Four-star-rating for Council’s website

 

Cheshire East Council’s (CEC) website has been given the highest rating possible from fellow public sector professionals.

The Council has been awarded a prestigious four stars by The Society for Information Technology Managers (SOCITM) – putting the authority in the top five per cent of council websites in the country.

The four-star-rating was awarded to just 23 of the 433 public sector organisations reviewed this year.

CEC’s website (www.cheshireeast.gov.uk) scored highly because of its ease of use – users can complete everyday tasks quickly and easily.

One reviewer commented: “This site is really easy and simple to use…making it simple is a difficult thing to achieve and this site gets top marks. It is about cutting back and giving prominence to what really matters to people.”

The council was also praised for various online services, including the ease with which people can renew library books, pay for Council Tax, find out when bins will be emptied, or look at activities in local leisure centres.

Cheshire East Councillor David Brown, Cabinet member with responsibility for performance and capacity said; “My congratulations go to the web team for all their hard work, as well as all those who contribute to our website.

“This is a fantastic achievement and is very much deserved; the council’s website is full of useful information and services residents can apply for online. It is also accessible to all – whether you are able-bodied, have a disability, young or old.

“We are continually striving to improve our website and we want our residents to have access to the best service possible. This rating will not mean we become complacent – it means we will look to maintain this standard and look to better it.

“Changes are made to the website based on users’ feedback and making changes where appropriate. As a result, more people are visiting the site and filling in forms online.”

Cheshire East Council welcomes the views of website-users. There is a ‘rate this page’ facility on each page of the web site. All feedback is processed by the web team and improvements are made as soon as possible.