Woodstock and District Developmental Services Achieves Reaccreditation Through FOCUS Accreditation

 Date:  Apri 25, 2012

 Belleville, ON – FOCUS Accreditation is pleased to announce that Woodstock and District Developmental Services (WDDS) has achieved its second three year accreditation by FOCUS Accreditation.  WDDS is one of only three community organizations to have reached this milestone, and they were one of the first organizations to be accredited by FOCUS.  Their current accreditation extends until 2015.

WDDS provides services to adults with developmental disabilities. It offers a range of community services in and around Woodstock. In order to determine whether WDDS met the standards for accreditation, FOCUS sent teams of evaluators to the sites where WDDS provides services over a three day period. 

FOCUS identified many strengths at WDDS, including:

• An emphasis on providing services that meet the needs of the people using them.
• Innovative social enterprises, such as a catering business, a lawn care business, an office cleaning business and contract for the operation of a summer concession stand at a local park. These enterprises provide employment and skill development for people using services.
• WDDS places a strong emphasis on its relationship with the local community. The success of their work with the community can be seen in their multiple successful fundraising campaigns, the number of employers connected to the agency and the positive press coverage they receive in local media.

 As accreditation is not mandatory, it merits recognition that WDDS has once again elected to be accredited by an impartial, objective third party.  This decision, and the work that went into meeting the standards established by FOCUS, clearly demonstrates that WDDS values feedback, emphasizes learning and demonstrates a commitment to improving the quality of the services they provide.

 “WDDS should be commended for their proven commitment to quality, and for the results they have achieved. By dedicating time and resources to quality improvement, and by being open to having an impartial, objective review of their services, it is clear that WDDS is an organization that promotes accountability and quality improvement,” states Jennifer Keilty, Executive Director of FOCUS Accreditation.

About FOCUS Accreditation

FOCUS is a non-profit accreditation agency that works with the developmental and human services sectors. Created in Canada, by the very people who use and work in these services, FOCUS reflects the culture and expectations of community service organizations in Canada.

FOCUS has standards that look at both the quality of the services being provided to the people who use the services, as well as the effectiveness of how the organization operates.  FOCUS sends out peers and experts from the community service sector to evaluate how an organization meets standards.   An organization that meets FOCUS’ standards can be viewed as an organization that focuses on the people it serves, and on high quality service delivery.

Contact:  Jennifer Keilty, Executive Director

FOCUS Accreditation: 1-866-805-2600