The best thing about working, says Rachel Wallace, is “meeting people and asking them about their lives”.
The London-based quality checker also adds that she “just enjoys having a job”.
Wallace’s role at Certitude, a social care provider supporting people with learning disabilities, autistic people and those with mental health support needs, involves visiting and assessing the organisation’s services. The aim is to check the quality of support services from an expert by experience perspective.
The checking team was set up in 2022, with the first checkers – of whom Wallace was one – starting work in early 2023. The team has since grown to five checkers, supported by coordinator Derek Whitaker. The aim is for them to visit a different support service every week.
Wallace and her fellow quality checkers are part of Certitude’s 10-strong Treat Me Right! training and consultancy team. The wider work of this team – all of whom have lived experience – involves everything from public speaking to producing easy-read information and training on reasonable adjustments.
“People who already have support make great quality checkers because they’re on the inside noticing the everyday stuff,” explains Wallace.
“I think that the difference in what we’re doing is that our quality checkers are paid employees, rather than people with lived experience who are just asked to collaborate – it’s employment.”
The recruitment process was accessible from the start, with the job advertised through a video and information about the role provided in easy read.
Wallace says: “It said you can apply any way you want. Give us a ring, make a video, send us an email, just get in touch. The team made sure people had support with the application process in whatever way was needed. I could choose to do the interview in person, on the phone or in an online video.”
People with support are great quality checkers as they’re on the inside noticing everyday stuff
She was also told in advance that the job interview would include just one question: why do you want the role? She says: “I wanted to start working and earn some money. I wanted to work with Derek as well as get out and meet new people, see new places.”
Wallace says that as team members have firsthand experience of autism and/or learning disabilities, they can offer unique feedback on what support is like for people.
She adds: “Our aim is to support positive change. We visit with a positive attitude to offer feedback and suggestions where needed.”
For example, on a visit to a housing support service, quality checkers such as Wallace gather opinions from residents – “the primary purpose of our visit”.
“We take notes then reconvene a day or two later to discuss what we found and co-produce a report. That report goes back to the managers and to the quality team. We then follow up about three or four months later to see what’s changed.”
Wallace says the biggest problem is that “sometimes people talk to Derek rather than me, but we soon correct them”.
From Whitaker’s perspective as the quality checker coordinator, Wallace was ideal for the role: “She speaks her mind, which is something that’s important in this role. She’s sociable too.”
He says: “It’s great when you see changes based our team’s recommendations and the difference to how people feel.
“Sometimes the changes are big, like people going on holidays they’ve always wanted to go on. Often, it’s simple changes, like choosing to have more personal things in shared living spaces – the little things that help us all feel comfortable in our homes.”
Rachel Wallace was supported to collaborate on this article by Derek Whitaker as communication partner
