Driving Up Quality at Optalis

Optalis is pleased to announce that we have signed up to a new initiative called the Driving Up Quality Code to ensure we aim beyond minimum standards to improve the lives of people with a learning disability, to whom we provide care and support.

The Driving up Quality Code has been developed by members of the Driving Up Quality Alliance, a steering group of representatives from provider organisations chaired by the Housing and Support Alliance.

The Driving up Quality Code sets out five key areas that indicate the practices of a good organisation:

1. Support is focused on the person
2. The person is supported to have an ordinary and meaningful life
3. Care and support focuses on people being happy and having a good quality of life
4. A good culture is important to the organisation
5. Managers and board members lead and run the organisation well.

We'll be asked to self-assess against the code on an annual basis, and there will be a mechanism for anyone to challenge us, as a provider. Health and Social Care Commissioners will be encouraged to sign up to the code to say that they will use it in their commissioning processes and work with providers who have adopted the code.

The self assessment has been set out deliberately to encourage organisations to think more carefully about how they operate and avoid a tick box approach.

Managing Director Andrew Pickup said: "Optalis are pleased to have signed up to the Driving Up Quality Code and show our public commitment to improving the lives of people with Learning Disabilities. It is important for provider organisations to help move the code forward and bring about real change in the way services are provided, to provide people with Learning Disabilities with the lives they want to live."

Our Action Plan is now available to download

For more information, please see: www.drivingupquality.org.uk