Every community should have access to high quality local infrastructure and volunteer centre support. This means that volunteers, charities and community groups can be equipped with the resources they need to contribute to a flourishing voluntary sector and thriving communities.
That’s why we offer the LIQA (Local Infrastructure Quality Accreditation), and the VCQA (Volunteer Centre Quality Accreditation), providing organisations with the opportunity to assess, reflect on, develop and promote their work locally.
Our Quality Accreditations enable you to:
Both accreditations are independently assessed, then awarded by NAVCA.
We think Quality Accreditation is great, but don’t just take our word for it. We spoke to accredited organisations to hear what they found most valuable about the LIQA and VCQA.
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"[Achieving the VCQA will bring] reassurance that we are a trusted organisation for volunteering, we have been independently assessed and our good practice is confirmed. We can speak with authority to health bodies and the local authority, and our input is recognised and acknowledged externally.”
- Bernie Micklewright, Community Capacity Builder, Volunteering, Voluntary Action North Somerset (VANS)
"Working our way through the submission has helped us to take pride in the areas where our strengths lie and given us the opportunity to focus on development areas.''
- Jane Holdsworth, Area Manager, Warwickshire Community and Voluntary Action.
"[The LIQA] provides some much needed positivity at a time when there is bleak news around funding and general understanding of the work we do. It provides confidence that what we deliver is of a high standard apparent to others outside of our organisation.”
- Jess Sumner, CEO, Brighton and Hove Community Works
- Hear from Helen Tomlinson, CEO at Bury VCFA, about their experience with the LIQA
- Hear from Garry Jones, CEO at Support Staffordshire, about their experience with the LIQA
You can choose from the two accreditations based on what’s most relevant to your organisation’s purpose and focus.
The LIQA is designed for local VCSE infrastructure provision, and assesses NAVCA members across the four functions of infrastructure.
The VCQA is designed for volunteer centres, and is open to both NAVCA members and non-members providing volunteer centre services in their local communities. It assesses organisations across the five functions of volunteer centres
Leadership and advocacy
Partnerships and collaborations
Capacity building
Volunteering
Strategic development of volunteering
Good practice development
Developing volunteering opportunities
Brokerage
Voice of volunteering
For both Accreditations, applicants submit a portfolio of evidence demonstrating their delivery against the assessment criteria. Types of evidence could include strategies, business plans, policies and procedures, alongside evidence of service delivery and local impact. In the application guidance, you will find ideas of what your evidence should show and some examples of what types of evidence might be submitted.
An assessment is undertaken by an independent assessor who reviews the evidence, and holds interviews with the organisation’s personnel and key stakeholders to explore and audit the information provided.
The quality accreditation process takes approximately six months to complete. The majority of this is for you to collate and submit your portfolio of evidence.
All accredited organisations receive a certificate to celebrate your accreditation, and digital assets to use on your website or other platforms. We also write to your local partners and funders to let them know about your achievement.
We’re always happy to have a chat about which accreditation is right for you, so contact us using the button below and we will be in touch.
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