Last year we shared the news we had received funding to help us become a more modern and resilient council. We have been involved in the Future Council pilot and five nationally funded projects:
- Planning – making it easier for the public to engage with the planning process.
- Planning – reducing invalid planning applications
- Adult social care front door
- Income management system
- Platform low code capabilities for commercial and traded services
This series of articles summarises the work, what we have learnt and how it is helping us.
Spotlight on Digital Services
Platform low code capabilities for commercial and traded services
Following discovery completed by Children Services working with an external organisation, it was identified that where services were being sold by the council to schools and others, they were hampered by lack of taking a digital approach and the use of older technology.
We looked to digital work the Commercial Waste service had completed which resulted in:
- Time savings
- Cost reduction
- Climate impact reduction
- Improved customer experience
- Increased income generation
Considering how might we scale that work to enable us to create good digital services not just for residents, but where we are selling services to others.
Following funding from round 5 of the local digital fund we worked with our customer platform supplier Placecube, Rugby and Northumberland Councils, to design and develop the following open-source low code capabilities:
- business account
- digital shop window
- catalogue of services
- shopping trolly
- proactive notifications
Along with other Placecube customers we will be able to use these capabilities in the Autumn for any service across the council.
Local Digital Declaration
To help us embed the principles we signed up to in the Local Digital Declaration and support our transformation work at Dorset Council, we have been part of five nationally funded projects.
The Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities have recently published their latest blog on how they will continue to support the sector with increasing digital maturity: Local Digital update: Adapting our approach to support the sector – DLUHC Digital (blog.gov.uk)
I have worked in communications for 25 years, first as a journalist and then in public and private sector public relations. From Southampton originally, I have lived in beautiful Dorset for the last two decades. My passion for Dorset has also turned into a passion for landscape photography. My other great loves are my family and Southampton Football Club.