Quality Assurance Report

This appendix outlines each section of the Hampshire County Youth Service quality assurance framework and sets out an action plan for implementing the framework in full. It is planned to produce the full framework in a ring binder, with each section presented in a user friendly format.

Outline of the County Youth Service Quality Assurance Framework

1. Introduction

1.1 The first section of the framework will indicate the commitment of the Hampshire County Youth Service to providing high quality services directly to young people and in partnership with others. It will indicate our policy and practice guidelines for ensuring that work is consistently of the required standard across the county.

2. The County Youth Service

2.1 For the Hampshire County Youth Service to maintain high quality it needs to be clear about its:

· Aims

· Purpose

· Principles

· Outcomes

· Organisation

· Approaches

· Methods

· Priorities

This section of the framework will set these out in full.

3. Policies

3.1 Hampshire County Youth Service must follow Hampshire County Council corporate and education department policies. In addition the Service has developed specific policies and guidelines where required. This section of the framework will list these policies and highlight the importance of child protection procedures, the curriculum framework and health and safety policies. How to access the policy documents will also be described in this section.

4. Youth work plan

4.1 The Hampshire youth work plan submitted to the Department for Education and Skills through the Government Office for the South East, contains performance targets and indicators. These will be reproduced in this section of the framework and staff will monitor progress against these targets and indicators.

5. Planning, monitoring and evaluation

5.1 Ofsted has noted on a number of occasions the correlation between good youth work and good planning. This section of the framework will indicate how each element of the planning process fits into a coherent whole. Reference will be made to the three year strategic development plan for the county youth service and the annual monitoring of progress and setting of targets.

5.2 This section of the framework will include the templates for district and project plans and the forms and guidelines for: sessional recordings; statistical recordings; financial recordings; budget monitoring; internal self assessment; staff performance review; planning and evaluating short-term pieces of work.

5.3 The annual planning schedule and a quality assurance check-list for projects will also appear in this section.

6. Internal quality assurance processes

6.1 The guidelines, quality standards and associated forms for the following procedures will be included in this section:

· Project self evaluation

· Feedback for a manager or peer visiting a project

· Surveys of young people

· Staff surveys

· Evaluation and inspection by young people

· Internal inspection framework

· Ofsted self-assessment

7. External inspection framework

7.1 Ofsted are currently reviewing their inspection framework for local authority youth services. The framework binder will include an up to date copy of the Ofsted framework which is likely to place a greater emphasis on self-assessment than in the past.

8. Action Plan 2003-04 - Lead officer Ray Barnard, youth service manager.

8.1 The Hampshire County Youth Service planning schedule is already in place as are elements of the internal processes described above. During the whole of the period below the planning schedule will be implemented and the internal processes fully introduced.

October: Consulted with staff and young people about quality assurance framework and complete research with NYA and other authorities.

November: Complete draft of all internal elements of framework.

December: Add new Ofsted framework. Produce QA framework in full and distribute. Review current use of existing procedures and plan any further action required to fully implement.

January/February: District and other team meetings to include implementing framework on their agenda, youth service manager to attend. Plan QA training programme for inclusion in staff development programme. Complete new Ofsted self assessment. Plan internal inspection. Pilot training for young people to inspect and report on quality of projects.

March/April: Complete internal QA inspection. Report outcomes and implement any required action.