National Award for Transforming Services

Council scoops national award for transforming services to residents

Cheshire East Council has picked up a national award for transforming the way it delivers its registration service – which handles births, marriages and deaths.

It collected a bronze award for 'reinventing local services' at the annual iESE national awards in London on Wednesday (March 6). The category was for totally transforming the way that services work and improving outcomes for the local community, including residents and businesses.

The service set about stepping up its profile in the borough by working in partnership with the hospitality industry and businesses associated with the marriage sector or entering into civil partnerships.

The registration service also extended its connections with the health service and local hospitals and family history societies, as well as embracing the LGBT community, promoting civil partnerships and same-sex marriages within the borough.

As a result, the Crewe-based team has driven up standards of service to the public and the income it generates reduces the overall cost to the authority and council taxpayers – allowing it to offer a range of low-cost and fully-supported ceremonies.

In 2018, it received the highest rating possible from an inspection by the General Register Office across all its range of services and was praised for introducing the 'tell us once' initiative, which assists bereaved relatives to report a death.

The service takes away the worry and stress for families by taking on the responsibility of informing all relevant agencies of the death, such as the DVLA, pensions service, Inland Revenue or Passport Office.

Councillor Paul Findlow, Cheshire East Council cabinet member for corporate services, said: "It was a great honour for me to collect this award on behalf of the service.

"I am proud of the way in which they have innovated and reached out to other sectors associated with their work. This has resulted in raised standards all round and a seamless service to the public, together with increased income generation."

iESE is the public sector's transformation partner, supporting local authorities and public sector bodies with innovation and change.

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