BRIDGEND REGISTRATION DISTRICT
NEW GOVERNANCE
SERVICE DELIVERY PLAN 2011
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Contents
Introduction
…………………………………….
Relocation of Register Office ….…………….
Contact details
…………………………. …………
Staff Structure ……………………………………
Key Achievements and
Major projects/tasks for 2009/2010
………………
Major projects/tasks for 2010/2011 ………………
Commitment to Code of Practice ………………..
Consultation
…………………………………….
Complaints procedure
Equalities
………………………
…………………………………….
Staff development and training
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Internal control ……………………………..
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Accounting arrangements
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Introduction
The Register Office is placed within the Legal and Regulatory Services Directorate within Bridgend County Borough Council. The role of the Register Office is to deliver the registration service within Bridgend County Borough. The Register
Office is based at Ty’r Ardd, adjacent to the Sunnyside Council Offices with outstations for registering births and deaths based at Porthcawl, Maesteg and Pyle.
The main functions of the Register Office are:

The registration of births, deaths, marriages, still-births and civil partnerships which occur in the Bridgend district

Taking notices of marriage and civil partnership for residents of Bridgend
County Borough

To conduct marriage and civil partnership ceremonies at the Register Office and licensed venues

Issuing certificates of birth, marriage, death and civil partnership from archived registers in the custody of the Superintendent Registrar

Carrying out Citizenship Ceremonies

Performing celebratory ceremonies namely Naming, Renewal of vows,
Commitment

To collect and maintain records of religious marriages from returns supplied by the clergy and authorised persons

To approve venues for marriage and civil partnership
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Relocation of the Register Office
On 7 th March 2011 The Register Office relocated to Ty’r Ardd, adjacent to the former premises at the Sunnyside Council Offices. This Local Authority owned building has been specially adapted to suit the needs of the Register Office and its customers. The new premises offers a choice of ceremony rooms; the statutory Register Office room will suit smaller parties of up to 20 guests and the newly licensed “Garden Room” will suit larger parties of up to 75 guests. The “Garden Room” is fitted with a webcam, hearing loop and surround sound system. The premises have the bonus of attractive gardens giving the opportunity for photographs before and after ceremonies. The modern décor will provide a pleasant environment for all Register
Office customers. Ceremony parties have separate access to the building which will create an appropriate and sensitive environment for those people registering births and deaths. The strong room has been designed using a rolling racking system which will provide ample storage for current records and the potential for growth of these records in the future. Everything has been fitted ensuring DDA compliance.
Co-located in the same building will be the Local Family History Research Centre and Reference Library which is a popular destination for family tree researchers from all over the country. Having the 2 services located in the same place will provide an excellent one stop shop for researchers who then wish to purchase certificates.
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Contact details
The Register Office
Ty’r Ardd
Sunnyside
Bridgend
CF31 4AR
Tel: 01656 642391
Fax: 01656 642389
E-mail: Registrar@bridgend.gov.uk
Opening hours
Bridgend
RO Ty’r
Ardd
Porthcawl
Trinity
Church
Maesteg
College
Pyle Life
Centre
Monday
10.00 – 12.30
(by appt)
Tuesday
9.30 – 4.00 9.30 – 4.00 9.30 – 4.00
9.30 – 12.30
Wednesday Thursday Friday
9.30 – 4.00 9.30 – 4.00
2.00 – 3.30
(by appt)
9.30 – 12.30
A drop-in service is in place for registering births and deaths at Maesteg College and an appointment system is in place for registering births and deaths at Trinity Church
Porthcawl and Pyle Life Centre. An appointment system is in place for marriage and civil partnership notices.
Out of hours emergency contact details are relayed via the Bridgend County Borough
Council’s main telephone number. Funeral Directors have details of staff personal telephone numbers. The General Register Office hold telephone contact details of the
Superintendent Registrar for emergency situations such as Registrar General’s
Licence enquiries.
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Lynda
Mumford
Registrar A
(P/T)
Kay
David
DRBD
Sian
Garfield
DRBD
Staff Structure
Andrew Jolley
Proper Officer for
Registration
Matters
Lucy Bratcher
Superintendent
Registrar
Jodie Absalom
Deputy
Superintendent
Registrar
Laura
Harris
Registrar B
(F/T)
Eifion
Evans
DRBD/DSR
Mary Thomas
Additional
Registrar/
DSR
Morgana
Thompson
Registrar C
(F/T)
Denise Howells
DRBD
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Christine
Jenkins
DRBD/DSR/
Training Officer
Jane
Jones
DRBD/DSR
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Key achievements to date

Introduction of RON (Registration On Line) for registering births and deaths
March 2007

Transfer of registration staff to local authority employment status December
2007

Introduction of debit/credit card payment facility 2009

Introduction of RON for marriages 16 th November 2009
Major projects/tasks for 2009/2010

To ensure a smooth transition to RON for marriages on 16 th November 2009 - achieved

To achieve new governance status from April 2010 - achieved

To achieve Investors in People status as part of LARS July 2010 - postponed

Promotion of non-statutory ceremonies – postponed until relocation to Ty’r
Ardd

Job evaluation - ongoing

Improvement to website – amendments made as and when required

Portable hearing loop – has been purchased for use in small ceremony room and Registrar’s offices in Ty’r Ardd. Hearing loop permanently fitted in
“Garden Room”
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Major projects/tasks for 2010/2011

Introduction of priority service certificate applications June 2010

Implementation of RON phase 2 marriages 1 st January 2011

Introduction of Private Citizenship Ceremonies January 2011
 Relocation to Ty’r Ardd 7 th March 2011

Annual Performance Plan to be submitted to GRO April 2011

Network UK to produce new Ceremony Guide to promote new venue and range of ceremonies May 2011

Implementation of Tell Us Once from 27 th June 2011

Job evaluation

Review of Register Office opening times

Updating website to show new venue and link to new Ceremony Guide
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Commitment to Code of Practice
In applying for a New Governance scheme in Bridgend County Borough the local authority is giving its formal commitment to the Code of Practice and the Good
Practice Guide. We are committed to improving standards and will use date collected from customer surveys to achieve this. An annual stewardship report will be submitted to the Registrar General within 2 months of the end of each financial year. This report will show achievements and targets as set out in the Good Practice
Guide and will show as a minimum the following 5 key indicators:
1. Events registered within the statutory timeframe:
% of births registered within 42 days and total number of births
% of still-births registered within 42 days and total number of still-births
% of deaths registered within 5 days and total number of deaths
2. Customer waiting time:
% of customers seen within 30 minutes of arrival
3. Certificate applications:
% of applications dealt with within 5 days of receipt
4. Customer satisfaction surveys:
% of satisfied customers, number of forms received and response rate.
5. Complaints:
Total number of formal complaints received as a whole and as a % of all registrations.
The above indicators will be monitored through data extracted from RON, data from customer surveys and data from analysis of complaints received.
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Consultation
We have a range of questionnaires that have been distributed since 1 st August 2009 to the following:

Stakeholders (licensed venues)

Informant registering a birth

Informant registering a death

People attending to give notice of marriage/civil partnership

People attending a citizenship ceremony

People who have got married/registered a civil partnership in the Register
Office/licensed venue

Certificate applicants

People who have had a non-statutory ceremony
The results of these questionnaires are collated by the Business Support Team and are displayed in graph form on a monthly basis. The data is discussed at Management
Team meetings. All service users are encouraged to comment on how their needs have been met during their visit and to make any suggestions on how they feel the service could be improved.
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Complaints Policy
The Register Office adheres to Bridgend County Borough Council’s Corporate
Complaints Policy. Details of the procedure are to be displayed at the Register
Office. Details of the Complaints Policy and Procedure can be found on the Local
Authority’s website at www.bridgend.gov.uk
Equalities
The Bridgend Registration Service is committed to promoting equality and valuing diversity as set out in the equalities policy of Bridgend County Borough Council. We will treat all citizens fairly and with respect, irrespective of age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexuality or language.
Staff development and training
All staff are encouraged to undertake any training they feel may benefit their role and to reach their full potential. All staff have access to training offered by Bridgend
County Borough Council, the South Wales Training Group, General Register Office and external agencies where appropriate. Performance is monitored through annual appraisals of all staff and 6 monthly reviews. Training and development needs are also identified through these procedures. We have a designated Training Officer who trains all new staff on a one to one basis. All newly appointed Deputy
Superintendent Registrars have work placement training shadowing the full-time
Deputy Superintendent Registrar. There is a DSR training file available to all staff for reference.
Internal control arrangements
No changes are proposed to the current arrangements that are in place for the control of security stock, loose leaf registers and archived records. The Register Office contains a fireproof strong room where all blank certificates and archived records are stored. Each Registrar has their own safe where registers and monies are stored overnight.
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Accounting arrangements
Each Registrar is responsible for the receipt and banking of the fees relating to his/her own office. The cashbook is completed at the end of each working day with details of certificates sold. Money is banked at the end of each week and up to the end of each month. A form of account is submitted to the Local Authority at the end of each financial year. All accounts are subject to the Local Authority’s auditing procedures.
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