Survey reveals user satisfaction
Hartlepool Borough Council’s Economic Development Department has recently published the results of its latest Consultation Survey, demonstrating high satisfaction levels from its users.
The team is responsible for maximising Hartlepool’s economic prosperity by providing support to local businesses, including start-up, existing and relocating enterprises helping residents into employment via job and training opportunities and managing the town’s Tourism marketing. It conducts the survey on an annual basis to gain an accurate picture of how well they are performing in the eyes of its principal users.
Administered in 2008, the latest survey involved the distribution of 1000 questionnaires to randomly selected users within eleven key areas served by the department. The questionnaire contains approximately ten questions and asks users to rate their satisfaction levels. Comprising residents, businesses and in some cases partner organisations, the respondents’ feedback was entirely confidential and non-attributable in order to provide a fair and unbiased analysis.
The key findings of the survey are detailed below.
| SERVICE AREA | SATISFACTION (%) |
| Assistance to businesses | 100 |
| Response to business enquiries | 90 |
| Hartlepool Enterprise Centre | 100 |
| Assistance to site owners / development | 100 |
| European assistance | 100 |
| Jobsbuild | 100 |
| Women’s opportunities | 100 |
| Targeted training | 81 |
| Work Route initiative | 94 |
| Jobsmart | 42 |
| Tourism | 96 |
With ten out of eleven service areas carrying a satisfaction rate of over 80%, and an overall average rating of 91%, the Economic Development team is extremely pleased with the survey results but acknowledge there is still more good work to be done.
Antony Steinberg, Economic Development Manager commented: “We are delighted to have six areas rating 100% satisfaction and with most other areas following closely behind. The Jobsmart employment service has clearly rated somewhat lower however we would attribute this to the newness of the project and the very apparent difficulties the whole country is currently facing with rising unemployment , the recession and rising unemployment.
“We recognise that we need to work with the Jobsmart users to deliver a service that is perfectly tailored to their needs and to develop closer contacts and relationships with them.”
Wherever possible, respondents were asked to provide their own written comments on the service, whether positive or negative, samples of which are detailed below.
Area – Assistance to businesses
“We dealt with all the local authorities in Teesside. Hartlepool stood out as the only one which responded entirely positively and showed any enthusiasm to create manufacturing jobs. This was in total contrast with our experiences in other parts of the UK.”"I feel that the services are very responsive to the individual needs of organisations/individuals. Excellent."
Area – Hartlepool Enterprise Centre
“Personally I am delighted with the services on offer and very happy with the staff team. This is an excellent centre.”“There is some repair work needed in our office.”
Area – Jobsbuild
“I would like to thank the people at Jobsbuild for funding me for my forklift license and CSCS card which helped me to get back to work. Thank you.”Area – Jobsmart
“Jobsmart runs in a very good way with results” “[I think Jobsmart needs] To keep in regular contact with people.”Antony Steinberg added: “The feedback provided by the survey is extremely valuable to us and it is therefore really important that people complete and return these questionnaires to help us continually monitor and improve the services we deliver. There will be another opportunity in the summer for people to feed back their thoughts, when the next survey will be conducted.”
For further information on the survey or to pass on your own independent comments on the Economic Development service, Antony Steinberg can be contacted on 01429 523503.
