Presentation given by Jan Spooren, EPR, Belgium at a FEANTSA Conference on "Quality in Social Services from the Perspective of Services Working with Homeless People", Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, 2011

1. Promoting quality through
voluntary assurance systems
Workshop at European Conference on quality of services
Luxembourg-Bonnevoi, 21 October 2011
Jan Spooren, Secretary General EPR
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2. The need for a European approach to quality
Financial pressure Increased competition
 Shrinking of welfare state  Tendering mechanisms
 Emphasis on cost-effectiveness  More service-providers on market
 Quantitative outputs prevail  Low price prevails on quality
on quality
Importance of a
European
Quality Framework
Transnational services Enlargement of EU
 Different national standards  Some new member states with
 Unknown service providers different level
 Intensive exchange of best practice
 Clients need guarantees
 Reference framework for innovation
and continuous improvement
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3. The approach towards a European quality system
Sectoral stakeholder involvement Principles and indicators
 Multi-perspective approach  Flexibility: cross-national application
 Cross-European bottom-up approach  Continuous improvement
 Credibility  Systematic and coherent framework
Key assets of a
European
Quality System
Realistic Respect for local context
 Feasible threshold  Use of local language
 Acceptable cost  Local auditors
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4. EQUASS concept of quality
Sector-specific quality framework
Multi stakeholder approach
Non-prescriptive
Measurable
Self-evaluation + external verification
European quality requirements

5. EQUASS dissemination
Norway
The Netherlands
Norway (2007)
Germany
Germany (2009)
Ireland
Ireland (2008)
France
Portugal (2009) Finland
Lithuania (2010) Portugal
Slovenia (2010) Greece
Sweden (2012?) Hungary
Estonia (2011) Lithuania
Slovenia
EQUASS Licence Holders Denmark EQUASS Certification
Romania
Dissemination 2009 2010 2011
Organisations with EQUASS certification 60 151 320
Sites 116 236 450
European Countries with EQUASS certifications 10 13 14
Auditors 75 113 120

6. Rights
Ethics
Person centred
Holistic approach
Market leadership
Management of Quality Product
leadership
Human Resources Participation
Good Governance Quality of life
Inclusion
Results Partnership
Resource management Process Management Systematic improvement

7. CSFs for introducing a quality system
 Stakeholder involvement and ownership
 Stakeholder consultations
 Representation in permanent quality committee
 Capacity building to operate the quality assessment system
 Training of assessors
 Development of procedures and administrative system
 Train service providers
 Initial training and benchmarking
 Assessors rather than inspectors
 Transition arrangements
 Incentive for compliant service providers
 Condition for license or funding (accreditation system)
 Recognition of best practice (mark system)

8. Trapped system
Rights
Ethics
Staff / professionals
Partnership
Leadership
Participation
Person centred
Comprehensiveness

9. EQUASS: Benefits for all stakeholders
Service users
 Guaranteed minimum quality
 Informed choice
 Tailor-made and personalised service
 Focus on results for service-user
Service providers
 Proof of quality of services
 Strengthen market position
 Benchmarking
 Continuous improvement
Public Authorities
 Not re-invent the wheel
 Accountability for allocation of resources
 Conformity with European key documents
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 Credibility and feasibility

10. EQUASS applicable to homeless services?
 Respect principles and criteria, but define some other
indicators + develop an explanatory manual
 Involve specific sectoral stakeholders from homeless sector
 Involve EQUASS unit as partner for capacity building
 Obtain project funding to initiate the process