Clients and staff came together on 23 May at Kirkdale House to celebrate the achievement of receiving the Quality Assessment Framework (QAF) Level A, validated by Sitra, who are the custodians of supporting people QAF accreditation. It was an occasion to distinguish how hard everyone had worked to receive this highest possible national quality standard for performance in the supporting people and supported housing sector. The QAF is a tool to assess quality, policy, best practice and excellence of a service and deliverables. Level A is challenging to achieve and means “excellence”, which is associated with providers striving to be leaders in their field.
The director of the company offered words of encouragement to everyone for Apax being awarded as a provider that is recognised for this accolade. He went on to explain that with this recognition comes the very important responsibility of continuing the company’s efforts to innovate and employ approaches that best enable the independence and inclusion of vulnerable adults.
Clients assisted in organising and preparing everything for the celebration and one of the residents provided delicious hand-made cakes. It was an afternoon of activities, fun games and lots of refreshments! Going through the QAF validation process has enabled Apax to not only identify their strengths and merits but also demonstrates what can be accomplished when residents and staff work together and strive for excellence in a shared learning environment.
SC who was at the QAF Level A celebration has said:
“Apax has been a massive support on my road to recovery. I felt very privileged to be a part of this organisation. They helped me to gain the skills I needed to move on with my life and to be in a position where I am able to live independently and become involved in Apax in a different way. I’ll always be grateful for all the support the staff at Apax continue to provide to me. I think of them as family and hope that more people can benefit from their wonderful service and support.”
For full details about the QAF and what it means please click here.