Herefordshire Connects – the way forward
Improved services for customers, better support for staff, reduced costs and tighter monitoring of performance are at the heart of new proposals to take forward “Herefordshire Connects”.
A revised vision and a refocused set of aims, costs and benefits for Herefordshire Connects was approved by cabinet when it met on Thursday, July 31.
The vision is that the programme, which will combine a number of inter-related projects, will simplify and streamline the way people access and use public services in Herefordshire, by allowing them to use services at a time and location that is suitable to them.
Members heard that the Connects programme is on schedule to successfully implement a new social care system in November to support children’s services and adult social services in improving care services for vulnerable children, adults and families.
Cabinet was advised of the risks of other key ICT systems failing, which could happen due to the large number of old systems currently requiring upgrading that are inadequately connected to provide customers and staff with a high standard of service.
The programme of change will provide the technology to support staff to improve services in areas such as Herefordshire’s Info Shops and Info by Phone, environment and planning, support services in human resources and finance and managing performance.
This requires the selection, with the council’s strategic advisors, Deloitte, of a significantly smaller number of market proven, good value for money systems and integrated applications (software programmes), consistent with the council’s procurement policy.
These systems will make effective use of the council’s recent investments in ICT and support the joint delivery of Herefordshire Public Services with the Primary Care Trust and other partners.
Cabinet agreed that a report setting out recommendations from this selection process will be drawn up by the council’s joint management team, with the support of Deloitte, and considered when cabinet meets in October.
