How to draw up a local charter

Contents

Chapter 1

Introduction

1.1 People have a right to expect high quality public services that both reflect and are responsive to their needs. Local charters have an important role to play because they relate to specific services, and in developing a charter an organisation can find out direct from users what they really want.

1.2 In general, good charters will be: 

1.3 This guide is designed to help all local service providers draw up charters in a clear and user-friendly way. We do not intend to dictate the content and style of your charter, and there is no one model to follow. You will need to consider what to put in your charter, and in how much detail. But the guide should help you to prepare your charter so that it reflects the principles of public service delivery (set out below), and better meets the needs of your users. It complements our guide to preparing a national charter ‘How to draw up a national charter’. Copies of the national guide, and further copies of this one, are available by calling our publications line on 0845 7 22 32 42 (local-rate call)

1.4 Involving your users in the process of developing a charter is crucial, and often in practice the most difficult thing to carry out effectively. The guidance on "Involving users: Improving the delivery of local public services", and its four companion case study reports, produced jointly by the National Consumers Council, the Consumer Congress and the Cabinet Office, contain a great deal of useful advice on methods for involving and consulting users, and the issues which arise. See Annex C for details on how to obtain copies of the guidance and case study reports.

The nine principles of public service delivery

Every public service should:

1. Set standards of service
   Set clear standards of service that users can expect; monitor and review performance; and publish the results, following independent validation wherever possible.
2. Be open and provide full information 
   Be open and communicate clearly and effectively in plain language, to help people using public services: and provide full information about services, their cost and how well they perform.
3. Consult and involve
   Consult and involve present and potential users of public services, as well as those who work in them; and use their views to improve the service provided. 
4. Encourage access and the promotion of choice 
   Make services easily available to everyone who needs them, including using technology to the full, and offering choice wherever possible.
5. Treat all fairly
   Treat all people fairly; respect their privacy and dignity; be helpful and courteous; and pay particular attention to those with special needs.
6. Put things right when they go wrong
   Put things right quickly and effectively; learn from complaints; and have a clear, well publicised, and easy-to- use complaints procedure, with independent review wherever possible.
7. Use resources effectively
   Use resources effectively to provide best value for taxpayers and users. 
8. Innovate and improve
   Always look for ways to improve the services and facilities offered.
9. Work with other providers
   Work with other providers to ensure that services are simple to use, effective and co-ordinated, and deliver a better service to the user.

1.5 This guide is a living document. We will monitor its use to ensure that it is meeting your needs, and formally review its effectiveness in 2002. You can help us by completing the survey form at the back and telling us what you liked and disliked about the guide. And by sending us copies of charters you produce after using it.

Chapter 2 A local charter

What is a charter?

2.1 The main purpose of developing a charter is to improve access to public services and promote quality. It does this by encouraging the involvement of users and others in discussions about the service, telling them how to make contact, what level of service to expect, and how to seek a remedy if something goes wrong. The Charter does not in itself create new legal rights. But it helps users to claim existing rights, and may create new rights that are enforceable through non-legal means (for example through a complaints procedure or independent adjudicator). The key features of a charter are: a statement of the standards of service users can expect to receive; the arrangements for seeking a remedy should something go wrong; and information on the service provided (including contact numbers and addresses). Charters help staff too, by setting out clearly the services their organisation provides. But their main audience is the user.

What is a local charter?

2.2 A local charter is one that relates to a service delivered in a local area. It may be produced by, for instance, a local benefit office, hospital or local authority, and be tailored to the ‘local’ audience. It may not always be clear whether there should be a single overarching charter or a collection of charters at a lower level, or both. Much will depend on how diverse the services are that are covered by that organisation (for example local authorities may produce charters for individual departments, and hospitals, charters for individual wards).

2.3 The service provided may already be covered by a national charter. A list is on the Cabinet Office website at www.servicefirst.gov.uk or can be obtained by calling 0845 7 22 32 42. Local charters must take national standards, where these exist, as their minimum, but they may improve on them, and may include standards that do not appear in any national charter to which they relate. If local people want standards that are less (or more) strict than those in the national charter, then this information should be fed back to the organisation or person responsible for producing the national charter.

2.4 The amount of control that you have in setting standards will depend on the type of service you provide. For example, if you are drafting a charter for a school or council housing department, you will have more freedom to decide what the standards should be than if you are drafting a charter for a benefit office or jobcentre. This is because the latter have requirements that are laid down in national charters.

How does a local charter differ from a national charter?

2.5 A national charter sets standards of service that apply across the United Kingdom, or to one or more of the countries that make up the United Kingdom: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales (including national services delivered from one site).

Should your organisation have a local charter?

2.6 Yes, if it delivers a service to the public. Local charters are an excellent way of helping you define with your users and others what that service should be and the standard which should be expected. They also help users get the most from your service, including how to make a complaint if they are dissatisfied with any aspect or have ideas for improvement.

2.7 Going through the process of developing a local charter will: 

Your charter should clearly set out the purpose of your organisation and should reflect the nine principles of public service delivery.

What should your charter include?

2.8 Your charter should clearly set out the purpose and priorities of your organisation, and should reflect the nine principles of public service delivery (though not necessarily as section headings). In particular, you should: 

spell out the standards of service users can expect. 
These should focus on issues that are important to users. The standards should be clear, precise and measurable. They should be written so that all users have a clear idea what to expect and should clearly distinguish between enforceable rights and targets (see Chapter 5, paragraph 12). Tell people how performance will be monitored and where the results will be published. And regularly review the standards with users so that they remain realistic and challenging;

tell users how to complain if something goes wrong or service standards are not met, or how to offer a suggestion for improvement. Make clear: what will happen in such circumstances; what avenue for independent review of a complaint exists; and what remedy is available (for instance an apology, or in some cases compensation);

make clear how users can contact you and get further information. Provide a name (or title), address and telephone number along with, where possible, your website address, fax number and e-mail address. Say what your opening hours are;

make sure that the information is accessible and easy to understand. Wherever people with particular needs are likely to use the service, charters should be produced in versions that are accessible to them, such as large print or in other languages. Your charter should say where such copies can be obtained;

fully involve users and your staff in its preparation. Explain how they have been involved, and will continue to be involved;

encourage a partnership between your organisation, its users and other service providers. The approach will vary, but as a general guide, charters should cover what users can expect from you (for example, privacy and confidentiality), the responsibilities of the user (including any prescribed by law), and basic information on related services as well as how to find out more;

explain how you plan for further improvement. Services can always do better, however good they are. Set out how you intend to build on what has already been achieved, for example through encouraging innovation within your organisation and using new technology to the full, and that users’ views are an essential part of that process;

assure people that they will receive a fair service. Say that they will be treated the same irrespective of their age, gender, disability, ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation etc. Where there are areas that could cause difficulty (for example, in the case of local benefit offices, where your service may involve investigations into personal circumstances), publish guidelines explaining how you will handle this;

say if there is any relevant legislation. Charters do not of themselves confer legally enforceable rights (although they may confer new non-legally enforceable rights). But you should include information about any such rights that users may have; and refer to the relevant policy and legal framework. For example, a benefits office charter could start by saying that the Secretary of State sets benefit levels and entitlement rules, and provides the funding for the Benefits Agency; and if users are not happy about these aspects they should write to their MP or direct to the Secretary of State. In this way, your charter can help "signpost" people through the system, and will help you avoid wasting resources on complaints you cannot deal with;

make sure that the publication date is clearly visible on the cover and ensure that the charter remains current. Say when and how you expect to review the charter. In general, charters should be reviewed at least every two years, although there may be exceptional circumstances where a longer period makes sense. You should use the opportunity to evaluate with users the success (or otherwise) of your charter. Remember, charters are for the benefit of users. To be effective they need to be up to date and meet users’ needs.