The purpose of the Quality Assurance Policy is to ensure such continuous improvement through a process of self-evaluation and action planning. The Quality Assurance Policy and associated procedures will involve all employees and. The management of the process will be through the existing organisational structure. Line managers will initiate procedures within their teams and collate and agree action plans which will help form both individual and corporate development plans.

Healthy Dialogues aims to:

• Ensure all equality of opportunity is maintained for all employees and clients.
• Ensure that all trainees work is fairly, accurately and regularly moderated in a consistent manner.
• Meet and exceed the requirements placed upon us by our awarding bodies.
• Ensure that valid assessment decisions are reached for all our clients and that external requirements are fully met.
• Support staff in their training and assessment activities by affording them the opportunity to receive constructive supportive feedback, on the assessment decisions reached
• Assess work with integrity by being consistent and transparent in our Assessment and IQA judgements and processes so that the outcomes are fair, reliable and valid.
• Ensure that assessment standards and specifications are implemented fully, so that no risk is posed to the reputation of Healthy Dialogues and that of the awarding bodies.
• Establish quality control and recording mechanisms for assessments through a system of sampling internal verification.
• Provide inclusive person-centred approaches to assessment, and verification that provide opportunities for trainees to achieve and progress.

Process

The quality assurance procedures will be founded in a process of regular self-evaluation by teams in different departments, internal audits and observations, in addition to employer and client feedback.

The quality procedures will seek the views and perceptions of trainees and other stake holders who receive, benefit from and select our training solutions.

Wherever appropriate, the procedures will promote the identification of quality standards and performance indicators against which performance can be measured, evaluated and improved.

Responsibility for Implementation

All staff (managers, trainers and support staff) are responsible for the implementation of the Quality Assurance Policy.

The Quality Assurance Lead is responsible for an annual review of the policy.

It is the responsibility of all to engage positively in that review and ensure implementation.

Quality Assurance Focus

To encourage continuous improvement in the quality of all training programmes and associated development solutions, thereby making learning an enjoyable activity and through this, increasing learner retention and the achievement of learning aims.

To develop and maintain a diverse range of programmes that will be appropriate across the entire public health and health psychology sectors which provide trainees with techniques, processes and structures that will enable them to perform their roles at a higher standard.

To provide information and feedback from all interactions with our clients and trainees that enables continuous updates and improvements to our development solutions.

To establish standards and monitoring procedures for providing a supportive and accessible range of services to all trainees.

Internal Quality Assurance for Healthy Dialogues Employees

To review regularly the performance, training and needs of all employees.

To encourage continual professional development and to offer training and development to individuals from induction and throughout their employment.

To monitor and evaluate performance and developmental needs through regular one to one reviews.

Quality Assurance for Clients and Trainees

Learner feedback will be sought, reviewed and acted upon when relevant to the improvement of the quality of any developmental solution.

Regular reviews with clients will provide feedback that will feed into improvements and changes to our development tools.

The quality of our development programmes is dependent upon trainees applying techniques that we have taught to them once they are back in their workplace. Healthy Dialogues will therefore explore, develop, deliver and support a range of processes that will support and encourage trainees to apply actions stemming from our development solutions. These initiatives will be regularly reviewed.

Actions

The results of the quality control monitoring as stated above, will be used to:

• Action plan for improvement within Healthy Dialogues.
• Highlight issues that need consideration by Healthy Dialogues.
• Feedback on actions taken will be shared with employees.
• Identify new initiatives and solutions that will improve the quality of development that we bring to our clients and service users.

Last reviewed: 7^th February 2024

Next review: 7^th February 2025