Quality Matters are a not-for-profit working with organisations across Ireland to improve social service provision.

Our mission is to support the joint ambition of state funders, not-for-profits, charities and social enterprises to create high quality evidence-based services for marginalised communities and the individuals within them.

Our Team

Caroline Gardner

Caroline Gardner

Chief Executive Officer
Aoife Dermody

Aoife Dermody

Co Founder
Philip Isard

Philip Isard

Senior Project Specialist
Juliana Garcia

Juliana Garcia

Researcher
Rob O’Donoghue

Rob O’Donoghue

Data Analyst
Joan Ellison

Joan Ellison

Finance Manager / Manager We Make Good
Anne Rackow

Anne Rackow

Project Specialist
Sonam Banka

Sonam Banka

Associate: Statistical Analysis
Agnieszka Martynowicz

Agnieszka Martynowicz

Associate: Legal and Criminology
Robert Browne

Robert Browne

Associate: Psychology

Our work is…

Client focused

The tangible and real benefits of not-for-profit services to the lives of people in the community remain, at all times, the core focus of our work.

Proving impact

Nothing is more important than figuring out what is working in social services, and what needs to change, so that we can direct resources to the work that makes real impact in people’s lives.

Evidence based

We are committed to using evidence based approaches wherever they exist and are good enough for the job. We are also committed to contributing to a national and international evidence base for service providers.

Consultative and participatory

We value the meaningful involvement of all of the right people in planning and evaluating services that are relevant to them. This might include the public, clients, staff, other professionals, or commissioners.

Efficient

We are committed to spending the public’s money responsibility. We mange our time and, where we ask for it, the precious time of other workers or clients, to ensure we spend it achieving our aims.

We know that to be sustainable organisations creative use existing resources. Service providers must work with partners across sectors and disciplines to ensure the needs of as many people as possible can met with the skills and resources that we have at our disposal. 

Creative

We all know the saying about doing the same thing and expecting the same result. We strive to bring innovation and creativity into our processes, so that people pay attention, feel involved, and want to participate. New ways of working can get better results, our job is to make the process enjoyable and meaningful.

Collaborative

Collaborative working can leverage more resources and achieve better outcomes. Success requires shared vision and clarity, and we know that this can be supported by considered processes, protocols and policies.

Focused on building capacity

The importance of the role of staff in meeting people’s needs cannot be understated. We seek to ensure that the not-for-profit sector, and the people that drive it, have the capacity, skills and practical tools to be highly responsive and cost-effective.

Accountable and transparent

We value transparency in our organisation and support transparency in others. When we work with partners, they know what we’ve done, how we did it and where resources were spent.

Always improving

Quality is more than a certificate to hang proudly on the wall. Quality is an ethos, a way of working. Our clients change, their needs change, and so our services must be changeable, flexible and responsive. Quality means continuously striving to better meet the needs of clients.

OUR FUNDERS

Our projects are funded by not-for-profit services, service commissioners and philanthropic organisations.

OUR EXPERIENCE

Our team is experienced in front line service provision, service management, service commissioning, research, strategic and policy development, training and lecturing, and facilitation of high-level interagency processes in the addiction, disability, homeless, youth, community development and justice sectors.

Don’t just take our word for it


Our Board

Professor Anthony Staines, Dr. Catherine Bates, Pat Carey,
Dr. Des Crowley, Paul McKinney