Service First: Charter Mark

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The Service First and Modernising Government programmes have now been completed. The information held on this site is no longer being maintained but is retained for archive purposes.

To learn about reform of public services, you may find the following sites useful:

Prime Minister’s Office of Public Service Reform
Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit
Civil Service Reform
Charter Mark Website

If you work in the public sector, you can access our good practice database and other useful information via the Public Sector Benchmarking Service.

Public Servants Star in Awards Ceremony

This year’s awards’ ceremony certainly had its share of stars including Ross Kemp (Grant Mitchell from "Eastenders"), TV personality Davina McCall and famed "agony aunt", Claire Rayner all lending their support.

The ceremony, co-hosted by Dr Mo Mowlam, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Ian McCartney, the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office was held at the QEII Conference Centre in Westminster on Tuesday 1st February.

As ever, the (789) winning organisations were the star attractions. In her address to a packed auditorium, Dr Mowlam re-emphasised the government’s commitment to providing high quality public services and paid tribute to the thousands of frontline staff who contributed to the success of the winning organisations.

This year’s awards were sponsored by ICL the IT service company which donated a special prize "The ICL IT Innovation Award" was won by Gateshead Council Libraries Service for demonstrating the most innovative use of IT as part of their service delivery.

In addition, the awards were supported by three charities, Help the Aged and Age Concern who donated a joint special prize of Ł2, 000 for the Charter Mark organisation providing the best services for older people, won by the London Borough of Ealing’s Residential Homes for Older People. Save the Children awarded the "Save the Children Charter Mark Award", to Roundhay School in Leeds for its outstanding service to young people. This was the first year of the award.

Following the hour long ceremony, delegates were photographed with their appropriate minister. Amongst those attending and supporting the event were Home Secretary Jack Straw, Margaret Beckett, and Andrew Smith, Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Those unable to attend, including the Prime Minister sent video messages congratulating the winners. Many more MPs also turned out to congratulate winners in their constituencies. Winners, guests, celebrities, ministers and MPs all thoroughly enjoyed the event. One commented "There was a buzz in the air which didn't disappear, it's a day I will remember for the rest of my life. "