DCD launches 2nd cycle of Reyada framework in Abu Dhabi

The Abu Dhabi Department of Community Development (DCD) has launched the second cycle of the Reyada framework for assessing the quality of social care services, following the completion of the first cycle, which covered more than 40 social care facilities across the emirate. The second cycle will expand coverage to 50 facilities. The initiative is part of the department’s ongoing efforts to enhance the quality of social care services and strengthen facilities’ readiness to provide safer, more effective, and sustainable services, positively impacting the lives of beneficiaries and their families.

Reyada is the first regulatory tool adopted by DCD to assess the quality of services provided by social care facilities in the emirate. It offers a structured framework for evaluating performance, strengthening communication with facilities, and identifying opportunities for development and improvement, thereby supporting higher service quality and fostering a culture of continuous improvement across the social sector.

The services covered vary according to the nature of each facility and include, but are not limited to family counselling, psychological and social counselling, case management, rehabilitation and reintegration services for people of determination, temporary or permanent shelter and care services, as well as community, digital, and telephone services related to social care.

The framework focuses on key domains that matter to beneficiaries and the community, which are: effectiveness in service delivery; safety and protection of beneficiaries; sustainability to ensure the continuity of high-quality services; and leadership, governance, and beneficiary centricity. Through these domains, the assessment goes beyond reviewing procedures and documents to examine a facility’s ability to provide clear, safe, and easily accessible services that practically meets beneficiaries’ needs.

Her Excellency Eng. Shaikha Alhosani, Executive Director of the Strategy and Sector Development Office at DCD, said: “The Reyada framework is one of the regulatory pillars supporting the department’s efforts to advance the social care system in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, as it places the beneficiary’s quality of life at the heart of the assessment process. The framework’s goal is not only to measure facilities’ level of compliance with standards, but also to help them understand and continuously act on opportunities for improvement, ensuring services that are safer and more responsive to the needs of individuals and families.

The first cycle demonstrated the importance of a unified framework that helps the department and social care facilities understand the reality of services more clearly and systematically identify challenges and development gaps. With the launch of the second cycle, we continue to build on these results to strengthen partnerships with facilities and support them on their improvement journey, contributing to building a better prepared, efficient, and sustainable social sector.

The Reyada framework helps translate assessment results into practical development opportunities by identifying strengths and areas for improvement and monitoring the implementation of corrective action plans. For beneficiaries, this translates into more organised and more transparent services, a safer experience, and support that is better aligned with their daily needs, whether they are individuals, families, or groups requiring care, rehabilitation, or social protection.

DCD implements the Reyada framework in cooperation with the Emirates Classification Society (Tasneef), as part of joint efforts to develop an integrated system for assessing the quality of social care services, enhancing the efficiency of facilities and the sustainability of their impact, in line with the Emirate of Abu Dhabi’s aspirations for a more cohesive society and a higher quality of life.