Some regulator/purchasers require voluntary and community organisations to have specific quality standards in place or to be certificated. Two such examples are provided below:

The Community Legal Service (CLS) Quality Mark

This standard has been specifically designed for organisations providing legal information and advice to the public. It is produced and audited by the Legal Services Commission. The LSC has provided funding for appropriate organisations to come together at the local level to assess the needs of local communities and to ensure that suitable provision is available to meet them. To receive funding from these partnerships, services need to have the appropriate Quality Mark for their service. The Quality Mark has different levels to choose from depending on the information, advice and help offered by the organisation. Each organisation applies at the level best suited to their services and is reviewed by an auditor. All members of the Community Legal Service must reach a minimum required standard. The Quality Mark is still relatively new, and is therefore still evolving. There are plans to integrate an outcomes approach into the Quality Mark, which at the moment is considered overly concerned with inputs and process.

Find out more here: www.clsdirect.org.uk/about/quality.jsp

Supporting People Certification

Supporting People is an approach to funding the support costs in housing projects for, for example, ex-homeless people needing help with resettlement or people with drug and alcohol problems. Previously these costs were met through housing benefit. Under the new system local housing, social care, health providers and the probation service come together to commission services. All providers have to be accredited and Supporting People has its own certification criteria.

A large number of providers will automatically be 'passported' on all or some of the certification criteria. This is because certification by another recognised body will count towards certification for Supporting People. For example, all registered housing associations will be automatically certificated because they are subject to Housing Corporation regulation. A provider who has Investors in People (IiP) or Charter Mark status may be considered to have certification for the personnel section of the Supporting People certification.

Find out more information: contact the Supporting People team at your local council.