Quest Newsletter April 2026
Spring Update
Welcome to our latest Quest newsletter. As always, thank you for the continued commitment you show to quality improvement and delivering excellent services in your communities. Your engagement with the Quest process helps drive standards across the sector, and we are grateful for the enthusiasm and professionalism your organisations bring to the scheme.
Welcome to Our New Assessors
We’re delighted to welcome to the team: Zoe Barber, James Bliss and Jason Stanton
We’d also like to extend a sincere thank you to all of you who support our shadowing and mentoring process for new assessors — we really do appreciate it.
New assessors first shadow an experienced colleague and are then supported in person by a mentor during their first assessment. This approach is key to setting them up for success and ensuring the quality and consistency of the Quest assessment process.
If your facility is asked in the future to take part in this process, please help us by saying yes. We promise:
• It does not interfere with the assessment day
• It does not feel like you are being assessed by two people.
Your support plays a vital role in helping new assessors develop the confidence and experience needed to deliver high-quality assessments.
There have been a few updates to the Compliance Declaration module, so here’s a quick reminder.
This section is pass or fail, so the required evidence must be available. If evidence cannot be produced on the day, there is a three-month window to submit documentation to the Quest team in our support office.
Recent Changes include:
• We have removed the questions about non-passenger lifts, hoists and work platforms examination and inspection.
• Updated the fire alarm test and service records question in line with BS 5839-1
• Added a question on the personal safety and harassment policy.
Full Guidance Notes are available HERE
Guidance on our new question: Personal Safety and Harassment. Some examples of good practice examples we’ve seen so far include:
• Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) flow charts with clear steps and contact information
• Bullying and harassment policy / procedure
• Sexual harassment awareness guidance
• Risk assessments for encountering violence and aggression
• Staff completing conflict resolution training
• Staff code of conduct
• Customer charters
These documents can either be stand-alone documents or combined. The key requirement is that staff have been trained and understand the policies.
Quest Customer Drop-In Session
Our next Quest Customer Drop-In Session will take place on: 21 May 2026 – 10:00 am
These sessions are free and informal, giving customers the opportunity to:
• Talk through best practice
• Share tips and ideas
• Ask questions
• Get advice from the Quest team
The focus of this session will be Operational and Environmental Management.
Please book your place HERE:
Feedback from previous sessions has been overwhelmingly positive, and we look forward to welcoming more of you.
Mystery Visit Focus
There are now three mystery visit modules. The mystery visit is an important part of the Quest assessment process, so please make sure you read the guidance notes available here:
• Operational Standards
• Customer Experience
• Programming and Inclusion
Currently, Operational Standards is averaging higher bandings than the other two modules!
A quick reminder: We are no longer providing the mystery visit banding on the assessment day. Assessors will provide general feedback only, so please do not ask for the banding on the day.
Areas where bands are currently lower and that you may want to take a closer look are:
• No accessibility statement on the website
• A lack of diverse community images shown on the website
• No transgender inclusion policy available on the website
• No visible commitment to “safe spaces for all users”
Quick Wins
A few simple actions can make a big difference:
• Add a clear accessibility statement to your website
• Ensure marketing images reflect diverse communities
• Publish or link to inclusion and equality policies online
• Include a “safe space / inclusive environment” statement within customer charters or equality pages.
These small steps help demonstrate your commitment inclusion and equality.
Congratulations – Outstanding Achievement
Congratulations to Rivermead Leisure Centre in Reading, operated by GLL, which achieved an Excellent rating on each assessment day and the mystery visit day, resulting in an Outstanding Quest award.
Craig Woodward, GLL Partnership Manager for Reading, said: “To achieve a hugely prestigious Quest Outstanding assessment is a fantastic tribute to the hard work of Rivermead General Manager James Bayliss and his team. As this rating shows, they are committed to ensuring exceptionally high standards in every aspect of their service delivery, and I heartily congratulate them all. Quest is all about continuous improvement, and that’s the aim of every Better leisure centre – to keep pushing forward and exceed expectations.”
To read the full story, visit: HERE
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As you may know the outstanding band has changed. Watch this space for more information in our next newsletter.
Quest Training
Quest training provides you and your staff with practical advice, guidance and knowledge to help you get the most from your Quest assessment. All courses are delivered by Quest accredited trainers, who are also active Quest assessors.
Our courses are available to all organisations, whether you:
• Are preparing for your first Quest assessment
• Would like a refresh of the scheme
• Want to understand how to achieve the best possible outcome
Quest Test Drives
• A Quest Test Drive is a one-day review of your performance against Quest best practice.
• It is undertaken by an experienced Quest Assessor and provides an instant indication of your facility’s current performance against the modules.
Thank you to Trafford Leisure for sharing their positive feedback and their recent Quest journey.
Read the full story HERE
For more information about training or test drives, contact us at: quest@rightdirections.co.uk
Finally...
Thank you for your continued support of Quest and your commitment to continuous improvement, our sector demonstrates high standards.
Remember, we’re here to help. If you have any questions, big or small, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Tel: 01582 840078
Email: quest@rightdirections.co.uk
We look forward to working with you over the coming months.
The Quest Team.
