What is QDI?
QDI is a consortium project aimed at providing development support to advice groups. The consortium consists of the following organisations:
- Age Concern
- DIAL UK - the disability advice network
- FIAC London Region - the Federation of Information & Advice Centres
- Law Centres Federation
- NACAB London - National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux
- Refugee Council
- Youth Access
The project is coordinated and managed by Lasa - London Advice Services Alliance.
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How does the project work?
QDI will work with your organisation to highlight your development needs and address the practices you need to have in place to meet a relevant quality standard.
The project works by the following process:
- If your initial application to the project is accepted you will be allocated a named development worker. This will either be a development worker from one of the advice networks or the QDI fieldworker.
- The development worker will undertake an assessment of your organisation to highlight where development needs to be focussed.
- The development worker will then work on an action plan with your organisation addressing practices that need to be developed and how they will be met.
- The action plan will highlight what support the development worker can provide you with, what work will be allocated internally within your organisation and what the bursary money can be used for.
- Once the action planning has taken place you will be able to apply for the bursary money.
- The development worker will continue to provide up to 3 days ongoing support, which will be negotiated, with your organisation.
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What can the bursary money be used for?
Bursaries of up to £5000 are available to pay for items linked to the developments identified in your action plan. Bursaries can pay for items such as:
- Computer Equipment & relevant software
- Training (for Management Committee members, staff, volunteers)
- Publications/information resources for the advice service
- Additional staff costs associated with the development process (e.g. additional admin hours to undertake work related to application for a quality standard)
- Consultancy fees (e.g. planning, funding, finance, quality standards, IT)
- Office equipment required to run the advice service
- Case recording & monitoring systems (computerised or manual)
- Fees for translation of materials for the advice service
- Membership fees for the relevant advice network
- Printing/publication costs for the advice service
- Joint project work with another local advice organisation (your organisation may want to pool your bursary with another organisation to pay for particular services e.g. in house training, external supervision for advice staff/volunteers)
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What commitment is required from my organisation?
QDI is not a funding project. The purpose of the project is to focus on the development of your advice service. This process requires time and commitment both from staff, volunteers and members of your management committee.
The assessment and action planning are part of this development process. The bursary money is linked to the development needs of your organisation.
The assessment and action planning will require at least one member of the Management Committee and one member of staff/volunteer to meet with the development worker for two 2-hour meetings. Staff, volunteer and management committee time will also be required to implement the recommendations from the assessment.
Your organisation should therefore look carefully at the commitment conditions at the end of the application form to ensure that you are able to meet them.
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What does QDI agree to provide?
If your organisation is selected for the project the following service will be provided:
- The organisations within QDI agree to allocate a named development worker relevant to your organisation
- The named development worker will carry out the assessment and action planning and provide guidance and support for the bursary application.
- The named worker will deliver up to 3 days ongoing development support, which will be negotiated individually with your organisation.
- QDI will provide clear guidelines on all aspects of the project and deal with any complaints you have about the service.
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