Kildare County Childcare Customer Charter
Introduction
The purpose of this customer charter is to set out the standard of service and behaviour which should underpin our interactions with all customers. This Customer Charter has been compiled in line with the 12 Guiding Principles of Quality Customer Service, as published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. The Customer Action Plan setting out Kildare CCC’s plan to implement these principles is available in Appendix 1.
Customer Commitments
Kildare CCC is fully committed to providing a professional, efficient, courteous, quality service to all our customers. CCCs play a vital role in the local delivery of the Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare programmes and contribute to the implementation of Government policy. The staff of the Kildare CCC seeks to assist and support all customers in relation to Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare. Our aim is to provide a service always acting with diligence, efficiency and courtesy. We offer equality of treatment to everyone we deal with.
How we treat your information
• Kildare CCC will deal with enquiries with confidentiality, courtesy, sensitivity and minimum delay, giving contact names in all communications to ensure ease of ongoing communications. Kildare CCC will endeavor to ensure that the information it provides - in person, by phone, e-mail, print, social media or website is clear, up-to-date and accurate.
Compliments, Comments and Complaints
• If you wish to give feedback, comment or complain about the service provided by Kildare CCC we will treat your communication seriously and deal with it promptly as per our Kildare CCC Complaints Policy which can be found on our website at www.KCCC.ie and available upon request.
• If you wish to give feedback, complain or comment in relation to the Early Learning and Care and/or School Age Childcare sector, the Kildare CCC will try to assist you in finding a resolution with the service/ agency if possible and/or signpost you to the relevant agency to escalate your complaint further.
How to Submit Compliments, Comments or Complaints
Please note all correspondence is dealt with confidentially but cannot be submitted anonymously.
• Visit CCC office – Kildare CCC, Unit 21 Thompson Enterprise Centre, Clane Business Park, Clane, Co. Kildare. Kildare CCC will ensure that your privacy is respected and that all matters will be dealt with confidentially.
• Contact by Phone – 045 861307, Kildare CCC is available to answer your calls during normal office hours (9am-5pm) Monday to Friday.
• Correspondence by email – (info@kCCC.ie) or post – Kildare CCC, Unit 21, Thompson Enterprise Centre, Clane Business Park, Clane, Co. Kildare. Kildare CCC will acknowledge receipt of any communications within 3 working days Kildare CCC will ensure that a substantive reply to a complaint will follow within 15 days working days of initial receipt.
Timeliness & Courtesy
Kildare CCC will approach all our interactions with you in a professional manner, promoting an environment of confidentiality, courtesy, sensitivity, and mutual respect with minimal delay.
Transparency
Kildare CCC is committed to transparency in all its decision-making processes and will deal with customers in a conscientious and transparent manner ensuring impartiality at all levels.
Access & Communication
Kildare CCC will ensure that all information is accessible and user-friendly. The methods of communication include our website and a range of social media platforms. Kildare CCC will ensure that all available information is accessible in electronic format and we will provide accurate information, using clear and simple language that is relevant to the enquiry.
Physical Access
Kildare CCC offices are accessible to the public, ensure privacy, comply with occupational and safety standards and facilitate access for people with disabilities and others with specific needs.
Official Languages
Kildare CCC will make every effort to accommodate our customers who wish to conduct their business through either of the official languages (English & Irish).
Equality/Diversity
Kildare CCC will ensure full adherence to the right to equal treatment, established by equality legislation, and will accommodate diversity in line with the areas covered by existing and future legislation.
Better Coordination
Kildare CCC commits to linking and coordinating in a flexible manner with other organisations at national/regional/local level as appropriate to help advance better coordination of the types of services that we deliver.
Customer Responsibilities
To make our service better, we ask that you:
• Have certain information ready
• Give full information
• Give accurate information
• Treat our staff with courtesy and respect
How to Contact Us
Address for Correspondence: KCCC, Unit 21 Thompson Enterprise Centre, Clane Business Park, Clane, Co. Kildare
Website details: www.kccc.ie
Telephone: 045 861307
Email: info@kildarechildcare.ie
We Value Your Opinion
Kildare CCC will welcome and take on board as appropriate any feedback you may provide to help us to continuously improve our service delivery and in our role of identifying good practice for others. To give us feedback on any of our services or a specific service provided to you, please call us on 045-861307, or email us at info@kccc.ie.
The CCC Complaints Policy found on our website sets out the procedure for you to follow should you be dissatisfied with any part of the service that we provide. We aim to acknowledge receipt of your complaints within 3 working days and a more substantive answer within 15 working days. If it is not possible to answer your query within these timeframes, we will communicate with you to keep you advised of our progress. As you will note in the policy, there is the option of having the decision or response reviewed by the CCC Chairperson. If you are still not satisfied with the response provided, it is possible for you to refer the matter to the Office of Ombudsman. Details provided below:
Office of the Ombudsman
6 Earlsfort Terrace,
Dublin 2,
D02 W773.
T: +353 1 639 5600
LoCall: 1890 223 030
info@ombudsman.ie
Appendix 1: Kildare County Childcare Customer Action Plan
KCCC is fully committed to providing a professional, efficient, courteous, quality service to all our customers. The personnel of KCCC seeks to assist and support all customers in relation to Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare. Our aim is to promote a service always acting with diligence, efficiency and courtesy and equality of treatment to everyone we deal with.
The Role of Kildare Childcare Committee
Kildare County Childcare Committee support and assist families and early learning and care and school age childcare providers with childcare matters at local county level. We are a Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration & Youth-funded support.
A key role of KCCC is to facilitate and support the development of quality, accessible early learning and care and school age childcare services for the overall benefit of children and their parents by taking a child centered and partnership approach.
Quality Customer Service Initiative (“QCS”)
The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (“DPER”) developed a Quality Customer Service Initiative whereby public service organisations must ensure that they are providing the highest level of service to all its customers in accordance with 12 principles of quality customer service.
KCCC is completely committed to providing this excellent level of service and to following the below mentioned principles:
12 Principles of Quality Customer Service
(As published by DPER, 2000)
1. Quality Service Standards
KCCC will publish a customer charter that outlines the nature and quality of service which the customer can expect when dealing with Kildare Childcare Committee. The information will be readily available to all customers on our website.
2. Equality/Diversity
KCCC will ensure the rights to equal treatment established by equality legislation, and accommodate diversity, so as to contribute to equality for the groups covered by the equality legislation (under the grounds of gender, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, religious belief, age, disability, race and membership of the Traveller Community). We will work to identify and eliminate barriers to accessing our services for people experiencing poverty, social exclusion, and for those facing geographic barriers.
3. Physical Access
KCCC will provide clean, accessible public offices that ensure privacy, comply with occupational and safety standards and, as part of this, facilitate access for people with disabilities and others with specific needs.
4. Information
KCCC will take a proactive approach in providing information that is clear, timely and accurate. Information is available at all points of contact, and meets the requirements of people with specific needs.
5. Timeliness & Courtesy
KCCC will approach all our interactions and delivery of services with you in a professional manner, promoting an environment of courtesy, sensitivity and mutual respect. Kildare Childcare Committee will endeavour to deal with all issues in a timely manner.
6. Complaints
KCCC will maintain a well-publicised, accessible, transparent, and simple-to-use system of
dealing with complaints about the quality of service provided. Our complaints policy is available on our website and is available on request.
7. Appeals
KCCC will similarly, maintain a formalised, well-publicised, accessible, transparent, and simple-to-use system of appeal/review for customers who are dissatisfied with decisions in relation to services.
8. Consultation & Evaluation
KCCC will welcome and take on board as appropriate any feedback you may provide to help us to continuously improve our service delivery and in our role of identifying good practice for others.
9. Choice
KCCC will provide choice, where feasible, in service delivery including payment methods, location of contact points, opening hours and delivery times. KCCC will use available and emerging technologies to ensure maximum access and choice, and quality of delivery.
10. Official Languages Equality
KCCC will make every effort to accommodate our customers who wish to conduct their business through either of the official languages (English & Irish).
11. Better Co-ordination
KCCC commits to linking and coordinating in a flexible manner with other structures/agencies at national/regional/local level as appropriate to help advance better coordination of the types of services that we deliver.
12. Internal Customer
KCCC will ensure CCC’s personnel are recognised as internal customers and that they are properly supported and consulted about service delivery issues.
Measuring & Evaluating Performance
KCCC employs a range of mechanisms to measure and evaluate our performance against the standards set out in our Customer Charter and Action Plan annually, to ensure that we continue to deliver the highest levels of service to our customers. In monitoring our performance, we will:
• Review our performance against feedback received both formal and informal
• Use internal information management systems to inform our customer service policies
• Comply with all applicable health and safety standards or regulations and carry out safety audits.
Service Standards
• Our Customer Charter outlines in broad terms the level of service all customers of KCCC are entitled to expect.
• To support us to meet the commitments in our Charter, KCCC strives to evaluate the performance of its customer service based on feedback both formal and informal. KCCC will actively invite feedback at different opportune moments.
Performance Indicators
• KCCC personnel will introduce themselves when meeting and dealing with customers.
• Keep all customers fully informed of the standards of service they can expect to receive from us.
• Maintain a focus on equality/diversity issues throughout KCCC
• Allow easy and full access, where authorised, to our buildings for those customers with disabilities and/or specific needs.
• Provide clear, timely and accurate information which is fully accessible for any customers with specific needs.
• Publish useful and relevant information on our website, in line with guidelines in terms of accessibility and official languages equality.
• Treat customers with courtesy and endeavour to handle all enquiries as promptly and as efficiently as possible.
• Treat complaints promptly, fairly, impartially and in confidence.
• Fully investigate all complaints where possible and provide a prompt reply to the complainant
• Where this is not possible, an interim reply will be given, explaining the reason for the delay, and advising when a substantive response will issue.
• Should the complainant so require, keep details of the complainant private in line with our retention period of our GDPR policy.
• Keep multiple contact options open for KCCC customers including in person, telephone numbers, e-mail and website.
Training
We recognise that for all personnel to provide a quality service they must be familiar with the policies and practices outlined in the Customer Action Plan and with the commitments given in our Customer Charter. We are fully committed to investing in appropriate customer service training for CCC personnel.
How to Contact Us
Address for Correspondence: KCCC, Unit 21 Thompson Enterprise Centre, Clane Business Park, Clane, Co. Kildare
Website details: www.kccc.ie
Telephone: 045 861307
Email: info@kildarechildcare.ie