Early Years Wales Quality for All (QfA) is designed to support childcare settings to provide outstanding quality services. It helps providers to achieve and maintain the highest standards, giving them the opportunity to gain recognition for the investment and contribution that they and their staff make. The QfA process is an ongoing cycle of reflection, assessment and accreditation.
These terms and conditions (terms) should be read carefully before purchasing a QfA product. Access to, and use of QfA products is based on accepting and complying with these terms.
To achieve and maintain accreditation providers must follow our eligibility criteria:
- QfA is available to Early Years Wales members only.
- Where a member has more than one setting, each setting applying for QfA must have current membership to be eligible.
- Failure to maintain membership of Early Years Wales will cancel any previous QfA status
Early Years Wales reserves the right to withdraw accreditation where QfA providers no longer meet our quality standards or bring the reputation of QfA into discredit. This might be acted upon in response to any adverse reporting by CIW and/or Estyn between QfA cycles and may be a temporary measure until any highlighted issues are resolved.
QfA Assessment Tool
- The QfA Assessment Tool (Tool) is available to purchase via the Early Years Wales Shop
- The purchased Tool is an online resource available through the Early Years Wales website as a logged in member.
- A Getting Started page will provide guidance on how to complete the Tool
- QfA providers are expected to engage with the QA coordinator (Claire Thomas) who will provide regular 'check in' sessions, giving opportunities to address any queries and monitor progress
- It is the provider's responsibility to keep the QA coordinator informed of any difficulties or potential delays at the earliest opportunity
- The Tool must be completed in full and submitted within 10 months of purchase
- In exceptional circumstances, a short extension to this timeline may be agreed
- Access to the Tool will terminate if it has not been submitted within any agreed timescale and the provider will be required to repurchase the Tool if they want to gain accreditation.
Assessment and accreditation
- After an assessment date has been agreed, it can only be rearranged twice, and must be carried out within a month of the original arrangements
- Cancellation by the provider without notice will incur a fee no less than the travel and expenses incurred by Early Years Wales for the Assessor's time. Exceptional circumstances will be taken into consideration.
- Any CIW non-compliance issues must be addressed and resolved before an assessment can take place
- Assessment's will not continue if the assessor feels there is any cause for concern during the assessment visit. This may include failure to comply with regulatory requirements and/or any safeguarding issues.
- On successfully achieving QfA a certificate will be issued and will be valid for 12 months
- Your achievements will be shared through Early Years Wales' networks and with stakeholders
- Significant changes that occur may require a full assessment to maintain the QfA status. Relevant changes may include:
- Changed Legal entity/ownership
- Type of service provided
- Structure of the premises
- Relocation to different premises, etc.
- To maintain accreditation, a reaccreditation process, including updating the Tool and reassessment will be required annually
- A reaccreditation Tool must be purchased immediately following receipt of the previous year's accreditation to enable continuous access to the Tool and support your ongoing process of reflection
Use of information
- Personal information is kept confidential. For further details on how we use, store and manage personal data please refer to our Privacy Policy which is available on our website or by contacting Head Office on 029 2045 1242
- Other information added to the Tool will be used by Early Years Wales for the purpose of carrying out assessments and evaluating and reviewing the QfA scheme
In the event that a provider disagrees with any content of the QfA report they have the right to appeal.
Any appeal should be emailed to the Head of Training, Learning and Development [email protected] within 14 days of receiving the QfA report along with any other relevant documentation to support the appeal. (More information on request.)
All materials used in QfA including content, graphics, text and design (materials) are owned by and controlled by Early Years Wales 2018, trading as Early Years Wales. All rights are reserved except where otherwise indicated.
The materials in whole or in part may not be modified, reproduced, republished, uploaded, posted, transmitted, displayed, distributed or exploited in any way. Such use is strictly prohibited and will constitute an infringement of the copyright and other intellectual property rights of Early Years Wales 2018 trading as Early Years Wales. This copyright notice may not be deleted, changed or modified in any way.
Every effort has been made to ensure the information contained in QfA is accurate and current. The content is regularly reviewed for validity and to align with regulatory requirements and other networks.