My service holds (held) a general help with casework award but we haven't been audited since 2005. Assuming this is the end of the quality mark and assuming the powers-that-be here want to pursue some kind of external quality assessment where do I look?

Is there anything else? Am I wrong to assume the quality mark has had its day?

What next indeed!

Some information has been circulating in out area to say that the Quality Mark will be revamped next year. There will be audits carried out at services which hold general help quality marks, but with a charge attached.

I haven't seen anything to confirm the stories and have yet to receive a response from Community Legal Services despite sending them 2 letters over the last few months.

There are other 'quality marks' such as investors in people, matrix acrediation etc, but nothing as specific as the CLS Quality Mark. That QM was not perfect as it was very much a 'systems' based process which focused much more on the policies/proceedures rather than the advice given, but better than nothing. It is particularly difficult if you have funders who demand an external audit.

If anyone else knows more, I would love to hear from them.

Luckily no external funders, just a senior management which likes external stamps of approval.

Thanks.