Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the Ministry's Accreditation policy?
   
   The Ministry of Children and Family Development (the Ministry) is committed to maximizing the quality of the services delivered on its behalf to the public. Accreditation indicates that the accredited organization has achieved an appropriate level of organizational competence and that it has reliable mechanisms in operation to continually improve the quality of its service delivery.
   
   

   Policy:
   As part of the Ministry’s accountability and quality assurance systems, it is Ministry policy that:

   • third-party accreditation will be required of all contracted service provider organizations with total annual contracts of at least $500,000 with the Ministry wherever an appropriate accrediting body is available;
   • service provider organizations with total contracts with the Ministry of less than $500,000 annually may, upon agreement by the contract spending authority, participate in the accreditation initiative;
   • the Ministry will identify acceptable accrediting bodies;
   • service provider organizations that do not earn the required accreditation by September 30, 2006, or who fail to maintain accreditation, may not be eligible for funding for any additional services and may be subject to contract termination;
   • where no appropriate accrediting body is available, the service provider organization must comply with an audit process identified by the Ministry
   • The Ministry will assist service provider organizations to pay for the direct costs of accreditation and may pay for other costs related to meeting accreditation standards. Contractors that seek accreditation for services/programs that are not funded by the Ministry, do so at their own expense.

   Community Living British Columbia (CLBC) has agreed to apply the Ministry's accreditation policy to all of its service providers with total annual contracts of at least $500,000. See Accreditation of Contractors.

   Procedures:

   • the Contractor, in consultation with the Ministry contract manager(s), will identify which accrediting body or bodies are appropriate for the specific Contractor’s services;
   • where the Ministry has identified at least two acceptable accrediting bodies for a specific type of service, the Contractor may choose which will be used;
   • the Ministry will receive copies of all accreditation site review/survey reports for which it has paid the costs.

   Exceptions:

   • Aboriginal services are exempt from this policy but may participate under the same conditions as non-Aboriginal contractors.
     
     
   Any other exceptions to the policy must be approved in writing by the Ministry executive member responsible for accreditation.
   
   
2. The two approved accrediting bodies that the Ministry utilizes are both based in the US. Why are we not using a Canadian organization?
   
   There is no Canadian accrediting body that can currently meet the Ministry's needs. The services accredited by the bodies chosen have the best match to services provided by the Ministry, the level of detail in standards that we require, and the standards are used by organizations in Canada, USA, Europe, and Australia. CARF Canada has two Canadian offices in Edmonton and Ottawa, and COA has two part-time Canadian staff.
   
   
3. Why don't we develop our own accreditation organization in BC?
   
   While this certainly has appeal, it is in fact a very time consuming and resource-costly process that has not proved all that useful in jurisdictions that have tried it. Purchasing accreditation services from a third party means that we don't have to reinvent the wheel in terms of standards and there is no time lag in the process being accessible.
   
4. Why are we using accreditation instead of other quality assurance processes?
   
   Accreditation is part of a continuum of quality assurance/ improvement activities to which the Ministry/CLBC is committed. Accreditation does not replace all other quality assurance activities, it complements them. While accreditation is clearly valuable, it does not do everything we need in the way of quality assurance/ improvement or general monitoring of performance. There is still a role for the licensing of residential facilities, ongoing monitoring for compliance with the terms of the contract, and addressing issues as they arise.
   
5. I have heard that quality problems can still exist in accredited agencies. Why would I want to participate in accreditation if this is the case?
   
   There is no process or activity that can guarantee quality. Accreditation, like standards and audit, is intended to help organizations understand what constitutes good quality service and be accountable to their funding bodies and consumers. Accreditation should minimize risk once conforming to the standards becomes part of the every day working habits of the people in the organization.
   
6. How will accreditation support us in being accountable for the outcomes and deliverables in our contracts?
   
   Numerous accreditation standards require regular reporting to funding bodies, Boards of Directors, consumers, and the public about various aspects of performance, including financial management, program planning, and service outcomes.
   
7. I am interested in participating but I know I will need assistance to understand what is really required to earn accreditation. What kind of help or support is available to get me started?
   
   The Ministry sponsors accreditation training sessions and a mentor network where service providers experienced in accreditation assist their colleagues in other agencies to prepare for their accreditation survey. Training and mentoring can make preparations for a first accreditation site review/survey easier and quicker.