Tom Wylie, chief executive of The NYA, presented a certificate to Rod Norton of Rotherham Young People's Services at a celebratory event to mark the achievement. He said: "Sincerest congratulations to Rotherham, not just for claiming the first quality mark, but for having the determination and vision to start the journey in the first place. We hope that this will be the first of many, if not all, services for young people both in local authorities and in the voluntary and community and independent sectors to achieve this standard of service."
The NYA's Quality Mark has been designed as a management tool to support an organisation's development and improvement. It tests the processes and structures that are the building blocks of any organisation. By using the self-assessment framework, organisations can check monitoring and reviewing procedures and how management information is used to improve its quality and outcomes.
It is now in use in more than 110 organisations around the country, including local authority youth services, Connexions partnerships, careers services, voluntary organisations and national bodies such as The Prince's Trust, UK Youth and Skillforce.
For further information about the Quality Mark and how it helps improve services for young people, look on the quality standards pages of The NYA web site or contact Sue Quinn at The NYA. Telephone 0116 242 7420 or email: susanq@nya.org.uk.
