Stroke Association awarded for quality services

The Stroke Association is now able to offer PCTs and service users a quality guarantee for its Rehabilitation and Support Services through the Charter Mark scheme.

Endorsed by the Government, the Charter Mark scheme is a standard of customer service and a quality improvement tool to assist organisations in service delivery to users. It helps organisations, in practical ways, to focus on delivering excellence in public service.

Chris Clark, Director of Operations explains:  “We embarked on the Charter Mark scheme because we wanted to demonstrate that we were delivering quality services. It is both an assurance to our clients and essential to show commissioners that you work to the highest standards.  By achieving Charter Mark which is endorsed by the Government’s own national standard, this demonstrates our quality.”

The charity has been awarded Charter Mark status for its Rehabilitation and Support Services, these include Family and Carer Support which provides practical information and emotional support to the families and carers of people who have had a stroke, and the Communication Support Service who work with stroke survivors and their families on all aspects of communication. In addition, The Stroke Association also underwent a successful reassessment of the Stroke Information Service and website which was accredited Charter Mark status in 2007.

To gain the accreditation, the Rehabilitation and Support Services underwent a week long assessment where assessors followed a structured programme looking at paper based evidence and observing the services in action. As well as assessing the Family & Carer Support Service, Communication Support Service and the Health Promotion Service  visits were also made to young Stroke groups, art groups and hospitals as well as to people’s homes. This all provided an opportunity for the assessors to meet and talk to health professionals, volunteers, service users and families.

Chris Clark concludes: “We were delighted to receive Charter Mark status for our Rehabilitation and Support Services. Charter Mark is about meeting the needs and expectations of service users and as an organisation we work hard to meet the needs of a very large population.   

‘The challenge for us now is to continue to focus on service improvements to ensure that we deliver the highest possible support to people affected by stroke.”

ENDS

For further information please contact the Media Team at The Stroke Association on 020 7566 1500 or press@stroke.org.uk

Notes to editor

1. Each year an estimated 150,000 people in the UK have a stroke. Of all people who suffer from a stroke, about a third are likely to die within the first 10 days, about a third are likely to make a recovery within one month and about a third are likely to be left disabled and needing rehabilitation. Stroke has a greater disability impact than any other medical condition. A quarter of a million people are living with long-term disability as a result of stroke in the UK.

2. The Stroke Association is the only national charity solely concerned with combating stroke in people of all ages. It funds research into prevention, treatment and better methods of rehabilitation and helps stroke patients and their families directly through its community services. These include dysphasia support, family support, information services, welfare grants, publications and leaflets. We also campaign, educate and inform to increase knowledge of stroke at all levels of society and we act as a voice for everyone affected by stroke.

3. A stroke happens when the blood supply to the brain is disrupted. Most strokes occur when a blood clot blocks the flow of blood to the brain. Some strokes are caused by bleeding in or around the brain from a burst blood vessel. When the blood supply is disrupted, parts of the brain become damaged or destroyed. Some strokes are fatal whist others can cause permanent or temporary paralysis to one side of the body and loss of the ability to speak, read or write. Recovery may be slow and can vary from person to person.

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