The QuIRC-SA is the first standardised tool for quality assessment of specialist mental health supported accommodation services. It can be used with the three main types of service (residential care, supported housing and floating outreach) and was developed as part of the QuEST study (Quality and Effectiveness of Supported Tenancies for people with mental health problems - which was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) (Application RP-PG-0610-10097).
It was adapted from an existing quality assessment tool, the QuIRC, which was developed for mental health rehabilitation services through a three-year pan-European study funded by the European Commission. To make it appropriate for supported accommodation services, changes were made to some items through focus groups with staff and users of these services and consultation with a panel of experts.
For more information on the development and psychometric properties of the QuIRC and QuIRC-SA, please view the free-to-access publications below by clicking on their links.
QuIRC and QuIRC-SA references
Killaspy, H., White, S., Wright, C. et al. (2012). Association between service user experiences and staff rated quality of care in European facilities for people with longer term mental health problems. PLoS One 2012, 7(6): e38070. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0038070
Killaspy, H., White, S., Wright, C. et al. (2011). The development of the Quality Indicator for Rehabilitative Care (QuIRC): A measure of best practice for facilities for people with longer term mental health problems. BMC Psychiatry. 11:35.
Turton P., Wright C., White S. et al. (2010). Promoting recovery in long-term mental health institutional care: an international Delphi study of stakeholder views. Psychiatric Services, 61:293-299,
Taylor T.L., Killaspy H., Wright, C., et al. (2009). A systematic review of the international published literature relating to quality of institutional care for people with longer term mental health problems. BMC Psychiatry, 9:55.
Killaspy, H., King, M., Wright, C. et al. (2009). Study protocol for the development of a European measure of best practice for people with long term mental health problems in institutional care (DEMoBinc). BMC Psychiatry, 9:36.
Killaspy, H., White, S., Dowling, S. et al. (2016). Adaptation of the Quality Indicator for Rehabilitative Care (QuIRC) for use in mental health supported accommodation services (QuIRC-SA). BMC Psychiatry, 16:101
