Changing the culture in Basildon
In 2005/06 and 2006/07 indicators showed that Basildon Council benefits service was not performing well. Managers believe a system wide structural, process and cultural change has since been achieved, resulting in improved performance indicators. Further improvements are planned.
With the support of the cabinet member and senior officers the Service began its journey of improvement. Basildon began by looking at benefit administration as a whole and how it performed in meeting the needs of customers and providing value for money. A new process was designed to be more efficient and closer aligned to the needs of its customers.
Good communication between staff and management throughout the process helped to alleviate staff concerns. Their knowledge and experience was used to develop a more efficient and customer-focused service.
The existing staff structure did not meet the new requirements. A new structure was put forward and accepted after consultation with staff. All job descriptions were reviewed and new job descriptions created. New posts were advertised and interviews were conducted to appoint staff to the new structure. The Service worked closely with the HR department to support this process. A full training programme was conducted to support the implementation of change.
Efforts have been made to empower staff. The office is now fully open plan. Senior staff sit amongst the staff to encourage open dialogue. Suggestions to improve the service are encouraged and are often implemented. For instance, dual monitor screens were requested by assessors to help improve performance and are now in use. The result is improved customer service as customer information can now be accessed more quickly.
Citizen engagement work has increased to ensure the Service is user-focused. In addition to the work of a Project and Publicity Officer, the service makes use of the Council-wide citizen engagement activities.
The service is now more efficient. Between 2006/07 and 2007/008 the cost per claim reduced from £107 to £64. Across the revenue and benefits service reported efficiencies in 2008/09 were £645,000 with a further £565,000 of efficiency savings projected for 2009/10.