Issue - meetings

Organisation Portfolio Holder Updates

Meeting: 21/10/2021 - Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Item 37)

37 Organisation Portfolio Holder Updates

To receive an update from the Organisation Portfolio Holders for Corporate Policy & Resources, Finance & Governance and Investment & Companies and make any observations to Executive Members.

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Members received briefings from the three Organisation Executive Members overseeing three areas of the Council’s work: Corporate Policy & Resources, Finance & Governance and Investment & Companies.

The presentations from each of the Executive Members/Portfolio Holders were published on the Council’s website as part of the Committee’s agenda pack.

Councillor Lewanski, Portfolio Holder for Corporate Policy & Resources, gave an overview of the Council’s work. This included: rapid implementation of IT systems to enable staff and Members to work remotely and securely, revision of ICT strategy in line with future ways of working; scoping improvements required for data centre and telephony systems, updates to delivery of online automated transactions, corporate policy development, project management updated framework and reporting, communications to support emergency COVID-19 response and use of data and insight to deliver services more efficiently.

Organisational Development and HR had been reviewing different ways of working to benefit residents post the pandemic, including hybrid working to enable remote working with future physical workspaces, as well as workforce planning and resourcing.

Members made observations and asked questions on the following areas. This included supplementary questions arising from Written Answers to Members’ Advance Questions:

·       Customer relations – approximately 60 plus online transactions with the public were handled through the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system currently. Work was ongoing to review the work done to date to move processes online which had been facilitated by the CRM platform. The Head of IT confirmed that around 30,000 people had signed up to request Council services in this way. Over 50,000 transactions a year were carried out using the digital platform. Members asked for further information as a follow-up written answer.

·       Cyber-attacks – Members highlighted the increase in cyber-attacks on IT systems of companies and organisations more generally, following the increase in online working. The Head of IT confirmed on the cyber front that IT monitors all systems and blocks around 2000 attempts a month. There was secure access to systems via Council-issued laptops and the organisation had to meet public sector network accreditation each year set by the Cabinet Office.

·       Fraud and identity fraud – how did the Council ensure it was protecting residents against fraud with the decrease in face-to-face contact and remote working? This included dealing with potential identity fraud, such as criminals purporting to be calling from the Council.  It was confirmed that the Revenues, Benefits and Fraud team dealt with any reported cases of fraud. Members requested more information in a follow-up written answer.

·       Telephony – it was confirmed that plans to replace the entire telephony and remote access systems in 2022 were underway. There had been some problems with external calls going direct to a staff extension number due to remote access systems. This had not affected the Borough Council’s main phone line or internal calls.

·       Hybrid working HR was working through the detail on hybrid working with staff and the impact this might have on working conditions before communicating more widely the future planned approach. All staff could book a desk  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37