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Scoping Review : Access to Services

Timeframe

The Task and Finish Group will seek to bring its work to conclusion no later than October 2020.

Purpose

To oversee a review of Access to Services.

Review Scope

1.   To evaluate council processes across its channels of access against a set criterion focused on enabling residents through supporting technological processes, financial and social inclusion, Officer and Member training and the physical environment i.e. Council buildings.

2.   To identify:

·         Residents with protected characteristics being negatively impacted as a result of its current processes.

·         Opportunities to enable residents and improve their accessibility to services.

 

Channels of access:

 

Online (website)

·         Laptop

·         PC (Public and Private access)

·         Smaller handheld devices

Face to Face

·         Council buildings

o   The Link

o   Town Hall

o   Museum

o   Depot

o   Maidstone House

o   Crematorium

o   Parks and Open spaces

o   The Leisure Centre

o   The Hazlitt

·         Council Officers

·         Ward Councillors

·         Telephone

·         Written

o   Email

o   Facebook

o   Twitter

o   Instagram

o   Text

o   Postal

Cross Cutting issues:

Equalities Act 2010 (Public Sector Equality Duty)

 

Strategic Priorities:

·         Homes and Communities

 

Cross Cutting Objectives:

·         Deprivation is reduced and social mobility is improved

·         Health inequalities and address and reduced

 

Organisational vision and values

 

Accessibility legislation and guidance

Methodology

Member led task and finish group.

 

The task and finish group will be led by members of the Communities, Housing and Environment Committee.

 

The task and finish group will meet on a monthly basis with Officers, as identified by the group, with actions identified at each meeting and reported back to the group as instructed.

 

The task and finish group may seek internal and external expertise as required.

 

The task and finish group may engage with local and national stakeholders.

 

The task and finish may seek to deliver public consultation and engagement events.

Evidence Base

Ensure a consistent, systematic approach to evaluating each channel of access.

Outcomes and Deliverables

The review will establish:

·         What the Council does to meet current requirements (compare and contrast with best practice/nearest CIPFA neighbours).

·         What the gaps and inconsistencies are in existing processes.

·         What the barriers to access are and identify solutions.

·         Recommend changes to the delivery of accessibility processes and identify a mechanism to embed these in the organisation going forward (such as an Accessibility Strategy).