Issue - meetings

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet recommends to Council that the Transformation Strategy at Appendix 1 and the Year One Indicative Work Programme at Appendix 2, be approved.

KEY DECISION:

Report to Cabinet and Council.

PORTFOLIO:

Leaders / All

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED/REJECTED:

As set out in report.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST:

None

DISCUSSION:

The Leader reported that after much work, she was pleased to be in a position to present the Transformation Strategy which focused on meeting the needs of residents and customers through a sustainable Council, including investment in staff to ensure the Council continued to be an employer of choice.  She reported that the Strategy set out an ambitious programme, in order to respond to the challenges the Council would face as well as to be proactive in its approach.

The Assistant Director of Transformation presented the Transformation Strategy (Future New Forest – Transforming Tomorrow, Together).  The Strategy would provide the framework to respond to the challenges ahead and underpins the delivery of the Corporate Plan.  There were four themes; customer and digital services, people and capabilities, assets and accommodation and finance and delivery.

The clear vision of the strategy recognised a significant contribution from staff would be required in order to the deliver the strategy.  Staff would continue to be involved with regular information sessions and communication.  In addition, a Change Champions Group had been set up to represent each service area to feed into a customer strategy.

Cabinet Members welcomed the Strategy. It was acknowledged that the strategy was to serve the community of the New Forest and that some residents did not have access to digital services.  It was confirmed that it would always be possible to contact the Council using the telephone as well as see officers face to face.  The importance of staff as an asset was recognised in order to deliver services and to continue to support them.

Other Members of the Council supported what had already been said by the Cabinet Members with customers being at the heart of the service.  Reassurance was sought in relation to use of AI and the difficulties of this, particularly for those who were not IT literate.  Any digital strategy must be developed to consider the end user.

The Assistant Director of Transformation reported that an objective of all services provided in digital form would be the ease of use for both the customer as well as for staff in the back office.  Testing of the services would also be carried out to ensure they met the first objective.

The Strategic Director - Corporate Resources and Transformation, gave a tangible example of the garden waste garden subscription service which had recently been rolled out online.  Of the 19,000 residents who had signed up to this service so far, 75% had used the new digital system, which demonstrated that a large proportion of users could self serve, freeing up valuable resources to support residents who wished to engage with the Council over the phone, or face-to-face.