Achieving Quality Scotland Award

After many months of hard work and commitment from our After- School Care Team, we are delighted to announce that they have received their Achieving Quality Scotland Award.

Achieving Quality Scotland is a quality improvement framework dedicated to Out of School care services in Scotland – “Getting school-age childcare right for every child”.

The AQS framework is designed to support Out of School Care services, improve practice, and provide the best possible experiences for children and young people. It involves a commitment to continuous improvement, with our After-School Care (ASC) team building a portfolio of evidence to demonstrate their adherence to key criteria.

Lead Assessor AQS, Chief Executive, Scottish Out of School Care Network, Irene Audain MBE, said:

“You have met all 10 quality areas for AQS… achieving this level of award is exceptional… retaining the award requires on-going commitment to this standard.”

The 10 key areas are:

• Area 1: Overarching commitment to quality, the UNCRC, GIRFEC and the Playwork Principles
• Area 2: Equality and Inclusion
• Area 3: Partnership and Collaboration
• Area 4: Play and Care Practice, and Principles
• Area 5: Premises, Resources and Community
• Area 6: Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC)
• Area 7: Health and Wellbeing
• Area 8: Leadership, Management, Planning and Administration
• Area 9: Staffing and Volunteers
• Area 10: Holidays and All Day Play and Care

AQS focuses on implementing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC), and the Playwork Principles.

The ASC team gathered evidence to demonstrate how they are meeting the criteria and improving practice and then were assessed against quality indicators related to family engagement, child wellbeing, nurturing care, leadership & management and transitions. These quality indicators link with Care Inspectorate quality inspection themes.

Our ASC team offers a safe, caring, nurturing, stimulating and fun environment where children feel valued and listened to, and on receiving the award, Hutchesons’ Grammar School After-School Care Manager, Jaqueline Thomson, said:

“We are incredibly honoured to receive our Achieving Quality Scotland Award from Scottish Out of School Care. This award is testament to the dedication, passion, hard work and expertise of the entire team, who continually strive for excellence, and I thank them for that. We are committed to continuous improvement, and this recognition inspires us to continue to support the development and wellbeing of every child in our care.”

Congratulations to our After-School Care Team on this incredible achievement – their commitment to dedicated improvement has been rewarded.

Pictured: ASC Senior Practitioner – Elaine Canning, ASC Manager – Jaqueline Thomson, and Upper Primary Depute Rector – Helen Gibson