South East Water picks up certification for inclusive service

South East Water has been awarded a British Standards Institution Inclusive Service kitemark which certifies that an organisation is providing a service that benefits all consumers, regardless of their personal circumstances.

The water company is one nine first winners of the new kitemark which replaces the BS18477 standard. According to South East Water it “focuses on protecting vulnerable consumers and aligns with regulators including Ofwat.”

Its coverage includes: identification of customer vulnerability; inclusive design of products and services; the adoption of artificial intelligence and data collection, protection and sharing to ensure that organisations are creating an inclusive service for all.

Having been initially assessed by an auditor, to retain the accreditation South East Water will now take part in a programme of ongoing surveillance to check on continuing compliance.

As well as South East Water, the nine newly accredited firms included Anglian Water Services.