"The accreditation has helped the Trust to instigate its implementation of the current NHS 'Better Hospital Food' plan for catering services, as well as adhere to the principles of 'best value'."

Graham Walker
General Manager
Catering Services
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Trust

The Hospitality Assured self-assessment process is a business improvement tool which enables organisations, of all sizes, to ascertain how they measure up with the key indicators in the Service Standard and identify what action may be required to meet it.

If you would like an excel self assessment spreadsheet please click here. You may find this useful in completing your self assessment.

In using the process, we recommend the following steps are taken:

1. Planning

Plan how you are going to undertake your own organisation's self- assessment. It is recommended that the process is most effective if a cross-section of people, from different departments and levels, within the organisation are involved.

You may feel you would benefit from a tutored workshop to understand the detail of the standard and more objectively determine how you measure up and implement the actions listed below, if so contact the Hospitality Assured training team on 01594 517390.

2. Understand key steps

Read and understand the key steps and guidance notes to the Service for Service and Business Excellence set out in section 3. If there are things that you do not understand then contact the Hospitality Assured training team.

3. Gather evidence

Work through each of the 10 steps of the standard, gathering evidence which allows you to score your organisation against each of the requirements in the assessment checklist. You may find it helpful to use the stand-alone guidelines in section 6 for this. List evidence of achievement under 'evidence.' If you identify areas where improvement may be required, then list these under 'Action Points', highlighting the action required to bring your organisation up to the required standard. Look at the performance rating scale on the page 37 and apply appropriately.

4. Establish your score

Write in your scores on the assessment sheet for each of the 10 steps. Establish your overall percentage score by completing the score sheet on page 60, adding up your individual scores and determining your total percentage achieved as a percentage of the total maximum overall score.

5. Analyse your score

If you have a total score which is 60% or better, then you should consider applying for accreditation as a 'Hospitality Assured' organisation.

6. Develop an action plan

If you identify a number of actions required to be implemented before you meet the requirements of the standard, develop these into an action plan determining who in your organisation is responsible for their implementation and the date for achievement.

7. Apply for toolkit

For those organisations who feel that they could benefit from additional information, Hospitality Assured have developed a toolkit. This provides detailed advice on the implementation of the Standard, with practical examples and case studies of some of the processes and good practices which organisations can employ.