CQL in Canada

In Canada, CQL offers wide-ranging training and consultation services, in addition to accreditation.  We work with dozens of community-based providers, including the following accredited organizations:

• Celebration Rainbow Manor - Surrey, British Columbia
• Community Living Algoma - Sault Ste Marie, Ontario
• Community Living Campbellford/Brighton - Campbellford, Ontario
• Community Living Upper Ottawa Valley - Pembroke, Ontario
• Plainfield Community Homes - Belleville, Ontario
• Simcoe Community Services - Barrie, Ontario
• Vectis Support Services - Victoria, British Columbia

In June 2006, CQL and Accreditation Ontario announced an agreement between the two organizations through which Accreditation Ontario acquired the exclusive rights to use and market CQL products and services throughout Canada. Under the agreement, Accreditation Ontario began to conduct business as CQL Canada.

While that agreement ended in 2010, CQL continues a strong and active presence across Canada, building on over 15 years of collaboration with Canadian providers dedicated to community inclusion and quality of life.

CQL in Ireland

CQL began its work with organizations in Ireland in 1997, as word about our Personal Outcome Measures® spread to Europe. For more than 10 years, we have been fortunate to work in collaboration with many agencies in the disability sector throughout Ireland – and we have seen the growing impact and influence of CQL’s measures and methods. Leaders from these organizations have come together to form networks for mutual support and learning.

The Delivering Outcomes to People Project was funded under the Irish Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, as part of their Enhancing Disability Services, POBAL Office. This funding came about as a result of a proposal by the National Outcomes Network of Ireland.

The Outcomes Network of Ireland (O.N.I.) is an informal network of agencies in the disability sector in Ireland, formed in 2000. Its members include agencies interested in the CQL approach to quality enhancement; some are currently accredited by CQL, and others are using the CQL approach or interested in doing so. The Outcomes Network of Ireland liaises with CQL, and relevant Irish bodies such as the Federation of Voluntary Bodies in Intellectual Disabilities, Health Information and Quality Assurance (HIQA), Inclusion Ireland (formerly NAMHI), and Disability Federation of Ireland. The Outcomes Network of Ireland includes:

• Western Care Association
• Saint John of God’s Hospitaller Services
• Sunbeam House Services
• Cheshire Foundation
• St. Michael’s House
• Health Service Executive North West Intellectual Disabilities
• Cheeverstown House
• Sisters of La Sagasse Services Cregg House Sligo
• Brothers of Charity
• Dara Residential Services
• Irish Wheelchair Association
• St. Patrick’s Services Kilkenny
• Health Service Executive North East Intellectual Disabilities

CQL in Australia

CQL has maintained an active presence in Australia since the mid-1990s. We have conducted training and participated in a variety of national conferences. CQL accredits several organizations in the state of Victoria. Currently we are working closely with the Quality Solutions Group in Melbourne to support organizations in the region in enhancing person-directed services and supports.

International Initiative for Disability Leadership (IIDL)

Since August 2007, CQL has been participating in IIDL.  In the spring of 2006 a handful of leaders in disability services attended the already well established IIMHL (International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership) international exchange in Ireland and the UK to assess the feasibility of developing an similar exchange for leaders in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities.  The first set of exchanges and networking meeting for IIDL was in the US and Canada the following year with approximately 15 people participating.  CQL was represented in two exchanges in Virginia and in Vancouver, British Columbia and attended the networking meeting in Ottawa.  In the two exchanges since, CQL has continued to support the developing IIDL through being a part of exchanges in Auckland, New Zealand, and Castlebar, Ireland, attendance at network meetings and facilitation of forums in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and Killarney, Ireland, and contributing a journal article in 2009.  IIDL membership has grown to 45 leaders from US, Canada, Ireland, England, Australia, and New Zealand.  Exchange sites in US and Canada are being identified for September 2011 with the network meeting is scheduled for September 16-17, 2011 in San Francisco, CA.  Membership is free. The intended outcome and purpose of IIDL (taken from the website http://www.iimhl.com/IIDL/AboutUs) are:

Overall/Outcome Objective of IIDL:

People with Disabilities and their families want to have personally satisfying everyday lives in the community. 

Point of IIDL:

To influence and support policy makers and communities (deliverers), towards making this happen through challenging practices, thinking and visions that are outdated.

We want to be an international leadership forum that raises awareness, improves personal leadership, and shares ideas on innovative and best known (optimal) practice.

This means:

1. Establishing international leadership exchanges, between key people in countries of similar economic and cultural development, that:

• demonstrate and share knowledge of innovative and effective practice
• encourage and support the use of effective vision, thinking and practice
• help develop sustainable influential leadership
• generate ongoing international networks of leading practitioners

2. The ongoing provision of information around what is seen to be working and new ideas.