Meeting documents

1.1 The Customer Access Strategy aims to improve access to services so that customer satisfaction with the council as a whole rises year on year. In order to provide a cohesive and consistent, high quality, branded service for all access channels, functions and staff identified as front facing will be transferred to Customer Services, Libraries and Information on a phased basis between 2004 and 2006.

1.2 Phase 1 of the transfers took place on 1 April 2004, involving Action Line, the Switchboard team, Revenues & Benefits cash office teams in Keynsham and Bath, reception staff in Riverside, and Parking shop staff in Bath. The budgets for these staff and their respective overheads are currently held within three separate Executive portfolios, and Executive approval is required for them to be transferred to form part of the Customer Access service area within the Leader's Executive Portfolio.

2.1 The budgets outlined in the summary table in paragraph 3 be transferred to the Customer Access service area within the Leader's Executive Portfolio, with effect from 1 April 2004.

3.1 The net budget for the service areas involved in this transfer totals £496,000. These budgets, when transferred, will form part of the budget for the Customer Access Programme.

3.2 If approved, the relevant budgets will be transferred for the full year, and costs for the year to date also transferred appropriately. The budget transfers recommended are as follows:

1 THE REPORT

1.1 Our aim is to address 80 per cent of all customer enquires at first point of contact through a range of access channels providing seamless and integrated service. Access channels to be developed include face to face contact via one stop shops and libraries as first stop shops, a contact centre for telephone, letter, and web contact, and self service mechanisms delivered via the web and kiosks. Development of these front facing access channels will require a shift in organisational structure from service silos to a front/back office model.

1.2 We have established our first one stop shop; Info Plus in Midsomer Norton. Other front facing service points will be developed on a phased basis, culminating in further one stop shop facilities in alignment with the Accommodation Board strategy. A contact centre business case is being prepared, and the web is being developed to provide improved content and enhanced self-service with the introduction of, e.g. e-payments.

1.3 In order to develop these channels, front facing functions and staff will be integrated into Customer Services, Libraries and Information on a phased basis. Phase 1 staff and respective resources have been identified, staff transferred on 1 April 2004, and now budgets are required to transfer with those staff and functions.

3.1 The transfer of budgets with staff will allow Customer Services, Libraries and Information to manage staff and resources effectively and meet the aims and objectives of the Customer Access Programme.

4.1 No movement of budgets: this would confuse managerial relationships and reduce administrative efficiency.

5.1 Briefings have been held with Trades Unions. This report has been sent to Statutory Officers.