Offploy's Commitment to Quality Services
In the ever-evolving landscape of the employment and reintegration sector, remaining dedicated to quality assurance and continuous improvement is paramount. Offploy are thrilled to announce that our commitment to excellence has led us to achieve the matrix Standard accreditation - a unique quality standard for organisations within the UK.
Earning this accreditation is a testament to our team’s unwavering dedication and the strength of our ethos. As Jacob Hill, Managing Director of Offploy, rightly puts it,
"This achievement is testament to the incredible work of our team. The dedication shown by Joe, Simon, Bhav, Rik, and the entire Offploy crew to get us over the line is nothing short of amazing."
The journey to this accreditation has been full of learnings and self-improvement. The assessors' feedback provided invaluable insights into our strengths and areas for future development.
Our Strengths: A Testament to Our Approach
The assessors acknowledged the comprehensiveness of our nine-step candidate journey that provides a thorough framework for delivery, irrespective of the context of the candidate's journey. This journey, combined with regular monitoring through distance travelled tools and performance metrics, ensures our candidates receive consistent, high-quality support.
The dual focus on performance and quality, a cornerstone of our operation, was recognised as a key strength. This equilibrium signifies our understanding of the symbiotic relationship between performance and quality. Examples of adjustments made as a result of ongoing monitoring and review reflect our relentless pursuit of continuous improvement.
Our use of technology was commended as it bolsters the capturing and tracking of candidate journeys and enhances communication with candidates and commissioners. This technological integration provides real-time progress reports and enhances our efficiency which was celebrated by one commissioner during the assessment saying that out of 180+ partner organisations, Offploy’s communication is by far the best.
Our partners' appreciation of our work speaks volumes about our commitment and delivery. One partner commented, "It’s been absolutely priceless. What they have done, which has been phenomenal, gives people hope of a brighter future... Treating everyone as an individual, not defining them by what has happened in the past.”
Finally, the passion and commitment of our staff - ranging from newcomers to veterans - form the bedrock of our organisation. It's their belief in our mission that helps drive our success.
Our Path to Continuous Improvement
While we celebrate our achievements, we also welcome the assessment's insights into areas for development. We acknowledge the recommendation to enhance our IAG policy into a more comprehensive operational delivery document encompassing the nine-step candidate journey and quality assurance methods.
Further, we're receptive to the idea of implementing a self-review system for our colleagues, fostering reflection and reinforcing the expectations of different interventions. We're also excited to further develop our team's skills with the aim for all staff to hold a Level 3 IAG qualification by 2024.
Our next steps
Earning the matrix Standard accreditation is a significant milestone, but it's not the end of the journey. Instead, it marks the beginning of a new phase in our continuous pursuit of excellence and quality in service. We're grateful for this recognition, and excited about the future as we continue to innovate and drive change in the employment and reintegration sector.
Being matrix Accredited will make us eligible to bid for Prison Information, Advice and Guidance contracts as well as add further credibility to our IAG training service to frontline colleagues in the social sector.
We're proud of our accomplishments but, above all, we're proud of the real-world impact we're making. To quote a member of one of our colleagues on our work we are “Small enough to care, big enough to matter”.
As we close off this blog post, it feels right to let the voices of those who matter most be heard – our candidates. Their testimonials encapsulate the transformative power of our work. One of our candidates articulated the newfound sense of self-belief, stating, “They helped me get my confidence back, they have drastically changed my life.”
Another reflected on the life-changing impact of our programme, saying, "It’s made me realise that I’m not worthless, I’m not on the scrapheap, there are opportunities for me." Finally, and perhaps most profound of all, a participant echoed the life-altering journey with Offploy:
“I had no life before, they help me to get a life – I owe them my life.”
These words fuel our mission at Offploy – to support those at risk of offending in realising their potential and making our world a safer place. They inspire us to continue striving, to reach more individuals, reinforcing the belief that their potential is boundless and truly invaluable.