The Council on Accreditation (COA) peer review team had a whirl-wind visit to the Ranch Ehrlo Society from September 11th to September 15th.The four-member team conducted on-site file reviews at the agency’s three campuses, toured various facilities and conducted meetings and one-to-one interviews with staff, youth, and board members.
COA accreditation demonstrates that our organization meets the highest national standards of best practice and that it is delivering the best quality services, which aligns with our commitment to excellence in our continuum of service delivery.
During the “exit meeting” on September l4th, team-lead Jane Swanson, provided very positive feedback. “You are a premier organization, absolutely terrific with what you do and how you do it,” said Swanson who has participated in over 165 peer reviews.
Peggy Walker, another peer reviewer, shared her experience reviewing the Ehrlo Early Learning Centre. She talked about an interview she had with a parent who had experience with another daycare provider. “He could not say enough wonderful things about the program and the difference they noted in their child.”
[caption id="attachment_3693" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="COA team (l to r) David Moorehead, Peggy Walker, Anne Snudden, and team leader Jane Swanson"]
Anne Snudden, who was also part of the team, was impressed with the agency’s ethics and culture, risk management policies, the work of the front line staff, and the Family Treatment Program. “I thought it was amazing, I haven’t seen a program like that before.” Anne had a chance to speak with parents in the program and she commented that one parent said, “I just don’t know what would have happened to me and my family if this wasn’t here.”
David Moorehead, the last member of the team, had the chance to view residences across the province and remarked on, not only the great condition of the units, but the attention given to the evolution of the residences to make them safer for youth and staff while still maintaining a ‘homey’ feel.
David was also impressed by the agency’s commitment to family involvement and our use of the therapeutic crisis intervention (TCI) model. “This is the only agency I’ve seen that uses the TCI model as intended-it is not an excuse to do a physical restraint, it’s all about de-escalation and avoiding a restraint.”
The peer reviewers collectively indicated that the Ranch was doing something special and the organization showed a lot of creativity and innovation in its programming.
The agency is currently waiting for communication from COA’s pre-commission review team regarding any areas in the agency that might need to be addressed. Once we receive the report we will have a chance to respond before the final report and reaccreditation is issued.
The Ranch Ehrlo Society was first accredited in 1971 and has successfully maintained accreditation since that time. We are also the only residential treatment program in Saskatchewan that is accredited by COA.
