Creating Excellence Together (CET)
In the 90's the Alberta Association of Rehabilitation Centres (now Alberta Council of Disability Services ACDS), through the use of focus groups, designed standards by which to measure service delivery to individuals with disabilities. They developed 47 CET standards which are broken into three major sections:
- Quality of Life
- Quality of Service
- Organizational Framework
Every three years service agencies funded by PDD, go through a CET survey to measure their ability to support individuals receiving services from an agency. The CET standards are measured through an on-site visit by a team comprised of trained surveyors who all have work experience in the field of community rehabilitation.
The role of the surveyors is to evaluate all aspects of an agency to determine if the organization is adhering to the indicators outlined in each standard. The surveyor's goal is to measure: Is the support the clients are receiving guided by the CET survey's four ethical principles:
- Respect for the Dignity of Persons
- Responsible Caring
- Integrity in Relationships
- Social Responsibility
The survey process is as follows:
Quality of Life standards
Are determined by in-depth conversations with individuals receiving service from Excel and their support network.
Quality of Service standards
Are rated based on information from conversations with the staff that support individuals in service.
Organizational Framework standards
Are measured by examination of documentation presented by Excel that shows how its policies and processes support all the standards.
As an agency we are constantly evaluating our effectiveness as a service provider through surveys, Quality Assurance reviews, audits, etc. The CET process is welcomed by the Excel Society, as it gives the agency another opportunity to be evaluated and receive feedback on how to improve our services to the individuals we support. Our commitment to provide quality service and support to the individuals within Excel Society is further enhanced by our commitment to go "above and beyond" the expectations outlined in the CET standards and guiding principles.
In April 2008, Excel Society is scheduled to go through our 4th CET survey, for over a year now we have be actively preparing for the survey in a variety of ways from reviewing policy to educating our staff on the CET survey process. Within Division I of Excel Society, the 47 CET standards guide how we provide service to individuals on a daily basis, however with the CET survey up and coming we are taking the opportunity to further scrutinize our processes and services to ensure we are going "above and beyond" the 47 standards and ensuring we are supporting our clients to reach their fullest potential in all aspects of their lives.
We look forward to the survey, and the recommendations and suggestions that will be put forward by the surveyors. We have no doubt we will achieve success, as we have the past 3 surveys, in receiving the standing of CET Accreditation. But in the end, it is not whether we pass or fail the survey, but how we can enhance and improve the effectiveness of our services and the supports we provide to the individuals who choose Excel as their service provider.
Editor's note - CET UPDATE:
Excel Society completed their CET surveys in Edmonton and Calgary, in both surveys the surveyors left us with very positive feedback about our agency and the services we offer. In fact, they indicated one of our strongest strengths was indeed the Quality of Service we provide to the individuals we support. Through their interviews they were able to establish that the individuals supported within our services, were respected, that they are content with the services we provide and are quite happy being a part of the Excel Society. They indicated the person-centred philosophy is apparent throughout the entire agency, the training we offer our staff is effective, our board members are will informed and involved... the list of positive comments was long and extensive. But most importantly, the surveyors stated that Excel Society follows and adheres to our value and mission statements to guide every aspect of services we provide:
Enriching Lives by Enabling Potential
With the survey process complete, the surveyors finalize their report and present it to the Accreditation Council (ACDS), who has the final say as to whether Excel Society receives Accreditation. And so we wait...
