TCS is delighted to announce our sign up to the ‘Driving up Quality’ initiative
We are proud to be apart of the 'Driving up Quality' initiative to support our clients and their families at Thornbury Community Services (TCS). Our Quality Assurance Lead, Rhiannon Thompson is delivering the initiative to ensure we strive to deliver world-class care to our clients.
"At Thornbury Community Services, we aim to provide world-class care to our clients. The 'Driving up Quality' initiative is important in helping us meet that goal. It creates a gold standard to work towards and encourages us to listen to the people we support and personalise their care. The initiative allows us to not be afraid to change and improve things that aren't good enough whilst ensuring we are consistent in everything we do."
Rhiannon Thompson
Quality Assurance Lead
What is the ‘Driving up Quality' initiative and its purpose?
The 'Driving up Quality' initiative is a set of standards outlined in the ‘Driving up Quality’ code, created for providers to sign up to as a way to help support people with learning disabilities and autism. The code is part of the alliance's promise to ensure that the failings highlighted at Winterbourne view will not happen again.
The alliance consists of key provider stakeholders, such as the Housing and Support Alliance, Voluntary Organisations Disability Group and Association for Real Change.
The ‘Driving up Quality’ Code
The code is voluntary, and all providers will sign up publicly and provide evidence of how they have met or are working towards the code’s requirements. There is a self-assessment tool available for providers to assess themselves, and they will be encouraged to use ‘Experts by Experience’ to verify their self-assessments.
The five factors that make up the ‘Driving up Quality' code are:
- 'To drive up quality in services for people with learning disabilities that goes beyond minimum standards'
- 'To create and build a passion in the learning disability sector to provide high quality, values-led service'
- 'To provide a clear message to the sector and the wider population about what is and what is not acceptable practice'
- 'To promote a culture of openness and honesty in organisations'
- 'To promote the celebration and sharing of the good work that is already out there'
What does the ‘Driving up Quality' Initiative mean for TCS?
TCS is committed to the ‘Driving up Quality’ code and is dedicated to following the code's fundamental practices, behaviours and principles.
We will be completing a self-assessment against the code annually to ensure we are achieving or working towards all of the five key areas.
Our Quality Assurance Lead, Rhiannon, will be carrying out the self-assessment and leading on the initiative to ensure we are staying true to our commitment to further enhance holistic person-centred care.
How are we meeting the 'Driving Up Quality' Code?
- TCS will develop an internal Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) Pathway to ensure our clients who present behaviours that challenge receive a consistent service that meets the standards set out in the PBS competency framework. The first level of the pathway is dedicated to assessing, planning and supporting clients to maintain or improve their quality of life.
- Provide additional training for Clinical Leads. Our Clinical Leads will complete a course in Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) to ensure they have the necessary skills to support our clients at TCS.
- Complete an application for the Autism Accreditation. This accreditation is the UK's only autism-specific quality assurance programme of support and development for all those providing services to autistic people. It will be a way for TCS to show we can offer exceptional person-centred care and support to children and adults with autism.
- Creation and development of a client focus group to ensure more involvement from our clients who use our service. The focus group will be involved in the decisions we make at TCS.