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EQUASS (European Quality in Social Services) is an integrated sector-specific quality certification system that certifies compliance of social services with European quality principles and criteria. EQUASS aims to enhance the social sector by engaging service providers in quality and continuous improvement and by guaranteeing service users quality of services throughout Europe. EQUASS,〔EQUASS website, www.equass.be, accessed on 26/08/2013.〕 formerly called the European Quality in Rehabilitation Mark (EQRM) is an initiative of the European Platform for Rehabilitation (EPR) 〔European Platform for Rehabilitation website, http://www.epr.eu/, accessed on 26/08/2013.〕 and its secretariat is based in Brussels. == History == In July 1995, the European Platform for Rehabilitation, then called the European Platform for Vocational Rehabilitation (EPVR),〔EPR Annual report 2002 () accessed on 18/09/2013.〕 tasked its working group "Quality management and cost effectiveness" to study the launch of a "Quality Award for Vocational Rehabilitation"〔EPR Annual report 2001 () accessed on 18/09/2013.〕 for European institutes of vocational rehabilitation. The award would require an audit which, if successful, would show that the institute of vocational rehabilitation works in accordance with the standards of the platform. The certification system to be launched was mainly inspired by the CARF certification.〔Brigitte van Lierop, May 2003, "Een europees kwaliteitskeurmerk voor re-integratiebedrijven", ''Maandblad Re-integratie''〕 The European Platform for Rehabilitation enrolled a few of its members to implement the quality standard that was then named EQRM (European Quality in Rehabilitation Mark). The first awarding event took place in Rome in December 2003.〔(EPR Annual report 2003 )〕 The main values behind the quality mark were: * A client-focused approach of rehabilitation services * An awareness of the rights of service users * The involvement and empowerment of service users * A systematic enhancement of quality of life * Motivation of staff * Efficient business management practices * Measuring and proving the service outcomes and results * Services providers that are accountable for their actions and their use of funds In 2008,〔EQUASS NewsFlash, September 2008, Issue n°1 () accessed on 18/09/2013.〕 the European Platform for Rehabilitation decided to create an additional quality assurance mark (EQUASS Assurance), alongside its EQRM mark (now renamed EQUASS Excellence). On December 2008 the European Platform for Rehabilitation launched a two-year project, partially funded by the Progress programme of the European Commission. The aim of the project was to develop, with the collaboration of the major European stakeholders in social services, a European Quality Framework for Social Services of General interest (SSGI). The Framework would include quality principles and criteria for quality assurance validated for the whole sector, and operational performance indicators for measuring and benchmarking performance on the quality criteria in social services.〔Guus van Beek and Brigitte van Lierop, July - August 2009, "EQUASS: Europese kwaliteitscertificering in de sociale sector", ''Maandblad Re-integratie'', pages 12-15〕 In 2010, the platform launched the results of the Common Quality Framework for SSGI,〔Common Quality Framework (), accessed on 28/08/2013.〕 including the certification of a few pilot sites in charge of testing the new quality system in various types of social services.〔(Prometheus Project )〕 In January 2012,〔EQUASS Annual Report 2012 () accessed on 18/09/2013.〕 EQUASS deployed its new quality standard, now available for all social service providers in Europe, and no longer limited to rehabilitation providers and other disability services providers. The new quality standard was then based on the results of the Common Quality Framework for SSGI, but also other quality standards, listed below. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「European Quality in Social Services」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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