Agenda item

To discuss and approve proposals for the consideration of the Joint Worcestershire Hub Task and Finish Group, for inclusion in a written submission to the Group.

(Reports attached and oral report to follow).

Members considered the Joint Worcestershire Hub Task and Finish Group Review. The Committee was invited to produce a written submission for the consideration of the Task and Finish Group for consideration at the meeting of the Group on 29th September and made a number of suggestions:

1)     Users should be notified of their position in the queue if placed on hold.

2)     The ‘Hub’ should be renamed to more accurately define and represent the service given.

3)     A face-to-face walk in service should be installed to the particular benefit of older people.

4)     Staff should be adequately trained to cater to district council specific queries

5)     The service must be more efficiently run and the costs involved more transparent.

6)     The Highways Department must be more responsive to public demand.

7)     The accuracy of HUB responses should be subject to more rigorous monitoring.

In addition, it was commented that the staff responsible for the Hub should be focused on delivering continual improvements to the service in line with improvements in technology rather than inviting suggestions for improvement through a task and finish group review. On the contrary, the Chair argued that it was essential that the responsible officers at the County Council received the written submission from the O&S Committee as planned.

RESOLVED:

Officers to incorporate the Committee’s proposals within a written submission to the Joint Worcestershire Hub Task and Finish Group for their consideration.