Quality Mark Agreement

The Housing Justice Quality Assessment Framework exists to promote best practice in the service provided to guests. The content of the final report by Housing Justice is intended as guidance relating to areas where the assessment has identified best practice changes that can be safely implemented by the project to improve this service. Projects assume full responsibility for the content and execution of all policies, procedures, and risk assessments.

Housing Justice will check that you have relevant policies, procedures and risk assessments and discuss with you how you drafted them. We can in some cases provide model policies to assist you. However, although we review and provide feedback on the content, we do not assess that they are legally compliant. The Quality Assessment Framework exercise does not guarantee that policies, procedures or risk assessments are compliant with all relevant legislation – this is something that trustees of your organisation are responsible for.

Housing Justice will:

• Assign an evaluator with the required experience and knowledge.
• Give clear guidelines to the process involved, sending out the criteria beforehand.
• Agree a convenient time in advance for the submission of the paperwork, the project interviews and the subsequent visit.
• Respect Guests and Volunteers, and carry out project visits in a sensitive manner.
• Write a clear report detailing areas where improvement is needed along with strengths, marking based on the assessment criteria once all the evidence from the emergency accommodation project is gathered.
• Give further recommendations of improvements when necessary and offer continued support to implement the actions outlined in the report.

The Emergency Accommodation project will:

• Ensure both Trustees and Key Staff are informed and committed to undertake the Quality Assessment Framework exercise.
• Give a named lead for the project (Trustee/Chief Officer/Project Manager).
• Send the documents requested by the date agreed together.
• Ensure that, at the visit, any further supporting evidence discussed during the preliminary interview can be validated.
• Ensure that the project is open at the time of the visit.
• Take responsibility for improvements that need to be made, working to complete any recommendations of the Quality Assessment exercise.
• Complete the feedback process to help us improve what we are doing.