Quality Council Certificate Presented

Published 27 July 2005

In presenting the certificate, Mr Steve Hopkins of the County Accreditation Panel, explained the significance of the award as an independent assessment across a broad set of criteria. In a national context, it was a key component in ensuring that local government aimed for the highest standards in serving their communities.

Abbots Bromley is the eighth Quality Council in Staffordshire, the first in the Borough of East Staffordshire, and the 162nd in the country. By acquiring Quality status, Parish and Town Councils – the first tier of government – can demonstrate that they are representative, in touch with their communities, competent and capable of taking on an enhanced role. The other seven Quality Councils in Staffordshire are: Brewood and Coven Parish Council, Colwich Parish Council, Eccleshall Parish Council, Lichfield City Council, Penkridge Parish Council, Shenstone Parish Council, and Stowe by Chartley Parish Council.

Abbots Bromley committed itself to achieving Quality Council status when the scheme was introduced in 2003. Since then it has worked steadily towards the goal with a process of self-assessment, making changes as necessary. The end result was the successful submission of a detailed application for Quality Status.

Clerk, Eric Roy, obtained a distinction in the Certificate in Local Council Administration (CiLCA) – the specific qualification for Clerks – in order to satisfy one of the many tests for Quality status.

The Quality Council programme in Staffordshire has been initiated and supported by the Staffordshire Parish Councils’ Association. SPCA has actively promoted the scheme by encouraging local councils to participate and by administering the County Accreditation Panel.

Mary Booth, Chief Executive of SPCA and Secretary of the Quality Status County Accreditation Panel, said:
“The County Accreditation Panel is very pleased to announce that Abbots Bromley Parish Council has been awarded Quality Parish Status. The Council clearly demonstrated in their submission to the Panel that they are properly managed and actively involved with the whole community.”

Speaking on behalf of the Parish Council, Chairman Councillor Philip Charles said:
“We are delighted to receive this independent recognition of the quality of our work and we believe that it reflects the dedication and hard work put in by both Clerk and Councillors. The process of preparing our application helped challenge our thinking about how the Council should operate and required us to make some positive changes to the way we work, including the introduction of regular surgeries. However, we have no reason to be complacent, and recognise that there will always be further opportunities to improve the way that we communicate and consult with the electorate. We therefore hope to build on this success rather than rest on our laurels.”

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