Members will have noted publication on November 9 of the DCLG document containing proposals about how councils will report progress on reducing ‘avoidable contact’. The proposals are now out for consultation until 21 December with responses being invited on the ‘technical descriptions of the national indicators and the method of measuring and reporting on the indicators.’
Socitm is urging its members to make their own responses and is also inviting contributions to a Socitm response which is being prepared by SIAG (email
adrian.hancock@socitm.gov.uk). Some commentators have already pointed out that the indicator appears to ignore the potential to ‘avoid contact’ entirely by getting people to ‘self-service’ information and service requests via websites. The document can be found on the
Communities and Local Government website.