Customer Services
Performance
Trafford Council was previously officially rated at 'Weak' by Government watchdogs, the Audit Commission, under the last Labour administration. Since taking control of the Council in June 2004, local Conservatives have improved Council performance beyond recognition.
Your Council is now officially rated as 'improving strongly' while the Audit Commission go on to state that:
"Trafford is performing strongly in its ambition to improve the quality of life for all people in Trafford, and in particular reducing the gap in outcomes for the most disadvantaged and vulnerable……. Priority areas including educational attainment, quality social care for adults and fighting crime are all showing improvement.''
Through external inspection and measurement of service performance Trafford Council is one of the best performing authorities in the country:
- Trafford Council is in the top 18% of Councils in England for improvement in performance over the last 3 years as measured by service performance indicators
- Trafford Council is in the top 15% of all authorities for improvement over the last year.
- In Education and Children's Services, Trafford is the most improved Council in the Country.
- Resident satisfaction levels have improved more than in any other Council in Greater Manchester.
- Trafford is one of only two Greater Manchester Local Authorities that is 'improving strongly'
Key Commitment: Through effective and efficient management, strong leadership and common sense policies, local Conservatives will work to continue this exceptional improvement over the next 2 years.
Service Improvement Programme
Trafford receives one of the worst funding settlements from Government in the country - residents in neighbouring Labour-run Manchester receive a whopping £440 per person more than Trafford residents.
Despite already providing efficient services (Trafford has the lowest Council tax in Greater Manchester), Conservatives in Trafford have embarked on an ambitious programme to improve services and deliver even better value for money to Council taxpayers. Savings of £0.8 million per year have already been achieved, while a further £6.0 million of savings are planned to be achieved over the next 2 years from more efficient 'back office' functions, lower management costs and more efficient methods of service delivery.
Key Commitment: Over the next 2 years, local Conservatives will continue to deliver our £7m efficiency programme and invest the savings generated in your priorities – fighting crime, educational excellence, quality care for adults, a greener, cleaner borough and improving roads and pavements.
Trafford Direct – Our Customer Contact Service
The Council's customer contact service, Trafford Direct, is one of the most heavily used services in the Borough handling approximately 45,000 contacts from residents per month. Trafford Conservatives are planning major enhancements to the service.
Key Commitment: Over the next few months, we will increase the number of phone operative in our call centre by 9%, thereby seeking to service 95% of calls, with 75% answered within 20 seconds. In addition, local Conservatives plan to create 16 enquiry points across the borough, 14 of which will be housed in Trafford’s existing libraries, where people can get help and advice on council services.
Communicating with you
Following positive feedback from residents, Trafford Conservatives have increased the number of editions of the Council's newspaper, Trafford Today, from 6 to 12 per year, increasing the information available to local people.
In addition, the Council’s website has undergone a complete revamp – residents can now do the following online:
- Make Council tax payments;
- View planning applications;
- Report any issues with waste collections; and
- Participate in online forums on any matter concerning the Council’s services.
Local residents have responded to the improvements - we now receive an average of 94,000 visitors per month to the Council’s website.
Key commitment: Trafford Conservatives will conduct an annual survey of residents to make sure that we go on delivering on the issues that concern you.
