Technical Services redesign

This redesign forms part of the Council’s wider ongoing business transformation programme, which has achieved £34 million of budget savings over the last four years.

Additional budget savings of £8.6 million will have to be found for this year alone (2016/17), while similar substantial cuts will also have to be made over the next few years to meet the shortfall in funding.

The service redesign focuses on five key elements which are interlinked:

Rationalise management: The service will need to introduce a new management
structure to oversee the running of its new operating model, as far as the implementation of the redesign allows.

Corporatise Customer Services: To bring customer contact functions together within a single corporate contact centre, and to invest in providing more online services. This will reduce the requirements on Technical Services to field customer enquiries and simplify contact arrangements for the public.

Merge teams: The new operating model would enable the service to merge teams. Staff will be given three months to put forward an upcoming projects work programme which realises the savings and secures future funding for the service.

Technology and Data: Implementing new computer software technology to make the work of the Council more efficient.

Reduce standards: The Council has the opportunity to review its service standards in relation to both Street Cleaning and Parks and Gardens functions. Street cleaning functions will continue during the summer months, but will be more limited during the winter when demand is less.

Cabinet Member for Waste and Carbon Management, Councillor Alun Williams, said: “In keeping with all local authorities across the country, Ceredigion is subject to huge budget cuts imposed from central government. The scale of these is such that no area of the Council’s work can be immune. Our role is to try to manage our budget whilst absolutely minimising the effect on public services.”