2024

G0576 - Student accommodation and car ownership - 011124            

A member authority is keen to ask others if they are aware of any universities or colleges within their authority that have a policy whereby a student is unable to take up student accommodation if they have their own car and intend to use it? E.g. This could be due to their set up or tenancy agreement etc.

 

G0575 - Implementation of a non-paper-based system for frontline workers timesheets – 181024

A member authority is still currently using a paper-based system for timesheets and are looking to implement a new system.

The member authority is seeking information from other councils regarding the systems they have in place. Specifically, the member authority would like to know: -

What systems does your authority use for frontline workers timesheets?

What was the timescales for implementation from the paper-based system?

Have you got any lessons learnt from the process?

 

G0575 - Implementation of a non-paper-based system for frontline workers timesheets

A member authority is still currently using a paper-based system for timesheets and are looking to implement a new system.

The member authority is seeking information from other councils regarding the systems they have in place. Specifically, the member authority would like to know:-

1. What systems does your authority use for frontline workers timesheets?
2. What was the timescales for implementation from the paper-based system?
3. Have you got any lessons learnt from the process?

 

G0574 - CCTV provision - 091024

A member authority is reviewing its CCTV measures In particular they would like to know:

• How many CCTV cameras do you have covering your City / Borough?
• How much external funding do you receive to fund the CCTV control room/system and where do you receive this from?
• Who operates your control room?
• External contractor
• Local Authority
• Police
• Other

 

G0573 - Exit Interviews - 120924  

A member authority is interested in finding out what other local authorities have in place for when people leave the organisation. Specifically, the member authority would like to know the following:

1. Does your organisation use exit interviews when people leave your organisation?

2. Are they face to face, a questionnaire or mixture?

If a questionnaire is there a blank template that could be shared?

3. Who carries out he exit interview is it line manager, HR, or someone else?

4. Do you use exit interviews when person is leaving post for internal posts?

5. If you use them how effective do you find them

 

G0572 - Case Management Systems for Councillors - 050924              

A member authority is considering introducing a case management system for councillors.

They are interested to know: -

1. Do you operate a case management system for councillors?
2. If so, was this package developed in-house or purchased from a supplier and if so which system, are you using?
3. Would you be willing to discuss your experiences with this member council.

 

G0571 - Heatwave protocol – 020924

A member authority has a heatwave protocol which kicks in if the temperature is expected to reach 30°C, whereby frontline staff can start an hour earlier. Comms are given to local social media pages/groups to inform residents of the temporary change.

The member authority would like to know: -

•             If any other council start earlier when temperatures rise?

•             What temp triggers this?

•             And how much earlier to you start the day?

 

G0570 - Volunteering Strategies - 300824             

A member authority would be interested to know if other local authorities have a volunteering strategy. In particular:

1. Do you have a volunteering strategy adopted at a corporate level 

2. Do you operate a volunteering strategy at a service level for example in parks or street scene services?

3. How do you rate the success of your strategy? How frequently is it reviewed?

 

G0569 - Staff Uniform and PPE Policy across Frontline Services - 020824   

A member authority would like to know:

1. Do any authorities have a set standard or policy for staff uniform and PPE across frontline services such as highways, waste collection, street cleansing and parks maintenance?
2. What range of options would be available for staff that are inclusive of all body types, sizes and individual preferences? Is the policy designed to mandate for seasonal variances such as UV protection, inclement weather or is this decided on a case-by-case basis by the staff member?
3. Do the clothing options offered to employees extend to include shorts, head wear, sunglasses or other clothing where practicable?
4. Are employees allowed to supplement their PPE through their own purchases and if so, how is this managed?

 

G0568 - Customer Relationship Management System (CRM) - 080724          

A member’s authority would like to hear from other authorities that have successfully, or unsuccessfully, implemented a customer relationship management system (CRM):

-              What system was implemented?

-              Did the implementation project include committed resource – ie. a dedicated member of staff?

-              If staff were dedicated – how many officers and for how long?

-              Was the system rolled systematically to different teams or all at once?

-              In hindsight, would anything be done differently?

 

G0567 - Review of legal support offered to Environment and Place services - 190624

A member authority is in the process of reviewing the legal support offered to their Environment and Place services. This includes service areas such as Highways, Transport, Infrastructure Delivery, Planning, Waste and Climate Action. The authority to seeking to find out the following information:

•             What is your authority’s current approach to providing legal support to services?

•             Have you completed any benchmarking activities?  If so, how did you do this?  And what were the results?

•             Have you recently implemented any changes to improve service provision?   If so, what were these, and are you seeing an impact?

•             Do you have any best practice or learning that you can share with us?

•             Do you monitor the performance of this internal relationship with legal support, and if so with what metrics?

 

G0566 - Development of a single storage management system and inventory - 190624

A member authority is in the process of developing a single storage management system and inventory. It includes reviewing all stored papers across the organisation with a view to procuring a service to facilitate disposing, digitalising or keeping where legally mandated. The authority to seeking to find out the following information: •What is your authority’s current strategy for storing paper? •Does your authority have any future plans for digitising? If so, would you be able to share the strategy? •Where do staff store Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits? •How does your authority store bulky items such as IT equipment and furniture? •Where do your legal and finance teams store paper legacy records? •How do your legal and finance teams use electronic systems for storing what were previously paper records? •Does your authority use electronic signatures, e.g. DocuSign?

 

G0564 -Travel Policy For Staff and Elected Members - 130624

This local authority would like to ask others:Does your Local Authority have a staff travel policy in relation to overnight stays, travel and subsistence? If so, can they request a copy please?If the answer is yes to Question 1, does your Local Authority have a separate travel policy for elected members? If yes, can they request a copy of this too please?

 

G0563 - Redundant satellite dishes - 130624

This local authority would like to know of any others who have been able to tackle the many redundant satellite dishes on buildings/flats, particularly in city centres, and within conservation areas.  

They would appreciate details on any successful projects which include maintaining the integrity of the buildings/stone work and the potential for recycling the dishes themselves.

 

G0562 - Social Value through contracts - 170524

A member authority is seeking information regarding securing and managing Social Value through contracts. The member authority is keen to identify any examples of good practice or success in respect of Social Value opportunities, securing meaningful Social Value and the ongoing management of Social Value to ensure contractual obligations and commitments are met and the outcomes delivered.

 

G0561 - Council staff volunteering - 220424

A member authority is looking for information from other councils around staff volunteering.

They would like to know:

•              How many volunteering days are given and is it mandatory?

•              If paid time off to volunteer is given?

•              Are there restrictions on types of organisations to volunteer with, lists of organisations and do staff choose who they volunteer with?

•              Example Policies you may have.

 

G0560 - Staff recognition award scheme - 170424   

A member authority is looking to initiate a staff recognition award scheme for our front-line staff. As the authority is unable to offer cash rewards they are seeking the following information:-

1.            What awards does your authority offer for front-line services?

2.            How often is this done?

 

G0559 - Monitoring, Recording and Dealing With Absence – 040424

This local authority would like to know how others are dealing with absence, specifically how this is monitored, recorded and dealt with.

They would like information related to both short and long-term absence, after 6 months, after 1 year and for both half pay and no pay.

 

G0558 - Suppliers/Creditors Invoices - Systems For Processing Invoices/Capturing Management Information - 080324 

This local authority have recently moved into Function based teams, their team process a variety of invoices which has many sub sectors within it, with them using various different business systems for invoice input.

The majority of the Supplier invoices are sent directly to their team via an e-mail inbox. One e-mail from a Supplier can have 50 invoices attached to it.  These invoices aren’t necessarily all processed via one business system and various members of my team could be involved in processing the 50 invoices.  Currently they are having to download all the invoices into different folders within Sharepoint so the team can pick up the work they are involved in, work on the invoices, batch and process them via the business system.  The two questions they’d like to ask are as follows:

What systems have you developed for processing invoices sent by external customers via e-mail, which may contain more than one invoice in one attachment.

How do you capture management information for Suppliers/Creditors invoice processing e.g. volume of activity, who the work is processed for (e.g. Sub Service), team member that have processed the invoice, reasons for delay in payment i.e. invoice on hold as missing information etc.

 

G0557 - Optimising revenue from building control services              

A member authority is interested in optimising their revenue from building control services without compromising the level of customer service they offer.  The authority would like to see case studies for the following:

• Any local authorities that have undertaken changes in building control with positive impact on revenue or reduction in costs
• Local authorities who are working in collaboration with other LAs - what works and what doesn't?
• Local authorities that have set up a trading company to run their building control (and/or other traded services) and how that has performed for them?

The enquiring authority would welcome a discussion on this subject if respondents are happy to share their contact details.

 

G0556 - Centralised contract management team

A member authority is interested in hearing from other councils that have a centralised contract management team. They would be interested to understand:

• Does a centralised contract management approach work for your organisation and why?

• What are the benefits over contract management within the individual services?

• Where does the contract management service sit within your organisation?

• How does this service coordinate with procurement? The enquiring authority would welcome a discussion on this subject if respondents are happy to share their contact details