Agenda item

To consider the report of the Strategic Director for People and Communities.

Agreed:

RESOLVED that the report was noted.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

The Executive received the report on the update and progress to date of the Digital Customer Strategy. The strategy was vital for delivering Member aspirations for customer-focused services, emphasising the importance of a culture of excellent customer and digital service, digital equality, and efficient processes.

Members received a presentation (appended to the minutes), and particular points discussed included:

·         the Digital Customer Strategy (DCS) was adopted in December 2023, and focussed on user experience, customer-focused services, digital equality, and efficient processes;

·         pre-adoption work included providing a gateway for non-standard service requests, improvements to the ‘contact us’ form on the council website, the rollout of Microsoft 365, reduction of mailbox sizes, and audits on digital equality and data use;

·         there were 10 DCS goals which included outcomes and priority actions;

·         the formation of dedicated teams within the People and Community Directorate, with additional staff recruited in Spring 2025;

·         the Council adopted the Strata Business Plan 2024-2025 which supported delivery of the DCS in a number of ways including:; the rollout of a new end-user computer, replacing Skype with Teams, a new customer relationship management platform, Enterprise Middleware Architecture for data integration, replacing the intranet and document management systems with SharePoint and bookings/notifications for customer updates and reminders;

·         the MyExeter Platform was launched in January 2025 and provided joined-up channels for customer interactions. Garden waste services have been successfully piloted with waste management services to follow;

·         over 2,000 users have signed up to MyExeter providing positive feedback on the seamless user experience, and plans are under development to include a wide range of other services;

·         having central customer records allows officers to access personalised information, be able track customer interactions and make improvements in resolving enquiries;

·         all staff moved from Skype to Teams telephony in February 2025;

·         a new CX One Contact Centre Platform was procured in December 2024 and was scheduled to go live in Exeter in Spring 2025;

·         the CX One Contact Centre will allow better integration and communication channels, with AI virtual assistants also automating back-office processes.

·         a new Customer Charter was scheduled for 2025 and both customer and Councillor involvement will take place to craft the charter and set standards for   high-quality customer experiences;

·         having secure data measures was a priority for the Council and would involve regular audits completion of the cyber assessment framework, and rollout of cybersecurity training; and

·         the Council had made a significant capital investment to enable the delivery of the Digital Customer Strategy.

During the discussion, Executive Members raised the following points and questions:

·         would there be an App developed for residents to improve access to services?

·         mailbox sizes were affecting Councillors' ability to manage casework;

·         how would digital equality be put into practice?

·         had mobile phone access been given more priority due to the likelihood of more residents having one and had the system been designed around this?

·         there were some concerns about the phasing out of the global desktop for Members;

·         Member training for cybersecurity would be necessary going forward;

·         the update report and work undertaken to date was commended; and

·         there was a need to address unique identifiers and links between users who lived in the same location with different subscriptions.

The Leader requested that a briefing session be arranged for Members to provide them information on the digital strategy and mailbox management.

Opposition group leaders raised the following points and questions:

·         was the system compatible with neighbouring councils, notably for future planning with the Councils plans for Local Government Review;

·         was there any system vulnerability and suitable backup in place?

·         how would digitally excluded residents be supported?

·         how were benchmarking and quality standards being addressed for the website, including the use of plain English?

·         would there be an opportunity to include translation services for residents?

·         how would chatbots be assessed to ensure they worked efficiently, given the allocated budget of £17,000?

·         reassurance was sought on the prevention of sharing personal data for residents in an HMO; and

·         there were residents who were potentially digitally excluded and required human contact for service delivery.

In response to questions and points raised by Members, the Strategic Director for People and Communities, the Head of Service for Digital and Data and the Head of Service - Customers and Communities advised that: -

·         there were financial implications for data storage, notably for mailbox sizes as the Council moved to cloud-based systems. There is a legal duty to only store for the minimum amount of time necessary and whilst it is initially difficult it is important for officers a Members alike to manage their inboxes within the approved size limits.

·         the rationale for this is set out in the data strategy which had been developed to improve data quality, governance, and rules for data retention. A programme to educate staff and Members on data management will be provided as part of the strategy implementation;

·         the rollout of SharePoint and a data warehouse would also support the Council in ensuring compliance with data standards;

·         the transition from the global desktop to new end-user computing systems, involved extensive testing and planning, with a focus on priority services and customer-facing staff;

·         the global desktop was outdated and with several vulnerabilities, requiring a move to more secure and efficient technology;

·         there were challenges in integrating council devices and systems and engagement with Strata and other councils to resolve issues was ongoing;

·         digital equality was a priority, and efforts would be made to make staff available to focus on supporting those needing one-to-one contact;

·         Exeter was noted as being a digitally evolved city, but there were still ongoing efforts to address digital exclusion through service transformation and consultations, and the engagement strategy consultation would also look at addressing these issues on an on-going basis;

·         the underlying technology would enable all three authorities to deliver on their digital ambitions despite differing transformation strategies. The technology and move to a cloud-based system provided a foundation for future service integration for any potential future authority;

·         there was a challenge for unique identifiers in households, particularly with mobile devices, and the importance of ensuring proper security in system design was a priority being worked on;

·         the effectiveness of chatbots was dependant on the quality of the core data and learning from other Councils, work was being undertaken to improve data quality before any chatbot implementation;

·         there would also be a focus on ensuring chatbots did not block access to services to ensure human support was available as needed; research had shown that when a chatbot was not resolving a customer enquiry, a swift transfer to an alternative channel was the best customer outcome;

·         the Strata Business Plan 2025-26 included the development of an App, to improve communications with residents, providing updates on council services, and included waste management;

·         the importance of holding briefings for Members was highlighted and the communications team was providing support;

·         a Digital Service Officer was responsible for ensuring website content was in plain English and ensuring common standards across all services;

·         the website had translation services for all users and the team was working on chatbot integration to address missing elements on the website;

·         although the Council website scored well on independent assessments, there were plans to simply navigation further;

·         the Council planned to engage in more benchmarking activities with other authorities to help improve standards;

·         over the past 18 months, a lot of work had been undertaken to align services, with a focus on high demand areas, notably council tax, and housing information. It was intended to integrate these into a single portal by the end of the year; and

·         although the team had been cautious in promoting the changes to focus on quality, plans were in place to engage Members in April 2025 to seek feedback and support in communication.

The Leader thanked the Strategic Director for People and Communities, the Head of Service for Digital and Data and the Head of Service - Customers and Communities for the detailed presentation and work undertaken.

The Leader moved the recommendations, which were seconded by Councillor Wright, voted upon, and CARRIED unanimously.

RESOLVED that the Executive noted the report.