Liz Jenkins CEO of Alumah and Yvonne Devereux Chair of Trustees for Alumah sat down for a chat with Jacqui Wilkinson, Organisation Development Officer – Safeguarding and Quality Assurance at Community Action Suffolk to discuss their experience of undertaking and achieving the Community Action Suffolk Quality Standard.
For many charities, governance and compliance can feel like a daunting task. Policies, procedures, safeguarding, health and safety—it’s a lot to manage alongside delivering vital services. But Alumah, a Suffolk-based charity supporting survivors of relationship abuse, shows that embracing the CAS Quality Standard can transform not only organisational practice but also team confidence and collaboration.
Alumah is a community based charity supporting survivors and victims of relationship abuse working with age 7 years old to adulthood. ‘We provide essential support to children, young people and adults to hopefully help them to change their lives and to recover from the trauma that they have been through’ explained Yvonne.
A Commitment to Excellence
Alumah has achieved the Quality Standard before, and for good reason. As Chair of Trustees Yvonne explains, “There’s a danger of becoming complacent. We wanted to make sure our policies and procedures were still robust and met the required standard.” The process provided external validation, reassuring the team where they were on track and highlighting areas for improvement. For trustees, this was about fulfilling their responsibility to protect staff, clients, and the organisation itself.
Building Confidence and Clarity
Far from being a tick-box exercise, the Quality Standard gave Alumah’s trustees and staff confidence in their governance. It clarified responsibilities, supported new trustees in understanding their role, and created safe spaces for learning. “It helped us have focused conversations,” says Yvonne. “The standards were clear, and the guidance helped us know exactly what was required. It helped trustees understanding of what’s required as a trustee and what’s required in order for governance to be of the right standard. I think personally it has given me even confidence to know as chair you are supporting the trustees and supporting the CEO, the staff the clients at a good standard.
Strengthening Relationships and Processes
The process didn’t just improve paperwork—it strengthened relationships. CEO Liz Jenkins reflects, “It affirmed our partnership as CEO and Chair. The Quality Standards catch-up meetings we had with you at Community Action Suffolk every 8 weeks or so were safe spaces, productive, relaxed, and supportive.” Alumah also streamlined its approach by forming committees for safeguarding, health and safety, HR, and finance, making the process more manageable and collaborative.
The process also strengthened new relationships amongst the Board. Sharing the Quality Standard work and updates really helped the Board conversations and gave people a more confident voice within it, it kept them focused because the standards were so clear about what we needed to do. We were able to keep coming back to the standard and say, ‘This is what is required, have we got it? Is the policy and procedure clear?’
From Overwhelming to Enjoyable
For Liz, the experience was – maybe – surprisingly positive when asked to describe the process, “What comes to mind is enjoyable. It’s joint working, moving forward, and consolidating things. It shows we’re improving and gives us something tangible at the end.” Alumah completed the process well within the allotted year, avoiding the pressure of drawn-out timelines and ensuring standards stayed current.
Practical Benefits and Ongoing Development
The Quality Standard isn’t about perfection, the view of once you’ve achieved it that’s it you’ve done it—it’s about continuous improvement. Achieving it once was the beginning and was the foundation of reviews and improvements over the following years leading up to the successful renewal and achievement of the Quality Standard again this year.
For Alumah, this time around it highlighted the opportunity to develop a stronger business plan. Not only did the Quality Standard clearly define what we needed but by also attending the ‘Effective Business Plan’ training course from Community action Suffolk gave a renewed strategic focus. “We were buzzing after the training,” Liz says. “It gave us the language and skills to take this forward’. On a light-hearted note Liz shared, ‘I was so excited about doing the new business plan that a member of my family said they were thinking about changing their job as they weren’t as excited about it as much as I was excited about doing our business plan”
Advice for Other Charities
Alumah’s message to other organisations is clear: “Just do it.” The process is affirming, developmental, and supported by Community Action Suffolk’s wrap-around guidance. From bespoke trustee training to practical advice, local support makes a real difference.
Top Tips
- Don’t try to do it all alone
Form small working groups (3–4 people) for each section instead of involving the entire board at every stage. This speeds up the process and keeps discussions focused. - Avoid overwhelming everyone with every detail
Share policies and procedures with relevant committees rather than the full board during early drafts. This prevents delays and unnecessary debate from those unfamiliar with the subject. - Take it one section at a time
Work through each standard individually rather than tackling everything at once. This makes the process manageable and less stressful. Whilst that works for us it’s important that people us ethe approach that works best for them and their organisation. - Use the Quality Standard as a conversation guide
Let the clear indicators and guidance shape discussions. It keeps everyone focused on what’s required and avoids drifting into unrelated topics. - View it as a supportive process, not a test
Quality Standards Catch-up meetings and reviews are safe spaces for learning and improvement. Treat them as opportunities for growth rather than something intimidating. - Keep policies as living documents
Regularly update safeguarding and other key policies so they remain relevant and embedded in practice, not just filed away. - Access the complementary training
Tap into local resources from Community Action Suffolk for training and advice. Their wrap-around support makes the process easier and more effective. - Use committees to build trustee confidence
Smaller groups allow new trustees to learn in a safe space, ask questions, and develop their understanding without feeling overwhelmed. - Keep the momentum going
Organisations have a year to complete the process, it’s enough time but don’t let time drift away. Keep the momentum, it prevents the feeling of heavy pressure. - See it as developmental, not just compliance
The Quality Standard isn’t about perfection, achieve it once and stop—it’s about continuous improvement and strengthening governance. It makes the renewal process much quicker and more streamlined as well as making sure your policies and procedures are real living documents supporting staff and volunteers and providing safer spaces for your clients and beneficiaries.
Final Thoughts
Quality Standards help charities stay accountable, confident, and future-focused. They build trust within teams, strengthen governance, and ultimately improve services for the people who need them most. As Liz sums up: “The experience was a positive one. I would highly recommend it to all charities.”
Just do it. Start Your Journey.
If you are interested in starting your Quality Standards journey visit our webpage or contact Jacqui Wilkinson, Organisation Development Officer: Safeguarding and Quality Assurance for more information.
email: [email protected] or Tel: 01473 345312
