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Reasons for Accreditation

Last updated on July 25, 2017

Accreditation is part of an accountability and quality assurance system for the Ministry of Children and Family Development and Community Living BC. It makes sure that contractors:

  • Deliver services that consistently meet an established standard
  • Have operations that incorporate continuous quality improvement and performance measurement practices

Accreditation is like standards, licensing and audit – it's intended to help organizations understand what constitutes good quality service and be accountable to their funding bodies and consumers.

Reasons Why Accreditation is Beneficial

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The public has assurance that the service quality meets or exceeds international standards.  This means that:

  • There is the same level of service quality across the province in all accredited service provider organization/programs
  • Appropriate protections are in place for privacy, staff competence and supervision, handling of complaints, physical safety
  • There is accountability to the person being served
  • Quality improvement processes will continually improve services
  • There is an opportunity to have input into services and one can expect to participate in the planning for one's own services
 

Funding or contracting bodies have assurance that a service delivery organization is well-run and provides a good return on investment.  This will help ensure that:

  • Fewer major problems arise
  • The need for regular practice/program audits by the funding body is reduced or eliminated – accreditation requires annual audited financial statements
  • Ongoing tracking of program outcomes provide information on effectiveness, efficiency and client satisfaction
  • Common problems related to similar agencies can be identified and addressed over time
 

The service provider earns the trust and confidence of the public and funding bodies.  This will provide the opportunity to:

  • Improve the organization and services by:
    • Improving culture, staff morale and staff-management relations
    • Improving efficiency and accountability
    • Identifying areas in need of improvement and taking suggestions on how to make improvements
  • Receive feedback from objective, informed, and skilled peers
  • Compare their organization to others in the industry, in the country, and in North America
  • Potentially reduce the complaints and incidents of both clients and staff
  • Ensure accountability for the outcomes and deliverables in service provider contracts through regular performance reporting to funding bodies, boards of directors, consumers, and the public

 

Contact information

Please email the Ministry Accreditation Team for more information.

Email
MCF.AccreditationUC@gov.bc.ca