PRIME final conference
On 24 October 2013 the PRIME project partners met for a final conference to reflect upon the 2 years of work.
DeSqual Project
On October 23 and 24 the partners in project DeSqual (Development of Sustainable Quality assurance in VET) met for the kick-off of their new project.
This project is a collaboration of 4 Quality assurance expert 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 start partners will develop a training program that focusses on individual quality behavior 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.
Project website: www.desqual-leonardo.eu
Tentative timeline of the project:
Meeting 1: Kick-off meeting in Brussels, Belgium - 23-24 October 2013
Host: REA college Pluryn
Meeting 2: Training / curriculum design in Lisbon, Portugal - 17-18 February 2014
Host: SINASE
Meeting 3: Selection training materials in Olsberg, Germany - 2-3 June 2014
Host: Josefsheim Bigge gGmbH
Meeting 4: Training (Train the Trainers) in Valladolid, Spain -15-17 September 2014
Host: INTRAS
Meeting 5: Training (Train the Trainers) and calibration / bench learning in Tallinn, Estonia 12-13 January 2015
Host: Astangu VRC
Meeting 6: Follow up meeting at EPR-Annual Conference June 2015 (Location TBD)
Host: TBD
Meeting 7: Final Conference in Nijmegen, The Netherlands - 28-29 September 2015
Host: REA college Pluryn
For more information, plase contact Marie Dubost at marie.dubost@epr.eu or the EPR secretariat at +32 (0)2 736 54 44
PRIME project
The PRIME project, led by RCN Pluryn in the Netherlands, started in November 2011 and will run until the end of 2013. The PRIME project, short for PRoject for IMplementation of Equavet, is funded under the Lifelong Learning Programme of the DG Education and Culture of the European Commission.It is a Leonardo da Vinci Transfer of Innovation Action project.
The project aims to use EQUASS as a tool for the implementation on the EQAVET framework for quality in the provision of Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Europe. The project's first phase involves cross-referencing the EQUASS and EQAVET principles and frameworks, identifying discrepancies, and providing the necessary adaptations.
For more information and to follow the latest developments, visit the project website.
Project partners
Pluryn (NL) - project leader
Opera Don Calabria (IT)
BBW Adolf Aich gGmbH (DE)
CENTERKONTURA (SI)
Vilnius Centre for Psychosocial Rehabilitation (LT)
RCN-Heliomare (NL)
RCN Bartimeus (NL)
RehabCare (IE) provides the quality control of the project implementation.
EPR/EQUASS (BE), as owner of the EQUASS system, contributes as a subcontractor, and provides knowledge and expertise to the project.
Publications
Cross-reference study on EQAVET
EQUASS Certification: a tool for VET providers to show compliance with the EQARF for VET
Prometheus Conference Presentations
Session 1: Defining Quality of Social Services of General Interest (SSGI)
The work of the Social Protection Committee (SPC) to develop a European Quality Framework for social services
Davor Dominkus ,Chairman of the informal SPC working group on social services quality
The Common Quality Framework for SSGI developed within the Prometheus project
Guus van Beek, Prometheus Project Manager, European Platform for Rehabilitation – EPR
Forum discussion - Questions Overview
Concetta Cultrera (EC), Davor Dominkus (SPC), Dirk Jarré (SP) and Elena Curtopassi (ENSA) (Facilitator: Jan Spooren)
Session 2 – Assessing quality of Social Services of General Interest
The challenge of measuring Quality in Social Services
Michael Crowley, Business Excellence Executive, Rehab Group
Opportunities and risks of implementing the Common Quality Framework on SSGIs
Freek Spinnewijn, Director, FEANTSA – European Federation of National Organisations working with the Homeless
Applying EQUASS to different social services - Approach and methodology
Dinis Mota, CRPG
Experience from the pilots 4 parallel sessions
Child care service in Belluno , Veneto Region (IT)
EQUASS for Childcare Services: Maribakkane Barnehage & Rønningen Barnehage , GREP (NO)
Mental Health: ASSOL a pilot site experience (PT - CRPG)
Session 3: Improving Quality of Social Services of General Interest (SSGI)
Self-evaluation as a cornerstone for continuous improvement
Guus van Beek, Prometheus Project Manager, European Platform for Rehabilitation – EPR
Benchmarking and bench learning within the Common Quality Framework for SSGI
Karl-Wiggo Jensen, Durapart AS Norway
Overview of existing quality tools and initiatives in European Countries
Richard Polacek, Independent Consultant
EQUABENCH Project
EQUABENCH
Benchmarking European Excellence
In October 2008, the EQUABENCH project brought together eight vocational, education and training (VET) organisations with a proven track record in innovation and continuous improvement. Partner organisations from Italy, Slovenia, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Belgium, Germany, Portugal and the Netherlands will follow a two year work programme to share expertise and best business practice at workshops, benchmarking activities and dissemination events. EQUABENCH is supported by the European Leonardo da Vinci Transfer of Innovation programme via the UK's National Agency Ecotec.
Aim
By establishing a network of European VET organisations EQUABENCH aims to facilitate the import and export of best business practice in order to improve the quality of training for people who have a disability or other form of disadvantage.
Outputs
EQUABENCH will identify and adapt the innovative quality practice of network members and will use this to produce six Innovative Practice Guides structured around the EFQM fundamental concepts of Excellence. The Guides will be freely available to all VET organisations across Europe. In addition, each network member will import and apply at least one innovative aspect of best practice with in their organisation.
The work undertaken by EQUABENCH will pave the way for any European VET organisation to address quality assurance issues in a business focused, results orientated manner and will provide a vital resource for any organisation seeking to pursue an internationally recognised quality standard.
Innovative Practice Guide
Leadership and Constancy of Purpose
Management by Processes and Facts
People Development and Involvement
Continuous Learning, Innovation and Improvement
Project evaluation
List of Partners
The Cedar Foundation, United Kingdom
Centro de Reabilitação Profissional de Gaia, Portugal
Centro Studi Opera Don Calabria, Italy
European Platform for Rehabilitation, Belgium
University Rehabilitation Institute, Republic of Slovenia
National Learning Network, Ireland
Pluryn Arbeid, The Netherlands
To know more about the EQUABENCH project, read the project flyer.