Welcome to the third issue of the year! This publication is an initiative of the European Quality in Social Services to provide you with regular updates about the most recent developments and achievements of the EQUASS System.
PRIME project final conference
The PRIME project will be completed in October when, on the 24th of October, the partners in project PRIME (project for the implementation of EQAVET) will meet for the last time. The EQUASS unit contributed to the PRIME project by providing the capacity building and tools to use EQUASS as a way of implementing EQAVET.
In this final meeting the following results will be presented:
- Improved quality of their VET services for people with disabilities through the implementation of the EQAVET framework.
- Increased capacity and competences to implement the EQAVET framework in VET through training in self-assessment and internal auditing.
- Increased knowledge through the exchange of experiences in implementing EQAVET framework via interactive workshops and bench learning.
- A cross-reference study that validates EQUASS- Assurance certification program as an effective instrument to implement the EQAVET framework.
All partners ended their EQUASS-Assurance certification program with an external audit. In the final meeting they will also demonstrate their quality assurance approach by using the building blocks of the EQAVET framework.
The EQUASS Core Group and Local Licence Holders’ meeting
The EQUASS Core Group (ECG) and Local Licence Holders’ Summit took place on 25 and 26 September 2013 at the EPR secretariat in Brussels. The meeting’s agenda included presentation of the latest developments within EQUASS as well as introduction to the upcoming quality project – DESQUAL. The issue of the audit report format was addressed followed by a discussion on the introduction of the new EQUASS Accredited Consultancy training. The LLH present at the meeting (Norway and Germany) discussed challenges and opportunities they face in their respective countries. Future wise, LLHs and ECG exchanged their thoughts on the prospective EQUASS Strategy 2014-2016.
EQUASS Consultancy in Singapore
This summer, EQUASS finished phase one of a programme to support Bizlink, a disability service provider in Singapore, in their implementation of EQUASS Assurance. EQUASS expert Michael Crowley visited the Bizlink offices in Singapore in order to facilitate a consensus meeting with their representatives in July of 2013, providing a profile of Bizlink's performance against each criterion of EQUASS Assurance.
Bizlink is a Singaporean non-profit provider for vocational assessment, job placement and sheltered workshop services, and they have been active since 1985. Its vocational assessment division decided in 2012 to go for the EQUASS Assurance certification, and EQUASS provided a plan for the implementation of the quality assurance model, with an audit by the end of 2014. This would be the first EQUASS certification outside of Europe.
DESQUAL kick-off meeting
DEQUASS has been selected to provide a trainer and expertise for the next two years (Oct 2013 – Oct 2015) under the DeSqual project (Development of Sustainable Quality assurance in VET) in order to provide a curriculum and trainings on how to generate a quality culture in disability services provision. This project is a collaboration of 4 quality assurance organisations and 10 social service providers / VET providers for people with disabilities who will pilot a new developed training program for achieving sustainable quality assurance.
With an EQUASS quality assurance certificate as a starting point, partners will develop a training program that focusses on individual quality behaviour and quality awareness of professionals and quality culture in the organisation. In this way project DeSqual will contribute to the sustainable implementation of EQAVET requirements in their quality system. The kick-off meeting will take place on the 23rd and 24th October in Brussels.
EQUASS new website
In October 2013 EQUASS has launched its own website. While the contents for the most part correspond to the previous EQUASS website hosted on the EPR page, currently the information is conveniently spread out, expanded and freely displayed on an independent EQUASS page. Aside from the sections already accounted for on the EPR web space, the fresh looking website is in addition featuring separate sections for auditors and audits, news, latest news, the awarding committee, quality control, how to apply, awarding ceremonies and EQUASS secretariat. Another innovation entails separate pages for each Local Licence Holder (LLH). Latest events, news and publications are displayed on the right-hand-side of every article.
The new website also includes databases of Assurance and Excellence certified organisations as well as imbedded links to certified organisations’ publications. The EQUASS brochure is now available in 11 European languages under the Publications section. Apart from the rewarding improvements in sitemap management, graphics-wise the independent website has allowed us space for displaying flashing galleries along with quotations and interactive maps. We are also proud to say that the website is fully accessible and social media linked.
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