Agenda and minutes

90.1    There were no declarations of interest.

To declare if any issues to be covered in the Agenda are under party whip.

91.1    There were no declarations of party whipping.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 3 September 2018.

92.1    The minutes of the meeting held on 3^rd September 2018 were agreed and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

93.1    There were no public questions.

To receive any petitions and deputations provided that no such petition or deputation is in relation to:

·         Matters relating to individual Council Officers, or

·         Matters relating to current or pending legal proceedings

94.1    There were no petitions or deputations.

To receive the latest version of the Committee’s work programme and the Council’s Forward Plan.

95.1    The Committee considered the Work Programme and Cabinet Forward Plan. The Chair informed Members that, in order for options presentation to be available and so that the Cabinet Member for attend, the Tourist Information Centre Service Development would be considered at the 29^th October meeting.

95.2    Referring to an item on the Cabinet Forward Plan asked what the Key Cities Group was. The Corporate Director advised that it was a lobby group hosted by the Local Government Association and that it was hoped Gloucester would become a Member to better influence government.

95.3    RESOLVED that: - The Overview and Scrutiny Committee noted the work programme.

To consider plans and operational layout for the City Council’s operations in its new location at Shire Hall and 92-96 Westgate Street.

96.1    Councillor H. Norman, Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources, introduced the presentation and clarified that they were conceptual plans. She stated that design briefs would be drawn up and that she was happy to answer queries and receive feedback on the plans.

96.2    The Customer Services Transformation Manager presented the conceptual plans for the accommodation move which were included in the agenda papers. He advised that the move was a part of process redesign which included a shift towards more self-service on the part of residents.

96.3    He stated that the team would ‘design out’ conflict and that the reception would be open plan and self-surveilling. He further stated that the plans had been informed by visits and discussions with a number of other local authorities including Bristol, Wiltshire and the Forest of Dean.

96.4    Councillor Pullen welcomed the opportunity to examine the plans and stated that he appreciated the desire to make the reception welcoming. He expressed concern that the space was smaller than the current reception and the apparent lack of a customer waiting area. Councillor Pullen also shared his concern regarding a potential lack of confidentiality.

96.5    In response to the query regarding confidentiality, the Customer Service Transformation Manager stated that there were several semi-private booths included in the design that other Councils are utilising successfully for conversations around homelessness and housing benefits. He went on to explain that the design also included a number of private rooms for sensitive conversations and furthermore that we will be able  to utilise rooms available to us at Shire Hall and that creating a space that was both relaxing and confidential was currently being examined.

96.6    With regard to the size of the reception, the Customer Service Transformation Manager advised that there would be an appointments system but if a resident presented without an appointment, they would be triaged and, if more time was required, an appointment would be booked. In the case of emergencies, residents would be seen quickly that same day as is the case now.

96.7    The Head of Communities outlined that, presently, a resident would be met by both an officer and a ticketing machine and then have to wait to be seen by a specialist officer. Under the new proposals, he advised, the resident would be met by a triage worker who will be trained to be able to deal with the high volume low level queries that form the majority of our contacts. Triage Officers would also be tasked with encouraging residents to self serve and it is planned to have for a temporary period of time a number of digital enablers that will assist residents to interact with the council (where it is deemed appropriate) via the online portal.

96.8    Councillor Wilson shared his concern that the plans did not include staff safety and queried whether it had been considered. The Customer Services Transformation Manager advised that it had been considered and staff had undergone conflict resolution training which they  ...  view the full minutes text for item 96.

29^th October 2018 at 6.30pm in the Civic Suite, North Warehouse.

97.1    29^th October 2018 at 6.30pm in the Civic Suite, North Warehouse.