Coronavirus Update – Consultancy Clients

A message from our Managing Director (Updated November 2020)

QCS International is attempting to provide all our clients with a service as near as normal during the current situation. We are introducing measures to minimise risk and to find alternate ways of working so that you can maintain your management systems, health and safety arrangements and audits.

Given current government advice most of our work supporting clients will be delivered remotely.  Your consultant will be in touch to make the necessary arrangements to ensure communication channels work and that we can provide you with the assistance you need. Whilst this may limit some of the things we can do for you we will endeavour to be flexible and responsive to your needs.

Scotland is not in full lockdown and it is permissible for us to complete site visits where these are essential to project delivery.  If you need us to visit your site, we will ensure we meet all current guidance on social distancing and face coverings.  Site visits in other parts of the UK are also possible – dependent upon local circumstance.

For those clients who receive audit services we will introduce the following measures:

• With your cooperation we will review your audit programmes to establish which audits we can do in the present situation – focussing upon those that are achievable through remote or online review of documentation. For this we would look to your cooperation to be able to host such audits which can involve telephone as well as full videoconference. All our consultants have access to Teams through Office 365. If alternative systems are required to facilitate an audit, such as Skype, we will ensure these are made available to our staff.
• Please note that remote auditing is a perfectly acceptable approach. QCS auditors follow guidance for audits as described within ISO 19011. The following is an extract from this standard:

‘ Remote audits refers to using technology to gather information, interview an auditee etc. where ‘face to face’ methods are not possible or desired’ A.16 ISO19011:2018

• Certification bodies, like BSi etc, will be well aware of remote auditing and given the ongoing situation they should look favourably upon it. It is a sign of good business continuity in times of uncertainty.

If you need help and advice with regard to health and safety arrangements we are able to offer this – delivering such support is an essential service and we can do this on premise if necessary.  We are also able to offer help and advice with regard to COVID-19 risk assessments – go here to find out more: https://www.qcsl.co.uk/return-to-work/

If you have any questions or concerns about this situation and about how we deliver our services, then please do contact the office on 01236 734447 (it will be forwarded to a member of staff able to deal with your enquiry). Thank you.