Becoming a RAID^® Centre of Excellence.

To become a RAID Centre of Excellence is challenging and exciting because the bar is set high. But if you are enthusiastic about the RAID approach and talented at applying it to your service then it is definitely for you. If this is the case, then you will look forward to our assessor visiting and seeing how well you and your colleagues are applying it. A service accredited as a RAID^® centre of excellence covers at least these bases:

At least 50% of the staff are reistered as having had RAID^® training at some point in time.
At least 10% of staff have current Level 1 or Level 2 APT-Accreditation.
There are appointed 'RAID'Leaders': influential and popular staff who are enthusiastic about RAID, and whose role it is to communicate that enthusiasm and knowledge to others.
‘RAID language’ is built into written forms, records etc.
‘RAID language’ is endemic in meetings such as ward rounds, case discussions and handovers.
A RAID-qualified visitor/assessor would notice that most staff think, talk, and act, in RAID^® terms.

When you are confident that you meet these criteria, you can invite us to conduct an assessment. This involves an assessor from APT visiting your service. The cost for this assessment is $1,575 (plus travel expenses for the inspector), regardless of the outcome.

The assessment visit is your chance to demonstrate to the assessor how well you apply the RAID principles, and that you cover the four bases listed above, and do so excellently. It is entirely up to you how you set up the visit - there are no prescribed guidelines, but you might consider the following:

If you use written forms and records that illustrate RAID language being used, have them available.
To demonstrate that RAID language is endemic in meetings such as ward rounds and case discussions is difficult except by having the assessor in such ward rounds and case discussions which then poses problems of confidentiality. You can circumvent this problem in any way you choose, for example by convening a meeting where your colleagues can tell the assessor about their work and he or she can ask them questions about it, or by facilitating the assessor meeting up with individual members of staff to talk about their work in RAID terms, or any other means.
To demonstrate that most staff think talk and act in RAID terms probably necessitates a visit to the facilities concerned with the ability for the assessor to talk to a range of people.
You will probably have nominated 'RAID-leaders' - influential staff (and patients?) who take a leading role in keeping RAID principles at the forefront of practice. If so, then in would be good for the assessor to be able to speak with them.
You may wish to facilitate the assessor meeting up with patients; this is a very convincing way for the assessor to find out how the care is perceived from the recipient's point of view; this is especially so if the assessor is able to talk to patients "at random".
You may wish to have wall-posters advocating key RAID aspects (acknowledging green behaviour, or keeping criticisms positive, or playing down red behavior as far as safety allows for example). If so, these should be well-established rather than just before the inspection visit.

This may sound quite daunting and, in a way, it is. But by way of reassurance, bear in mind you have nothing to lose: the assessor has no power or desire to criticize your service; just the reverse, he or she will be a positive, constructive, RAID-oriented senior professional who will be genuinely interested in your practice and keen for you to succeed. If you don't succeed in the first instance the assessor will endeavour to make helpful suggestions so that you may do on a subsequent visit.

On successful completion of the assessment you will:

Receive the assessment report.
Be listed on our website as a Centre of Excellence.
Be able to say you are a RAID^® Centre of Excellence, including it in your literature if you wish.
Receive a plaque to display in your service.

Each service needs to be reassessed every two years.

FAQs:

Q. Our service has (e.g.) nine units split over (e.g.) three sites. Should we apply for three Centres of Excellence or just one covering all nine units?

A. It is a judgement call for you. If you apply for the the whole nine units to be regarded as one centre of excellence, then the assessor needs to visit all nine units and significant 'lack of excellence' at any one or two of them will jeopardize the application for the whole service. On the other hand, if you are successful, that is very impressive to anyone. If you opt to make three separate applications then you are incurring three inspection fees, but maximize the chances of at least one (and maybe all three) being successful. It's a judgement call.

Click here for the application form to become a RAID Centre of Excellence ❯