13/03/2023 - Permalink

Have your say on proposed changes to council’s customer service centre’s opening times

Related topics: Community / Corporate

Shropshire Council is now consulting on proposed changes to its Customer Service Centre (CSC) opening times and is encouraging as many people as possible to get involved and have their say.

The council’s CSC handles telephone and other forms of contact from its customers for around 50 different council services and is currently open from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 1pm on Saturdays.

The proposals include a reduction in these opening hours to allow its customer service advisors to devote their time to calling and supporting people most in need.

Some parts of the CSC handle complex issues for Shropshire’s residents, things like adult social care requests and queries, concerns for children, risk of homelessness or financial crisis affecting families.

These types of contact from people will always need a skilled adviser and would not be affected by the proposed changes.

However, many other calls are more general and are for relatively simple requests that can be made another way, particularly using online requests. It is the opening hours for these services that the council proposing to change, using existing calls data to identify those times. Under proposals the CSC would still be open six hours a day, five days a week.

Councillor Rob Gittins, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for culture and digital, said:

“Your involvement is important to help us shape the way we deliver our services in future, so please take a look at our proposals and tell us what you think.”

People can give their views:

  • Online on the get involved section of the council’s website.
  • For those unbale to go online, copies of the consultation are available at the following Shropshire Council libraries; Bayston Hill, Bridgnorth, Church Stretton, Gobowen, Library at the Lantern, Ludlow, Market Drayton, Much Wenlock, Oswestry, Pontesbury, Shrewsbury, Wem and Whitchurch.
  • At the council’s Shropshire Local sites in Ludlow and Shrewsbury.
  • If anyone would like the survey in an alternative format, they should email TellUs@shropshire.gov.uk to request a copy or call 0345 678 9077 and explain the support they need to allow them to respond.

The closing date for comments is Sunday 23 April 2023. These comments will then be considered and will form part of a report which will be discussed and decided upon at a meeting of the council’s Cabinet in early summer.