Dorset Council’s Digital and Change team has received national acclaim after being highly commended in the Local Government Chronicle awards, in the ‘large team of the year’ category.
The accolade recognised the support the team provided to local communities during the pandemic, including setting up the Dorset Digital Hotline.
There was also praise for how the team designed new online services, extended use of the Dorset Care Record and supported the COVID response activity across the council – including creating a skills agency to support frontline services.
The Local Government Chronicle judges said of Dorset Council’s entry: “It’s a strong enabling service that’s having a positive impact across the organisation with high quality and strong outcomes.”
Cllr Jill Haynes, portfolio holder for Corporate Development and Transformation, said: “This is a fantastic achievement and demonstrates how Dorset Council has a big ambition to transform and improve services.
“From attracting millions of pounds of investment to bring full fibre broadband to thousands of rural premises to our prestigious Festival of the Future, we’re helping put Dorset on the digital map.
“Most importantly, our work helped many more people get online and access our services when they needed to the most – during the national lockdowns.”
The awards recognised work undertaken from January 2020 to March 2021.
At the start of 2020, the Digital and Change service had only recently been formed and rose to the challenge the Covid pandemic presented, escalating its work to respond to the crisis.
This included developing a skills agency to reallocate employees to support critical services, setting up the Digital Hotline so volunteer digital champions could continue helping residents and distributing free devices to people who wanted to get online for the first time.
The team also ran virtual seminars for councillors, designed new online services, helped employees to operate virtually, increased Dorset Care Record data and access to pharmacies and issued 30 AV1 avatars to children who could not attend school.
And while the team co-ordinated the COVID response activity across the organisation, it was still leading the way on innovation and connectivity, including securing £1.7m from Getting Building Fund to improve broadband in rural areas and carrying out world-firsts in the 5G Rural Dorset project.
The team also staged the council’s first Festival of the Future – bringing together organisations across Dorset to showcase the innovation taking place in the county.
And everything the team learned from the pandemic has helped to reshape the council’s transformation plans and informed its Digital Vision.
Dorset Council’s chief executive, Matt Prosser, said: “I couldn’t be more proud of the team. During the pandemic they supported each other with a strong focus on wellbeing and staying connected, whilst responding to the organisation’s needs.
“Throughout that time, they continued to lead on innovative projects that are making a real difference to people’s lives.
“It is our ambition to make Dorset a great place to live work and visit and our award-winning team is helping us to achieve that.”
Excellent show case for our digital team. Well Done
This is an absolute joke. Support to the community? I do not think so: “Dorset Council’s chief executive, Matt Prosser, said: “I couldn’t be more proud of the team. During the pandemic they supported EACH OTHER”.
I wonder if Mrs Palmer has missed the point. Team members DO support each other in order to achieve the Team’s goals, and, as the Digital and Change team obviously have achieved great things, Matt Prosser’s statement is spot on.
I am one of the many volunteer Digital Champions across the county offering to help get people online and have more confidence using digital technology (smartphones, tablets, computers). Before the pandemic, we freely offered these services in libraries and community centres. However, when COVID-19 required the closure of these venues for the health and safety of everyone, the Digital Hotline offered a vital service to those left stranded without the skills and knowledge to stay connected with loved ones and access essential services. I know many fellow volunteers offered their time to “man the phones” over this period. It is fantastic that we can now be up and running again, delivering in-person help. And I appreciate the acknowledgement and recognition of the efforts both the volunteer support and Council staff put in place to help avoid or at least minimise the isolation that so many people experienced during those months. Thank you to them and the recognition of their efforts.
Well done!