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Essential information if you are thinking about undertaking the Quality in Befriending Award.
“Befriending Networks has always been very supportive and spent time with me speaking about our service in view to completing the initial application form and applying for the Quality in Befriending award."
—The London Irish Centre
Benefits of achieving the Quality Award
- Increase the confidence of potential referrers, befriendees and befrienders as well as funders, commissioners and other stakeholders
- Review and reflect upon all aspects of the services you manage
- Receive a ‘health check’ and suggestions on how you can continue to develop the quality of your service
- Achieve a certificate and gain use of the Quality Award logo
- A full year free membership of Befriending Networks
What the Quality Award Requires
The Quality Award assesses 7 areas of practice: 1) The service 2) Policies and Procedures 3) Staff Management 4) Monitoring and Evaluation 5) Befriendee Journey 6) Befriender Journey 7) Matching and Ending
Each practice area is assessed against a series of indicators, which need to be evidenced through documents, policies, interviews and case studies. All 61 indicators must be met to achieve the Quality Award, and a further set of 23 indicators must be met to achieve the Excellence accreditation.
Services have 6 months to complete the evidencing process, which is undertaken via both online and site remote visits. The whole process will be supported throughout by their named assessor.
Here is what Quality Award holders have to say about the process
You are eligible if your service...
- Works with vulnerable or isolated people
- Has befrienders who work in a primarily befriending role (i.e. not primarily as advocates, carers, advisors, personal assistants, shoppers, counsellors, DIY helpers, etc.)
- Has completed at least one full cycle of work before registering (i.e. referrals and assessments, recruitment, training and matching of volunteer befrienders, providing support to both parties, reviewing matches and have considered how to manage endings if not yet experienced any)
- Has funding in place to continue for at least the next 12 months or has submitted a funding applications to enable this to happen
- Complies with Befriending Networks ‘Running a befriending service The Good Practice guide' (page 9) guidelines on service capacity recommendations
- Is a member of Befriending Networks and will remain so throughout the 3 year award period
Ready to Apply for the Quality Award? Information Download and Read: What is the Quality Award?
