Archived press release

Date Published: 22/03/07

A wide range of measures to further improve leisure services delivered to Aylesbury Vale residents by the district council’s contractors has been announced. Members of AVDC’s Communities Scrutiny Committee backed an action plan on 14 ...

A wide range of measures to further improve leisure services delivered to Aylesbury Vale residents by the district council’s contractors has been announced.

Members of AVDC’s Communities Scrutiny Committee backed an action plan on 14 March that outlines how the council will work even more closely with its leisure contractors to help ensure services continue to meet customers’ needs.

The plan was drawn up following customer satisfaction reviews of the services provided by John O’Conner (Grounds Maintenance) Ltd, the council’s horticultural contractors who keep the district’s open spaces, verges and parks neat and tidy, and Serco, who manage the Aqua Vale Swimming and Fitness Centre in Aylesbury and the Swan Pool and Leisure Centre in Buckingham.

A number of options to improve services were highlighted during the reviews, such as examining the methods of communication between John O’Conner, the council and the public to improve customer relations, and the need for AVDC to revise its means of monitoring the leisure facilities contract.

Actions to improve the services provided by Serco and John O’Conner include:
• Establishing an AVDC/Serco Quality Management Group who will meet monthly to review all issues relating to leisure facility customer service standards
• Introducing new comments boxes at Aqua Vale and Swan Pool to encourage more customers to express their views on the services provided   
• Installing a water softener at Aqua Vale to remove hard minerals from the water supply and improve the physical appearance of the poolside surrounds
• All John O’Conner vehicles to feature contact and helpline number
• Ensuring that a supervisor and/or a manager is available for all grass cutting areas to respond to residents’ enquiries
• Ensuring all grass cutting and grounds maintenance teams carry customer care cards (a business card detailing the process for making comments) that can be passed directly to residents 

John O’Conner recently retained their ISO quality mark status following an assessment of the company’s work in Aylesbury Vale. ISO (International Standardisation Organisation) 9001:2000 accreditation acknowledges organisations that undertake regular external reviews to ensure that quality standards are more than simply maintained.

In addition, Aqua Vale and Swan Pool are due for their two year review assessment for the Sport England Quest quality accreditation. Quest sets a benchmark for efficient and effective management and a commitment to meeting and exceeding customer needs through continuous improvement. Serco are looking to improve the previous scores achieved by the centres by at least three per cent.

Matthew Partridge, Head of Leisure and Cultural Services at AVDC, said: “The customer satisfaction review process has enabled both the council and its contractors to identify the areas where improvements can be achieved within our leisure services for the benefit of residents of the Vale. We will now focus upon the implementation of the action plan to ensure that the benefits are secured as early as possible.”