Agenda item

Members were provided with an update following the receipt of a letter from Councillor P. Swinburn, Chairman, Worcestershire Hub Shared Services (WHSS) Management Board received by the Chairman, Worcestershire Shared Services (WSS), Joint Committee, in respect of funding for the work WHSS undertook on behalf of Worcestershire Regulatory Services and the withdrawal of these services at the end of October 2013.  The letter was presented as urgent business at the meeting of the WSS Joint Committee held on 26th September 2013.

The Head of Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) introduced the report and in doing so informed Members that a report was submitted to the WRS Management Board regarding the customer demand received by the Worcestershire Hub Shared Service (WHSS) when administering enquiries on behalf of WRS.  The report was instigated for two reasons, as detailed on page 11 of the report.

Customer demand for a range of WRS related enquiries had apparently increased significantly since the service was initially migrated and this appeared to have had a direct impact on the overall performance of the WHSS’s Customer Contact Centre.  This had necessitated a review of the amount WRS contributed to support first contacts.  A number of options were presented to the WRS Management Board in order to respond to the immediate issues:-

·         That WRS fund the number of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) in accordance to a performance level that was appropriate to the service;

·         That WRS fund the number of FTE in accordance to a performance level that was appropriate to the service and that this level of FTE was reviewed in line with a development programme to increase self-service contacts;

·         That WRS incorporate the call handling model into their service.

Before a decision around options was made the WRS Management Board requested further clarification around the data presented to ensure that it was an accurate reflection of total and genuine demand for the service.  The agreed data was presented to the WRS Management Board on 30th October 2013, as detailed on page 12 of the report. 

In the interim, WRS, in consultation with the WRS Management Board had agreed to fund an additional two FTE (full time equivalent) posts for WHSS to deal with the existing demand until March 2014.  The cost of this was approximately £26,000. 

During August and September 2013 WHSS staff who took WRS calls were asked to record them following a specified protocol.  The table on page 12 of the report details the information recorded over the two month period.

Three Options, as detailed in the report, were presented to the WRS Management Board on 30th October 2013, as detailed in Appendix 1 to the report.  Following discussion it was agreed that Option 3, to take the service in-house, was a realistic option that could be considered, although the risks would be placed on WRS to ensure the service was delivered to an acceptable standard.  WRS Managers considered Option 3 would meet their strategic direction of travel, but they would have to seek funding support from partners to make this happen.  It would also need to happen in parallel with the channel shift program so that, over time, the telephony commitment could be reduced, allowing partner contributions to first contact costs to be reduced. 

WRS Managers were of the opinion that the in-house service would probably be staffed at the lower suggested level on the basis that direct support could be provided via professional staff from within WRS operating on a rota basis to directly support the first contact call handlers.  This would over time increase the proportion of calls that could be dealt with at first point of contact, improving the customer experience and overall satisfaction.

The WRS Management Team was tasked to work with the WHSS to cost options for taking the service in-house and to work with the host authority Human Resources (HR) team to explore Option 3.  A further report would therefore be presented to the WRS Management Board in December 2013.  Joint Committee Members would be updated on the outcome of this report at their next meeting. 

The Head of WRS further informed Members that the host authority had given assurances that their Shore-tel system was robust enough to cope with the increasing volume.  However, there was a question over the portability of the 01905 number that had been broadcast for three years onto the Bromsgrove / Redditch 01527, exchange based system. 

Significant implications in relation to TUPE transfer were highlighted as part of the move.  These would need to be explored more by the host authority Human Resources (HR) team and the WHSS Management Board as to the eligibility criteria for staff.  This would delay the implementation to allow for the relevant consultation periods.  The WRS Management Board representative from Wychavon District Council had offered a benchmark figure of £125,000 per annum on which to judge the cost of in-house provision.

The Head of WRS responded to Members questions with regard to staffing levels and service delivery, more specifically the table detailed on page 13 of the report, which detailed the service standards likely to be achievable and the number of agents required.  The Head of WRS was not convinced that 7 agents were required and was of the opinion that the channel shift program would help reduce demand and that 4/5 agents could deliver the service at an acceptable level, Monday to Friday between 9.00am and 5.00pm.  If there was a demand for a Saturday service, WRS would be happy to provide it, but partner authorities would have to contribute.

The Head of WRS confirmed that a link on each partner authority website would be detailed in order to enable customers to access the WRS website directly.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.