Byker Community Trust receives accolade for service to residents

A housing association has been honoured for its service to residents.

Byker Community Trust (BCT) is now the owner of a Customer Service Excellence (CSE) accreditation.

The accolade celebrates BCT’s commitment to delivering high-quality housing and community services.

The organisation, which owns and manages 1800 homes on the Grade II-listed Byker Estate, in Newcastle [pictured below], was assessed as being fully compliant in 51 elements of the standard and achieved compliance plus in three other areas.

CSE is a national quality mark that recognises organisations which meet the criteria set out in the Cabinet Office’s Customer Service Excellence (CSE) Standard.

Operators are tested on 57 elements that focus on the key priorities for customers, with particular emphasis on delivery, timeliness, information, professionalism and staff attitude.

The assessment is undertaken by an external assessor who reviews documents that have been submitted to demonstrate compliance against each element of the standard, and an on-site visit to establish if the organisation meets CSE requirements.

BCT underwent a two-day on-site assessment in February, which included an observation of the organisation’s Customer Scrutiny Committee and a number of meetings with customers, staff, and partners.

 

 

Jill Haley, BCT chief executive, said: “This is an excellent outcome and testament to the hard work and commitment of the team.

“BCT is a customer-focused organisation whereby culture, processes and people are customer aligned.

“The assessment is one of the most rigorous processes undertaken, so I am delighted we have achieved this important accreditation, confirming that everything we do is shaped by a relentless commitment to providing value for money and exceeding customer expectations.

“I was very pleased to see BCT achieving compliance plus in three areas, including leadership, using customer insight and working in partnership.

“The organisation has achieved a considerable amount since it was established in July 2012.

“Not only is BCT a top 50 landlord (currently ranked 24^th in the UK in 2019), we have now achieved Customer Service Excellence accreditation, which further strengthens our vision of Making Byker an Estate of Choice – an area where people choose to live, work and play.”

The assessor will visit the organisation in 12 months’ time to review progress.