Organisations usually possess systems of quality and safety that monitor  and measure the delivery of services. How much, how often at what standard and with what result?

Typically, these efforts provide data for further analysis. Organisations rely on trend or incident data  and sometimes global quality experience surveys and reports, to provide line of sight to issues and experience of the people they aim to serve. Whilst important, these efforts are limited. Because they are designed by and for organisational use. If we are lucky, they tell us the best and worst of the organisation– retrospectively.

Our approaches travel the journey of the client or community member engaging with the service and identifies whether this aligned with expectations and needs. What went right and what didn’t.

We are genuinely objective and our methods are designed to provide benefit to service users as well as organisations keen to know. We use contemporary, creative and skilful methodologies to explore sensitive issues, unique trajectories and contexts with people  who are often leading challenging lives and provide that direct feedback to governance groups. This intervention is a rigorous means for governance and executive groups to take an authentic sounding of client or community experience. That is not framed or delivered by those providing the service.

The need for independent and careful design to obtain genuine insight, is well established. For two main reasons, the first is the power differential and how this affects the quality and type of disclosure. And the second, is that client journeys are complex, peripatetic and sensitive. Not itemised, episodic, technical or appointment based.

Understanding how a client experiences a service, is different to measuring whether the service delivered what they thought they ought. We ascertain the bigger picture.

Staff in organisations cannot transcend the dynamic of dependency and consumers often have an orientation towards appreciation, that can limit a proper picture. Why they came, what they expected, how it felt, was anything unpleasant or unexpected? Did wires get crossed, was the service provider kind? How does this experience sit within their lives and priorities and where is more or different needed and why?

Standard tools simply don’t measure this.

We adopt sophisticated and creative research approaches designed to ensure ethics, care, quality standards and reciprocal benefit to participants. While providing actionable insights for those who govern. Research and analysis methodologies include – anonymous individual client journey mapping, focus groups, deliberative processes, fishbowl opportunities for teams and embodied learning experiences for staff. 

We love this work for the insight and innovation it can drive. Boards love these reports because they provide a authentic and deep examination of how the everyday meets the ambition.

We undertake rapid and review, analysis and prepare high-quality reports, briefs and discussion papers. To facilitate progress on issues and ensure  all parties are well apprised and feel confident in processes and the basis of decisions. We employ highly skilled and respected subject matter specialists in duty of care consent, ethics, cultural safety, supported decision making and participation, and workplace conflict and system failure. Because difficult issues almost always involve questions of power, we are committed to ensuring effective and ethical process that recognise the obligations of organisations and protect the needs and rights of individuals.

Leaders are accountable in multiple ways. Good quality analysis and effective communication with affected parties, is key to discharging these accountabilities. We aim to support organisations with suitable analysis and documentation to ensure this effort is well evidenced.