Monitoring

S.C.C.T. is accredited with the Autism Services Accreditation Programme. This scheme provides a framework for promoting and maintaining specialised high quality services for children and adults and autistic spectrum disorders.

The Process

The programme is a continuous review and development process. It requires a full service audit every three years that is conducted by an independent multi-disciplinary team experienced in autism. The process involves professionals, parents, and service users and ensures that the service uses agreed standards that are autism focused. Interim audits will be undertaken during the two intervening years. In order to achieve accredited status, the service must focus on development, achievement, improvement and promotion of good practice. The audit process produces follow-up action plans and reports to the Accreditation Committees.

Accreditation Criteria

To achieve accreditation, services must attain the required standard in several different areas, each of which is cross-referenced against the following criteria:

• The service possesses an autism specific body of knowledge.
  
• The body of knowledge consistently informs the work of the individual members of staff.
  
• The body of knowledge consistently informs the work of individual members of staff.
  
• The services effectively identify and respond to the individual needs of each person using the service.
  
• The service will produce an annual development plan in consultation with staff, users and The Board of Trustees.
  

Other Monitoring Systems

In addition to the Accreditation process, the local Inspection Unit conducts bi-annual reviews. All residential services are registered with National Care Standards Commission and are monitored and inspected.

It is also part of the role of S.C.C.T. Managers to monitor and evaluate service performance and to seek to improve quality wherever possible. As part of the on-going support and development process, Managers visit all areas of service regularly and produce evaluation, progress and action reports as appropriate.