Agenda item

- Sue Wilson to report

Sue Wilson (Performance and Quality Manager) and Jasmine Swallow (Performance Officer) presented a report setting out an overview of the consultation process undertaken to develop the customer standards, suggestions for monitoring performance and future plans for launching and embedding with employees and customers.

Initial consultation to identify the top priorities had narrowed the 36 Service standards to 15 priorities which had been further consulted on at the 2013 Rotherham Show.  This had identified the top 5 promises which were the most important to customers/potential customers when accessing services across the Partnership.  These were:-

‘Our Promises to you’ Customer Charter:

-          We will make it easy for you to find out what services are available

-          We will aim to be flexible if you need to meet with us

-          We will actively listen to you and treat you with dignity and respect

-          We will be honest about what we can do to help you

-          We will ensure the services we provide are timely

It had also been suggested that a strapline within individual organisations’ version of the Customer Charter be included.

The concept of the design of the Charter was that the jigsaw pieces fitted together to provide a partnership commitment to promising and delivering against standards for customer service.  There was a clear indication of who the Health and Wellbeing partners were which was reflected in the prominence of the logo, use of colours and each organisation’s logo within one jigsaw piece.

It was proposed that monitoring performance through annual satisfaction surveys be conducted at the Rotherham Show.  It was anticipated that the baseline performance would be gained at the 2014 Show as part of a ‘You told us…We have…’ campaign.  Monitoring activity would be co-ordinated through Performance and Quality at the Expectations and Aspirations Workstream Group with results reported to the Health and Wellbeing Board and communicated to the public.

A Communications and Marketing Plan was being developed to ensure the customer standards reached a wide audience, informing customers about the standards they should expect and demand when accessing services and providing consistent standards for employees to work to assuring the best customer service possible.

It was hoped that a formal launch would be held at the New York Stadium which would see the ‘jigsaw’ brought to life recreating the logo as an enlarged puzzle for the photo call.

There was also a further Priority 2 action within the work plan to develop generic customer care training.  This would be a further opportunity to work in partnership to provide a co-ordinated approach to embed the single set of customer standards into working practices.

Each partner gave a brief report on their involvement in the workstream:-

-          VAR – involved in the development of the Charter as well as its member organisations in the development of the Standards.  There was nothing contained within it they would not be able to aspire to.  The VAR Board and a number of VCS networks had supported and endorsed it

-          SYP – consulted/contributed as part of the process and very supportive in relation to the Standards.  Unfortunately, it was a county-wide organisation of which Rotherham was an element but would initiate work with officers and staff in terms of the Standards.  Feedback was already being received from Your Voice Counts but the Charter would be used as a template to get more feedback and engagement from the public on the services delivered and to what standard they were delivered to

-          RFT – meeting held with Chief Executive and Communications and Marketing Manager.  There had been issues with regard to the NHS Constitution but since then it had been agreed and understood that the Standards were very much complimentary and supplementary

-          RDaSH – meeting held with representative of organisation and further work carried out during August.  The Charter and Standards were similar to the organisation’s set of values.  It had not been through their governance process as yet

-          CCG – some of the wording had been subtly changed to meet NHS guidance and would be used as a complimentary document

-          CYPS – the Directorate had signed up to the Charter

-          Healthwatch – had been part of the process and provided support at the Rotherham Show

Sue and Jasmine were thanked for their work in producing a fit for purpose and meaningful document.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the single set of customer Standards ‘Our Promises to you’ (Customer Charter) be approved and endorsed.

(2)  That the partnership approach for monitoring performance, as set out in the report, be approved.

(3)  That information be submitted regarding additional monitoring activities which single organisations could adopted.