Approved Providers Standard 
The Approved Provider Standard (APS) is a national benchmark for organisations providing one-to-one, volunteer mentoring or befriending. It is a national award supported by the Cabinet Office and Department for Children, Schools and Families and aims to provide programmes with a badge of competence and safe practice in mentoring or befriending.
APS aims to ensure the consistency and quality of mentoring and befriending programmes by focusing on the key management and operational areas of the programme including programme aims and management structure, procedures for identification and referral of clients, recruitment, selection and training of volunteers, monitoring of relationships and programme evaluation.
Benefits of achieving APS
The Approved Provider Standard (APS) is a national benchmark for organisations providing one-to-one, volunteer mentoring or befriending. It is a national award supported by the Cabinet Office and Department for Children, Schools and Families and aims to provide programmes with a badge of competence and safe practice in mentoring or befriending.
APS aims to ensure the consistency and quality of mentoring and befriending programmes by focusing on the key management and operational areas of the programme including programme aims and management structure, procedures for identification and referral of clients, recruitment, selection and training of volunteers, monitoring of relationships and programme evaluation.
Benefits of achieving APS
- Recognition for good practice
- Entry onto a database of approved providers
- APS is an accepted benchmark by government departments and other funding bodies
- Certification and use of the ‘Approved Provider’ logo
- Increased public confidence in mentoring or befriending programme
- Helps promote your programme to potential clients and volunteers
- Provides a ‘health check’ of your programme.