Charter Mark is the Government award scheme for organisations that provide an excellent service to the public. It is a sign of excellence and if you achieve the Charter Mark standard, it shows that your organisation puts its users first. At the heart of Charter Mark is the fundamental question: What does the customer expect or hope for from the service we provide?

In achieving the award we had to meet the standards of 10 separate criteria and provide supporting evidence. The criteria are as follows:

1. Set standards.
2. Be open and provide full information.
3. Consult and involve.
4. Encourage access and promotion of choice.
5. Treat all fairly.
6. Put things right when they go wrong.
7. Use resources effectively.
8. Innovate and improve.
9. Work with other providers.
10. Provide user satisfaction.

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue first achieved the award in 2000 and were reassessed in 2002. Once again we successfully achieved the award.