Auditing Service Quality in Residential and Supported Housing Services: Creating Conditions for Service Improvement

Abstract

It is essential that the quality of residential services is monitored, both to identify service deterioration and to improve service quality. Current models of community services have produced fragmentation among service providers, and a separation of purchasers and providers. These different groups need to work together to share a vision and a model of good practice. Participation in the auditing of each other's services, and a focus from commissioners on being supportive rather than punitive, assist in this. Audit also enables a view of the strategic challenges which face services to be developed. These challenges include ensuring that staff are skilled in supporting clients to live as ordinary a life as possible, as well as meeting any additional complex needs they may have.

Challenging behaviour in community services

“…The boroughs differed significantly in the way in which services were organized and in their requirements in relation to quality and staff training, for example. The borough where these requirements were highest was also the borough with the least number identified and the least placed out of borough (Joyce & Close 1997). This suggests that services can support people with very difficult behaviour in the community, but also that it requires effective organization to achieve this.…”

Befriending: A Note of Caution

“…These interviews were based on a questionnaire utilising measures from the Circle of Friends and the local Trust's Service Audit (Bringing People Back Home, 1989) (reported by Joyce & Close, 1998). The interviews focused on the service users' social networks and their participation in activities in the community.…”

“…To ascertain the service users' existing social networks, interviews were held with a named staff member for each service user, prior to the befriending volunteers being introduced. These interviews were based on a questionnaire utilising measures from the Circle of Friends and the local Trust's Service Audit (Bringing People Back Home, 1989) (reported by Joyce & Close, 1998). The interviews focused on the service users' social networks and their participation in activities in the community.…”

Reflections on Developing and Managing Community Services for People with Learning Disabilities

“…More evidence is available on matters omitted from this proposition. Good quality staff support is likely to be related to active support (Ashman, 1997;Emerson & Hatton, 1994), to regular audit/inspection processes (Felce, 1996;Joyce & Close, 1997) and, especially for people with severe learning disabilities, to high levels of technical skill in staff (Hogg, 1998).…”