Scottish National Standards for Information and Advice Providers: a quality assurance framework

2. Standards for Planning

These Standards aim to ensure that all members of the community have access to high quality information and advice. The planning of services is a key component of developing a quality service.

Standard 2.1

All service providers must be clear about the remit of their service and the boundaries of their service.

The effective delivery of a service and the ability of that service to assess its work depends upon the service establishing clear strategic aims and operational objectives.

Indicators for Type I

A statement that identifies the strategic aims and operational objectives for the service that includes:

• why the service is provided;
• who the service is for; and
• the type of service to be provided.

All of those involved in the planning, management and delivery of the service should be able to summarise these aims and objectives.

Indicators for Type II and Type III

A statement that identifies the strategic aims and operational objectives for the service that includes:

• why the service is provided;
• who the service is for;
• the type of service to be provided, including any criteria for selecting different Types of intervention; and
• what each Type of intervention aims to achieve.

All of those involved in the planning, management and delivery of the service should be able to summarise these aims and objectives.

Standard 2.2

All services must undertake a regular exercise to determine the profile of their local community and any special needs that may exist.

Services should be relevant to the needs of the community that they serve.

Indicators for Type I

A community profile should be maintained and updated at least once every two years. It should provide the service with indicators of:

• income deprivation;
• work deprivation; and
• housing deprivation.

The suggested, readily available measures are demographic data on:

• the number of people who are workless and claiming benefit within the service's catchment area;
• the number of households in receipt of Housing Benefit / Council Tax Benefit / Income Support;
• the number of people from minority ethnic communities; and
• the proportion of households in owner occupation, private rented accommodation and social housing.

These may be adjusted depending upon the community that the service aims to target.

Indicators for Type II and Type III

A community profile should be maintained and updated at least once every two years. It should provide the service with indicators of:

• income deprivation;
• work deprivation; and
• housing deprivation.

The suggested, readily available measures are demographic data on:

• the number of people who are workless and claiming benefit within the service's catchment area;
• the number of households in receipt of Housing Benefit / Council Tax Benefit / Income Support;
• the number of people from minority ethnic communities;
• the proportion of households in owner occupation, private rented accommodation and social housing;
• the number of people over 60;
• the number of lone parent families;
• the number of people with long term limiting illnesses;
• the number of homeless persons;
• the number of single households;
• the number of households lacking two or more basic amenities;
• the number in rent arrears;
• the number in Council Tax arrears;
• the take up of Working Tax Credit;
• the take up of Child Tax Credit; and
• the take up of Pension Credit.

However, these may be adjusted depending upon the community that the service aims to target.

In addition, services should produce an annual statement identifying any specific advice needs anticipated for these communities. This should be incorporated into the Service Plan required in Standard 2.4 (opposite).

Standard 2.3

All service providers must develop long-term plans that cover a period of three to five years.

The maintenance of a quality service that is able to apply its resources in response to local needs is dependent upon that service planning for the future.

Indicators for Type I

• An outline forward plan or strategy document that anticipates future resources and service patterns

This should be supported by evidence that those responsible for the planning and management of the service monitor the service against this plan at least annually. This might be evidenced, for example, by management committee minutes.

* CAS Membership Conditions and SQMS

Indicators for Type II and Type III

An outline forward plan or strategy document that anticipates future resources and service patterns. This should include:

• estimates of future need; and
• consideration of the availability of other services in the locality.

This should be supported by evidence that those responsible for the planning and management of the service monitor the service against this plan at least annually. This might be evidenced, for example, by management committee minutes.

* CAS Membership Conditions and SQMS

Standard 2.4

All services must produce an annual service plan that seeks to ensure the best match between the needs of service users and the resources available to provide the service.

The effective delivery of services is greatly assisted by the careful planning of services.

Indicators for Type I

An annual service plan should be produced which:

• identifies current resources;
• identifies the service that will be provided, including location, and hours of operation; and
• identifies the service's relationship with other service providers in their locality.

This should be supported by evidence that those responsible for the planning and management of the service monitor the service against this plan at least once every six months. This might be evidenced, for example, by management committee minutes.

The service plan should be summarised and available to service users and potential service users.

Indicators for Type II and Type III

An annual service plan should be produced which:

• identifies current resources;
• identifies the service that will be provided, including location, and hours of operation;
• specifies methods of service delivery including office based, surgeries, home visits, telephone enquiries, and so on;
• identifies the estimated number of service users by Type I, Type II and Type III; and
• identifies the service's relationship with other service providers in their locality.

This should be supported by evidence that those responsible for the planning and management of the service monitor the service against this plan at least once every three months. This might be evidenced, for example, by management committee minutes.

The service plan should be summarised and available to service users and potential service users.

Standard 2.5

All services must regularly review their work against the aims and objectives for their service and make the results of these reviews available in a publicly accessible format at least once a year.

The maintenance of a quality service requires that those providing the service monitor and evaluate their work and integrate any findings into the future development of their service. All services complying with Standards 2.1 to 2.2 (pages 16 to 17) should have developed mechanisms for review. This standard seeks to ensure that services are accountable in their planning and review to their stakeholders.

Indicators for Type I, Type II and Type III

• Documented evidence of collation of service statistics, analysis and consideration by those responsible for planning the service;
• Documentation available on public accessibility of this information (for example, inclusion in Annual Report, Service Review, and so on).

Standard 2.6

All services must be subject to regular independent review and/or evaluation.

Reviews or evaluations are tools for ensuring the relevance, efficiency and effectiveness of a service. They are an essential management tool to ensure the ongoing development of a quality service and provide means of demonstrating an agency's competence to the public and other stakeholders.

Indicators for Type I, Type II and Type III

• An independently conducted review or evaluation, commissioned either internally or externally, should be undertaken at least once every three years.