Wakefield Registration & Celebratory Services Service Delivery Plan 2021/2022 - Wakefield ...
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Wakefield Registration & Celebratory
Services
Service Delivery Plan
2021/2022
Gillian Marshall Proper Officer for Registration
Vicky Stead Registration Services Manager
Jessica Rowley Superintendent RegistrarContents
1. Introduction and background 2
2. Current Service Provision 2
3. Customer Engagement Strategy 5
4. Partnership working 6
5. Performance Management & Service Standards 7
6. Staff Training & Development 9
7. Business Continuity Arrangements 10
8. Achievement against 2019/2020 Key Priorities and Service Deliverables 10
9. Key Priorities and Service Deliverables for 2020/2021 10
11. Introduction and Background
1. This plan describes how the local Registration Service (Wakefield Registration &
Celebratory Services) is structured, managed and delivered. It outlines the range
of functions provided and how and where these services can be accessed. It
includes the key service priorities and service deliverables achieved in 2020/2021
and those set for 2021/22.
.
1.1 Wakefield Registration & Celebratory Services are delivered by Wakefield Council.
The Registration Service Act 1953 confers upon the Local Authority obligations and
powers in regard to the registration of births, deaths and marriages. The current
local Registration Service ‘Scheme’ came into effect on 1st December 2008 when
the single districts of Wakefield and Pontefract were unified. Wakefield Registration
District extends to the geographical boundaries of Wakefield Council. The scheme
underwent a change on 4th April 2017 to abolish sub-districts ‘G’ and ‘H’. The
scheme underwent a further change on 17th April 2018 to abolish sub-districts B,
C, D, E and F at which time a ‘Single Stock’ model was introduced.
1.2 The Wakefield district covers some 350 square kilometres and forms one of five
districts which make up West Yorkshire. The main centres of population are
Wakefield city; the five towns of the north east (Pontefract, Castleford, Knottingley,
Normanton and Featherstone); Ossett and Horbury in the west; Hemsworth, South
Elmsall and South Kirkby in the south-east. There are also scattered villages in the
open countryside. The size of the resident population is estimated to be in the
region of 348,312.
1.3 The service sits within Legal & Governance which forms part of the Chief
Executive’s directorate for Wakefield Council. The Proper Officer for Registration
is Gillian Marshall, Chief Legal Officer.
1.4 The service works closely with the General Register Office, Yorkshire &
Humberside Registration Panel, the regional Training Group and HM Passport
Office.
1.5 The Council’s core values underpin our way of working:
Caring
Ambitious
Integrity
Respect
2. Current Service Provision
2.1 Location / Service Delivery Points
The Register Office and administrative centre is located in Wakefield Town Hall,
Wood Street, Wakefield. The repository holds the historic records for the Wakefield
district according to the geographic boundaries which were in place prior to
unification with Pontefract in 2008. Since unification, records for the events
registered within the sub-districts A, and the formers sub-districts B, C, E and H (H
abolished 03.04.2017, B, C, E abolished 17.04.18) are deposited at Wakefield.
2A second service delivery point is located on the eastern side of the district in
Pontefract. There is an additional repository at Pontefract Registration Office
which historically housed the records for the single Pontefract district before the 2
districts were unified in 2008. By permission of the Registrar General the historic
records are still held there and, since unification, records for the events registered
within the former sub-districts D, F and G (G abolished 03.04.2017, D and F
abolished 17th April 2018) are also deposited.
The full range of registration services are available at both offices.
Both service delivery points are centrally located and are close to public car parks
and public transport.
The Register Office Pontefract Registration Office
Wakefield Town Hall Town Hall
Wood Street Bridge Street
Wakefield Pontefract
WF1 2HQ WF8 1PG
Tel: 03454852888
wakefieldregistrars@wakefield.gov.uk
www.wakefield.gov.uk
2.1.1 Pinderfields Hospital: Service currently suspended
Death registrations are delivered at the Bereavement Suite at Pinderfields Hospital,
Aberford Road, Wakefield. The bereavement services team book death
registration appointments for recently bereaved families who arrive to collect the
Medical Certificate of Cause of Death.
2.2 Opening hours
The opening hours for both service delivery points are:
Monday to Friday 09:00 to 16:30 and Saturday 09:00 to 12:30
The opening hours at Pinderfields Hospital are: Service currently suspended
The offices closes for 1.5 hours every 6 weeks to facilitate a team meeting, followed
by a training and development session; the dates and times are publicised to
customers in advance.
Registration of events is via an appointment system however we always try to
accommodate customers who arrive to register a death without an appointment.
All certificate requests are undertaken by telephone or email. All certificates are
posted out by first class signed for postage. Face to face facility for certificate
applications is currently suspended
32.3 Out of Hours service
An Emergency ‘Out of Hours’ Service is in place for urgent burial requests or for a
death registration to facilitate a request for an Out of England order (subject to
Coroner availability).
A 24/7 stand-by service is available for Marriages & Civil Partnerships by Registrar
General’s Licence.
An ‘Outside of Business Hours’ service is in place to provide support to the
Celebratory Services team and to allow the Responsible Person at Approved
Venues to alert any urgent situations to a senior officer.
Customers who contact us to access these services outside of business hours are
directed to the Council’s Contact Centre number 0345 8506 506. Contact Centre
staff and Approved Venues hold details of the on-call officers’ telephone numbers.
Information about our emergency services is published on the registrars pages of
the Council website. An information leaflet is available to members of the Muslim
community and is distributed by the leaders of the local mosques; however, the
emergency provision is not restricted to this cultural group. An email is sent to our
partners prior to Bank Holiday closures reminding them of the emergency services
available.
2.4 Core Services
Statutory functions:
Registration of births, deaths, still-births, marriages
Attestation of notices of marriage and civil partnerships
Conducting of marriage ceremonies
Provision of public and private citizenship ceremonies
Provision of replacement certificates
Safe custody of historic records
Conversion of Civil Partnership into Marriage
The local authority function for the provision of Civil Partnerships is also
delivered by the service on behalf of the Council.
The service also delivers:
Approval of Premises for Marriages & Civil Partnerships
Tell Us Once (deaths capture only)
Naming Ceremonies
Renewal of Vows
Celebrate…Your Way
2.5 The team structure
1 Registration Service Manager
1 Superintendent Registrar (statutory post)
4 2 Senior Registration Officers (of which 1 is the statutory Registrar for sub-
district ‘A’) (1.6 FTE)
5 Registration Officers (3.8 FTE)
5 Deputy Registration Officers (3.8 FTE)
2 Registration Assistants (2 FT)
1 Ceremonies Co-ordinator (1 FT)
Up to 34 Ceremony Officers (Deputy Registrars/DSRs) (variable)
1 level 2/3 apprentice (FT)
5 (relief) Clerical Assistants (variable)
1 (relief) Ceremonies Support Assistant (variable)
6 Ceremony Hosts (variable)
The Registration Service Manager (RSM) has strategic responsibility for the district
and also acts as the Proper Officer’s Representative. This role is line managed by
the Chief Legal Officer. The RSM has responsibility for overseeing the delivery of
all Celebratory Services including the Marriages & Civil Partnerships programme,
Citizenship Ceremonies, Civil Partnership Conversion into Marriage and the range
of discretionary ceremony services. The RSM also oversees the Approval of
Premises for Marriages & Civil Partnerships and line manages the Senior
Registration Officers.
The Superintendent Registrar works with the RSM and Senior Registration Officers
to oversee the 2 service delivery points and has responsibility for overseeing the
smooth delivery of the statutory services and the day to day management of the
respective teams.
The Registration Officers and Deputy Registration Officers are all multi-skilled and
deliver the full range of statutory, discretionary and administrative duties ensuring
a flexible approach to meet customer requirements and service demands.
3. Customer Engagement Strategy
3.1 In line with the GRO KPT and PPCF framework the service has a documented
Customer Engagement Strategy (CES). The CES seeks to enable customers to
influence key policies, strategies and service standards and enables customers to
feedback on their experiences in order to influence and change service delivery
where appropriate.
3.2 Customer Satisfaction / Feedback
The service is committed to improving service delivery, increasing customer
satisfaction and ensuring that the service reflects the needs of its customers. In
order to do this we continually seek the views and experiences of all those who
have some connection with the service including staff, partners and co-providers,
customers and the general public.
Customers have the opportunity to feedback their comments and suggestions to
us and to rate the service they have received by completing one of our ‘How Are
We Doing?’ forms which includes questions about service user satisfaction and
service accessibility. These are available in reception areas, on the registrars’
pages of the Council’s website and are included on the signature of staff emails.
53.3 Annual Survey
A customer survey is undertaken each year over a period of one month. All service
users are asked to complete a copy of the ‘How Are we Doing?’ forms. Survey
results are published in customer waiting areas and also on the registrars’ pages
of the Council’s website.
3.4 Complaints
The service adheres to the Council’s Corporate Customer Complaints procedure.
3.5 Improving Customer Experience
On-line requests for certificate applications are still in development stage and will
offer customers the opportunity to apply and pay for their certificate application at
a time convenient to them.
3.4 Informing our Customers
Information about our services is easily accessible both on the website and in our
in-house publications. This ensures that customers are able to easily access the
right information, advice and guidance at a time and in a way that is convenient to
them.
We work closely with partners and key stakeholders both internally and externally
to ensure customers receive correct information at the appropriate time to support
them on their journey through the service. Information is updated prior to reprint
to take into account any local or legislative changes.
We continue to liaise with local Maternity Services, Children’s Services, GP
Practice Managers and Community Midwives to all communication remains up to
date.
4. Partnership Working
Our partnership working includes the following services and organisations:
4.1 External
General Register Office (GRO)
Approval holders at Approved Premises
Hospitals
Child Health
Maternity Services
Clinical Commissioning Group
General Practitioners / Practice Managers / Practice Midwives
Wakefield Hospice
Prince of Wales Hospice
Department for Work and Pensions (Tell Us Once)
Clergy and Authorised Persons
Funeral Directors
6 Home Office
4.2 Internal
Gillian Marshall, Proper Officer
Her Majesty’s Coroner’s Service
Bereavement Services
Council services
Corporate Resources
4.3 Portfolio holder for Registration Services
Councillor Michael Graham is currently the portfolio holder for the registration
service; Councillor Jessica Carrington acts as deputy.
A regular brief is provided by the Registration Services Manager to Councillor
Graham for inclusion in his public report to Council.
5. Performance Management and Service Standards
5.1 The local registration service ‘Scheme’ commits the local authority to comply with
the service delivery standards contained in the Registrar General’s Code of
Practice. Together the Scheme and the Code provide a formal governance
agreement with the Registrar General and local authority.
Wakefield Council is committed to delivering the local registration service in
accordance with the agreed local Scheme, the Code of Practice, the Good Practice
Guide and Seasonal Good Practice guide, as outlined in the Proper Officer’s Guide
to Registration Service Delivery. The LRS guidance for the revised Key
Performance Targets and Annual Assurance Statement Requirements 2016/17 is
considered against existing practice and when any new initiatives are introduced.
The Council recognises and adopts the advice given to apply common standards
to those service areas to which the Code of Practice does not extend. This will
ensure a consistent level of customer service, delivered sensitively, economically
and efficiently to the satisfaction of its users.
5.2 The Council’s Priorities
We are supported by the Council’s priorities. The vision for the Wakefield District
is that people thrive, businesses succeed and visitors are welcome.
• Successful Businesses – growing a higher value economy and creating good jobs
• Successful People – Reducing inequalities, growing skills levels, enabling a good
quality of life and supporting families
• Successful Places – creating a unique cultural offer and creating vibrant
communities that are better connected
• Successful Council – ambitious, enterprising, dedicated and efficient in delivering
excellent services
7The service supports these priorities by employing the values of the Council and
the principles of the Wakefield Way when delivering services;
• We help people help themselves
• We are business minded and socially responsible
• We provide a positive customer experience
• We tackle poverty
• We keep people safe at times of vulnerability
• We are forward thinking
• We intervene early
• We have real impact
• We champion good growth
5.4 Service Delivery Planning
The Legal and Governance Service Delivery Plan captures how its services will
achieve Council and Key Directorate Priorities for 2021/2022.
The plan details the directorate priorities, the service outcomes it wants to achieve
and the objectives which must be delivered to ensure the desired outcomes are
achieved. Each service area provides detailed activity to ensure successful
delivery of the objectives.
The registration service key priorities and activities contribute to the Legal &
Governance Service Delivery Plan and are listed, along with other service
deliverables for 2021/202, at page 10.
5.5 Performance Monitoring
The Council is committed to delivering the service in accordance with the Good
Practice Guide with achievement to National Standard as a minimum. All Key
Performance Indicators for both Statutory Standards and Operational Delivery
Standards within the guide are measured. Achievement is reported to GRO in the
Annual Performance Report.
The SR and Senior Registration Officers undertake a regular programme of
technical monitoring for all staff across all service areas. The GRO assessment
templates are used to ensure that standards of work meet the GRO statutory and
operational delivery requirements. This detailed assessment, along with any issues
identified at SR certification of entries, helps to highlight any areas for improvement
which are then monitored and used to inform refresher and future training.
Achievement against KPI’s is published monthly in customer waiting areas and on
the registrars’ pages of the Council’s website. Quarterly performance against the
Legal & Governance Service Delivery Plan objectives is fed to the Corporate
Performance Clinic.
8Quarterly spot checks are undertaken to monitor and ensure that accurate and
timely stock record entries are completed in line with the Council’s and GRO
audit requirements.
6. Staff Training and Development
6.1 Overview
The Proper Officer and the Registration Service management team understand the
fundamental requirement to provide high quality induction, training and support for
Registration Service staff.
Training and development will be provided to meet the needs of all personnel and
will be planned to respond to changes in legislation, changes in working practice
and introduction of new initiatives. Training will be organised in the most cost
efficient manner using the skills and experience of senior officers within the service,
or via partnership arrangements with other registration service training groups,
wherever possible. The service utilises the Council and GRO e-learning modules
alongside other methods of training.
The service Training Plan sets out the aims and objectives for training and the
route to obtain training. It also references all the relevant documents, systems and
processes relating to the training and development programme. All training
planning takes into consideration the GRO National Competencies framework for
Registration Service staff.
Work will continue to develop, review and revise the training and development
programme, the model format for induction, the content of standard courses for
newly appointed officers and the range of other training and development
opportunities to meet the needs of staff and of the service.
6.2 Regional arrangements
The Service continues to support regional training group meetings.
6.3 National Qualification
The service is incorporating the Registrar General’s Nationally Accredited
Programme for Registration Officers within the service Training Plan.
Consideration may be given to include the National Qualification as a requirement
within some service Job Specifications should NAP training become formally
adopted within the district.
6.4 Public Protection and Counter Fraud
All staff are required to complete the service Annual Assurance Statement which
details and records our compliance against both GRO and the Wakefield Council’s
policies and procedures. We believe that although these policies and procedures
are well embedded there is a regular need to revisit the various guidance
documents to ensure our knowledge is kept up-to-date.
Staff discuss with their line managers the various elements included in this
document at 1:1s, appraisals and team meetings. The checklist is completed on a
rolling basis throughout the year; all sections are completed before individual staff
9annual appraisals. This document is regularly reviewed to ensure it remains current
and relevant, corporately and legislatively.
The PPCF strategy is considered against service delivery by the service
management team to ensure compliance of all requirements; PPCF is a standing
agenda item at monthly team meetings.
7. Business Continuity Arrangements
The service has in place a Business Continuity Arrangements plan for 2021/22.
The BCA plan is validated by the Chief Legal Officer and the Council’s Emergency
Planning Manager and is reviewed annually. The plan provides a strategic
framework to enable delivery of critical functions in the event of disruption to
business.
8. Achievement against Key Priorities and Service Deliverables for 2021/22
1. Successful introduction and implementation of the Civil Partnerships, Marriages
and Deaths (Registration) Act 2019, Marriage Schedule system. Ongoing
2. Contribute to the successful implementation of the role of a non-statutory local
Medical Examiner - Completed
3. Develop our digital services to enable customers to apply for a birth, death,
marriage or civil partnership certificate online – Ongoing
4. To review and deliver a robust training plan to ensure all team members are
adequately trained to enable service delivery - Completed
5. To process map the customer journey for births and deaths to establish where
efficiencies and improvements can be made – not started
9. Key Priorities and Service Deliverables for 2021/22
1. Successful introduction and implementation of the Civil Partnerships, Marriages
and Deaths (Registration) Act 2019, Marriage Schedule system.
2. To become a Designated Register Office.
3. To process map the customer journey for births and deaths to establish where
efficiencies and improvements can be made.
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