When a service registers for accreditation, they are committing to an ongoing annual programme of quality improvement, assessment and maintenance. This offers many benefits for a service as follows:
- Provide independent and impartial recognition that the service provider has objectively demonstrated their competence, providing external validation and a badge of quality.
- Identify good practice so that it may be furthered and built upon.
- Identify sub-optimal practice so that it may be improved.
- Provide a standard for all services to work towards, improving consistency across services.
- Identify gaps in existing services so that they may be remedied.
- Identify the staff and other resources required to deliver an effective service.
- Gather workload data systematically to inform optimal use of resources.
- Encourage networking through appropriate professional societies and groups.
- Establish evidence-based local referral guidelines and indications for referral.
- Develop cost-effective management guidelines and standardise care.
- Inform efforts by workers to get the local services workers require.