The Society of Personnel Directors, Scotland (SPDS) Conference, held at St. Andrews on 3 November, provided the venue for a ‘double celebration’ for the groundbreaking Customer Service Professional Qualification.
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| (L-R): Patricia Elliott (Candidate of the Year 2011, Strathclyde Fire and Rescue), Colinette Pell (Champion of the Year 2011, Fife Council, Councillor Pat Watters (President of COSLA), Kay McMillan (Learning Coach of the Year 2011, East Lothian Council) |
Firstly, the third and final level of the Qualification - the Professional Development Award (PDA) - was launched by Councillor Pat Watters, President of COSLA. This realises the long-term vision for the Customer Service Professional Qualification.
The Qualification has transformed customer service levels across the Scottish public sector since its launch in 2008 and this new development will offer even more opportunities for staff to enhance their skills and provide a better service for customers.
Michael Moran, Senior Organisational Development Adviser at Renfrewshire Council, drove the development of the PDA and has championed the Qualification nationally. He said: “The design and subsequent launch of this final level of the Qualification would not have been possible without the support of a number of stakeholders.
“This includes financial support from SOLACE, honest and ongoing feedback and input from officers who attend our Cognate Group and from Qualification graduates, and the project management and technical input from our IT partners, eCom Scotland.
“Most notable has been the significant advisory role provided by SQA, which ensured we had a robust assessment strategy and could then receive accreditation. Our thanks go to all of these stakeholders and we are confident the PDA will prove to be a positive addition to the Qualification.”
Following on from the launch of the PDA, a trio of Scottish local government employees were announced as category winners in the annual national awards, designed to recognise and celebrate achievement in the Customer Service Professional Qualification.
This year saw the highest number of nominations to date leaving the judging panel with some very difficult decisions to make.
- Patricia Elliott, Strathclyde Fire and Rescue, was awarded Candidate of the Year, in recognition of her commitment to learning and the unique way in which her customer service delivery has positively impacted on a number of her internal customers.
- Kay McMillan, secured first prize as Learning Coach of the Year, impressing the judges with her learner-centred approach and how her encouragement and support has led to service improvements from a number of the candidates she has coached.
- And for sheer commitment, passion and determination to promote the Qualification and help drive success locally, Colinette Pell of Fife Council was the judges’ choice as Champion of the Year.
Councillor Watters presented the awards to each of the winners and praised them for their commitment to the qualification.
“The Customer Service Professional Qualification has enjoyed its most successful year as it continues to transform customer service levels across the Scottish public sector and is helping develop a more skilled workforce now and in the future” he said.
“These groundbreaking qualifications are having an incredible impact, in terms of improving customer service. This has only been possible due to the commitment of our award winners and many others, who have embraced and completed the qualification. The three winners are a credit to their respective organisations.”
More information
www.customerserviceprofessional.co.uk
enquiries@customerserviceprofessional.co.uk
