Derbyshire Constabulary CUSTOMER SERVICE POLICY POLICY REFERENCE 10/286. This policy is suitable for Public Disclosure

Transcription

1 Derbyshire Constabulary CUSTOMER SERVICE POLICY POLICY REFERENCE 10/286 This policy is suitable for Public Disclosure Owner of Doc: Head of Department, Corporate Services Date Approved: 13 September 2010 Review Date: July

2 INDEX Heading Page No 1. Policy Identification Page Legislative Compliance Introduction Policy Statement Procedures Keeping Victims of Crimes/Incidents Informed Crime/Incident Contract - Explaining Actions and Providing Updates to Victim/Person Reporting Face to Face Communication Public and Formal Meetings Telephone Calls Communication Correspondence - Letters & Faxes Dealing with Service Complaints Positive Customer Feedback Customer Research & Surveys Measurement and Reporting Training and Awareness Continuous Improvement Governance Monitoring and Review Appeals Process

3 1. Policy Identification Page Policy title: Customer Service Policy Registry Reference number: 10/286 Policy implementation date: September 2010 Policy review date: July 2016 Department / Division responsible: Policy owner: Corporate Services Service Improvement Team Last reviewed by: Roz Smith Date last reviewed: July 2014 Impacts on other policies / guidance / documents (list): Intranet Policies, Procedures and Guidelines documents have been reviewed and Letter Guide 08/257, Interpreter Services Policy Ref 06/110, Professional Standards Policy 06/045, Freedom of Information Policy 06/138 and Appearance Standards Policy 07/182 are relevant and support or are supported by this policy. Contact Management (CM) local procedures are supported by this policy. A full Equality Impact Assessment was completed at the previous review. Authorised Professional Practice information relating to Engagement & Communities and the Confidence Cycle has been reviewed to ensure this Policy aligns with best practice advice. This policy fully supports force Values, the College of Policing Code of Ethics and the Victims Code. There is no overall policy that provides a framework for CM team in relation to service standards, although specific guidelines cover call handling and some aspects of personal behaviour. This policy aims to support and improve current standards. Security Classification: Disclosable under FOI Act: YES Policy to be published on Intranet YES Policy to be published on Force Website YES Policy disclosable to public via FOI request YES 3

4 2. Legislative Compliance This document has been drafted to comply with the principles of the Human Rights Act. Proportionality has been identified as the key to Human Rights compliance, this means striking a fair balance between the rights of the individual and those of the rest of the community. Equality and Diversity issues have also been considered to ensure compliance with the Equality Act 2010 and meet our legal obligation in relation to the equality duty. In addition, Data Protection, Freedom of Information and Health and Safety Issues have been considered. Adherence to this policy or procedure will therefore ensure compliance with all relevant legislation and internal policies. 3. Introduction It is best practice to have a formal, documented approach to customer service so that police officers and staff responsible for managing and delivering service have clear customer service guidelines to work within. In addition, people using or assessing our services should have a point of reference for the standards of service that they can expect to be provided by us. This policy aims to: - Provide a clear framework and set of standards, covering the key areas of contact and response with customers. Provide customers with a high quality of service and to manage their expectations positively. Ensure that dissatisfaction or complaints from customers about service levels are: - Dealt with promptly and effectively. - Used to continuously improve customer satisfaction. The scope of the policy covers everyone directly or indirectly involved in delivering services to people and organisations. It also supports how we should interact with internal customers, other agencies and third parties. Customers are defined as individuals or organisations to whom we provide a service, and includes internal customers (colleagues, other departments and contractors working for Derbyshire Constabulary) and external customers (members of the public, including victims, people reporting incidents, witnesses and those suspected or found guilty of crimes and other companies organisations and agencies). Dissatisfied customers may complain or they may lose trust in our ability to protect and serve them and this may then lead to a loss of confidence in Derbyshire Constabulary which could influence community support for Derbyshire Constabulary. 4

5 The policy supports consistent standards of service delivery across the organisation and reinforces the importance of customer satisfaction and confidence levels in the services we provide. It also promotes a customer service culture and helps drive changes that support improved user satisfaction results. It explains the importance of using Crime/Incident Contract to improve customer satisfaction with the actions to be taken and keeping them informed of progress. 4. Policy Statement We are committed to providing a high quality policing service to everyone in Derbyshire. We want to ensure that the people requiring our services are left feeling confident and satisfied with their experience. We recognise the importance of treating people as individuals and tailoring our service to meet their needs. We actively seek customer feedback and provide people with opportunities to give their views about our standards of service. We use this feedback and the findings from service assessments and inspections to drive improvements in our service delivery. We work closely with local communities and other agencies to deliver service levels that meet local requirements and improves customer satisfaction and confidence. 5. Procedures Wherever we work within our organisation we are responsible for providing customer service either directly to people using our services, or indirectly by supporting colleagues who are providing frontline customer services. We should ensure that we understand and apply our: - Our Values of Integrity, Respect, Performance, Responsibility and Innovation. Our Just Think and Just Lead initiatives. Our Crime/Incident Contract. The Victims Code. The Witness Charter. The College of Policing Code of Ethics. Summaries of the above mentioned documents are available from Corporate Services and are on our website, or for officers and staff on our intranet under Our Organisation/Our Commitment & Values, Our Organisation/Customer Service and Operational Policing/Criminal Justice System/Victims & Witness Information. 5

6 We know what it feels like to receive good or excellent customer service and how frustrating and upsetting it can be when service received is unsatisfactory or leaves us feeling completely dissatisfied with the experience. The procedural points below provide a broad summary of the service standards expected and there is no intention to insult the intelligence of anyone by stating what may appear as obvious requirements. These are minimum requirements that we should all be achieving and many may exceed these standards regularly or occasionally. 5.1 Keeping Victims of Crimes/Incidents Informed Victims of crimes/incidents want to be kept informed about the progress of their cases and research shows that when we meet their needs we significantly increase their satisfaction and confidence levels with the services we provide. Keeping people informed is considered to be the single most important area in maintaining and improving public satisfaction and confidence. Providing effective follow up to victims should result in them being more satisfied with, and confident in Derbyshire Constabulary, which in turn improves community engagement and provision of intelligence to support investigations. Force Policy meets the Victims Code requirement to agree how often they would like to be updated and to provide updates at significant events, such as arrest and charge of suspects. As soon as practicably possible and within one day when we are allocated a crime or incident and we should then: - 1. Agree when and how the victim would like to be kept informed. 2. Take personal responsibility for making agreed contact(s) with the victim. 3. Arrange help from colleagues to avoid delaying contact arrangements. Where the victim has no preference about when we follow up then they should be kept informed at least every seven days until completion of the enquiry. When a suspect has been charged, or reported for summons we should advise the victim as soon as practicably possible and within one day, confirming that the Witness Care Unit will provide their future updates. It is very important to give realistic expectations that this maybe some weeks, or even months in the future, particularly where a Court date is awaited. In the meantime the Officer in the Case should remain a point of contact for the victim for matters relating to the case. Custody Sergeants should prompt officers to update victims at arrest, charge and bail. 5.2 Crime/Incident Contract Explaining Actions and Providing Updates to Victim/Person Reporting The Home Office requires forces in England and Wales to complete telephone surveys with victims of crime and people reporting incidents. The areas covered in the survey are: 6

7 Ease of Contact (through 999, 101, at an Enquiry Office or officer passing). Actions Taken (what was and what was not done to resolve the case). Kept Informed (providing regular, agreed progress updates). Treatment (if treated fairly, with politeness and respect). Whole Experience (the overall rating of the service received). The results from the surveys are reviewed by Senior Officers and Command Teams and plans are implemented to improve satisfaction with service levels where needed. Two areas where we need to improve and provide consistently better levels of service are with Actions Taken and Kept Informed. The Crime/Incident Contract (previously called Crime Contract) was developed by operational Officers to improve customer satisfaction with Actions Taken and Kept Informed. It is intended for use by Attending Officers. Further details of Crime/Incident Contract are available on the Intranet at Operational Policing/Crime Contract. Command Teams and Senior Officers have approved the use of Crime/Incident Contract through this policy and through the ongoing governance provided by the Confidence and Ethics Steering Group, chaired by the Deputy Chief Constable. Attending Officer s Responsibilities To fully complete and issue the current version of the Crime/Incident Contract during the initial face to face conversation with the victim/person reporting. There are some exclusions where a Crime/Incident Contract is not required, but there is no problem if one is completed, these are: - 1. Major/serious cases where Liaison Officers deal direct with the victim. 2. Crime or incident where there are multiple victims/persons reporting. The Contract can be completed later by allocated officer(s). 3. Repeat crimes/incidents at large commercial organisations, for example shoplifting, where the company does not need or want a Crime/Incident Contract. 4. The incident was resolved there and then, or within the same day and no follow up was required or requested by the victim/person reporting it. If a Crime/Incident Contract is not issued then a note of the reason should be recorded in the notes section of the case on either Guardian (Crimes) or 7

8 Command & Control (Incidents). The reason is likely to be one of the above points. There are occasions when a Crime/Incident Contract may need to be completed over the telephone and posted out to the victim. For example, where the Attending Officer is allocated the case and the victim/person reporting lives outside the County, or is away from home. To fully complete the Crime/Incident Contract ensuring: - 1. Officer contact details are recorded. 2. Crime number is obtained and recorded. Calling using the victim s landline where appropriate to call Contact Management to obtain the Crime Number, whilst with the victim. Or, for attended incidents the Incident number is recorded on the form. 3. To discuss each of the tick boxes on the form, marking each box as either: - Discussed and applies. Discussed but does not apply. This is because people are likely to be satisfied with our service if we have taken the time to explain what we will and as importantly, what we will not be doing in their case. To agree when and how to provide updates and then deliver these: - 1. Updates can be in person, by telephone, by (making sure that Data Protection requirements are met) or by post, or any combination of these. Sometimes the person may not want further contact and the Contract covers this option. 2. Where people are happy to have updates by , then this is a good way to provide general updates, such as, we are still investigating your case and will be in touch again next week with an update or similar. Where an officer has no new news to update the victim/person reporting with, then is a good way to give this type of message and prevents unnecessary calls chasing the officer for an update. 3. The agreement must be specific and putting comments such as, as needed or when required means that Force Policy as detailed at 5.1 above applies, which in summary is, unless otherwise agreed, every 7 days until the close of the case. The date and frequency of the agreed update must be recorded, for example, on day/month/year or every 10 days. The updates must be provided on the agreed dates, and alternative arrangements with colleagues must be made to cover planned and unplanned absence from work. It is unacceptable and very poor customer service to agree to provide updates and then fail to deliver them. 4. The final update must be made face to face or direct with the person concerned over the telephone by the officer in the case. It is 8

9 unacceptable and poor customer service to leave messages on answerphone or voic regarding the final update of the case. 5. The Attending Officer keeps the responsibility for updating the victim unless or until an Officer in the Case is appointed. Of course the Attending Officer maybe appointed as the Officer in the Case and keeps the update responsibility through-out the case. 6. The form must be signed and Officer s name printed beneath their signature. The victim/person reporting should also sign and print their name, but if they refuse then this should be recorded as refused to sign where they would have signed. 7. The back of the Police Copy must be completed, recording key information required for Force systems and Home Office reporting. There is space for notes usually recorded in the Pocket Note Book (PNB). If additional space for notes is required then the PNB should be used to continue. Officers may prefer to use their PNB for any notes about the case. There is no requirement to duplicate notes in the PNB and on the back of the Police Copy. 8. The Customer Copy must be given to the victim/person reporting. The Police Copy is kept on the Crime File where there is one, or filed on Section under Management of Police Information (MOPI) rules. It is acceptable to keep the Police Copy in the pad until the close of case, provide all the details have been put on the system Crime Report or in the Incident notes. 9. The information and agreements made with the victim must be recorded on Force systems for both incidents and crimes. a. Within Command and Control recording that a Crime/Incident Contract was issued for an Incident in the notes is required, even if the incident is later crimed and b) below applies. b. Within Guardian, in the Victim/Further Details/Victim Contact page, then Crime/Incident Contract must be selected from the drop down menu to confirm that it was issued and the update agreement should be recorded in the notes. The Log of Enquiries should also reflect what has been discussed and agreed with the victim too. JIGSAW is one of the tick box items to be discussed with victims of crime, for cases thought likely to result in a prosecution. JIGSAW is a DVD that can be posted out or watched online, that explains the Criminal Justice System and helps to improve customer service. Details are available to Officers on our Intranet (Operational Policing/Criminal Justice System) and to customers on the Derbyshire Constabulary website (Safety Advice/Advice for Victims and Witnesses). Rate My Service is another of the tick boxes that must be discussed, which directs the victim/person reporting to a short on-line survey to rate the officer s customer service. Results are sent to Base Command Unit Chief Inspectors for action and feedback to individual officers. 9

10 Officer in the Case Responsibilities If another Officer is later appointed as the Officer in the Case they may need to change the original update agreement or the investigation strategy, for reasons that the Attending Officer was unaware of at the time. In both these circumstances the Officer in the Case must discuss and explain to the victim what will be happening and make a new agreement for when updates will be provided to the victim. The Officer in the Case may complete a new Crime/Incident Contract or amend the existing one in discussion with the victim/person reporting. These new arrangements must be recorded on Force systems as above. The final update of the case must be made in person, or by directly speaking with the person on the telephone. Leaving voic or answerphone messages about the final update is unacceptable. Check that the victim has been made aware of JIGSAW and understands how their case may proceed through the Criminal Justice System. To remain as the contact point for the victim until a Court date is confirmed. Witness Care Unit will provide updates to the victim, once a Court date has been confirmed. It is important to let the victim know that it may be many weeks or even months before a Court date is confirmed and that during this time the Officer in the Case would not normally be in touch. However, if the victim has queries, concerns or new information relating to the case then they may contact the Officer in the Case. Supervising Officer s Responsibilities It is the Supervisor s responsibility to ensure that their Officers are correctly using Crime/Incident Contracts detailed in this Policy, and through future Chief s Orders instructions or Force briefings, before the next Policy update. It is the Inspector s responsibility to ensure that their Sergeants and their teams are correctly using Crime/Incident Contracts detailed in this Policy, and through future Chief s Orders instructions before the next Policy update. It is the Chief Inspector s responsibility to ensure that the available management information, such as Week Crime/Incident Contract Compliance report is used effectively to promote improving customer satisfaction. Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that victim/person reporting updates agreed in Crime/Incident Contracts are delivered or other arrangements are made during officers unplanned absences. It is unacceptable that updates stop without any explanation to those expecting to be contacted, doing so results in dissatisfaction with our service. 10

11 Contact Management Responsibilities When taking details of a crime from an Officer the Call Handler asks whether a Crime/Incident Contract has completed and includes the response given by the Officer on the notes of the crime. Where Contact Management have handled the case through Telephone Resolution (resolving the matter fully at first point of contact, where the circumstances do not require that the person sees an officer. A letter is sent that the case has been recorded, will be used for local intelligence and their case is closed), there is no need to discuss or complete a Crime/Incident Contract. Enquiry Office (EO) staff are able to provide updates to the victim/person reporting an incident on behalf of the officer in the case, for example, where the officer is on planned absence, or at court. They are not able to provide the final update in the case on behalf of the OIC. Corporate Services Responsibilities To maintain sufficient stock levels of the Crime/Incident Contract to meet demand. To record, review and seek approval for Officer suggested changes to Crime/Incident Contract through the Confidence and Ethics Steering Group (CEG). To provide support and advice to operational officers to promote good customer service and improve satisfaction and confidence. To develop and deliver the User Satisfaction Plan, approved by the CEG. The Plan is regularly reviewed and has input from Command Teams, Section and other Inspectors and Heads of Departments and their teams. To provide management information from Force systems to promote compliance with this policy. 5.3 Face to Face Communication First impressions influence people s opinion significantly and each contact we have can affect confidence in our organisation. It is important that we each support the drive to improve satisfaction and confidence with service by: Presenting a professional image and ensuring that your appearance complies with our Appearance Standards Policy. Using appropriate body language and tone of voice as these have much more impact than the words that you use. People remember how you made them feel not necessarily what you said. Being polite, professional, helpful and friendly. Giving your name and asking for and using the person s name appropriately. Using appropriate eye contact when talking or listening to them. 11

12 Avoiding off the cuff remarks such as, this is the third one of these I ve been to today or negative comments about our organisation or other colleagues as these cause loss of confidence and satisfaction in the service we provide. Understanding that what may appear as routine to you maybe a once in a lifetime event for the victim/person reporting and demonstrating this to them by being sensitive to their needs and situation and using appropriate comments that reflect positively on you, our organisation and the service we are providing. Informing victims of the appropriate agencies that may be able to offer them help or advice. During calls to Contact Management the victim is asked if they would like Victim Support to contact them or not. If they agree then Victim Support are automatically notified of cases and will make contact directly with victims. Listening carefully to what the person is saying and showing that you have understood their issue by summarising what they are saying and empathising as appropriate. Giving a positive response where the person is criticising or complaining about our service, or organisation, or other colleagues, for example, thanking them for telling us and agreeing what you will and will not be able to do to resolve their issue. If you are unable to resolve their issue because it is not a Police matter, then provide them with the relevant points of contacts for other organisations. Avoiding using Police jargon or acronyms/abbreviations in your conversations. Use plain English, explaining things in a clear and easily understandable way. Managing the person s expectations positively by being clear about what you can and cannot do to help. Taking personal responsibility for ensuring that the agreements you make are delivered as expected, for example agreeing how and when you will contact the person to update them with progress, what actions you or others will be taking and the likely timescales involved. This includes managing your planned absences, so that updates continue whilst you are away, or a colleague, for example Enquiry Officer completes routine updates for you. Ensuring appropriate notes of the matter and any agreed actions; including following-up/keeping the person informed of progress are made in an appropriate format (on systems logs and hard copy files). For Attending Officers the Crime/Incident Contract should be used for this purpose, see section 5.2. Fully completing the actions to the agreed timescales and checking with the person that their issue/matter has been cleared/closed to their satisfaction and if not addressing any remaining requirements. 12

13 Being patient and taking reasonable steps to ensure that effective communication is possible, especially where you are unsure about a person s ability to understand you, or your ability to understand them. Ensuring you are familiar with Equality guidelines and the Interpreter Services Policy and that you arrange available support such as providing interpreters where appropriate. Remaining calm, caring and professional when communicating with and helping someone who is angry, upset or vulnerable, (including suspects), to ensure that you are able to understand each other and find out how you can help them. Complaints of conduct that if proven or admitted by the officer or staff member would not lead to disciplinary proceedings, should be locally resolved. Complaints alleging more serious conduct will be handled by Professional Standards Department (relevant policies and procedures can be found on the Intranet at Policies, Procedures and Guidelines). 5.4 Public and Formal Meetings If you are attending a meeting, or asking someone to attend on your behalf then you are responsible for ensuring that you (or the person attending for you): - Have the correct time, date, place and copies of relevant information such as minutes, agenda, presentation material and/or notes. Dress appropriately for the type of meeting you are attending, refer to Appearance Standards Policy. Are able to update on matters relating to you or to the Constabulary, for example, progress or completion of previous actions. Arrive in time to set up/check any equipment needed to present your material. Know the names and roles of who is chairing and attending the meeting. Check how much time you have to present and take and answer questions, are well prepared and keep to time. Avoid using Police jargon, technical terms, Latin and unnecessarily long or unusual words. Use plain and simple English that is easy to understand and is aimed at your intended audience. Know whether the meeting is public or private, whether minutes are being taken and published and that your contribution is appropriate to the type of meeting. Turn your mobile phone/device off during the meeting, unless you are On Call or expecting a call of an urgent welfare nature, in which case you should let the Chair of the meeting know that if you are called or texted you will have to leave the meeting to deal with the matter. It is rude and 13

14 distracting to others if you are reading or texting on your mobile phone/device whilst in a formal meeting. If you are the Chair of the meeting ask attendees to turn mobile phones off during the meeting. Pay attention to presenters and discussions and avoid having separate conversations. If you are the Chair of the meeting and notice attendees engaged in separate conversations, bring their attention back to topic. Avoid interrupting presenters unnecessarily with questions that come to mind. Most presenters leave time for questions at the end of their presentation and you may find that your query has been covered by the time the presentation is completed. If you are presenting encourage attendees to keep questions until the end of your presentation. Take specific notes of any actions that you commit to, or commit the Constabulary to and ensure that these are completed appropriately by the agreed date. If actions agreed to need to be completed by colleagues then these should be discussed fully with them and updates provided to you and/or the person chairing the meeting as appropriate. Specific guidance for Safer Neighbourhood Teams is available on our Intranet/Our Organisation. 5.5 Telephone Calls The way in which we answer and deal with people s telephone enquiries has lasting impact on their perception of us as an organisation and directly impacts their levels of satisfaction and confidence with our service. It is essential to provide a consistent and professional telephone response to internal and external callers Emergency & Non Emergency Calls Contact Management (CM) takes inbound emergency (999) and in-bound non emergency calls (101). If you work in CM you will have been trained to deal with these types of calls and have operating procedures and standards of call handling that must be followed Business Calls Telephone calls should be dealt with in the following way: Answer your phone promptly and at least by the third ring. Refer also to the Telephone Directory Help section on the Intranet and see The Telephone, the Public and You information. Use an appropriate greeting and tell the caller your division/department or section and your name for example: Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening, Amber Valley, Constable Smith speaking. Or: 14

15 Good Morning/Afternoon, Administration, Jane Jones speaking Use a positive and authentic tone of voice as this leaves a lasting impression with callers, much more so than what you say. Sounding bored, annoyed, using an aggressive or overly assertive tone will leave the caller feeling dissatisfied, even if you have answered their query. Be polite, friendly and helpful through-out the call, ensuring that you have met the needs or the caller, or provided appropriate alternative contacts or solutions for them. Do not eat, drink, continue other conversations or work during the call, focus your attention and responses on the person who has called you. Standard office telephones pick up noise and conversations in the room, so it is very important that this is kept to a minimum when colleagues are taking calls. Ask colleagues to be quiet whilst you are on a call and do this for them when they are taking a call. If you receive a call that is either not intended for you, or one that you are unable to deal with then politely advise the caller that you are unable to help and do one of the following: - 1. Offer to transfer the caller if you are certain that you know the right person/business area to respond to the caller s enquiry. Transfer the call and provide the person you are transferring the call to with the caller s name (and organisation if appropriate) and what they are calling about. 2. Take the caller s name, contact number(s) and details of their reason for calling, make a note of these and confirm them back to ensure accuracy. State that you will find out who they need to speak to and ask that person to contact them. 3. Contact the relevant person/ business area immediately and pass the caller s name (and organisation if appropriate) and what they are calling about. 4. If the caller asks for the correct number to call and says that they would prefer to redial using the correct number then give them the exact information they require. 5. If the caller asks for the person s contact in preference to leaving a message then provide them with this information. the person whose details you have just given out to let them know that the caller will be contacting them by . If you receive a transferred call from a colleague, always ask for the caller s name and their reason for calling. When the call is transferred to you greet the person with their name, give your division/department or section and name and ask how you may help them for example: Hello Mr Brown, you re through to Amber Valley, Constable Smith speaking, I understand that you re calling about how may I help you? 15

16 If a colleague contacts you and passes a caller s details to you requesting that you contact them call them back as soon as practicably possible and at least within one working day. Ensure that you know how your telephone works (for example, how to transfer and pick up other colleagues calls, and to divert calls using Call Forward), refer to the Telephone Directory Help section on the Intranet for full details of how your phone works. It is your responsibility to find out how your telephone functions work. Have Voic /Mailbox set up on your phone by ing your request to IS Service Desk (Intranet/Assistance). Your callers are then able to leave a message when you are unable to answer your phone. Refer to the Telephone Directory Help section on the Intranet for details of how to use Mailbox (Voic ). Your unanswered, inbound calls should be set to divert to Voic /Mailbox on the fifth ring or to a colleague who has agreed to take your calls in your absence using the Call Forward facility on your phone. Ensure that you have the facility to pick up calls from other extensions in your business area/group and where this is appropriate pick up calls for colleagues who are away from their desk and deal with their callers. If you work with people who forget or do not set their phone to Voic /Mailbox or Call Forward to a colleague and it would provide a better service to callers if they did, then on their return remind/request them to use either of these facilities in future. Using Voic /Mailbox to screen your calls or prevent interruptions when you are available to take calls is unacceptable. Only use Voic /Mailbox when you are genuinely unavailable to answer your phone. Return calls or Voic /Mailbox messages as soon as possible and within one working day of your return. For planned absences, where you are not part of a group pick up facility then use either Call Forward to a colleague that has agreed to action your messages, or ensure that your Voic /Mailbox message gives the caller an alternative number to contact. Set up your Voic /Mailbox message and listen back to it, to ensure callers can clearly hear your information. (Also refer to the Telephone Directory Mailbox Guide on the Intranet). Keep your message brief, for example: You re through to the Voic service for (your name and section) at Derbyshire Constabulary Then either: 16

17 I am next in the office/available on (day and date) Or: I am currently away from my desk Then: If you would like me to call you back then please leave your name and number, or alternatively you can call (name) on (full and internal telephone numbers). For unplanned absences your line manager or colleagues should divert/call Forward your calls to an alternative number or arrange for an appropriate Voic /Mailbox message to be set up by contacting IS Service Desk (Intranet/Assistance). Alternatively, if colleagues are able to pick up your calls from their phones, then this is acceptable too Communication We all use to communicate both internally and externally and it is important that we give a consistent and professional service with by using the following guidelines: - Inbound s requiring a response should be replied to as soon as possible and at least within three working days. If the sender has specified a Reply By date then ensure that this is met. Ensure your account and Inbox are set up correctly, if in doubt check with our IS Service Desk (Intranet/Assistance), also do this for any additional accounts you have or are part of for example, a shared Mailbox for a department/section. Use the corporate standard signature available from the Intranet at Assistance/Communications/ signature and personalise it with your information and keep it up to date. Line managers must check that they and their team members are using the corporate standard signature. For help and advice contact the Web Manager based at Force Headquarters. Give a clear and relevant Subject heading, so that recipients know what your is about before they open it. If your is FYI (For Your Information) and no action/response is needed then say this in the Subject heading. Avoid unnecessarily copying people into your s for example copying in managers who do not need to know the information. If you are unnecessarily copied into s that you have no need or wish to see then advise the sender not to do so in future. Keep s as brief as possible and state why you are ing and what (if anything) you need the recipient(s) to do for you and by when. 17

18 Avoid writing your using all capital letters, as this appears to the recipient as though you are shouting at them. Use upper and lower case letters as you would when writing or typing other correspondence. Use the spellchecking facility (Tools/Options/Spelling) to help ensure that your s are professionally presented and potential errors are identified and correct before your is sent. Introduce yourself when ing a person for the first time for example your role, business area, who you work with and why you are contacting them. Confirm that you have sent attachment(s) (if this is the case) explaining what the information is and why you are sending it to them. Avoid the use of jargon and if you use acronyms/abbreviations then give these in full the first time for example BCU (Basic Command Unit). Your may be forwarded on to others internally and externally. Making personal, inappropriate or offensive comments in an , even in jest is unacceptable keep the content of your s professional. When forwarding s include a brief summary of the previous (s) to avoid the recipient having to read through the s below your own. We all know what it feels like to receive an from someone saying for example Can we do this? Or See below what do you think? Take care when forwarding s that you have checked that there is nothing inappropriate, or that breaches Data Protection in the previous content and edit/delete as necessary. Avoid using Reply All unless this is essential and all recipients need to see your reply. Reply only to the person who sent the unless they ask you to Reply All. Keep items in your Inbox to a minimum, by deleting read and/or actioned items. If you need to keep s then set up Personal Folders (File/New/Folder then select Personal Folders) and move items using the Move to Folder option (right click). If your Inbox exceeds a certain size (often as a result of attachments sent) s then become undeliverable and bounce back to the Sender. Use Out of Office Assistant if you are going to be unable to access your s for a period due to planned absence for example annual leave or rest days. Your message should be brief, advising when you are back and giving alternative /telephone contacts for urgent matters, for example: - I am next in the office on dd/mm/yy, if you need a reply to your before this date, then please resend it to Name/full address or call (full and internal telephone numbers). or 18

19 I am next on duty on dd/mm/yy, if you need a reply to your before this then please resend it to Name/full address or call (full and internal telephone numbers). Please note Out of Office messages are sent externally and for this reason: o Personal mobile and home contact numbers should not be quoted. o Do not give any indication that you are away from your home, for example by saying you are away on holiday or on annual leave. Avoid using Out of Office messages that state that s will be deleted and should be resent on your return. Whilst this may help you manage Inbox overload, it gives a poor impression to the sender(s). Alternatives to managing volumes of in your absence include: o Setting your s to forward onto a named contact who has agreed to do this for you. or o Setting a Delegate up with access to your Inbox to action your s in your absence and manage your Inbox for you, including moving items to Personal Folders or o Setting s that you have been copied into or with attachments to automatically divert to a personal folder. o In addition you may need to request extra memory capacity to allow your Inbox and/or H Drive to cope with your usual volumes. Check with Computer Response Desk (Intranet/Assistance). Amending Out of Office Assistant - if your colleague is unable to access s due to unplanned absence for example illness or compassionate leave by contacting the IS Service Desk (Intranet/Assistance) and asking for the appropriate amendment to their message. For Shared Mailboxes IS Service Desk (Intranet/Assistance) should be contacted to set up an Out of Office to cover periods when no-one is available to access and deal with s. 5.7 Correspondence - Letters & Faxes Producing correspondence of a consistently high standard using corporate templates portrays a professional image and service level Sending Refer to the Letter Guide at Intranet/Policy, Procedures, Guidelines. In summary, letters should be written in plain English, be polite and tactful, have an introduction, main body and conclusion. 19

20 To produce your correspondence documents use the standard templates available at Intranet/Assistance/Communication to ensure that a consistent and corporate image is given. Ensure that Spellcheck is used to avoid mistakes. Read your letter through carefully and make any corrections needed, before sending it. If you use abbreviations and acronyms then ensure that these are put in full the first time, with the abbreviation/acronym in brackets after. For example, Officer in the Case (OIC), or Contact Management (CM), or Crime Scene Investigator (CSI). Avoid using Police jargon, technical terms, Latin and unnecessarily long or unusual words. Use plain and simple English that is easy to understand and is aimed at your intended audience Receiving/Replying Inbound correspondence requiring a written response should be replied to within five working days of receipt by Derbyshire Constabulary or sooner, even if this means that we send an acknowledgement letter to confirm that we have received their letter and are for example, investigating the matter and will send a further letter as soon as possible. Messages directed to your Safer Neighbourhood Team should be responded to within 24 hours. Freedom of Information requests should be processed in accordance with the Freedom of Information Policy and there is a corporate system for handling these requests. For further advice contact the Freedom of Information Officer, Corporate Services Department. Your division/department may need to keep a record of letters and faxes received and sent and if this is the case then ensure that you comply with your local practices. If in doubt check with your line manager. If you have not been issued with local recording instructions for dealing with incoming letters and faxes, then use your discretion as to whether you need to retain hard copies of the correspondence for future reference and set up and maintain appropriate files to retain these records. Once opened correspondence should be date stamped or noted with the date it was received. Correspondence should be read and passed to the appropriate person to action on the same day that it is received. If you are the appropriate person to deal/respond to a letter or fax then refer to the section above Sending and the Letter Guide at Intranet/Policy, Procedures, Guidelines. 5.8 Dealing with Service Complaints A complaint maybe about our quality of service or relate to our procedures, (direction and control), operational matters or be about an officer or staff member. 20

21 Complaints of conduct that if proven or admitted by the officer or staff member would not lead to disciplinary proceedings, should be locally resolved. Complaints alleging more serious conduct will be handled by Professional Standards Department (relevant policies and procedures can be found on Intranet/Policies, Procedures and Guidelines). Complaints received through the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) are dealt with by Professional Standards Department following relevant policies and procedures. Any complaint received must be recorded and this is done by the relevant Base Command Unit for matters to be resolved locally, or Professional Standards Department for IPCC complaints and matters relating to Gross Misconduct of staff or officers. When a person or organisation lets us know that they are dissatisfied with any aspect of the service we have provided (or failed to provide) this is a learning opportunity for us to prevent recurrence and improve service in future. It is also a chance to complete service recovery by understanding what caused the dissatisfaction and then taking any necessary action, where appropriate to meet the person s expectations and regain their confidence. Often complaints or dissatisfaction with the service received stem from raising expectations that we are able or will do something that we subsequently don t or can t do. For example, a simple I ll get back to you is often taken as later today, or tomorrow, when in fact what may have been intended was I ll get back to you (once I have investigated this matter and that will be in two weeks time). Agreeing with the victim when to provide updates to them is part of the Victims Code. We should ask victims how and when they would like to be updated and then ensure that this is delivered. Arrangements should be made for colleagues to help when shift patterns and workloads could cause a delay with providing the update. Planned and unplanned absences must be managed effectively too, to either have someone else provide the updates or agree a delayed update schedule with the victim. Please refer to Section 5.1 and 5.2 above for full details of our standards for keeping people informed of progress and our Crime/Incident Contract. Where the victim has no preference about when we follow up then they should be kept informed at least every seven calendar days and at significant events (arrest, charge and bail) until completion of the enquiry. Some areas have specific processes to action service complaints and these should be followed. If your business area does not have a formal process to follow then please use the guidelines given below: Complaints received from the Internet/website are logged by the Service Improvement Manager in Corporate Services Department and then sent to the relevant Department or Division for investigation and response to the complainant. 21

22 Complaints received at Division/Section level, or through the Customer Comments Card are recorded and then investigated locally and an appropriate response is sent/made to the person making the complaint. Ensure that you have the customer s contact details and preferred method of contact and the full detail of the complaint they have raised. Contact the customer as soon as practicably possible and within one working day to obtain further, or validate existing information. Thank the person for bringing the matter to our attention and assure them that their comments are being investigated and that we will get back to them. Agree how and when the customer would like to be kept informed and updated and ensure that this contact happens. Complete any preliminary checks to validate the issues raised within 3 working days, for example, checking system records of the events and discussing the matter with those involved to identify what may have happened to cause the complaint or dissatisfaction with our service. Ensure that you provide updates to the customer as agreed with them and when you have sufficient information to understand and resolve the matter satisfactorily then contact the customer and: - - thank them for telling us about the issue they had with our service. - advise them how this matter happened. - reassure them about what has/will been done to prevent recurrence. - apologise on behalf or our organisation and thank them again for bringing the matter to our attention. The aim is to regain their trust and confidence and by dealing with their complaint promptly and fully, we have the best chance of achieving this. Take personal responsibility for ensuring that the investigation is completed and take any necessary remedial action to address the issue(s) raised. Use the complaint positively to prevent similar situations arising in the future for example, when training or briefing others to prevent recurrence. If after investigating the complaint it is found to be unreasonable, untrue, based on incorrect assumptions or similar then this needs to be very carefully communicated with the customer. The aim is retain or regain their trust and confidence that we do provide a good service, but that what they were/are seeking is for example, outside of our remit, unable to be delivered for specific reasons (and detail these), or similar. If other agencies may be of help to them then provide this information or liaise direct with the agency if this is appropriate. Provide any other appropriate advice that may help the person to accept that we are unable to progress their complaint further. It is appreciated that despite following these guidelines, some people will remain dissatisfied regardless of their being no substance to their complaint. Various surveys are completed including the User Satisfaction survey and respondents may state that they are Fairly/Very/Completely or Neither Nor Dissatisfied with the service received. Their comments are forwarded to Corporate Services Department and are made available to the relevant 22

23 Divisions/Departments contacts through a restricted access database. A formal Service Recovery Process exists for investigating and resolving this type of dissatisfaction with service and should be followed. This process is available at Intranet/Performance Information as attachments called the User Satisfaction Survey Process Guide and SR Process Map. Where victims have answered yes to being contacted to discuss their dissatisfaction then this must be done within 2 calendar days of receipt by the Section Inspector or they may delegate or task another officer to do this. It is acceptable to make a holding call so that the victim is aware that we are investigating the matter and will contact them at an agreed future time and date. 5.9 Positive Customer Feedback We often receive positive comments from people and organisations that have used our service and should ensure that this information is used effectively to promote excellent customer service within our organisation. Cascade the positive feedback appropriately and promptly ensuring that the individuals concerned receive details of the praise given. Depending upon the nature of the feedback consider using the situation and the way we delivered service as means of training within your area or the organisation. If a person or organisation has written or ed detailing their positive service experience then respond to their correspondence appropriately, (See Sections 5.5 Communication and 5.6 Letters & Faxes above). Positive survey comments received through the User Satisfaction survey should be cascaded to the individuals concerned and used as appropriate as detailed in the User Satisfaction Survey Process Guide at Intranet/Performance Information. The restricted access Victims Comments Database is circulated monthly to key Section and USAT contacts and the positive comments should be passed to individuals concerned, which they may use to support their Personal Development Reviews (PDRs). Examples of the very best of the User Satisfaction survey comments are sent quarterly to the ACC Crime and Territorial and BCU Commanders for them to send personal notes of thanks direct to the officers and staff concerned Customer Research & Surveys We invest resource into obtaining the views and comments of our customers about how satisfied they are with the levels of service we deliver. We use this information to help shape our plans and priorities to continually improve our service. If you are planning to conduct a survey where you are seeking the views of customers then contact Corporate Services who will be able to offer advice and expertise. It is important that as an organisation we know who we are surveying and why and that we are not duplicating effort or 23