The Rainha Santa daycare center at Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Alvor obtained ISO 9001 certification, relating to its quality management system, this institution in the municipality of Portimão announced.
«This milestone is not just a seal of quality, but a tangible reflection of the institution's commitment to continuous improvement, compliance with regulatory and legal requirements, and the satisfaction of parents and guardians», illustrates SCM de Alvor.
The ISO 9001 certification, «internationally recognized, is currently held by more than one million organizations globally, functioning as a certificate of effectiveness of internal processes, promoting continuous improvement and compliance with current regulatory and legal standards».
In Portugal, there are 8900 organizations with this certification, «more than 400 of which operate in the health and social action sector».
«The certification process involves a rigorous audit by an external entity that evaluates all of the institution's procedures in comparison with good practices and guidelines in the sector. In the case of the certification of Misericórdia de Alvor, this audit was conducted by Bureau Veritas, an international company that stands out in the field of certification, inspection and auditing», explains the institution.
SCM de Alvor recalls that in the Algarve, «as in other regions of the country, the demand for places in daycare centers far exceeds the available supply, a reality exacerbated by the financial challenges that the sector faces, namely the low state contributions».
This is despite the implementation of the “Happy Daycare” program, “which, by providing free access to daycare centers, substantially increased the demand for places in these institutions. This initiative, although commendable, has generated additional pressure on the infrastructure and resources of daycare centers, which see the need to respond to growing demand by maintaining, or even raising, the quality standards of the services provided».
To achieve certification, the Misericórdia de Alvor daycare center carried out work that «not only involved adherence to rigorous quality standards, but also the modernization and digitalization of some activities, thus facilitating interaction with parents».
“This digital transition is a crucial step towards mitigating operational challenges and ensuring the efficient use of available resources, even in the face of financial constraints”, he says.
«We worked for a year to align the institution's management procedures with the good practices defined by the standard. It was a demanding exercise, but with clearly positive results for children and guardians», illustrates João Francisco Amado, responsible for the Quality Management System implementation project.
Joana Azevedo, technical director of Creche da Misericórdia de Alvor, highlights that this was «a laborious process, but very rewarding. Above all, I am extremely happy for the feedback from our children and their parents and/or guardians, as well as the unity and dedication of our work team».
Mário de Freitas, provider of Misericórdia de Alvor, says that this «is not just a seal of quality, but a testament to our unquestionable dedication to providing a holistic, child-centered education. The focus on meeting children's educational needs and meeting parents' expectations is now validated and reinforced by this recognition that extends to the entire team that tirelessly contributed to this success».
SCM de Alvor also highlights the «positive feedback from parents with the recent ISO 9001 certification», which «is a tangible incentive for Creche Rainha Santa da Misericórdia de Alvor to continue its path of improvements».
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