Issue - meetings
Review of Office Accommodation for Face-to-Face Appointments
Meeting: 06/12/2023 - Cabinet (Item 55)
55 Review of Office Accommodation for Face-to-Face Appointments 
PDF 171 KB
To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources providing a proposal for moving Face-to-Face bookable appointments from The Gateway, 92-96 Westgate Street, to the management suite at Eastgate Shopping Centre and to review the service to identify service improvements and costs associated with maintaining The Gateway.
Additional documents:
- Appendix 1 Gateway Data, item 55
PDF 74 KB
- Appendix 2 Estimated Cost of The Gateway, item 55
PDF 76 KB
- Appendix 3 Preferred Method of Contact, item 55
PDF 51 KB
- Appendix 4 Information from the Customer Survey, item 55
PDF 56 KB
- Appendix 5 Data Gathered for our Face-to-Face Provision, item 55
PDF 95 KB
- Appendix 6 Customer Feedback on The Gateway being Closed, item 55
PDF 54 KB
Decision:
RESOLVED that the option to relocate face-to-face appointments to the Eastgate Shopping Centre as soon as is viable is approved.
Minutes:
Cabinet considered the report of the Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources that proposed moving face-to-face bookable appointments from The Gateway, 92-96 Westgate Street, to the management suite at Eastgate Shopping Centre and reviewed the service to identify service improvements and costs associated with maintaining The Gateway.
The Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources drew Members’ attention to impact of COVID-19 on the way people interact with the Council (3.5-7) which was reflected in only 92 of 510 face-to-face appointment slots being taken up (3.8) and other methods being preferred by customers as a means of contact (Appendix 3). She outlined some of the benefits of the proposed move for both the Council and customers (3.19-20). The Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources especially thanked the Asset Management Investment Officer and Customer Service Manager for their hard work on the proposal.
The Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing Strategy pointed to the experience of the Housing Support Team where out of 660 face-to-face appointments offered, only 67 customers had accepted (3.21). She noted that the proposed range of methods of delivering support would reduce additional pressure for people in the already stressful situation of housing disruption as well as bringing a substantial financial saving to the Council. The Cabinet Member for Environment commented that having the Council Offices close by would enable additional support to be available to resolve difficult situations.
RESOLVED that the option to relocate face-to-face appointments to the Eastgate Shopping Centre as soon as is viable is approved.