Trivallis: Setting the pace for independent living provision

Claire James shares insight into how Trivallis became the first housing association in Wales – and the UK – to be awarded the new Erosh Independent Living Standards accreditation.

South Wales-based housing association Trivallis has become the first in the UK to receive accreditation under the new Erosh Independent Living Standards, an achievement that follows more than 10 years of supported housing provision. 

Here, head of supporting customers and tenancies Claire James explains what it means to earn the new accreditation and what others can learn from their approach to supported housing. 

For those who aren’t aware, what is Erosh and its new Independent Living Standards accreditation? 

Erosh is a national consortium for older people’s housing and support, with its own quality standards and framework, upholding standards in the sector and celebrating good quality older people’s housing and support.

The Independent Living Standards (ILS): 

• Ensure that older people are proactively involved in the design, delivery and development of their services 
• Ensure older people’s housing and support services are affordable, accessible and inclusive, meet current and future need and promote empowerment, independence and choice 
• Ensure staff are appropriately and regularly trained and comply with the professional standards encompassed in the ILS. 

What does it mean to you to become the first housing association to be awarded the new Erosh Independent Living Standards accreditation? 

Our services have been accredited since 2010 when it was formally known as the ‘Code of Practice’; to be the first to be accredited under the new standards demonstrates that we continue to provide quality services to our tenants and customers that are still fit for purpose, as needs have changed.  

In what ways does the new accreditation benefit you as an organisation? 

Being an accredited ‘Independent Living Standards’ provider means:  

• Our services have all relevant policies and procedures in place 
• Our services can demonstrate a planned approach in supporting people to achieve positive outcomes  
• Both staff and customers are actively involved in service delivery and development  
• The organisation learns from both staff and customer feedback and experience to shape services 
• There is a drive for continuous improvement and sector leadership. 

For those who are interested in pursuing an Erosh accreditation, what does the process involve? 

Accreditation is a self-assessment, similar to the self-assessment we are required to complete to meet regulatory standards. This then forms the basis of our independent verification.  

To be accredited, we are required to complete an introductory statement that details which services we are accrediting and the information of staff, tenants, service users and key stakeholders who can be contacted to be interviewed as part of the assessment process.  

Alongside this is a form that outlines which policies, procedures, strategies and corporate and team plans that are in place. You are supported through the process by your assessor. 

The third document is the self-assessment, which covers five areas:  

• Governance and management  
• Value for money and effective use of resources   
• Equal and respectful
• Customer focused and personalised services
• Customer and staff safety. 

Site visits and telephone interviews allow your assessor to speak to tenants and customers about the services that they receive; they also attend scheme activities. They attend staff team meetings; speak to a sample of staff across the services on a one-to-one basis; and meet with service managers, heads of service, and the corporate director to give an overview of services and give the assessor an opportunity to ask any questions relating to the services and service plans. 

How do you intend to improve your service going forward? 

Through the accreditation process, Erosh supports continuous improvement with annual reviews and a continuous improvement action plan, which compliments our annual team plan. There is a drive this year to review some of our processes and the way that we deliver our services. They key is to never stand still: there is always opportunity to do things better. 

What makes for a good independent living service? 

Delivering services that meet the changing needs of our tenants with a drive for continuous improvement, involving tenants on the journey.

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