Quality Mark

For organisation working with young people, making sure that you have all the right pieces in place to provide quality youth services in your area can be a real challenge. The National Youth Agency has developed a national Framework and Quality Mark to help you develop and then prove that you are providing high quality services and support to young people.

Framework: better outcomes for young people

This is designed for you to use as a self-assessment tool and provides a framework for your organisation to develop and improve its services for young people. The Framework is made up of three strands, which include 11 standards – these cover the key elements of provision of quality services for young people. You can also choose to gather evidence that can be submitted for achievement of the much sought after national Quality Mark.

The framework provides a flexible tool which you can use in a variety of ways:

• As a self assessment tool which can be used across your organisation
• To check monitoring and reviewing procedures
• To improve the quality, impact and outcomes of your organisation
• To encourage organisations to work together
• To work with young people to ensure that their voice is heard.

Policy and strategy	People	Partnerships
Performance management Management information Quality assurance Equality and diversity Curriculum/programme of activities Legal requirements	Personal and social development Involving young people Workforce development	Partnerships Resources.

The scoring system is as follows:

3 Established

2 Aspiring

1 Emerging

Each standard includes an action planning form and after completion of all 11 standards these become the basis of an overall improvement plan for your organisation.

To be eligible to apply for the national Quality Mark you must demonstrate that an established position has been reached for every indicator within the 11 standards.  

Quality Mark: better outcomes for young people

This is a nationally recognised and externally validated process for assessing the quality of the services which organisations and local authorities provide for young people. It recognises that organisations deliver these services in many different ways and is therefore flexible in its approach. The Quality Mark enables you to demonstrate the effectiveness of your delivery.

For those organisations that achieve the Quality Mark award there are clear benefits, which include:

• Providing a clear Indication to external bodies that your organisation has effective performance management, quality assurance and operational practices.
• Demonstrating that local authorities are delivering their statutory duties as set out in Section 507B of the Education Act (1996).
• Proving the quality of your services to commissioning bodies.

Organisations such as Connexions, private sector providers, local authorities and large and small community and voluntary sector organisations have already gained national recognition by achieving our Quality Mark.

Bradford YMCA used the Better Outcomes for Young People: Framework and Quality Mark

Case Study

As a well known national and local provider of a wide range of young people’s services, the National Youth Agency’s assessment team was able to confirm the YMCA’s professionalism and effectiveness at a number of levels. In terms of data management, the team said:

“There was ample evidence of where the systems for collecting data were being utilised appropriately to assess performance and enhance outcomes for young people.”

The national reputation of the YMCA was backed by observations that “the organisation’s commitment to an ethos of inclusivity is very apparent” and that “evidence exists to demonstrate that the Every Child Matters outcomes are embedded throughout the organisation’s curriculum and service delivery”. Overall, the receipt of the national Quality Mark award by this long established voluntary sector provider was confirmed through a process which was seen to be rigorous and objective.

The assessors’ engagement at all levels of the organisation demonstrated that Bradford YMCA has a consistent commitment to continuous improvement.

Quality Mark for Young People's Services - Better Outcomes for Young People is available to purchase now priced at £40.00.  Find out more >>

See also:

• Hear by Right