We provide

• A reception service for all visitors to the Council Offices.
• Trained Customer Service Officers who can deal with Council Service enquiries.
• A payment receipting service for those who prefer to make payments to the Council in person.
• Your Library Extra which provides a Library Service including when the Library is closed.

South Staffordshire Solutions will also work in partnership with other external organisations to enhance the services we provide.

What you can expect from us

We aim to:

• Create a welcoming atmosphere.
• Review standards to promote continuous improvement to Customer Service.
• Be courteous, polite and treat you with respect.
• Ensure equality in all services provided by the Council irrespective of: gender, marital or family status, religious belief, age, disability, race, ethnicity or nationality and sexual orientation.
• Ensure that all advice and information is presented clearly and honestly, without the use of jargon.
• Give you undivided attention, be sympathetic to your needs and endeavour to be available to help you complete forms.
• Arrange a time and place to discuss issues in private if preferred.
• Try to find a solution to any query regardless of whether this Council is responsible for the service.
• Seek help where necessary on more technical issues.
• Correct things promptly when things go wrong and learn from complaints.
• Be smart in appearance wearing uniforms and clearly visible name badges.
• Ensure that the facility is clean and tidy.
• Consult Customers regularly and take account of your comments.
• Acknowledge emails within 24 hours of receipt.
• Regularly review the costs of the service by benchmarking against similar facilities.

What we expect from you

• To treat staff and other customers with courtesy and respect.
• Not to verbally or physically abuse staff or other customers. If you use any abusive or offensive language or behaviour towards our staff or other customers, we will ask you to leave the building.
• To respect our facilities and services provided by the council.

Opening Times

Monday, Wednesday - Friday 8:45am - 5:pm

Tuesday 8:45am - 8:00pm

Saturday 9:30am - 1:00pm

The council offices are closed on the following holidays:

Easter - Good Friday, Monday

Late Spring Bank Holiday - Monday

August Bank Holiday - Monday

Christmas - Christmas day to the 1st working day of the New Year.

May Day Bank Holiday normal opening hours apply.

Blue Badges

As of 1st June 2010 South Staffordshire Council will be dealing with all blue badge enquiries. The Customer Services team will be processing both new application forms and renewals. You can call, email or visit us for further information and to request an application form.

Contact details are shown at the bottom of this page.

Am I eligible?

You will be eligible for a blue badge if you meet the following criteria:

• You receive the higher rate of the mobility component of the Disability Living allowance.
• You receive a War Pensioner's Mobility Supplement.
• You use a motor vehicle supplied for disabled people by a Government Health Department.
• You are registered blind.
• You have a severe disability in both upper limbs, regularly drive a motor vehicle but cannot turn the steering wheel of a motor vehicle by hand even if that wheel is fitted with a turning knob.
• You have a permanent and substantial disability which means you are unable to walk or have very considerable difficulty in walking. In this case you may be asked to answer a series of questions to help the local authority determine whether you are eligible for  badge. People with a psychological disorder will not normally qualify unless their impairment causes very considerable, and not intermittent, difficulty in walking.
• For any other circumstances - these will be assessed by a member of the Customer Service team.

Where can I use my badge?

• Badge holders may park free of charge and without time limit at parking meters on street and "pay and display" on street parking unless local traffic orders prevent this.
  
• Badge holders may usually park on single or double yellow lines for up to three hours in England and Wales and without time limit in Scotland unless this is prevented by a ban or local scheme (with both parts of the badge on display and the clock showing the time of arrival).
  
• More details regarding the use of blue badges will be supplied once your application has been approved.

You can also visit the direct.gov.uk website for more information.

Solutions news

Performance standards have been externally validated in 2006/7 by way of a mystery shopping exercise. This survey rated the personal call visit made as 'excellent' with a 96% rating. The mystery shopping exercise also carried out an 'exit poll' for the Council in our Contact Centre and the percentage of customers that were satisfied with the service was 100%. It was reported that 85% of respondents were "very satisfied" with the service received and 91% were "very satisfied" with the waiting time.

Customer satisfaction survey

The survey results and examples of compliments and comments are available in the links below:

Customer Survey Results October 2006

Customer Survey Results February 2007

Customer Survey Results June 2007

Customer Survey Results September 2007

Our service standards for 2007/2008

Waiting Times

• 94% of Customers to be seen within 15 minutes. (Higher standard for 2007/8)
• 99% of Customers to be seen within 25 minutes. (Higher standard for 2007/8)
• 99% of Customers should have their enquiry resolved at the first point of contact.

How we did last year

In 2006/2007:

• 93.85% of Customers were seen within 15 minutes.(93% 2005/6) 
• 98.45% of Customers were seen within 25 minutes. (99% within 30 minutes 2005/6)
• 99% of Customers had their enquiry resolved at the first point of contact. (99% 2005/6) 

How we did in November 2009

85% of Customers were seen within 15 minutes.

95% of Customers were seen within 25 minutes.

99% of Customers enquiries were resolved at the first point of contact.

What do we cost?

Compliments and complaints, consultations and suggestions

We regularly consult Customers to find out how satisfied or otherwise they are against our stated standards of performance or level of service. Examples of compliments and comments are available in the survey results above.

We also ask other stakeholders such as other Councils how we can improve our performance and share good practice.

During the year 2007/8 one formal complaint was received regarding the attitude of a member of staff. This complaint was dealt with at stage 1 of the complaints procedure. As a result all staff were reminded of their obligation to adopt the correct attitude towards customers. We do keep a record of informal complaints; a summary of these is below.

Year       Staff       Operation       Facility

03/04        6              14               9

04/05        3               4                2

05/06        3               1                0

06/07        2               3                1

If we do something well, please tell us. We welcome all comments and suggestions you have about our service. Likewise if we do something wrong please tell us so we can prevent it happening again and put things right.

See Further Information below for opening times and contact details.

Please note that payments are accepted until 15 minutes prior to closing each day.

The Council Offices are closed on the following holidays:

Easter - Good Friday, Monday.

Late Spring Bank Holiday - Monday.

August Bank Holiday - Monday.

Christmas - Christmas day to the 1st working day of the new year. 

May Day Bank Holiday normal opening hours apply.

Currently you can:

• Register a Birth
  
• See an advisor from the Pensions Service at one of their surgeries. Call 0845 6060265 to make an appointment.
  
  Information is also available using the link below. 
  
• Report pot holes and street lighting faults
  
  
• Visit our exhibition area where you can view displays that cover leisure promotions, art exhibitions and the other community exhibitions.

Various leaflets and application forms and guidance documents are also available.

 

Close links have been established with Staffordshire County Council's Library Extra Service with the children's book section and 'fast-track' adult fiction plus facilities for Internet access. 

 

Visitors can also use the Council's Cafe area between 8:00am & 3:30pm Monday to Friday.

 

 

Trading standards

 

As from 31st January 2006, customers who require advice on their civil rights regarding goods and services purchased, will be advised by Staffordshire County Council's partner organisation Consumer Direct West Midlands. The contact number is 0845 4040506. Personal callers and those who do not wish to use Consumer Direct, will still be able to gain advice from the Consumer Advice team.

 

The divorce bureau

 

The Divorce Bureau is a national organisation set up to help people, from all walks of life, deal with divorce. They can be contacted on 0800 7319831 or by linking to the website below.

 

Links

Contact

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