Agenda item

To receive an update on Reset & Recovery including on the SMART Working, Third Sector & Vulnerability and Customer Service Offer Workstreams.

The Chair welcomed the Assistant Director, Neighbourhoods who gave an overview of the Recovery & Reset Programme to date. The work streams for the Health & Wellbeing Committee to discuss are:

Smart working

Customer Offer

Third Sector and Vulnerability Strategy

Assistant Director – People provided an update on the customer offer project there are four key work streams. 

·         Service Delivery

·         Digital transformation - how we can deliver our services whilst ensuring our most vulnerable customers are supported. 

·         The environment where the service is delivered from

·         Consultation and engagement strand with residents, staff, partners and elected members

The principle around the offer is that it is a portable service. The service can be delivered at any suitable venue.  Committed to 5 days a week in the Town Centre with drop in service without appointment, to ensure vulnerable customers are retaining the face to face service. 

The community engagement purpose is to get some generic feedback regarding Customer services pre, during and post pandemic and testing data that has been collated. Also getting feedback on an updated complaints policy. 

A co-located back office with a town centre reception is the most efficient option. 

Focusing on digital acceleration.  Committed to working with the community to enable them to get better with digital interaction.  Constantly reviewing services.

At the moment there is a face to face customer offer at the Assembly Rooms customer sign posting service.  Signage as been improved following feedback from members for the services that are being providing.  Also working with the CIC Together who can sign post customers.   Aware there is a risk with using the commercial operation of the Assembly Rooms and the complex needs of some vulnerable customers, continuing to collect data and monitor the impact on the Assembly rooms.  

The Offer 2022-2023 will be presented to Cabinet on 7^th April and the longer term options will be developed in line with the Cabinet decision around the building utilization.       

Working closely with agencies who are dealing with vulnerable residents and those and the organisations are assisting with the trial of the community engagement.

Committee sought clarity on the following

What is the current arrangement that is in place if people have sensitive business to discuss at the Assembly Rooms?  It is a sign posting service depending on the nature of the enquiry.  Vulnerable customers do have appointments to discuss sensitive queries.

Requested a breakdown of the types of queries that are presented. Council tax queries completing housing forms but has been very limited.  This is a short term service that is running to April.

Head of Customer Experience meets with CIC every week to get an update on the types of enquiries that are being received and advises where these queries can be sign posted.

Smart Working   

Assistant Director – People provided an update on the smart working stream.

The recommendation taken to full Council in August was that the Council would adopt the principles of smart working recognising it was an enabler to decommissioning Marmion House and deliver a more tailored customer offer.

Every role as been designated into three categories

43% designated as home workers

22 % designated as Hybrid

36.4% staff designated as site workers. 

Now under formal consultation. All staff have an opportunity to appeal. 

Committee sought clarity on the following:

A new Health and Safety Policy is to be implemented for Officers working from home. The homeworking allowance will contribute to broad band and utilities costs.   

Members were concerned of higher stress and mental health issues through staff working from home.  There has been a reduction in sickness absence during the pandemic.  Staff are encouraged to talk to each other through teams meetings, one to one meetings on a weekly basis and monthly face to face meetings.

Members asked if there were email protocols in the time taken in answering  email queries.  Part of the organisational development strategy will include further details. 

Third Sector & Vulnerability Offer

Update from Assistant Director – Partnerships, this was accelerated through Covid pandemic and the work with the voluntary sector is still ongoing.  At the beginning of the pandemic a piece of work was commissioned around looking at vulnerability and what TBC had direct impact on and what other things affected people’s vulnerability.  

Vulnerability streams continuing

Age 

Financial & Wellbeing

Mental Health

Homelessness Services

Housing Services

The vulnerability project has helped identify people that were not accessing any services before the pandemic.  Now looking to model the service linked to SMART Working. 

Also looking at adopting a voluntary sector pledge with Support Staffordshire to look at how the voluntary sector could have a voice currently in talks with the Portfolio Holder and looking to take this to Cabinet.