Residents First Charter
The Residents First Charter outlines what you can expect from the Council, whether you contact us by 'phone, in writing, on our website or in person.
It has been adopted by the Council following public consultation with our residents.
Residents First Charter: Our Standards
Waltham Forest Council is committed to providing the best possible service that you demand and deserve.
To help ensure this, we have introduced our Residents First Charter which outlines what you can expect from everyone working for the Council, whether you contact us by telephone, in writing, through our website or visit us in person.
We have also set clear standards and commitments under the Council's priorities for services that are important to you.
We will…
- Monitor our performance against these standards through a programme of mystery shopping
- Publish the results for your information
- Address areas of concern identified through our corporate performance management arrangements
Every time you contact us
We will…
- Be polite, friendly and helpful
- Respect your right to confidentiality
- Provide information and advice on our services in plain language, not jargon
- Clearly explain our decisions and the reasons for them
- Apologise when we get things wrong and work hard to put them right
- Recognise the diverse needs of our communities and work to make the Council accessible to all
If you contact us by telephone
We will…
- Answer telephone calls within five rings and will greet you with our name and service area
- Deal with your query at the first point of contact
- Return your phone calls on the same day or when you ask us to
If you write to us by letter, e-mail or web form
We will…
- Provide a full written response If you write to us by letter within 10 working days
- Provide a full response to all e-mails or web requests within 5 working days
- Acknowledge complaints within 3 working days and provide a full response within 20 working days
When you visit us or when we visit you
We will…
- Wear identification tags when you visit us
- See you within 15 minutes when you visit us
- Arrive promptly when visiting your home or premises and will show Council identification
Contacting us
You can contact us in the following ways:
Tel 020 8496 3000
Fax 020 8496 3301
Minicom 020 8496 3010
Email wfdirect@walthamforest.gov.uk
Web www.walthamforest.gov.uk
