Arun council team recognised for hard work and excellence

Arun District Council’s environmental health team has been given Customer Service Excellence status - a coveted government award recognising excellent customer service.

This recent accolade tops 12 years of successive recognition for the service, which deals with food safety, occupational health and safety, private housing standards, pollution control, licensing, wellbeing and a range of public health issues has been given.

Roger Wood, Arun’s chief environmental health officer, said: “This award confirms what we have always tried to do – the provision of excellent services. It is well deserved for the hard working staff who continuously deliver high standards of customer service across a wide range of disciplines.

“We’re never complacent and are always looking at how we can do things better.”

The award was introduced three-years-ago and tested the team on 80 criteria grouped around five key themes.

Independent assessors said the 27-strong team who deal with 5,000 enquiries every single year put the customer at the heart of the service, saying: “The department remains dedicated to providing services aimed at meeting the needs of each individual customer.”

Congratulating the team, Paul Dendle, Arun’s cabinet member for the environment, said: “Environmental health in Arun is an excellent example of public service at its best and sets the standards for others to follow.”