Codesigned service standards

Implementation plan

The plan below reflects the feedback received from residents and staff.

In addition to the plan being published, residents identified that the following will also act as ways to know if we are improving:

  • resident satisfaction survey feedback
  • complaints, comments and compliments
  • staff survey feedback

Contents

  1. Residents have inconsistent experiences when contacting the council
  2. Responding to residents when it involves more than one team/service
  3. Website
  4. Lack of information or access to the roles, responsibilities and contact information for different services
  5. Poor access to and recording of interactions with residents
  6. Accessibility and inclusion
  7. Training
  8. Contractors/third parties providing services on behalf of the council
  9. Raising complaints
  10. Council officers are not visible in the areas where residents live, work and learn
  11. Listening to and working with residents

    Issue 1: Residents have inconsistent experiences when contacting the council

    Feedback

    Some residents reflect that staff are helpful and friendly, but are unable to resolve issues quickly and properly. Other resident feedback indicates that staff do not always treat residents with respect, kindness or empathy.

    Description 

    We need to understand how different services design, develop, deliver and improve their approach to working with residents; including the statutory and non-statutory processes that they follow; to better understand where there are opportunities for improvement.

    Actions Target completion date Date completed Update

    1.1 Design a framework to assess service's maturity against the standards.

    		 End of October 2023 27 October 2023 Maturity Framework created to address all aspects of the Service Standards
    1.2 Trial the agreed approach in three services, identify good practices, as well as actions to support improvement which are recorded in an action plan. End of March 2024 13 December 2023 Trials with three services took place in late 2023. We are now rolling this model out to all services.

    Issue 2: Responding to residents when it involves more than one team/service

    Feedback

    • Residents feel that there is no accountability for resolving the issue and that they have to work out how to get things resolved or who to approach.
    • Staff feel that they do not know who to ask when it is not something they usually deal with and staff do not reply to emails promptly causing delays and poor resident experience.
    • Residents and staff feel that different teams and services need to work better together; so that the resident journey is easier and quicker.

    Description

    • We need to understand if this impacts a lot of residents; which services often need to come together to resolve the enquiry or concern; what the experience is and identify if there are opportunities for improvement.
    • We need to identify if there are specific services that need to work better together because of specific resident journeys/or internal processes.
    Actions Target completion date Date completed Update

    2.1 Identify services where we can find examples of cross cutting service involvement.

    End of June 2023

    		 30 June 2023

    Housing Management, Housing Needs, Adult Social Care, Community Safety and Environmental Health were identified.
    2.2 Identify examples to see what is happening for the resident on the journey through to outcome. End of October 2023 20 November 2023 Specific cross-service cases were identified, and the resident journey was mapped.
    2.3 Identify if there are opportunities to improve the resident experience from the example gathered. End of December 2023  

    On 24 January 2024, the Customer Access Programme Board agreed to pause work on this action until we  have implemented the new Customer Relationship Management system. 

    On 30 September 2024, the council signed a contract to begin development of the new CRM system. The first phase of delivery begins mid-October 2024 with a strong focus throughout on improving the resident experience.
    2.4 Pilot end to end service reviews to understand what opportunities this presents to improve resident experience End of March 2024   Awaiting Customer Access Programme board to identify and agree a new end-to-end service to pilot an improvement review.

    Issue 3: Website

    Feedback

    • Residents and services find it difficult to understand what services we provide and how to access them.
    • Residents feel that online forms are difficult to navigate and need to be easier to complete.

    Description

    • We need to review feedback to look at the specific issues with the council website.
    • We need to agree minimum requirements for any new forms, or updates to existing web forms.
    Actions Target completion date Date completed Update
    3.1 Analyse the findings from the Web review, assess the conclusions and recommendations and implement agreed changes. End of March 2024  

    A business case to take the recommendations to the Executive Management Team (EMT) has been written and shared with Director of Customer Delivery.

    Once feedback has been received the proposal will be taken to EMT for consideration regarding implementation.
    3.2 We need to agree what information, standards and guiding principles need to be shared with developers when they build forms, so that we are aligned with the Government Digital Standards. End of December 2023   Our supplier is working with us to produce a guide which will then be handed over to our developers. New style templates are being updated in readiness for sharing with our supplier.

    Issue 4: Lack of information or access to the roles, responsibilities and contact information for different services

    Feedback

    • Residents feel we do not proactively share information about different council services or how to contact them; especially if they are not accessing information online.
    • Staff say that it is difficult to know who and how to signpost residents because there is not enough information on what services do or how to contact them.

    Description

    • We need to understand the experience of residents who do not have digital devices or access.
    Actions Target completion date Date completed Update
    4.1 Explore what options are available to improve our knowledge of different council services, staff roles and responsibilities and contact information. End of October 2023   Delve was the tool outlined for this work however it will no longer be supported by Microsoft.  
     
    We have begun work on a service contact directory which will be available internally so that staff can better signpost residents to the correct service.

    Issue 5: Poor access to and recording of interactions with residents.

    Feedback

    • Residents feel that the council needs to improve systems so that operators can input and retrieve information more easily from both staff and residents.
    • Residents would like to see a profile where they can decide what information to share and what can be shared with others.

    Description

    • We need to be clear about how we record interactions between staff and between staff and residents.

    • We need to understand what data residents would like and expect to see in their online account.

    Actions Target completion date Date completed Update
    5.1 Implement a Customer Relationship Management system which: 
    • Enables staff to record interactions and actions that can be seen by other staff who interact with residents.
    • Has a two-way integration with Line of Business systems, so that the Customer Relationship Management system record is up to date, and where there are rules based permissions for staff to access sensitive data.
    		 End of December 2023   Our chosen supplier has been contracted and is initiating delivery of Resident Connect CRM system from mid-October 2024, having completed a series of discovery work with the council from March 2024. 

    Phase 1 focuses on Parking Permits and Payments. It is due to be delivered in March 2025.
    Phase 2 will then focus on Accessible Transport and the MyRBKC portal.
    5.2 Carry out a workshop to understand residents' feedback on the council’s online account. End of October 2023 18 January 2024 A workshop took place regarding the MyRBKC portal. The findings will be incorporated into Phase 2 of the ResidentConnect Programme.

    Issue 6: Accessibility and inclusion

    Feedback

    • Residents say information needs to be available in other languages.
    • Residents feel that the council needs to do more to communicate and provide information for those that struggle to access council services for example if they have a learning difficulty, disability or need support with digital access.

    Description

    • We need to understand how to improve residents’ awareness of different accessibility support tools.

    • We need to understand how services can and will work differently to support residents when their needs have been identified.

    Actions Target completion date Date completed Update
    6.1 Explore the options for the council website to be translated into the most commonly spoken languages. To be confirmed pending review of web review actions.   We have sourced a supplier (October 2024) and are conducting the necessary security checks internally before we proceed to instruct them on this work.

    6.2

    • Explore how this information can be gathered and recorded.
    • Ensure the Customer Relationship Management system is developed to properly record resident needs.
    • Ensure the Customer Relationship Management system is configured to highlight residents needs so that the organisation can work more proactively to support them.
    		 End of 2024/25   Our CRM supplier is working with us to ensure we accurately and appropriately capture resident records within the system.

    Internally, we are analysing our data and reviewing what changes we need to make to how we interact with our residents, focusing on how we should proactively use resident data and information we hold, to improve the experience of our users and support them in using our services.

    Issue 7: Training

    Feedback

    • Residents feel that the council needs to do more to communicate and provide information for those that struggle to access council services for example if they have a learning difficulty, disability or need support with digital access.
    • Staff have said different roles require different support, skills and training.

    • Residents feel that the council needs to provide more helpful, proactive and prompt communication.

    Description

    • We need to understand how services can and will work differently to support residents when their needs have been identified.
    • We need to understand what skills, support and training need to be available for various roles across the council.
    • We need to develop good practice principles that set out how we should be communicating with residents. 
    Actions Target completion date Date completed Update
    7.1 Work with HR to review the training offer and ensure it meets the needs of staff as well as People Leaders that are responsible for service delivery.  April 2025    
    7.2 Ensure "Our Contact Commitments" are fully adopted and embedded within service areas. End of December 2023    

    Issue 8: Contractors/third parties providing services on behalf of the council 

    Feedback

    • Residents say we need to hire better contractors as the standard of workmanship is not good.

    Description

    • We need to ensure that contractors are aware of the Service Standards and that contracts require them to share customer satisfaction data.
    Actions Target completion date Date completed Update
    8.1 Share Service Standards with all contractors in the Contract Register and ensure that contract monitoring and management requires contractors to demonstrate how they are working to these standards. End of December 2023 10 October 2023  

    Issue 9: Raising complaints

    Feedback

    • Residents say that they have inconsistent experiences when trying to access the complaints process.

    • Some residents say that there is a fear of reprisal and that the council needs to address residents’ sensitivity around using the complaints process.

    Description

    • We need to improve awareness and access to the complaints process.

    • We need to identify which services residents are apprehensive about raising complaints against.

    Actions Target completion date Date completed Update
    9.1 Carry out a communications campaign to raise general, external awareness of the complaints process, including how residents can contact the complaints team directly. End of October 2023   This project was delayed but is now in progress following a new complaints manager being appointed in September 2024.

    The LGSCO published their updated Complaints Handling Code in April 2024 which gives further guidance/instruction on this topic and will be incorporated into the action. Initial discussions have taken place with our Internal Communications Team.

    We will be looking at equalities monitoring data that is optional for residents to complete when making a complaint. This will enable us to identify groups that are using the service and gain insight into groups that might be missed, for us to explore how best to raise awareness further. 
    • 9.2 Complaints Team to explore resident engagement feedback in more detail.
    • Complaints Team to work with the identified services and support them to address and overcome residents’ concerns about using the complaints process.
    		 End of April 2024   Following the appointment of the new complaints manager in September 2024, we have begun looking at the front end of the complaints process. This will home in on the fact that the Complaints Service is independent and impartial and offer a higher level of resident interaction at the start of the process.

    Our Internal Communications Team have been contacted to support in disseminating this message across the council to all staff.

    Issue 10: Council officers are not visible in the areas where residents live, work and learn    

    Feedback

    • The community trusts other established organisations and so council presence at these events will generate better relationships and higher attendance.

    Description

    • We need to understand what services and information residents would like to see and have access to; and where and when these needs to be delivered to best support residents.
    Actions Target completion date Date completed Update
    10.1 Carry out a face-to-face access pilot in community spaces to understand demand and impact; and report findings to Programme Board. End of October 2023 2 October 2023

    The pilot has been completed and we have now established consistent drop-in sessions at the following community locations:

    • Dalgarno Tust: 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month (2pm to 5pm)
    • St Cuthbert’s Centre: 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month (11:30 am to 3pm)

    Issue 11: Listening to and working with residents

    Feedback

    • Residents do not consistently feel as though the council includes or consults them on the things that affect their lives.

    Description

    • Decision makers to act in line with the Charter for Public Participation, engage with residents early in the decision-making process and ensure that key decision reports include details of engagement and consultation carried out. PCF Team to continue to ask Citizen Panel questions about how involved residents feel in decision making.
    Actions Target completion date Date completed Update
    11.1 Develop "You Said, We Did" guidance that supports staff to understand how to work with the community. End of October 2023 11 August 2023 Guidance for staff was developed and published.
    11.2 Continue with our feedback survey rollout across the organisation, so that residents can give feedback about staff and services at various touchpoints. More feedback across a whole resident journey will enable us to make improvements which we can report back to residents about. End of December 2023   A feedback platform suitable to the project has been agreed. We will begin using Microsoft Forms. We have been working on creating guidance, processes and training for use.

    Training will be rolled out from the end of October 2024, enabling services to create feedback surveys on the new platform and ask an agreed set of feedback questions.
    11.3 Managers and senior leaders should speak to residents who have used the service on a quarterly basis. This will allow leaders to better understand resident experience and make improvements that positively impact residents. End of December 2023    

    Last updated: 9 December 2024