"Quality is at the core of what we do'"
Professor Chris Pascal, National Quality Improvement Conference, Leeds 2007
"Every Child Matters challenged us all to integrate services around the needs of the child. Now it is time to focus on improving outcomes and driving out poor quality. We owe it to all of our children and families to get this right."
Rt. Hon. Beverly Hughes MP, Minister for Children, Young People and Families
Quality Improvement is the process of raising the quality of experiences enjoyed by children and young people and their families in a whole setting.
In addition quality improvement is a journey towards ever higher quality, involving teamwork, commitment and thorough self examination of practice.
The Quality Improvement Principles have superseded Investors in Children which was a DfES national programme established in 2002 to benchmark the range of Quality Improvement and Quality Assurance schemes in existence. When this programme came to an end in 2007 it was decided that this was not the most effective way of ensuring quality improvement practices were effective and consistent within local authorities.
The Department for Education and Skills (DfES, now known as the Department for Children, Families and Schools) commissioned the National Children's Bureau, who through the National Quality Improvement Network developed the 12 Quality Improvement Principles. These Principles were launched at the National Quality Improvement Network annual conference in Leeds in May 2007.
The National Quality Improvement Network's vision is that local authorities and nationals organisations improve outcomes for children, young people and families by adopting the Quality Improvement Principles to guide their work.
If you would like to know more about the principles and the National Quality Improvement Network please visit their website by using the link on the right.