Improving Quality

Improving Quality is the quality scheme written to be used both as a self assessment tool as well as external assessment. Its focus is on elements that all not for profit organisations need. Although written to target small organisations, it is equally applicable to larger ones.

Improving Quality is the only sectoral quality mark that covers the work of charities and other organisations: no other assurance award addresses all the essential areas necessary for the effective management and governance of a charity or other third sector organisation.

IQ addresses all the key areas of organisational life in 4 elements

Accountable – Good Governance, Leadership and management
Welcoming – Involving Service users, managing and developing Staff and Volunteers, Equality and Diversity and working with others
Effective – refers to the services that an organisations provides and the planning, delivery, monitoring and evaluation that the organisations carries out
Sustainable – How the organisation manages, risk, money and the resources to make service delivery happen

LWCA

“Undertaking IQ made us stop and take stock of how we worked. It made us examine our practices in a critical way and importantly made sure we engaged all parts of the organisation in our quality journey. As a manager it made me take time to plan rather than firefighting. The whole process was a very positive experience.”

Liz Sunderland

Waterford CIL

"IQ Assessment meant that when it came to completing the Charities Regulator’s Annual Compliance Form, we had everything up to date and at our fingertips, making demonstrating our compliance a straightforward and stress free exercise."

John McDonald

Is IQ Right for your Organisation

Suitable for any small not-for-profit organisation including: Charities Social enterprises Community Benefit Societies Would you like to: better understand what you are doing and why find out what is working and what is not improve your services decide where to

For Funders and Commisioners

Quality standards set out expectations that a good organisation should meet. There are a number of different standards and assessment methods also differ, with some using external assessment and accreditation, whilst others are based entirely on self-assessment. Some of the

Purchase the IQ Pack

IQ is available as either a digital file or a printed pack Digital packs Foundation £20 Progression £20 Combined £35 Printed pack Combined £45 This price includes carriage in the UK To order a pack please email admin@communitymatters.org.uk

IQ in the Republic of Ireland

In the Republic of Ireland IQ is supported by DFI For more information please contact Dermot O’DonnellIQ Irelandemail demot@improvingquality.org.uktel +353 868913667http://www.disability-federation.ie

Events and training

We have developed a number of workshops to support IQ these are currently being dleivered online using Zoom 2024 Free Introduction to improving Quality We are running 3 introduction to IQ workshops this autmn. These workshops take about an hour

Case Studies

North West Parents and Friends Association (NWPFA) North West Parents and Friends Association (NWPFA) is a voluntary Organisation providing person centred services for children and adults with special needs and their families in the West of Ireland. We work towards