The Better Care Higher Standards form is a simple questionnaire that users of Adults Social Care are asked to complete. It gives us useful feedback on how we are doing from the customer standpoint. This information is fed into our processes for improving services, and we can measure the impact of how we are improving by looking at the feedback we get in future.

For the year to March 2008 we received 919 questionnaires. The good news is that the percentage of users who rated our services as Good or Excellent rose to 92.3% compared to 88.3% in the previous year. There is also an increase in the number of users receiving a service quickly, 91.1% compared to 88% in the previous year. Only 54.8% of users have told us that they were informed about Direct Payments. This is disappointing but we are currently looking at initiatives to help us improve in this area.

We want to encourage service users to return the forms, so we place the returns into a prize draw and 5 lucky winners receive £50 worth of vouchers. Last year’s draw took place on 18 December 2007 at the council offices in Silver Birch House, witnessed by an independent observer.

Thank you to all the people who sent in their forms, and congratulations to the winners, 2 from Walthamstow, 2 from Chingford and 1 from Leytonstone.

We hope to continue to receive feedback on our services through the Better Care Higher Standards questionnaires, and the next prize draw is planned for December 2008.

Getting copies of the Charter and Annual Report

Better Care, Higher Standards Charter, 2008-2009 (September 2008, PDF file, 205Kb)

The Better Care, Higher Standards Annual Report, 2007-2008 (September 2008, PDF file, 210Kb)

For more information

For printed copies of the report and full Charter, or if you would like to make comments, please contact:

Alan Neville
Quality Assurance and Service Improvement Manager
Adult and Community Services
Tel 020 8496 3000
Email alan.neville@walthamforest.gov.uk

By post to:

Silver Birch House
Uplands Business Park
Blackhorse Lane
Walthamstow  E17 5SD

Tel 020 8496 3000 (via Waltham Forest Direct)
Fax 020 8496 3658

Please note this building is not open to personal visitors