Date: 24/03/2009
A pioneering partnership of two councils has won its second national award in a month.
Staffordshire Moorlands District Council and High Peak Borough Council have achieved Level 3 of the Equality Standard for Local Government, just weeks after they earned a silver medal in the annual Occupational Health and Safety Awards of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).
The latest accolade means that the strategic alliance of the two authorities will be seen as "achieving" under a new Equality Framework for Local Government, which will replace the existing standard next month (April).
The Level 3 recognition means that both councils make their services as accessible as possible to all customers, as well as making a special effort to target services at those who need them most. By building equality into all aspects of the councils' activities, their services are designed to meet the wide range of needs of all sections of the community. The councils also monitor their service delivery to make sure no one is left out.
Assessors from the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) were impressed that the two councils had improved physical access to their one-stop shops and other public offices by providing wheelchair-friendly entrances and low-level counters.
They were also pleased that the authorities provided public notices in foreign languages and offered telephone translation services.
The assessment was a first for the IDeA, which had never before reviewed two councils jointly for the equality standard.
Said IDeA principal consultant Stuart Elrick: "We were pleased to see how much work had been done in a relatively short time to share good practice between the councils. We have been able to give some suggestions for more joint work to help the councils reach excellent status for their commitment to equalities."
Emily Thrane, High Peak's Executive Councillor for Corporate Services, explained: "This award shows that the strategic alliance doesn't have a one-size-fits-all approach. We're determined to build our services around our customers so everyone gets the help they need."
Added Councillor Tony Hall, Staffordshire Moorlands' Portfolio Holder for Customer Services: "Together with the RoSPA award, our achievement of Level 3 shows that our strategic alliance is coming of age. By pooling the expertise of our two excellent authorities, we can provide even better services."
The RoSPA award recognises the alliance's commitment to first-class health and safety practices: not only for its own staff but also for the businesses and partner organisations that it advises. The alliance will receive its award in on Thursday, May 14.