We hit the Charter mark

Charter Mark logo

Inspectors & local people
Good news. Chartermark inspectors praised our involvement with local people and our good communications

We have a special 'Charter Mark' award for our customer service!

Charter Mark is a government-backed scheme that recognises high standards in public service.

Charter Mark inspectors first came to see us in April 2007. They visited our local offices, spoke to residents and staff, and went through lots of our business information in great detail. We passed with flying colours, earning the right to display the prestigious Charter Mark symbol.

But we couldn't rest on our laurels. Charter Mark people came back a year later, in May 2008, to put us through our paces again.

Good news again

And it's good news again. They congratulated us on maintaining our high standards and making significant progress in important areas. They praised us for:

  • the friendly local offices - welcoming and accessible to all
  • the quality of our local staff - they're well-mannered and deliver very high standards of customer service
  • involving residents and acting on what local people say
  • working well with other organisations in the area

They picked out four examples of what we do well:

  • the 'Pot of Gold' event; allocating money to each area and giving local area panels control of how it's spent
  • teaming-up with partner companies to make home improvements, and fill empty homes more quickly
  • high quality communications - in particular the annual report is "very attractive and easy to read"
  • involving local residents in setting up the country's first older people's park
See the report in full

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What do you think?

We're really pleased with these results, but there's always room to improve. Are you happy with our services? Recognition from our tenants is more important than any award. Remember, you have the power to help shape the Northwards service! There are lots of ways to have your say.

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