How To Improve Digital Services In Buckinghamshire

Transcription

1 Buckinghamshire County Council Digital Strategy

2 Contents page Introduction Customer feedback Digital Strategy principles Our approach to implementation What our customers can expect Available now Available by end of 2014 Available by end of

3 Introduction Our ambition is to become an organisation (and a county) where it is easy for people to do business with us and where the customer experience is continually enhanced. Digital technology is evolving quickly, with the growth in mobile devices, social media, high-speed broadband and open data (information that is available for anyone to use, for any purpose, at no cost) offering huge opportunities for Buckinghamshire County Council and its customers. To keep up with the latest technological developments - and the expectations of the people who use our services - the Council needs a clear approach to improving digital services progressively and at pace. We want to provide a wide range of high quality services that are digital by design: in other words, digital services that are so simple and convenient to use that everyone who can use them prefers to do so. 3

4 Customer feedback Between April 2013 and March 2014, the Council asked 142,000 people who contacted us by phone (almost half of all callers) about their experience of website accessibility and self-service. The results point to the massive potential to enhance our online services: although 41,000 of these callers could have self-served via the Council website, the remaining 101,000 could not (based on what we know to be available on the County Council website, rather than the customer s perceptions of what is available). The most common types of enquiries where self-service is not currently available include: needing to complete a transaction (for example, a payment or booking); chasing progress on an existing enquiry or process; and needing information. There is also strong evidence that residents would like to do more online. 59% of residents 1 said they would personally prefer to access council services online, with the biggest incentives being the ability to get a faster response compared to other channels and the ability to access services outside of office hours. I would like it to be a more modern, more efficient up to-date service as I feel waiting in a queue to be answered by customer service person for ten minutes for me to pay a simple bill, that I could do totally automated 24/7 would be much more friendly to be able to use. Only 11% of residents said that there was nothing that would encourage them to access Council services online; and only 6% of residents said they did not have access to the internet. (Buckinghamshire County Council customer) 1 Ipsos MORI tracker survey, May

5 Digital Strategy principles These are the key principles we will adopt in designing and delivering our Digital Strategy: Principle 1 Easier to do business with us We will design our digital services to make it easier for customers to do business with us. We will make sure that our digital services are simple to use for everyone, not just for people who are used to the internet. We will measure customers experience of our digital services and use this to drive improvements. Principle 2 Enabling self-service Any new services we put in place and all services that we recommission will be digital by design, providing customers with convenient access to services. We will simplify our processes, supported by a single technology platform which automates services wherever possible. Applying a consistent approach will help people to become familiar with our digital services and make it easier for them to self-serve. 5

6 Principle 3 A digital first approach Digital will be the primary channel for most of our services, in particular for simple, high volume transactions, and we will enable all services to be accessed, applied for or signposted through digital channels. We will continue to offer other channels where appropriate, for example for complex services to meet differing personal circumstances. Similarly, we will ensure there are sufficient safety nets and facilitated access to digital services for those customers who are less able to access digital channels. Principle 4 Effective use of data to meet the demand for public services We will adopt a collect once, use many times principle for data and information. Wherever possible and with appropriate safeguards and permission we will share data across the Council and our delivery partners so that we can provide more effective services for customers. We will use this to measure service performance, anticipate future challenges and drive improvements in services. Principle 5 Innovative and agile We will continuously strive to find new and better ways of using technology to deliver our services and make things better for our customers. We will respond rapidly to changes in customer demand and market opportunities. We will always start with real user needs and work with our customers to design our digital services. 6

7 Our approach to implementation In implementing our Digital Strategy, we will take the utmost care to adhere to the highest possible standards. Quality and Standards: We will ensure the delivery of our digital services is high quality, flexible and meets customer needs. Security: We will take a robust approach to security management to protect users, customers and partners, drawing on best practice from industry and the Government Digital Service. Accessibility: We will make sure that digital services work well, whatever the customer s choice of device. For people who aren t able to use digital services independently, we will provide help and assisted digital support to make sure they are not excluded. Value for money: We will make sure digital changes deliver best value and save time and money for customers and the Council by designing digital services around the customer journey. 7

8 What our customers can expect: Available now Apply for it : jobs, school places, a Blue Badge for disabled parking, library membership, mineral and waste planning applications, waste disposal permits, home to school transport Pay for it : school bus passes, care invoices, copies of birth, death or marriage certificates and historic wills, car parking permits for country parks, licences (for skips, scaffolding etc.), highways searches (for property purchases), archaeological planning advice Renew it : permits and licences, library books Book it : appointments to register a birth or death, adult learning courses, tickets for events Request a call back : for example, to find out more about adoption and fostering Find it : General information such as cycle-ways, walks, opening hours; local childcare, services, activities and events via our Family Information Service webpages; searchable maps to find your local tip, library, schools, Councillors, etc. 8 Report it : potholes, broken street lights and other problems on the roads and pavements; fly-tipping; customer feedback and complaints

9 Also available now A large catalogue of e-books, e-audiobooks and e-magazines Webcasts, so you can watch Council and Committee meetings online e-petitions, as a way to tell the Council about your concerns Social media channels for information provision, customer service and engagement Signposting to volunteering opportunities View minutes and an action tracker to find out what is happening in your local area as a result of Local Area Forum and Local Community Partnership meetings, and which Council officer is responsible for each action View priorities in your local area via Local Area Plans Public wi-fi access in key Council buildings, including libraries and Children s Centres Online services for schools and other organisations A variety of assistive technologies/telecare, such as remote smoke and flood detectors, to help people with care and support needs to live independently and remain safe at home (working in partnership with the NHS) Interactive maps of local, live and future projects and schemes across the county e.g. rail and road enhancements 9

10 Available by end of 2014 Apply for it : Better job search and application process, including on mobiles Track it : see if a pothole has already been reported, and the action the Council is taking Report It mobile app for reporting problems on the roads and pavements Pay for it : library fines and reservation fees New more powerful public PCs and printers with better software in libraries Live web chat, for help with website tasks Self-assessment and an online shop for assistive technologies/telecare (products and services to help people with care and support needs to live independently and remain safe at home) 10

11 Available by end of 2015 Apply for it : school places during the school year (e.g. if you are moving house) Book it : check availability, enrol or change bookings for adult education classes; barbecue spots at country parks; simpler booking for events Track it : progress of your school place applications; further developments to our existing apps to allow a wider range of hazards to be reported and tracked e.g. flooding, faulty street lights or obstructions in the road; see up to date information about what is being done in your local area and by whom, against local priorities as set out in the Local Area Plans Pay for it : Set up direct debits online for school bus passes and telecare services such as personal alarms and health monitoring devices New My Account function: Reminders and updates by text or app messages 11 set up a personal account to access services specific to you review and track the progress of your applications and transactions opt in to receive offers of services which are relevant to you

12 Also available by the end of 2015 Better information about a wider range of Council services (in particular waste permits, land charges, grass and tree maintenance, how schools run the 11+ selection process, Blue Badge applications, community care invoices) Greater wi-fi coverage across Buckinghamshire Electronic self-referrals and assessments for health and social care services Helping young people record and develop employability skills via an online employability passport Improved website with information and events for families, including a new information portal with improved content and signposting for young people Public Health online tools, to help people manage their physical and mental health and wellbeing. Welfare reform calculator and app to help residents understand and plan for changes to their benefits Improved web-based solution for schools and other organisations who transact with us online Digital Archive documents available as an on demand service New information added to maps: e.g.restaurants with Eat out, Eat well awards 12