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As soon as your organisation feels that it is ready to be Assessed against the matrix Standard, you should complete a “Request for Assessment” Form (RfA), available from EMQC (the Accreditation Body Licensed to manage the Assessment and Accreditation Process for the matrix Standard)
You are asked to indicate on the RfA, your preferred date for the Assessor to come in to your organisation and carry out the ‘on-site’ visit. You are also asked to provide other information about your organisation that will help in planning and costing the Assessment e.g. location/nature of the support provided, people, users etc.
Following receipt of your completed RfA, EMQC will provide you with details of the estimated cost for the Assessment, based on the information you supplied. Information about this process - known as scoping - can be found in this document. After scoping, EMQC will appoint a Registered matrix Assessor (Assessor) to carry out the Assessment.
The Assessor will contact you to plan the Assessment, explain the full Assessment process, and make arrangements to carry out the on-site visit. This is where the Assessor will gather the evidence to establish whether your organisation meets the matrix Standard. The evidence can be gathered from a range of sources, including:
- face-to-face/group/telephone interviews;
- observing events, such as meetings;
- discussions with employees and clients, where appropriate.
This visit(s) should provide minimum disruption to your normal working day with confidentiality assured.
When the Assessor has gathered sufficient evidence to decide whether or not you meet the matrix Standard, they will inform you at a Closing meeting, usually at the end of the last day on-site. At this meeting they will present their findings and give you some initial feedback on how your policies and processes are working, and provide some suggestions for you to consider, to inform continuous improvement.
If for any reason your organisation does Not Yet Meet The Standard, at this time, you will be given clear feedback on the specific areas that need addressing to help you move quickly towards a “Second-Stage” Assessment. The Assessor will discuss timescales at the Closing meeting. A written Report will include details of the areas you need to address to meet it at a Second-Stage Assessment.
If you have Met The Standard, the Assessor will produce a written Report, containing the findings, highlight good practice, and areas for continuous development. Along with the Report, EMQC will provide you with a congratulatory letter and information on how you can use the matrix Quality Mark on promotional material and further celebrate your success.
To maintain your Accredited status, you will need to be reviewed at least once every 36 months, to ensure you are still meeting the matrix Standard.
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