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Performance Standard: GS3.1 Responsiveness to service users

Self Assessment

You may wish to ask the following self-assessment questions about your responsiveness to service users:

• Do we understand the needs and expectations of our service users and what is important to them?

• Do we gear services to the needs and priorities of users?

• Do we effectively communicate our performance targets and standards so that service users know what to expect?

• Do we provide clear, convincing and accurate explanations about what is being done or about a decision that has been made?

• Do we promote ways for our service users to make a complaint or challenge a decision?

• Do we always treat people fairly when they complain or challenge a decision, and, where appropriate, do we provide effective redress?

• Do we have a strategic framework, developed in consultation with service users, for deciding how to approach gathering views on service quality?

• Do we have a clear and agreed view of the purpose and intended use of the findings of each research and consultation exercise?

• Are we putting the right kind of resources into research, consultation and feedback and are they being used most effectively?

• If we are using particular research methods, are staff skilled at undertaking the work themselves or briefing contractors?

• Are we confident that the research or consultation is conducted to a high standard and in an ethical manner?

• Do we involve service users in the research and consultation process?

• Are we confident that the research is as inclusive as possible so that it enables the participation of harder to reach groups (e.g. young people, homeless households, people from minority ethnic communities)?

• Are we linking up with other landlords or services to tackle wider or more strategic issues?

• Do we regularly seek feedback on the services we provide?

• Do we consult and obtain feedback about changes to services?

• Do we make the best use of information we already have and our existing contact with service users to review services?

• Have we made appropriate efforts to ensure that all service users have opportunities to make their views known?

• Do we use an appropriate and diverse range of methods to get service user feedback?

• Are we systematically capturing useful information from our front-line staff through their day-to-day contact with service users?

• Are we promoting a culture where staff feel comfortable with highlighting areas for improvement?

• Do we have a system for collating responses and staff feedback and integrating this into our performance management, resource planning and service/organisational developments?

• Are our actions informed by the feedback we receive – is there a clear link between changes in services and customer views?

• Do we tell people about the feedback we receive and what has changed as a result?

You may wish to ask the following questions about responsiveness to service users in your assessment of your performance in achieving each Activity Standard:

• Do service users know how to access the service and who to contact?

• Do service users know how to make a complaint or challenge a decision?

• Where service users have made a complaint or challenged a decision, did they feel that they were treated fairly, and got effective redress?

• Do we provide users with opportunities to make their voices heard about the service?

• What are our service users’ views on the accessibility and quality of the service?

• Do we understand our service users’ expectations?

• Do we understand the causes of satisfaction and are we interpreting this appropriately?

• Have we used feedback to change and improve the service?

How to gather views of service quality - guidance for social landlords, is available on Communities Scotland’s website

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Self Assessment

Useful References and Websites

Performance and Contextual Information

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