Excellent Self Assessment – Responsive Services and Customer Care
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How was this done and what is the evidence? Where relevant, what do stakeholders and community
What difference will this make?
3 members say about how this
4 indicator is being met?
3.23 – There is an improvement in outcomes for all communities, including those who are vulnerable and marginalised, and more people believe they are treated with dignity and respect.

What evidence is there of improved or improving outcomes?

Is there evidence of improving perceptions?
3 We survey residents each year asking for their perceptions of our services and the way we provide them. The results of the 2010 survey will be available in February / April. Overall, satisfaction with the Council is high. 54% of respondents were satisfied with the Council. This was the highest among core cities, second highest among the CIPFA Nearest
Neighbours group and fourth highest among all metropolitan authorities. Satisfaction with specific Council services is also high in most cases. In environmental services, satisfaction with keeping land clear of litter / refuse and refuse collection is among the best performing and satisfaction with doorstep recycling is above average. Satisfaction with local transport information and local bus services is among the best performing. Satisfaction with sports and leisure facilities, museums and galleries and theatres and concert halls is above average.
Adults and Culture Services work hard to ensure all packages of support meet a client’s individual needs and preferences. We monitor the quality of services through our quality framework and regularly survey our clients for their views on whether services (particularly personal care) meet their expectations on dignity, privacy and preferences. The latest homecare survey results show 97% of respondents replied they were ‘always’ or ‘usually’ treated with dignity and respect, with 76% reporting they were ‘always’ treated with dignity and respect. This places us in the top quartile against all other authorities.
We continue to roll out Personalisation to those eligible. As of 30 th September 2010 2,099 people (26.9% of clients) have been through a self-directed support process and can use a personal budget or direct payment to direct their own support. Our performance compares well to the 2010/11 national target of 30%.
We have a Dignity Forum which meets monthly and has a large membership with representatives from health, social care, independent and voluntary sector. The members of Newcastle’s Dignity Network are described in our Dignity policy, which was approved by the Newcastle Safeguarding Adults Board in March 2010.
We held our first Dignity for All conference in April 2008 where 150 representatives of all care services in Newcastle confirmed their commitment to:

Zero tolerance of all forms of abuse.

Maximising the independence, choice and control of service users.

Tackling loneliness and isolation, and helping people to maintain their confidence and boost self-esteem.

Listening to people and offering a personalised care service.
The conference also included service users telling professional what matters the most to them and also allowed professionals to share good practice.
A Dignity for All campaign took place for a week in July 2010 where we highlighted the importance of treating everyone in the city with dignity. The Newcastle Dignity Network hosted the event and included a series of information events, designed to highlight issues around treating everyone with respect.
Evidence :
Adult and Culture Services that they receive from us
use a range of surveys as one means of monitoring how well our services meet people’s expectations and aspirations.
The finding from 2008/09 showed:

95% of older home care users are extremely, very or quite satisfied overall with the help in their home

97% said that they felt that they were always or usually satisfied with how their care worked treated them, i.e. that they were treated with respect for their dignity.

94% said that their care workers always or nearly always did the things that they wanted done.

91% said that they felt in control of their daily life, or felt in control with help. Of these, 59% said “with help I feel in control of my daily life”, indicating the importance of support services in helping them to maintain control over their lives.

93% said that they feel safe in their homes.

96% said that they felt listened to when a social worker reviewed or discussed their needs with them.
Article in the local press about the
Dignity Network : http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/lifestyle/2
010/07/26/delivering-the-care-everyonewants-in-old-age-72703-26931760/2/ schools included:
 ‘I liked everything about the lesson
Comments from the pupils evaluation of the disability awareness courses in
EMTRAS run the Newcastle Town
Moor School each summer for the
‘Hoppings’, Europe’s largest travelling fair. The School has more than 70 children from across age groups and from over 25 Local Education
Authorities (from Bristol to
Northumberland) for the two weeks the
Fair is in the city.
Evidence :
Town Moor School
Report 2010
All sections in this document are relevant.
ESOL
ESOL case study work.
case study:
No Outsiders
Our anti-bullying work with schools led to an endorsement from the Anti
Bullying Alliance. Five secondary schools and 10 primary schools were awarded the Anti Bullying good practice award and School councils of
St.
Catherine’s and St. Mary’s won the
Diana award for anti bullying peer led
Disability awareness courses have given pupils a greater understanding of disability and how their school could be more inclusive.
case study:
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1. Not in place 2. Currently being established 3. In place, but needs improving 4. In place and effective

Excellent Self Assessment – Responsive Services and Customer Care
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How was this done and what is the evidence?
Dignity Policy
All sections of this document are relevant.
As part of the measures to tackle the budget deficit , the Government announced an end to its support for the Free
Swimming Programme . It will no longer fund local councils to provide free swimming for under 16’s and over 60’s.
However, we stepped in to ensure that free swimming sessions continue in swimming pools across the city, despite this loss of government grant. We extended the existing Fusion Card scheme, so under 18’s and over 60’s can use all of our pools for free. Parents and grandparents who accompany their children to the Fusion swimming sessions also swim for free. Councillor Pauline Allen, Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Customer Services said, “As a Council we recognise the enormous health benefits of swimming and have supported a range of initiatives designed to encourage more of our residents to swim and to help people swim more regularly. I am therefore delighted to be able to announce that this free provision will continue, as an important strand in our campaign to get more people in Newcastle active and healthy”.
3.24 – More people believe that they have been treated fairly and that their human rights have been respected.

Is there evidence of improvement over time?
 Are there any examples of different customers’ experiences being analysed and acted on?
3 We developed a range of policies and practices that make sure that people are treated fairly, with respect and understanding and that their human rights are respected. Below are examples of these policies, practices and procedures.
The Deprivation of Liberty (DoL) Safeguards ensure decisions to deprive someone of their liberty, in a care home or hospital, can be made legally. We produced Practice and Guidance for all staff involved with people who lack/ may lack capacity who are or may be deprived of their liberty.
People have the right to be treated with respect, dignity and fairness when they need care services. This applies to adults and children. We developed policies and procedures to make sure we do not infringe these rights. This includes guidance on forced marriage and honour based violence , domestic violence and abuse, dignity for all and safeguarding children and young people from abroad .
We work with partners to make sure children are safe from abuse and neglect. We have a Safeguarding Children
Policy and many safeguarding procedures.
The Newcastle Safeguarding Children Board (NSCB) brings together statutory, voluntary and independent sectors and builds on best practice. It promotes the duty of all partner agencies in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
Evidence :
Newcastle Safeguarding Children Board website: http://www.nscb.org.uk
We also work with other agencies to protect the lives of vulnerable adults. The Newcastle Safeguarding Adults
Interagency policy and procedures confirms the priority we give to safeguarding adults and ensure a consistent approach. This approach includes a multiagency Dignity Policy, ensuring staff and adults understand what dignity means and its implications for all services for adults in Newcastle. The policy is based on the experiences of members
Where relevant, what do stakeholders and community members say about how this indicator is being met? because I learned more about disabilities’.
 ‘I really enjoyed Hillary coming in and
I also learned that Hillary is no different than us.’
 ‘I enjoyed how she came in and told us what she feels like and what her life is like.’
Customer Services comment cards ,
January 2010. The following results were obtained when asking customers
‘if they felt they were treated fairly here today’:

Civic Centre: 98%

East End: 100%

Gosforth: 100%
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Kenton: 98%

Outer West: 100%

West End: 99%
Comments from people attending the
City for Peace events on Human
Rights included,
“Thank you for what you have done over the three days of
Human Right celebration in Newcastle;
Well done. You are to be congratulated and praised for the work. I will be happy to participate in any event relating to
HR”
What difference will this make?
No Outsiders case study
The rate of teenage conceptions in
Newcastle has decreased from 58.0 per 1,000 15-17 year olds in 2007 to
50.5 in 2008. The gap between
Newcastle and the national average has also reduced considerably during
1998 to 2008.
All our policies, procedures and practice help us meet the Articles in the Human Rights Act.
Our Local Implementation Network
(LIN) for the Deprivation of Liberty
Safeguards which includes representatives from partner agencies meets to discuss any issues relating to
DoL affecting the supervisory bodies and Managing Authorities in the area.
Through the Asylum Seekers Unit we provide ongoing support and help people access to health, education, leisure and other services. We also make sure they are assisted and able to take part in community life.
Increasing understanding the reasons people come to live in this country will help reduce tensions and create cohesion between communities.
Since the work to broaden the representation on the Customer
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1. Not in place 2. Currently being established 3. In place, but needs improving 4. In place and effective

Excellent Self Assessment – Responsive Services and Customer Care
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How was this done and what is the evidence? of the Dignity in Care Forum and recent research on dignity in care.
We set up a Dignity Network in 2007 with health care services in Newcastle. The network includes a Dignity
Champion Group who focus on ‘Dignity for All’ including older people, groups of vulnerable people and the general population. We hosted and organised various events about dignity including Dignity Week and Dignity for All conference . The Network held a Dignity for All campaign July 26th - 31st 2010. During 2011 we will complete dignity audits to encourage front-line staff and managers to reflect on their practice and identify improvements.
Evidence :
Safeguarding Adults website: http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/core.nsf/a/adultsprotect?opendocument
Dignity for All website: http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/core.nsf/a/adultprotectdignity
Article in the Evening Chronicle: http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/lifestyle/health/health-news/2010/07/26/delivering-thecare-everyone-wants-in-old-age-72703-26931760/
We know that one in four women in Newcastle will suffer domestic violence at some point in their lives. It happens to men and women from all walks of life, whatever their age, religion, class or income. We developed a Domestic
Violence Policy to address this.
Evidence :
Domestic Violence website: http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/core.nsf/a/domviolence1
We developed multiagency Honour Based Violence and Forced Marriage guidance for all staff working with vulnerable adults
Evidence:
Honour Based Violence and Force Marriage website http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/core.nsf/a/honourbasedviolenceandforcedmarriages
We feel it is important for people to understand more about Refugees and Asylum Seekers and why they come here to live. We have set up an Asylum Seekers Unit to provide accommodation for asylum seekers. The Unit also supports those who are moving on, once their asylum application is decided.
Evidence:
Asylum Seekers Support website: http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/core.nsf/a/asylumsupport?opendocument
Welcome from NCC website: http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/core.nsf/a/newwelcome?opendocument
Customer Services carries out an annual programme of customer satisfaction research . This includes a comment card survey to assess customer opinion, a national benchmarking exercise, mystery shopping and an annual survey.
Evidence
Where relevant, what do stakeholders and community members say about how this indicator is being met?
CSC Comments
Action Log
1. Not in place
Comment Card
Results
2. Currently being established 3. In place, but needs improving 4. In place and effective
What difference will this make?
Services Community Focus Group , we made the following changes:

2 members of Newcastle Society for
Blind People joined the CFG.
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2 local residents and library users joined the CFG; one was from the
BME community.

One local resident who was also a wheelchair user joined the CFG.
 Young Women’s Institute members joined CFG.
We use the comments and complaints we receive to improve our services. For example, disabled people raised concerns about some of the signs in the city library. They felt there was not enough explanation of the colour coding system used to guide people around the library. The system had been installed after consulting the
Learning Disability Partnership Board who found the colour coding useful making it easy for them to find their way around. After more consultation we produced a map similar to those used in shopping centres. The map would be colour coded in the same way as the library but would contain a lot more information about each area.
The map is also available in large print and with pictorial information.
Comments received through the adult social care complaints system is used to advise independent providers and make them more responsive to their customers’ concerns Over time we expect this work to improve service user satisfaction and mean fewer complaints.
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Excellent Self Assessment – Responsive Services and Customer Care
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How was this done and what is the evidence?
We treat complaints seriously and deal with them in a positive way. We see any complaints as an opportunity to improve our services and have a Corporate Complaints Procedure in place. We also log all comments on our Customer
Comment Cards.
Evidence:
Corporate Complaints Procedure website: http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/core.nsf/a/complaintsprocedure
Where relevant, what do stakeholders and community members say about how this indicator is being met?
What difference will this make?
Lessons learned
We have a dedicated complaints and comments system for adult social care , which we monitor by age, disability, gender and race. Vulnerable service users are encouraged and supported to express their views and to access the complaints procedure.
Evidence :
Adults Complaints Procedure website: http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/core.nsf/a/sscomplaint
As part of City for Peace (see requirement 3.15) we had various activities to raise awareness of human rights both internally and externally. We have also had press coverage of these initiatives and achievements about human rights issues. In 2009 we held 3 days of events to mark International Human Rights Day. After the event people told us that they had enjoyed the events and learned a lot.
3.25
– There is increased satisfaction with services among all users, including vulnerable and marginalised groups.

Is there any evidence of how levels of satisfaction have improved over time?
 Are there any examples of different customers’ experiences being analysed and acted on?
3 During 2008-09 we carried out two surveys - the statutory Place Survey, and the Residents Survey . The Residents
Survey seeks information from residents on their opinions of services and the way we provide them.
Customer Services research the demands of a constantly evolving service and to ensure continuing high levels of customer satisfaction are being maintained. In February 2010 we surveyed Customer Satisfaction with Newcastle
City Council's Contact Centre. The data in the survey includes information on the percentage of callers broken down by gender, age, ethnic origin and disability.
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The Contact Centre has more female callers than men (67%)

The Contact Centre attracts callers of different ages, with a good balance of younger and older callers. The largest group (28%) is 35
– 49-year olds
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94% of callers are White British, with 6% from ethnic minorities ethnic. These figures are close to the ethnicity of the city.

35% of callers have a long-standing illness, health problem or disability. This exceeds that of the city (22%) and suggests the Contact Centre has particular appeal for these people.
Evidence:
Contact Centre
Report
Our Oneplace organisational assessment in December 2009 said,
“The Place Survey shows that people in
Newcastle are extremely positive about the Council. Newcastle ranks among the highest of similar councils for the way it runs things”.
The results of the 2008/09 Residents survey (2007/08 in brackets) tell us:

78% (80%) believe the Council treats all types of people fairly
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65% (61%) say Council acts on concerns of local residents
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38% (39%) said the Council had asked their views on local services

79% (75%) were satisfied with their local area as a place to live

85% (85%) felt safe in their own
1. Not in place 2. Currently being established 3. In place, but needs improving 4. In place and effective
We use the Residents Survey to provide information at ward level and for some local indicators at City level.
2009/10 was the first full year of all six of our citywide network of Customer
Service Centres being open. The centres were collectively visited by
492, 344 customers and achieved an excellent satisfaction rate of 98%. The centres also upheld the Customer
Service Excellence Standard, with several areas commended for
‘Compliance Plus’ (best practice).
Home Care Users Survey results: from 2009 (figures in brackets for 2008 where available):

95% of respondents were extremely/very/quite satisfied with
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Excellent Self Assessment – Responsive Services and Customer Care
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How was this done and what is the evidence?
See section 2 (page 6.)
Our annual Home Care Users Survey presents the results of the survey of older people’s Home Care service experiences for 2009.
Evidence:
Home Care User
Survey
See the Executive Summary on page 3.
Where relevant, what do stakeholders and community members say about how this indicator is being met? homes

81% (80) felt safe in the city during the day

36% (32%) felt safe in the city after dark
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19% (24%) felt people being attacked because of ethnicity or religion was a problem

73% (71%) agree people from different backgrounds get on together in the local area
Results of the Contract Centre survey
(scores out of 10):

Helpfulness and politeness of operators - 9.05.

Provision of clear and easy to understand information - 8.81.

Fairness of treatment - 8.91.
Comments about the service included,
“The service does not need to be improved…it is marvellous” and “The staff are excellent, helpful and they resolve enquires quickly. It’s a perfect service”.
What difference will this make? the help they receive from Adult
Services.

88% (91%) said their care workers always or usually came at times that suited them.

94% (94%) said their care workers always or nearly always did what they wanted.

76% said they were always happy with the way their care workers treated them and another 21% were usually happy.

96% (95%) said that they felt listened to when their needs were addressed or reviewed
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1. Not in place 2. Currently being established 3. In place, but needs improving 4. In place and effective