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Why Three Rivers chose Charter Mark
Achieving Charter Mark shows that an organisation is meeting the needs of its customers by:

• Setting standards and performing well.
• Engaging with its customers, partners and staff.
• Being fair and accessible to everyone and promoting choice.
• Developing and improving continuously.
• Using its resources effectively and imaginatively.
• Helping to improve the opportunities and the quality of life in the communities it serves.

Achieving Charter Mark status also recognises the continuing commitment an organisation is making towards improving its services.  The Charter Mark standard is UK-wide and is owned by the Cabinet Office.

The challenge
Three Rivers faced a particular challenge: how to produce sufficient evidence across its 18 Council departments, to satisfy the requirements of the Charter Mark standard.

SGS United Kingdom Ltd offers the ideal assessment solution
Three Rivers evaluated a number of Charter Mark certification bodies for the project, and chose SGS for three key reasons:

• Two of the council’s departments had already achieved Charter Mark status, and their managers spoke highly of the supportive and impartial advice they had received from the SGS assessors they worked with.
• SGS proposed open and transparent costs that fitted well with Three Rivers’ price expectations.
• SGS planned a two-phased approach to help Three Rivers overcome their challenge and achieve Charter Mark status.

A two-phased approach
In the first phase, SGS led with a thorough review of the core corporate documents used throughout the Council. Then in the second phase the assessors conducted separate, detailed reviews of the Council’s 18 departments, in order to verify that these individual services met the Charter Mark standard.

So far, 11 of the services have been successfully reviewed, with the remainder due for completion by 31 December 2006.  Once all 18 reviews have been completed, Three Rivers District Council will achieve full corporate Charter Mark status.

(PULL QUOTE) “SGS walks the line between giving good practical advice and not crossing over the assessor line.” – Tony Beirne, Director of Strategic Services

The benefits of working with SGS
From the start of the assessment process in May 2006 Three Rivers has enjoyed a positive relationship with SGS.

• SGS put in extra assessors to bring forward the projected completion date from 31 March 2007 to 31 December 2006.
• SGS has continued to supply impartial advice throughout, and has helped to drive forward the process.  So much so that Three Rivers has gained a strong sense of how SGS relate to its goals, without at any point compromising their integrity as independent assessors.
• SGS has made practical recommendations, which have enabled Three Rivers to put in place actionable steps.  For example, SGS noted a common failure across the Council to log customer complaints as effectively as it might do.  As a result, Three Rivers has organised and run a refresher training course for all its staff to improve customer care standards.

Three Rivers is already benefiting from Charter Mark
Even before full certification, Three Rivers has found that the Charter Mark certification process is helping to raise the Council’s profile in the wider community, and has improved staff morale.

Firstly, by reassuring stakeholders of the high quality and consistent delivery of services in the community.

Secondly, by raising confidence levels.  Within the Council itself Charter Mark has had an impact on morale: endorsing the efforts of Council Officers who often carry out their duties in demanding circumstances.  Officers really do feel their efforts are recognised.

Thirdly, by demonstrating to government inspectors and regulators that Three Rivers is focused on delivering the best service to its customers.

Meanwhile, outside in the wider community Charter Mark is a badge of quality, assuring residents of their right to a high standard of service.

Steven Halls, Chief Executive of Three Rivers District Council says:
“To achieve corporate Charter Mark status will be very exciting as it means that everyone in the district and beyond can expect a high level of service from us across the board.  Our Officers have worked extremely hard throughout the assessment process to achieve Charter Mark status, and will work hard to maintain this standard so that our residents, stakeholders and partners will receive consistently excellent customer service.”

Ends

For further information please contact the Charter Mark Team, SGS United Kingdom Ltd, Freephone:+44 0800 900 094, Fax: +44 (0) 1276 697696 or E-mail