As a result of a positive 24 month surveillance visit as part of our CSE accreditation assessment that took place on Tuesday 5th October, we are pleased to advise that our Customer Service Excellence assessor, Hugh Keachie, has confirmed that the Brothers of Charity Services in Lancashire has maintained full compliance with the Customer Service Excellence Accreditation.
Following a review meeting on Friday morning with CSE champions, followed by meetings with a selection of staff, customers and partners, Hugh was incredibly impressed with the person centred approach to service delivery taken by the service and the depth of information we have for each of our customers. He also recognised that despite the challenges and changes the pandemic has brought that there is still clear commitment to and evidence of the highest standards of service delivery and continued improvement moving forward.
This achievement and recognition of the continued brilliant contribution form valued staff colleagues throughout the pandemic and beyond will be celebrated and promoted across the service in praise of what our staff are delivering daily, in the face of unprecedented external challenges.
Hugh has also advised our Lancashire Services have received compliance plus accreditations in the following areas.
Compliance Plus Submissions
1.1.3 We make particular efforts to identify hard to reach and disadvantaged groups and individuals and have developed our services in response to their specific needs.
We recognise the impact the challenges of the pandemic and social distancing restrictions have had on our clients and their wellbeing. We have developed holistic therapy services to support people through the additional challenges that covid has brought. This is a new and innovative service as clients have not been able to access this internally previously. We brought in specific resource to help set up the services with the support of occupational therapy students. We have transformed designated space to a therapy centre and an in house therapist has delivered a range of treatments including talking treatments and other non-contact interventions for our clients as well as online wellbeing and nutrition sessions. This has generated demonstrable benefits to the health and wellbeing of our clients as it has facilitated a more calm and relaxed state for individuals with a positive evidence improvement on their mental and physical health and wellbeing. One specific example being a gentleman with very complex needs based in the resource centre being particular engaged with some essential oils and talking treatments.
3.4.1 We have made arrangements with other providers and partners to offer and supply co-ordinated services, and these arrangements have demonstrable benefits for our customers.
The new leadership within day services and particular food based enterprises analysed their customer base when reopening the social enterprise café’s as social distancing regulations allowed. Part of the plans included the development of the Café’s as community hubs to enable them to deliver on the mission statement of the Services and reach marginalised groups, particularly those who are experiencing social anxiety, isolation and loneliness, especially post lockdown.
When developing strategies, the management team have connected with and established a relationship with community initiatives such as the ‘chatty café’ scheme and another called ‘talking tables’. The enterprises have now been accredited as part of these schemes. This means that anyone who sees the sign can come into the café to feel supported and less vulnerable and there is a table there were other people can join who are also on their own and this encourages communication and connection.
This is innovative for the Service as we have never held these particular accreditations before. It benefits our customers by providing company and connection and relationships that they otherwise would not have experienced, which in turn has a positive impact on their wellbeing and social lives.