The Council is currently rethinking the way it operates with the
aim of launching a new way of working, very different to how
councils traditionally have operated, in January 2019. Here's our
guide to everything you need to know about the project...
Why does the council need to transform?
The Council is currently operating in a complex financial
climate, where between 2017 and 2021, £6 million worth of savings
need to be achieved, in addition to the £12 million already saved
since 2010. SSDC has sustained a 70% reduction in its government
grant funding since 2010 and further reductions are likely in the
future whilst demand for and costs of many services continues to
rise.
In order to achieve these savings without cutting services -
like our planning service, the way we deliver benefits, our play
parks and beautiful public spaces like Yeovil Country Park and
Chard Reservoir - change is needed.
We won't be cutting services - we are redesigning them in a way
where our staff will be able to deliver everything you need as
effectively as possible.
The Council is currently financially secure and Transformation
will help us to maintain this position so we can continue to
deliver for our communities.
What are the aims of Transformation?
Our aim for Transformation is to build a council that
works as one team and is ambitious for South Somerset and the
communities we serve. To do this we will be a modern and efficient
organisation that is:
- Great to work for
- Excellent to work with
- Leading the way in local government
- And everything we do is focussed on delivering for our
communities
What this means for our services and customers is we
will:
- Get more customers online and tackle more issues at the first
point of contact
- Have 24/7 online access for our customers
- Continue to ensure that customers receive face to face help if
they need it, at a place and time convenient to them
- To develop a flexible workforce and create a new council
structure based on customer needs.
- Develop a Case Management approach to deliver excellent
customer service and the outcome the customer wants
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How will this affect residents, businesses and
partners?
We're finding ways to link our different service areas so that
when you contact us, we have multi-skilled members of staff who can
deal with as much as possible at the first point of call and get
the different services delivered for you.
When your needs are more complex, you will be able to access
specialist officers who can help you every step of the way.
A new customer facing website, with the option to create your
own personal account (My Account), will allow users to access our
council services online as and when they are needed. You'll also be
able to access all the information that's relevant to you from
events, information about your local area and key contacts.
We'll provide all the help you need to access our online
services but, where this is not possible, you will be able to get
dedicated support from our advisors.
Additionally, there will be revisions and improvements to the
Customer service points - the buildings and spaces where you can
meet and speak to Council staff.
What will the 'My Account' section of the website mean
for customers?
We're building a new customer website that's better equipped to
deal with modern customer needs, with the aim of being as simple to
use and efficient as possible. Residents and businesses will be
able to set up a personal account where they can see all of their
information in one place and access Council services 24/7 - not
just when the offices are open.
The website will deliver better services by:
- Offering 24/7 online access for customers
- Streamlined, easier-to-use online services through a modern
user interface
- Securely keeping all your details in one place
- Enabling quick and easy set-up of personal customer accounts,
with no need to enter information multiple times
- The ability to pay for all Council services online
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What is happening now and what happens
next?
The new ways of interacting with the council and using our
redesigned services will start to come into place in January
2019.
The transformation process has involved removing some of the
existing roles in the Council and creating hundreds of new roles
and responsibilities to enable staff to better meet the needs of
residents and businesses.
The Council is also committed to generating more income to
support our services, by taking a more commercial approach. In
order to do so, we are making investments which will provide a
financial return that will enable us protect the services we
deliver for our communities and deliver important community
initiatives like the Yeovil Refresh and Chard Regeneration.
We'll be providing you with all the information you need so you
know where to go to get the information you need and continue to
receive fantastic service from our dedicated staff, or where you
can access the services you need without needing to get in
touch.
Cllr Jo Roundell Greene, South Somerset District Council's
deputy leader and portfolio holder for Transformation, said: "We
are ambitious for South Somerset and we're committed to
transforming so we can deliver for you - our residents, our
businesses, our partners, and our communities, all of whom make
South Somerset such an outstanding place to live and work
"We will have a modern, effective, highly skilled council that
is better able to deal with the needs of the 21st century."
More information on Transformation and what it means for
you will be released throughout the year.