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There is no summary of this meeting yet. Summaries are written once the council publishes the minutes, which are its official record of what a meeting decided. They usually appear a few weeks after the meeting.
Executive Members (with Portfolios): Councillors: Anthony Hunt – Leader and Executive Member for Strategic Leadership Richard Clark – Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Children, Families and Education Peter Jones – Executive Member for Corporate Governance and Performance Sue Morgan – Executive Member for Resources Mandy Owen – Executive Member for Environment Joanne Gauden – Executive Member for Economy, Skills and Regeneration Fiona Cross – Executive Member for Communities Officers: Stephen Vickers – Chief Executive Delyth Harries - Monitoring Officer and Assistant Chief Legal Officer Jason O’Brien – Strategic Director, Children and Family Services Rachel Jowitt – Strategic Director, Economy and Environment Dave Leech – Strategic Director, Adults and Communities Jason Lewis – Director of Corporate Services Dave Lilly – Director of Financial Services James Vale - Head of Customer, Digital and ICT Services Neil Jones – Head of Communications, Engagement and Civil Contingencies Kerrie Smith – PA to Leader and Deputy Leader (Maternity Cover) Niall Flack - Apprentice Democratic Services Officer
2.1 Apologies were received from Councillor David Daniels, Executive Member for Adult Services and Housing.
3.1 The Executive Member for Corporate Governance and Performance and Executive Member for Resources declared an interest in item 6 as they are both members of Cwmbran Community Council.
4.1 The minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 28 March 2023 were agreed as a true and accurate record.
5.1 There were no actions arising from the previous meeting.
6.1 The Executive Member for Corporate Governance and Performance introduced the above report and highlighted the key messages: · The report seeks Cabinet approval of the Digital First Customer Strategy and associated 2023/24 Annual Delivery Plan · This strategy will be the first of its kind for the Council and sets out how we will use Digital, Data and Technology to improve the customer experience and our operational efficiency. · Digital First does not mean digital only and the strategy sets out how traditional channels will be retained with resources prioritised on supporting more vulnerable customers or those with more complex cases. · Extensive consultation has taken place, ie Members seminar, Town and Community Councils, public drop in sessions, attendance at Torfaen Citizens Panel, Torfaen Access Forum, online survey – 79 responses received. · We receive 146,000 service reports every year. We must keep up with technical innovation whilst ensuring we meet the needs of all our residents. The Executive Member Corporate Governance and Performance thanked the Head of Customer, Digital and ICT Services and the team for the extensive work that they have undertaken in producing the Strategy. 6.2 The Head of Customer, Digital and ICT Services informed the meeting that this strategy will be the first of its kind for Torfaen CBC and outlines how the council will use Digital, Data and Technology to improve the customer experience and our operational efficiency. It can also play an important role as a key enabler for a number of priority areas for the council such as county plan delivery, Net Zero and budget challenges. 6.3 The Head of Customer, Digital and ICT Services advised that “Digital First” does not mean Digital Only and that the strategy seeks to encourage those can or want to transact online with us to do so via well designed, easy to use services and that in the context of this strategy “customer” is an all encompassing term which refers to residents, visitors, businesses, staff and importantly elected members. All our customers will be supported to adopt a digital first approach which will improve the customer experience and our operational efficiency (e.g. via process automation, system rationalisation) via delivery of our three ambitions: Ambition A: Excellent and efficient services designed around the needs of our customers and informed by data insight and business intelligence. Ambition B: Customers and staff will be empowered to thrive in an increasingly digital world. Ambition C: Innovative and effective use of secure, robust and joined up systems, technology and solutions which improve the customer experience and our access to data insight. 6.4 The Head of Customer, Digital and ICT Services outlined implications associated with the strategy including acknowledgement that investment will be required to deliver on ambitions and that identified risks aligned to the strategy are being managed via the council’s risk management processes. 6.5 The Executive Member Resources advised that her name is on the foreword of the Strategy as at the time that the strategy was being developed it came under her portfolio and just wanted to stress that nothing can replace the experience and knowledge of officers and making the most of their time and asked what kind of impact and related cost savings do you think this strategy will able to make? 6.6 The Head of Head of Customer, Digital and ICT Services advised that this would release staff so that they can focus on service delivery. The Authority has a lot of manual repetitive systems that can be automated, and work is currently ongoing to link into the Council’s Medium Term Financial Planning. 6.7 The Executive Member Corporate Governance and Performance thanked the Executive Member Resources for all the work that she had contributed to the strategy prior to the changes in Executive Member portfolios. 6.8 Cabinet agreed to: · approve and adopt the Digital First Customer Strategy and the associated Delivery Plan for 2023/2024; and · review the strategy in three years to determine whether to extend or revise Minutes written by Kerrie Smith, PA to Leader and Deputy Leader (Maternity Cover), Democratic and Member Services
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