Advice Quality Standard

New auditing arrangements for the AQS: The Assessment Network ceased auditing the AQS at the end of March 2013 and ASA is currently working on interim auditing arrangements for standard holders. We hope to make a further announcement by the end of May.
(7th May 2013)

 
ASA launches Advice Quality Standard website
 
ASA has launched a new website that explains to advice providers, funders and people looking for advice how the Advice Quality Standard (AQS) can help them.
It features a searchable directory of holders of the AQS and sets out the benefits of holding the Standard and what’s involved in an audit.
www.advicequalitystandard.org.uk
 
Announcement of appointment of Avrom Sherr Chair of the Advice Quality Standard Project Management Committee
 
The Advice Services Alliance is pleased to announce that Avrom Sherr has accepted the role of Chair of the Project Management Committee for the Advice Quality Standard.
 
Avrom Sherr is  Director and Woolf Professor of Legal Education at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and has been the principal architect of the concept and system of competence assessment in publicly funded legal aid work. He also acts as a consultant to government and professional bodies in relation to access to justice and professional training and discipline.
 
ASA is delighted to have this wealth of experience of quality standards in the legal profession applied to the promotion and development of the Advice Quality Standard.
 
Background:
 
In April 2012, ASA took over ownership of the General Help Quality Mark from the Legal Services Commission. It is now known as the Advice Quality Standard.  The Assessment Network (TAN), continue as the auditing and certification body for the standard.
 
The Project Management Committee (PMC) has overall responsibility for overseeing the management of the AQS, which includes:

• Supporting the Project Manager in his/her role of promoting and developing the standard; and managing the auditing contracts.
• Protecting the reputation of the AQS.
• Ensuring the viability of the AQS.
• Approving any development of the standard.

Ida Forster joins the Advice Services Alliance (ASA) as Project Manager for the Advice Quality Stand
 
Ida comes from a background of management roles in the not-for-profit sector. As well as managing a national information and advice service for six years, she has been a grants officer for the Big Lottery Fund, and worked in the compliance section of the Charity Commission. She has worked with ASA before, as Project Manager for their Working Together for Advice Project, and has spent the last year working as a Development Adviser for Age UK, supporting local Age UKs in developing their Information and Advice Services. Ida’s role is to promote the AQS to agencies and to the wider sector, and to develop the standard over time. Ida says ‘I’m delighted to be working with The Assessment Network on promoting the AQS. I look forward to working with advice agencies and funders of advice services to help them to understand how the AQS can demonstrate the quality of advice.’

 
ASA takes over ownership of General Help Quality Mark
 
We are pleased to announce that on 24th April ASA took over ownership of the General Help Quality Mark from the Legal Services Commission. It will now be known as the Advice Quality Standard and the logo will be as shown below.
 


 
We have contracted with the previous auditors of the GQM, The Assessment Network (TAN), to continue as the auditing and certification body for the standard. If you would like to book an audit, you can contact them from their website.
 
http://www.tan.org.uk/advice-quality-standard/enquiries