Service Standards - Policy

The Council wants to listen to the views of the community on issues and projects which impact on people’s lives. Equally important is a need to communicate information clearly and effectively both internally and externally. Everyone has the right to make their views and needs known and to have the opportunity to influence the council and its decision making process.

People can expect the Council to:

• Provide timely and clear information on Council services, in plain English, in suitable paper and or electronic format, and where appropriate offer large print, other languages, Braille or audio cassette.
• Keep the Council’s website, www.shrewsbury.gov.uk up to date and accessible, including copies of any consultative reports, surveys, major strategies and plans, service information, press releases, and news.
• Promote free access to the Council’s website at its main offices and other suitable locations.
• Comply with statutory guidance and council policy on access to information, publicity, consultation and the protection of people’s rights under the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
• Choose different methods of communication and consultation to ensure that reasonable efforts are made to listen to people who have a stake in the matter, including those who may be harder to hear than others.
• Be fair - take views and comments into consideration but not to let pressure groups or those with the loudest voices have an influence to the disadvantage of others.
• Be open and transparent, encourage public debate and questions, keep council business at which the public is excluded, to a minimum.
• Use appropriate industry standards and monitoring data when undertaking surveys.
• Keep its database of Parish Councils, community organisations and agencies up to date as possible to ensure that a range of stakeholders can be involved in consultation and try to take account of the constraints under which these operate.
• To co-ordinate consultation exercises corporately to avoid duplication and increase cost effectiveness.
• Evaluate responses and the effectiveness of the methods used, to provide feedback to participants and publish the results.
• Provide timely and clear information on services, events or activities through the Council’s website, information leaflets, reports, bulletins, adverts or press releases.
• Keep our staff updated through Employee News, Briefing Sessions, team meetings and via the intranet.