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

Standard 1.1

All service providers must have clear management structures that identify the roles and responsibilities of all post holders involved in the planning, management and delivery of the service

Standard 1.2

All standard office procedures must be documented

Standard 1.3

All service providers must have robust systems for financial management

Standard 1.4

There must be clear lines of internal communication

Standard 1.5

Each service provider must be able to demonstrate that it is complying with all relevant general legislation

Standard 2.1

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

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

Standard 2.3

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

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

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

Standard 2.6

All services must be subject to regular independent review and evaluation

Standard 3.1

All service providers must be committed to providing equity of access to services for all

Standard 3.2

All service providers must have a clear commitment to treat service users with respect and be clear about any expectations of behaviour they have of service users

Standard 3.3

All service providers must have procedures to review their premises at least once every three years

Standard 3.4

All service providers must regularly review the methods of delivery for their service to ensure both accessibility and the effective use of resources

Standard 3.5

All service providers must regularly review their hours of service to ensure that these meet the needs of their current and potential service users

Standard 3.6

All service providers must ensure that potential service users are aware of the service that is provided

Standard 3.7

All service providers must be able to provide information in a range of formats and community languages that are appropriate to the needs of disabled people and the local community

Standard 3.8

Services must not disadvantage users whose first language is not English. All Type II and Type III services must have access to interpreters in appropriate languages and clear procedures for the use of interpreters

Standard 3.9

All service providers must have effective and appropriate policies on confidentiality and access to information

Standard 3.10

Service providers must have procedures for the safe maintenance of files and for file destruction

Standard 3.11

Service providers must have an effective complaints procedure and adequate insurance to provide rights of redress

Standard 3.12

All service providers must have procedures that actively encourage feedback from service users

Standard 4.1

All service providers must provide an independent service that can represent the interests of its service users

Standard 4.2

All services must have arrangements to ensure that their service has access to up to date reference materials and appropriate journals

Standard 4.3

All service providers must maintain regular contact and liaison with other providers in their locality. Referral agreements must be established between agencies to ensure that service users receive a consistent and seamless service

Standard 4.4

Type II and Type III services must have systems that ensure that service user information and case files are well organised

Standard 4.5

Type II and Type III services must have a case-work procedure that can be applied consistently to all service users

Standard 4.6

Type II and Type III services must ensure that the case work files of individual advisers are subject to suitably qualified, independent review

Standard 4.7

All service providers must have robust means of recording service wide activity and service use

Standard 5.1

All service providers must have a clear commitment to equal opportunities in employment practice

Standard 5.2

All service providers must ensure that they have systems to identify the skills and knowledge required to meet users' needs and the procedures to match these requirements with staff and volunteers delivering the service

Standard 5.3

All service providers must ensure that those delivering the service are provided with adequate training and development

Standard 5.4

All service providers must ensure that all staff involved in delivering the service have core competences before they advise the public

Standard 5.5

All service providers must ensure that all cases are dealt with by an adviser competent in that area of law

Standard 5.6

All service providers must ensure that all information and advice work is supervised by a suitably qualified individual, either from within or outwith the service

Standard 5.7

All service providers must ensure that they understand the work of other relevant agencies in their localities

Standard 6.1

All service providers must have premises that ensure that the service can be accessible to all members of the community and meets the needs of service users

Standard 6.2

Service providers must pay sufficient attention to human resource planning to maintain service outputs and inform future planning

Standard 6.3

All services must be able to demonstrate that their annual budget (Standard 1.3) is sufficient to resource the requirements of these Standards and sufficient to resource the commitments established in the Service Plan (Standard 2.4)