Top tips for undertaking an accreditation programme

1. Commit a dedicated resource to the accreditation process
Organisations that have been successfully accredited have committed resources to the process. In most cases this means having a nominated manager or lead clinician dedicated to ensuring processes and standards are in place. This person works to involve the whole team since quality improvement should be embedded in everyday processes and procedures.

2. Ensure senior team backing
The accreditation process is made a great deal easier with the backing and support of managers and clinicians.

3. Communicate the accreditation process to all relevant staff
Organisations that have been successfully accredited always make sure every member of staff is aware of the accreditation process, what is required of them and their role. Some have held workshops, drop-in sessions and send regular updates to all staff.

4. Involve staff at the frontline
Frontline members of staff see processes at work first hand and in order for them to comply with standards, it is a good idea to get them involved early on. This means the process becomes bottom up as opposed to be imposed from the top down.