Return to Agenda

Back to EX7

ITEM EX7 - ANNEX 5

EXECUTIVE – 29 OCTOBER 2002

COUNTY COUNCIL PROPERTY

 

Integrated Strategy for Accommodation/Work-style/ICT/Records Management

  1. There have been two pilot studies for modern work style in central departments (Internal Audit and Property Client/Waste Management) they have been on a relatively small scale but have shown that there can be a range of benefits and potentially a reduction in the amount of accommodation used. An occupancy survey of the three central buildings has indicated that in some areas there is significant under-use of office space whilst at the same time there is a lack of facilities such as meeting rooms and communal areas. The Council is continuing to invest substantial sums in ICT but there has not been complementary investment in or progress with Records Management. Consequently much office space is still used for file storage and staff are dependent upon inefficient paper based filing systems. The volume of records held continues to grow year after year at an unsustainable rate.

  2. The refurbishment of Speedwell House has allowed the opportunity to move to generally open plan working and improve the working conditions. Modern Workstyle has already been introduced in the Property Client and Waste Management section of Environmental Services and there are proposals for it to be extended to other parts of the Council. Costed proposals are currently being prepared for securing more effective use of accommodation at County Hall and providing more corporate facilities which will assist in the introduction of Modern Workstyle. Work has begun to assess how better use can be made of accommodation at Macclesfield House, Albion House and Cricket Road particularly having regard to the proposals for reorganisation.

  3. It is recommended that this approach should be extended to all of the other administrative offices throughout the county. At present each department holds their own separate offices in various locations. There is a small number of ‘composite sites’ where buildings are shared but even there the space is allocated to individual departments with little sharing of facilities. In many cases accommodation is used as a base by staff who spend much of their time out of the office. Although no occupancy surveys have yet been carried out casual observation indicates that there is substantial potential for improving the effectiveness of use, and the amount of accommodation, if a more corporate approach is taken and more flexible work styles are introduced. The present arrangement whereby departments hold and have responsibility for their own accommodation does not encourage corporate use and sharing. Similarly different departments having responsibility for property, ICT and Records Management does not provide an organisational structure which encourages a corporate approach to the use of resources. The proposals in the Chief Executive’s paper Growing our Corporate Capacity, which were approved by the Executive on 17th September, should provide a more appropriate structure, and the Best Value Review for Property Services may lead to changes in the responsibilities for property.

  4. In June 2001 the Director of Social Services presented a report to the Social Services Committee entitled E-Government and Social Services – a Vision for Social Care in 2005. This included reference to a Local Implementation Plan which would have brought together proposals for ICT, working practices, management of information and performance management. The proposals were much in accordance with the suggestions for an integrated strategy for accommodation, workstyle, ICT and Records Management although they were applied to the Social Services Department rather than to the provision of corporate facilities. The proposals in that report have not been taken forward because there has been no funding available. The report does however give a good basis for the Social Services participation in an integrated strategy. It also demonstrated the processes and extent of work which would be necessary from other directorates in order to achieve a corporate strategy.

    Return to TOP