Many trusts, foundations and public service commissioners ask advice providers to demonstrate that they provide a good quality service. Commonly this might mean statistics about outputs (such as numbers of people advised and the amount of additional benefits claimed) and case studies showing the impact of an advice service.
When a service holds the AQS it means something different. The AQS demonstrates that a service is well run and has systems in place to supervise and check the advice given.
Some funders specify that the advice services they support have to hold the AQS. These include the Money and Pensions Service and the Welsh Government.
The AQS is a sector-owned and operated standard, which is independent of any network or influence. It is awarded to organisations operating in England and Wales. Advice-giving organisations in Scotland have the Scottish National Standards for Information and Advice Providers.
The AQS is only awarded to organisations providing independent, free, social welfare legal advice. Most AQS holders give advice in the area of welfare benefits, debt, housing, family, education, immigration and consumer law.
Their services must be client focussed and give the client all the necessary information and options so they can decide their course of action. If the service takes on some responsibility for progressing the case (e.g. corresponding or negotiating with third parties), the organisation can apply for Casework Accreditation as part of the AQS.
Organisations may be giving good advice without gaining the AQS, but without quality assessment it is difficult to know whether the service is reliably good or not.
The AQS can give this reassurance to funders and can be used alongside your own due diligence and evidence gathering.
Note that organisations giving advice about immigration or debt will need to be regulated (by the Immigration Advice Authority, and the Financial Conduct Authority respectively). The AQS can give extra reassurance.
We recommend that funders include in any grants or contracts a condition to hold, or be working towards, the Advice Quality Standard.
The funding should cover the full cost of holding the AQS, and for small organisations who are new to the AQS, there should be funding to support management time (or external support if needed) in preparing to meet the standard.
You can check whether a service holds the AQS using our Find AQS Centres database.
To find out more about how the AQS help you get assurance about the quality of advice services you are funding, please contact Marie Burton, Deputy Director of ASA – marie.burton@asauk.org.uk
Every month, we share details of organisations awarded the AQS for the first time, as well as those who are reaccredited.
Meet the latest AQS new awards and reaccreditations.
