quality from three different perspectives: approach, deployment and results. An organisation that meets the EQUASS Excellence criteria is certified for a three-year period.[19]

EQUASS stakeholders and supervision

EQUASS is supervised and supported by a network of external and internal stakeholders. The EQUASS Awarding Committee comprises key European actors in social services and EU politics.

EQUASS Awarding Committee

All awarding processes are supervised by the European Awarding Committee. The Committee includes many of the key European stakeholders in the sector such as service users, social partners, service providers, policy makers and funders:

Council of Europe

Business Disability Forum (former Employers’ Forum on Disability)

European Association of Service Providers for People with Disabilities

European Disability Forum

European Network of Social Authorities

European Platform for Rehabilitation

European Social Insurance Platform

European Federation of Older People

Rehabilitation International - Europe

EQUASS certified organisations

As of July 2013, there are 440 certified organisations in 11 European countries, serving over 100.000 users, and employing over 14.000 staff members.

The areas in which the certified organisations are active include, among others:

European map of organisations certified with EQUASS

In Norway, EQUASS Assurance certification is one of several quality labels that allow a disability service provider or social firm to get funding from the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) in exchange for providing rehabilitation services.[30] As a result of that endorsement, about 75% of the EQUASS Assurance certified organisations are located in Norway (as of 2013).

In Portugal[31] and Estonia,[32] the European Social Fund has supported the capacity building of its social services providers by funding EQUASS applications and supporting the costs of the implementation of a new quality system.

In Greece, a research paper published in 2013 in the Disability and Health Journal [33] found that "[The] EQUASS initiative, developed according to European standards and implemented in resource-limited settings, was recognized as the most adaptive and appropriate system for Greek rehabilitation settings". The articles further claims that the "EQUASS initiative emerged as the most appropriate for implementation in the Greek health care setting, since it addresses a large number of existing problems, [...] and has already been partially applied in the Greek welfare sector."

See also

References

  1. ↑ EQUASS website, www.equass.be, accessed on 26/08/2013.
  2. ↑ European Platform for Rehabilitation website, http://www.epr.eu/, accessed on 26/08/2013.
  3. ↑ EPR Annual report 2002 accessed on 18/09/2013.
  4. ↑ EPR Annual report 2001 accessed on 18/09/2013.
  5. ↑ Brigitte van Lierop, May 2003, "Een europees kwaliteitskeurmerk voor re-integratiebedrijven", Maandblad Re-integratie
  6. ↑ EPR Annual report 2003
  7. ↑ EQUASS NewsFlash, September 2008, Issue n°1 accessed on 18/09/2013.
  8. ↑ Guus van Beek and Brigitte van Lierop, July - August 2009, "EQUASS: Europese kwaliteitscertificering in de sociale sector", Maandblad Re-integratie, pages 12-15
  9. ↑ Common Quality Framework , accessed on 28/08/2013.
  10. ↑ Prometheus Project
  11. ↑ EQUASS Annual Report 2012 accessed on 18/09/2013.
  12. ↑ Social Protection Committee, October 2010, "A voluntary European Quality Framework for Social Services" , accessed on 28/08/2013.
  13. ↑ Karolina Krzystek, 2012, "What is Quality in the Sector of Services Working with Homeless People?", Homeless in Europe, Spring 2012 edition, Made to Measure? Quality in Social Services from the Perspective of Services Working with Homeless People, page 5,
  14. ↑ Guus van Beek, "Common Quality Framework for Social Services of General Interest", June 2010, Brussels
  15. ↑ Guus van Beek, 2012, "EQUASS: European Quality in Social Services and its Relevance for Homeless Services", Homeless in Europe, pages 18-20, Spring 2012 edition, Made to Measure? Quality in Social Services from the Perspective of Services Working with Homeless People,
  16. ↑ European Quality Assurance Reference Framework for VET (now EQAVET): , accessed on 28/08/2013.
  17. ↑ Guus Van Beek, December 2011, "Quality approaches in social services at the European Level"
  18. ↑ Jurij Švajger, June 2011, "Uvedba sistemov in orodij za obvladovanje kakovosti v zdravstveno organizacijo", Slovensko združenje za kakovost in odličnost: Kakovost n°2, , accessed on 18/09/2013.
  19. ↑ Guus van Beek, 2012, "Qualidade e certificação - Qualificação dos serviços sociais", AFID Diferença Magazine nº16, Pages 10 to 14 , accessed on 18/09/2013.
  20. ↑ "Europas beste attføringsbedrift", Norwegian Labour and Welfare Service (NAV), 7 December 2009, accessed on 18/09/2013.
  21. ↑ ranablad.no, 24 February 2012, Geir Vea, "Brapro godkjent av EU" accessed on 18/09/2013.
  22. ↑ Irish Independent, 8 February 2012, "Learning Network bags Quality award", Wicklow, , accessed on 18/09/2013
  23. ↑ Kilkenny People, 13 February 2012, "European award for excellence in social services", , accessed on 18/09/2013
  24. ↑ Offaly Express, 26 January 2013, "RehabCare Tullamore achieves Top European Quality Award", , accessed on 18/09/2013.
  25. ↑ Adevarul, 28 March 2012, Vali Silaghi, "Calitatea serviciilor sociale pentru persoanele cu dizabilităţi, analizată la Timişoara", Timisoara, , accessed on 18/09/2013.
  26. ↑ Vestfold Blad, 11 December 2012, Marte Østmoe, "Trivsel i system" , accessed on 18/09/2013.
  27. ↑ Claude Haas, 2012, "Social Work and Quality Management: A Critical Approach", Homeless in Europe, Spring 2012 edition, Made to Measure? Quality in Social Services from the Perspective of Services Working with Homeless People, page 8, , accessed on 18/09/2013
  28. ↑ Guus van Beek, 2012, "EQUASS: European Quality in Social Services and its Relevance for Homeless Services", Homeless in Europe, pages 18-20, Spring 2012 edition, Made to Measure? Quality in Social Services from the Perspective of Services Working with Homeless People, , accessed on 18/09/2013
  29. ↑ Ian Tilling, 2012, "A Homeless Service Provider’s Involvement in the PROMETHEUS Project, a Quality Assurance Scheme", Homeless in Europe, pages 21-23, Spring 2012 edition, Made to Measure? Quality in Social Services from the Perspective of Services Working with Homeless People, , accessed on 18/09/2013
  30. ↑ "EQUASS og erfaringene med kvalitetssikringsarbeidet til forhåndsgodkjente tiltaksbedrifter", Norwegian Ministry of Labour , accessed on 18/09/2013.
  31. ↑ Programa ARQUIMEDES, "Tipologia de Intervenção 6.4 Qualidade dos Serviços e Organizações", Programa Operacional Potencial Humano, page 9
  32. ↑ Estonian Ministry of Social Affairs, "Public Health Development Plan 2009–2020 - Summary of activity report of 2011", 2011
  33. ↑ Vassilios Dimitriadis, Antonis A. Kousoulis, Adelais Markaki, Markos N. Sgantzos, Alexander Hadjipavlou and Christos Lionis, July 2013, "Quality assessment systems in rehabilitation services for people with a disability in Greece: A critical review", Disability and Health Journal, Volume 6, Issue 3, Pages 157–164, PII: S1936-6574(13)00006-X
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