Annual Audit Commission audit
Each year, the Audit Commission (working through external contractors) audits our financial processes, our use of resources and general performance. The Commission's findings are reported to us and any significant actions arising from the audit are included within the Corporate Plan.
The audit reports are reported to the Authority's Board of Members and can be downloaded below:
2017-18
Customer Service Excellence
Customer Service Excellence (CSE) is the Government's customer service standard. It was initially developed by Government to assist public bodies to develop services that are efficient, effective, excellent, equitable and empowering. It superseded the 'Charter Mark' Award that was established in 1991 to demonstrate the achievement of a national standard for excellence in customer service in public sector organisations. The scheme looks at how customer focused an organisation is when delivering their services, and requires it to look continuously at how it can improve its customer focus - and then put these ideas into action.
In an initial assessment, 57 'elements' of an organisation and considered - each one is graded as being fully, partially or non-compliant. An organisation's elements must all be fully or partially compliant in order to be accredited. After the initial assessment, subsequent assessments are done on a rolling programme over three years, with a third of the elements being assessed each year in a structured programme, as well as any elements that have previously been assessed as being partially compliant.
When we were first assessed for Customer Service Excellence in July 2010, we successfully completed it and had eight partially compliant elements. This reduced to six in 2011, two in 2012 and one in subsequent assessments. Assessments are carried out annually.
Further information on Customer Service Excellence can be found on their website at www.customerserviceexcellence.uk.com.
Investors in People
The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority is a long-established Investors in People (IIP) organisation - we have been recognised as meeting the Standard for over 10 years.
The aim of the Investors in People standard is to provide a framework to help organisations drive improvements and following each review, the assessor provides feedback and suggestions for continual improvement.
More information about the IIP Standard can be found on their website, www.investorsinpeople.co.uk.
