Agenda item

Report of the Director of Housing

Presented by the Corporate Portfolio Holder

The Corporate Portfolio Holder presented the report to Members.

He stated that the report sought Cabinet’s support for the Council’s ongoing digital transformation programme which aimed to improve customer services to the residents of the District, especially the on line offer and that by modernising the authority’s approach to customer delivery and allowing more customer transactions to be delivered on line, the following benefits will be delivered:

-          Customers can access services 24/7, and are not constrained by office opening hours

-          More efficient processes can be conducted on line without the need for more laborious paper based systems or face to face / telephone transactions e.g. the table in 1.5 describes how much easier it will be for a resident to book a bulky waste collection

-          Information on our customers can be collected more easily to enable services to be tailored to meet their needs

-          Front line customer services staff will be freed up to help our more vulnerable customers who sometimes need more time  

He advised Members that a dedicated project team had been set up, and in partnership with the Council’s ICT provider, Firmstep, the authority would shortly be piloting an expanded on line service in Waste and Environmental Services. He informed Members that in order to deliver the initial phase of the programme, it was recommended that funds of £197k were allocated, although it should be noted that as more and more customer transactions take place on line, long term savings would be delivered as outlined in 1.5 (f).

Councillor N J Rushton stated that the digital transformation programme was one of the first initiatives to be delivered under the Council’s Customer First Programme which was currently under development, and would put customers at the heart of everything the Council did and improving the offer to customers meant taking full advantage of what on line technology could deliver in the present day market place. He commended the digital transformation programme which would see the Council deliver customer services in a more flexible, accessible and efficient manner which would meet the expectations of the residents in the modern age. 

Councillor R D Bayliss stated that he could do nothing but support the programme however he sought reassurances that residents of the district, which included many tenants that were not digitally minded received the support that they required.

Councillor N J Rushton stated that the residents that were not digitally competent would get the support as the programme would free up officer time to provide the support as required.

It was moved by Councillor N J Rushton, seconded by Councillor R D Bayliss and

RESOLVED THAT:

1.    The aims and process of the Digital Transformation Programme be approved.

2.    The allocated funds of £197k from reserves to ensure delivery of the initial phase of the programme be approved.

3.    Further updates would be brought to Cabinet as the programme progresses be noted.

4. Additional funds would be required to ensure that the Council is fully digitised as far as is practicable, to ensure it keeps up with customer trends and expectations in being a flexible, efficient, effective and modern organisation, and reports would be brought to Cabinet as required for future phases be noted.

Reason for decision: To ensure Members are aware of the programme’s details, progress, timescales and costs. And to obtain support from Members for the programme and its objectives.