Codesigned service standards

Working to be a caring and competent council

Council staff and local residents have codesigned a new set of Service Standards that will ensure residents receive the best possible service when they call, email or access council services in person.

We know that our residents expect the best service when they interact with us, and they want to see that same high level of customer service being applied consistently across the Council.

This is why we recruited a broad range of residents to be part of a resident user group so they could work with us to develop the new standards.

The group has been meeting since summer 2022 and collectively drafted the standards. They also helped lead a consultation exercise on the new Service Standards with residents.

These residents have played an integral role in helping us to look at how we will measure if the Service Standards are succeeding and what they want to see change as a result.

The Service Standards are in three parts:

  • how residents want to feel when they contact the council
  • what the council needs to do to achieve that
  • what staff and services need to do

The standards look at ensuring staff listen and deal empathetically with residents’ enquiries, proactively update residents with progress on their enquiry every step of the way and take responsibility.

We acknowledge that we will not always be able to provide residents with the outcome or decision they want; the service standards ensure all residents are treated fairly and with care and compassion.

Give us your feedback

We welcome your feedback, compliments and complaints.

Contact us:

Complaints Team
Kensington Town Hall
Hornton Street
W8 7NX

Message from the resident user group

Our council makes living in the borough better in ways which are too often unremarked. Sometimes it does not fulfil its potential, very occasionally it fails grievously. We hope that setting clear standards mean residents can speak and be heard better, to the benefit of all in making Kensington and Chelsea a good place to live.

Service Standards

As a resident I want to feel: To do that, the Council needs to: Which means staff and services need to:
  • seen, heard and listened to
  • you care
  • confident you have understood and made a record of what I contacted you about
  • my enquiry or concern will be resolved, or I will get a clear explanation as to why it cannot be
  • I know how to escalate if needed and can do this easily
  • I am being treated as an individual
  • Iam included in making decisions about me, and my experience is acknowledged
  • my Council is there to help me, or will assist me in finding help
     
  • ensure all staff are aware of and working to a set of behaviours and values
  • focus more on resolving residents’ issues rather than ticking boxes
  • make sure our IT systems mean our residents don’t have to tell us twice
  • demonstrate that decisions are made with residents and explain how
  • ensure you are reaching all residents especially those who may not know how to contact the Council when in need or for the first time
  • earn residents’ confidence and trust by improving services and working better together
  • use data and resident feedback to regularly review and improve, as part of our efforts in becoming the best Council
  • share results and feedback with staff and residents
  • ensure processes and systems are resident-focused, regularly reviewed and fixed when broken.
  • value and encourage resident participation
  • have empathy and show they care
  • be human, honest, transparent and accountable
  • pro-actively update residents every step of the way
  • be enabled to challenge processes or policies for the benefit of residents
  • avoid generic responses and “one size fits all” approaches
  • ensure residents do not have to make repeat contact to achieve a resolution
  • ensure residents feel listened to, heard and confident that action will be taken
  • take responsibility and don’t pass the buck
  • be clear on who is taking responsibility and what the next steps are
  • collaborate across teams

Service Standards in a different format

The Service Standards can be made available in alternative formats and in different languages.

Contact us:

Email: [email protected]

Service Standards in other languages

Last updated: 3 August 2026