The council department tasked with ensuring that every eligible resident in Wandsworth has the right to vote is the latest town hall service to be given a top rating by a Government inspector.

The borough's electoral registration service has just been granted its fourth consecutive Charter Mark after passing the Government's stringent quality checks with flying colours.

The inspector in charge of assessing the service found that it fully complied with 60 out of the 63 quality checks that a service must satisfy to win an award. This is the highest number of full compliances achieved by any Wandsworth Council service since the Charter Mark procedures were revamped in 2004.

Charter Marks are a prestigious Government award that recognise excellence in public sector organisations like local authorities, schools, hospitals and the emergency services. The awards are independently assessed and last for three years. They were first introduced in 1992.

To win one each service must satisfy a series of tough criteria. It must set high standards and perform well and actively engage with customers, partners and staff. Service provision must be fair and accessible to all and should also promote choice, continuously develop and improve. Services must use resources effectively and imaginatively and contribute to improving opportunities and quality of life for the communities they serve.

Wandsworth continues to be the UK's most successful Charter Mark authority with the highest number of cumulative awards since the scheme was introduced. Wandsworth has won a total of 82 Charter Marks since 1992 and currently holds 25 "live" awards.

The Electoral Registration Service aims to "give every resident of the borough an opportunity to have their say at local, national, European elections and referenda, if they are eligible, and to provide advice to all residents about their rights to vote".

In his assessment the inspector reported that the service was "very well run, very efficient and pro-active" and that partner organisations like the Electoral Commission, the Department for Constitutional Affairs and other local authorities had praised the high quality of its work.

Cabinet member for corporate resources Cllr Maurice Heaster said: "I would like to offer my congratulations to all the staff who work in electoral registration for their landmark achievement in winning the highest score ever awarded to one of our services.

"Ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to cast their vote at election time is vitally important if we want to live in a healthy and vibrant democracy. Making sure that people can have their say in elections is one of the cornerstones of the democratic process.

"I am delighted that staff in so many departments across the council are continuing to provide excellent services to local residents and that the departments are securing quality improvements year after year.

"It is through these efforts that Wandsworth continues to hold its place at the top of the Charter Mark league table. It is also one of the reasons why the Audit Commission recently named this council in the top five in the whole country."

In December, the Audit Commission awarded Wandsworth the maximum four stars for its performance and added that it was improving strongly ' also the highest possible rating. It was also the only one of a leading group of five councils to receive top marks for its use of resources.

The results confirmed Wandsworth as the most cost effective of any local authority nationally.

However, the commission's final rankings did not include the council's record of providing the lowest council tax bills in the country. Applying this crucial indicator strengthens Wandsworth's position as the country's number one authority for value.



February 11, 2015