(Update on responses to the Reports of the Health & Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee)
Minutes:
The Committee recommend to Cabinet to consider the feasibility of producing ‘wellbeing portal’ on Tamworth Borough Council website linked to MPFT Communications Team.
Cllr Claymore attended Cabinet on 17 February to present the recommendation which Cabinet accepted.
A further recommendation to Cabinet was made following consideration of the Reset & Recovery item at this Committee’s meeting on 25th January, which was:
The Committee recommends to Cabinet to consider another location other than that of the Assembly Rooms for interim, front of house customer services as quickly as possible.
Cllr Claymore attended the 17th February Cabinet meeting to present this recommendation and Cabinet agreed that it would look at the options and Cabinet resolved to:
“ensure that this is discussed as an agenda item at the next Reset & Recovery Board meeting on 23rd February and feed back to Health & Wellbeing Chair.”
The following feedback has been received:
Tamworth Borough Council’s reception is open, the face to face element is currently at the Tamworth Information Centre which has always been operated by customer services.
Having received the recommendations the Cabinet referred these to the Reset and Recovery board for consideration.
In accordance with the council decision of 25th August 2022, recommendation 2.2 “Commence the de-commissioning of Marmion house” the Reset and Recovery board has been working on the disposal of Marmion House and an alternative home for Tamworth Borough Council. The next update to cabinet from the Reset and Recovery board goes to cabinet 7th April 2022 which includes options for where the new reception will be in the Town centre with a final decision being made in June 2022.
The Reset and Recovery board did review the situation based on demand for services at the Tamworth Information Centre as well as other modes of contact. In the last 6 week period the number of people accessing service face to face at the Tamworth Information Centre for traditional Marmion House services is 23 over the period. In considering this level of demand and the costs of the proposal of opening a second reception point at this stage the board concluded that there was no current justification to duplicate the existing offer. The board will continue to review the situation and instructed a review of the signage at the old reception entrance.
Tamworth Borough Council’s reception is open, the face to face element is currently at the Tamworth Information Centre, should members be contacted by the public about face to face services the advice is to direct them to the Tamworth Information Centre
The Committee commented that they were disappointed with this response.
The Committee were concerned that the reliance on the statistics provided may not have shown how many people tried to access Marmion House Reception, but then did not access the Tamworth Information Centre.
The Committee also sought clarity on how the information to use the Tamworth Information Centre was publicised and were concerned on the lack of privacy for discussion of confidential information.
The Committee moved that the following recommendation was taken back to Cabinet and asked that the Chair and Vice Chair highlight the recommendation personally to the Leader.
The Committee recommends to Cabinet to consider another location other than that of the Assembly Rooms for interim, front of house customer services as quickly as possible.
(Moved by Councillor D Cook and seconded by Councillor Dr. S Peaple)