The Department of Community Development (DCD) has announced the launch of its innovative Quality Assessment Framework – Reyada, which establishes a comprehensive quality assessment system for the emirate’s social care sector and reinforces the department’s commitment to improving social sector services in the region.
Designed as a definitive regulatory tool, the DCD’s Quality Assessment Framework- Reyada will provide a clear definition of service quality, enhancing policy coherence and structured improvements among various social care entities, and enabling the assessment of social care facilities across different service types and complexities.
The framework’s overarching goal is to nurture a culture that prioritises high-quality services and accountability while establishing a sustainable and robust platform for continuous improvements within the social care sector and ensuring beneficiaries’ needs are met.
The Implementation of the Quality Assessment Framework will commence in December 2023 for all soc
ial care service providers in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, including the government, private and third sector, totalling more than 90 centres. This initiative aims to develop a database for social care facilities in the emirate and understand the current status of these facilities’ performance in providing social care services. The first phase of the assessment visits will focus on capacity building within the social sector through engaging social care service providers, raising awareness of the framework, and developing improvement plans based on the assessment results to enhance service quality.
Social care services encompass all the services that are provided to a large segment of the community, including People of Determination, Families, Women, and vulnerable groups. These services include daily care services, family consultations, psychological therapies, shelter services and teleservices related to social care.
Hamad Ali Al Dhaheri, Under-Secretary of the DCD, said, ‘We have carefully crafted the Qualit
y Assessment Framework- Reyada to evaluate social care services delivered within the emirate, emphasising their adherence to specific quality standards within five domains including leadership and governance, safety, effectiveness, beneficiary centricity, and sustainability.
‘This aligns with DCD’s pivotal role as a regulator of Abu Dhabi’s social sector, underlining our commitment to ensuring that all individuals, including families, children and people of determination, can access our services with assurance and at a high standard, ultimately enhancing their quality of life and that of the wider community.’
Data-based approach
The Quality Assessment Framework- Reyada compiles a set of quality standards developed based on international best practices that will allow the DCD to determine the quality of social services from site assessments and represents a pioneering step towards achieving excellence in social care provision.
By categorising social care facilities into distinct levels, the framework enabl
es a comprehensive evaluation of service quality, facilitating targeted and continuous improvements where necessary.
Source: Emirates News Agency