Quest was identified as the best approach to support the agency agreement between Trafford Leisure and Trafford Council, which required a robust quality management system. But whilst some of Trafford Leisure’s management team had historic experience of the tool, the CIC itself had not widely used Quest in more than 20 years and wanted to ensure staff were fully engaged and confident the programme was a route to continuous improvement rather than a punitive ‘tick‑box’ exercise.

So, with a set of objectives to build knowledge of Quest across the entire organisation after a long gap and ensure all teams understood what Quest looks for in practice and could also demonstrate it, the Quest Test Drive trial assessment began.

Jonathan Francis, Head of Business at Trafford Leisure explains: “Going through the one-day mock assessment demystified the process. It gave us a safe environment to practice and receive feedback without the pressure of being formally scored, and meant all staff would be familiar with the style and expectations of the assessor.

“We were able to use the live feedback, which is based on Quest Best Practice criteria, to identify quick wins and strengthen our evidence and documentation ahead of the formal assessment. For instance, when you look at the assessment questions they can seem very open ended, so we had lots to say. The Test Drive guided us through what was really relevant so we could improve our evidence capture and record keeping. In some aspects it also shifted us from siloed activity to a shared quality culture where broader teams gained first‑hand insight into centre operations. Having the same assessor for the Test Drive and the subsequent formal assessment also helped build rapport and continuity. These targeted improvements directly contributed to our rating of Very Good for both move Urmston and Sale Leisure Centre. We were delighted!”

The route to greatness

Trafford Leisure also made use of Quest’s free monthly drop‑in sessions, which are online webinars where operators get to ask questions and share experiences, as well as completing a bespoke training day tailored to Trafford Leisure’s specific needs prior to the Quest Test Drive.

Sarah Lobo, Head of External Accreditations at Right Directions, which manages Quest on behalf of Sport England, explains: “The dedicated Quest training day brought Trafford Leisure’s head office staff, Heads of Service, site General Managers and team leads all together to discuss the background to Quest and how assessments work, what evidence looks like and how to use our recommendations for improvement. We were particularly keen to push that the assessment day should not be viewed as a trap, it’s just a conversational-style meeting. The training day built buy‑in and eased anxiety among staff that were new to Quest.”

Francis concurs: “The feedback was nothing but positive and staff made lovely comments about the Quest team and their presentation. We were left eagerly awaiting the next steps as opposed to feeling anxious about what was ahead.”

Test Drive in action

Following the Test Drive, Trafford Leisure reported a notable improvement in evidence capture, with meetings and interactions logged and customer feedback (including NPS) being more systematically collected and held. Cross‑team working significantly improved too. The Test Drive was particularly valuable where staff changes had occurred, allowing new General Managers and recently formed management teams to confidently look at a facility from a Quest assessment point of view.

“We realised that, whilst we were doing many things well, we weren’t always recording or demonstrating them effectively. The Test Drive prompted better documentation, evidence collation and presentation,” says Francis. “As part of the Quest process our teams really bonded too. For instance, the marketing and central teams sat in the centres to get feeling of what goes on day to day, leading to a shared understanding of priorities. The teams loved going to site and we’ve maintained that. It’s enabled everyone to recognise each other’s expertise, so things became more of a team exercise and a shared organisational goal rather than a compliance chore.

“At Trafford Leisure we have a range of facilities from the recently refurbished move Urmston and move Altrincham to Sale Leisure Centre, which opened back in 1973. Whilst we have varying degrees of buildings, assets and gym kit, we strive to have one standard of people, policies and procedures, and our Quest results demonstrate that our quality cuts across. Just like a house, you don’t see the foundations, the plumbing and the wiring, only the paint on the wall. So Quest has also enabled the council to see what we do more clearly.”

Trafford Leisure’s staged approach to Quest, combining training and a Test Drive, is a positive example of how organisations can build confidence in the process, enabling them to focus on delivering evidence and achieving great assessment outcomes, all while strengthening teamwork and striving for continuous improvement.

To find out more about our Quest Test Drive, click here or get in touch: quest@rightdirections.co.uk or 01582 840078