Customer Service Excellence
Customer Service Excellence is a government-backed industry standard focusing on service delivery, timeliness, information, professionalism and staff attitude. It emphasises customer insight (knowledge about the people who use our services), understanding the user experience and robust measurement of service satisfaction.
We were assessed against 57 different elements of the standard. The assessments involved providing evidence of how we meet the standard, together with assessors interviewing our staff, service users and stakeholders.
The Customer Service Excellence standard means you can expect to receive a high standard of service from us, whatever the outcome or decision. We will make sure we understand your circumstances and needs. We will explain our processes to you and what you can expect from us at every stage of our work - and we will always treat you with respect and courtesy. You can read more about our commitment to you in our service standards.
Our accreditation
In March 2020, we began our Customer Service Excellence® journey, completing our first three-year cycle in March 2022, showing improvements each year.
In June 2023 we returned to the start of the three year cycle, meaning we had to prove our compliance with all 57 elements of the standard in detail. We achieved nine Compliance Plus ratings in areas of particular strength, 45 Compliance ratings where we were meeting the standard, and three Partial Compliance ratings where we had more work to do to fully reach the required standard.
In June 2024 we were reassessed, and maintained our nine Compliance Plus ratings (read more about these below) and gained 48 Compliance ratings. For the first time since our assessments began we received no Partial Compliance ratings. Our improved results reflect our continuous commitment to improve the IOPC journey for our service users – we are proud of our progress, and will continue to listen and act on your feedback.
Our next review is expected to take place in June 2025.
2024 achievements
We’re an inclusive organisation, and we carry out extensive work to identify disadvantaged service users and to understand the challenges faced by particular groups in society.
Our strategies and delivery plans focus on our service users, and colleagues work together to provide a positive service user experience.
We take opportunities to gain feedback from service users, and use this to influence the way we deliver our services.
We have robust processes in place to protect service users’ privacy, and staff must complete training around data protection and record management.
Our leaders trust and empower staff to make decisions which will lead to positive experiences for service users.
We recruit colleagues who fit our values and want to contribute to our service user experience. Our training programmes allow colleagues to develop further skills and knowledge relating to working with service users.
Colleagues feel their ideas for improvements are heard through staff networks and surveys, and senior leaders actively communicate the actions to be taken as a result of feedback.
We ensure colleagues feel appreciated for their contributions, and recognise where colleagues have delivered exemplary service.
We are a learning organisation and regularly make recommendations around best practice and positive change, for example through our Learning the Lessons magazine.
