Agenda item

To consider a report of the Head of Information & Communication and the Head of Policy, Performance & Reform

The report is designed to assist the Panel to scope the review and determine the areas which they wish to explore and scrutinise further.

The Panel is requested to determine the scope of the review and outline areas which they wish to scrutinise further.

Officer Contacts: Paul James/Steve Skelton on 0161 474 5430/3174 or email: paul.james@stockport.gov.uk/steve.skelton@stockport.gov.uk

The Head of Policy, Performance and Reform and the Head of Information and Communication, Corporate and Support Services Directorate submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) which set out a proposed scope for the review and highlighted the areas which the Panel may wish to explore and scrutinise further. This review would support and inform the Digital by Design Project.

A digital by design approach which encouraged citizens to use web services or self service options where possible had been identified as a priority for the Council. The Council planned to develop its digital offer for citizens so that those who could use the internet could do so by preference. The Digital by Design theme of the Investing in Stockport programme aimed to achieve this by transforming the Council’s digital offer and influencing the reshaping of Council Services.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         The principal reason for the involvement of the Environment and Economy Scrutiny Committee in the review was because of the increasing number of people who were self-employed and the importance of small businesses accessing digital services as well as individuals.

·         The review needed to look why residents did not access digital services when they could afford to do so. People needed to be educated about the range of services which could be accessed on-line.

·         The review should examine why people used the Contact Centre and what people used digital services for.  A snapshot of the situation across the borough needed to be established and this could possibly be benchmarked with other local authorities, although digital accessibility extended beyond the public sector. There were, therefore, difficulties in finding suitable organisations with which the Council could benchmark.

·         Consideration needed to be given whether case studies could be used, for example as undertaken by Age UK.

·         A fundamental question was the role of the Council in facilitating access to digital services and a recognition of what the Council needed to do.

·         It needed to be defined how communities were to be examined. The current position and barriers to digital inclusion could be examined with regard to age, socio-economic basis, businesses, the third sector, and people with disabilities or illnesses such as mental health problems.

·         Lessons could be learnt from national organisations, problems experienced with the national pilot for the Universal Credit System and local organisations such as Stockport Homes who carried out a lot of work in this area.

·         The situation was further complicated by a suggestion that residents who struggled to complete forms and engage with authority figures could be very adept at social networking. A person could have the skills to access a range of services digitally, yet for a variety of reasons elected not to do so.

·         The review should focus on practical, positive suggestions, not academic research.

·         Consideration would be given to how data could be collated, for example through libraries or community groups.

·         The issue of mobile networks needed to be considered.

·         Feedback on the re-design of the Council’s website was very important and was encouraged.

RESOLVED – (1) That the scope of the review, as set out in the report, be agreed and, in particular, that the review focus on three aspects of digital accessibility, these being:-

·         Digital service accessibility, including publicly provided technology and supported access.

·         The skills and confidence within each locality across different customer groups.

·         Connectivity and speed of broadband provision in each locality.

(2) That the three aspects of digital accessibility outlined in (1) above be considered with regard to:-

·         What is the current position?

·         What barriers exist to digital inclusion?

·         What role will the Council undertake in addressing the barriers and bridging the gap, and where will others perform a role?

(3) That it be agreed that the Panel examine access to digital services by communities with specific regard to the following:-

-       Age;

-       Socio-economic basis;

-       Businesses;

-       The third sector; and

-       Disability and illness/mental problems.