Transforming Customer Care Provision

Options to make it easier for residents to contact the Council and access its services in a digital world are going to be decided upon by Councillors. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The paper on Transforming Customer Care will be discussed in the Corporate Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Thursday, 12 May 2016 and Cabinet on Tuesday, 17 May 2016. Feedback and/or recommendations from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee will be presented to Cabinet on Tuesday also. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Ceredigion County Council’s Cabinet will next week discuss the intention to streamline and centralise the existing customer care provision throughout the county that may provide many opportunities to make efficiencies internally and reduce the impact of any funding cuts on direct service provision. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Digitalising services is one of the developments currently being explored. Whilst the Council will maintain customer service centres at libraries and establish a central telephone contact centre, web presence will be improved so more services will be able to be accessed and paid for on line. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Inevitably, the way the Council manages and delivers services will change. It is still the Council’s intention that residents should continue to receive the majority of services the Council offer and not experience any great change. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Work has been undertaken since 2012/13 and up to this 2016/17 year to save £33 million due to cuts to local government budget. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Services are adapting for the long term with changes being considered and implemented due to the need to work more effectively and efficiently whilst also aiming to save an expected £8.7m this year. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​