Flintshire Council to make benefits support service a community outreach programme
Flintshire Connects – the one-stop shop that allows residents to access support for vital benefits and services – is to transform into a community outreach service.
Footfall in four of its five centres in Flint, Mold, Buckley and Holywell has dropped off siginficantly in recent years, with only Connah’s Quay seeing usage rise.
As a result Flintshire County Council is to look at changing how Connects is delivered, with pop-up locations and partnerships with other local organisations taking services to where they are most needed to help the authority manage resources around the service.
Flintshire Connects helps residents who may not be confident accessing online services support with statutory services like business rates, council tax reduction, social housing, Universal Credit, Blue Badges, Concessionary Travel like bus passes, payment facilities for council services, referrals for Adult and Social Services and more.
But footfall in Flintshire Connects centres has fallen almost 36% since Covid and many more residents are now comfortable dealing with the council online.
Only Connah’s Quay saw footfall increase in the last 12 months, seeing a 5.55% rise in service users.
A consultation with residents attracted 1,500 replies. It highlighted that 48% of people did not know about Flintshire Connects. Of those who did use it most did so once or twice a year, 22% visited quarterly, 8% weekly and 2% daily.
Over a quarter (26%) of people said they now do everything online.
The most popular service Flintshire Connects offers residents is collecting new recycling bins.
Following the review Flintshire County Council’s Cabinet voted to turn the service into an outreach programme – using pop-up locations and community council buildings to deliver Connects to the communities that most need it.
“Customer behaviour is changing,” said Cabinet Member for Customer and Corporate Services Cllr Linda Thomas.
“Since Covid footfall has not really increased at all. Customer demand is reducing while digital services and telephone remain popular ways to access council services.”
Three potential options were presented to Cabinet. To continue the service as it is, to axe the service altogether and transition to fully digital or to operate a reduce community outreach service targeting those communities where there was a demand or need.
Last year Flintshire County Council elected to cut the staffing budget for the declining service by £77,000.
After Cabinet chose the outreach model, Cllr Thomas said work would begin on how to implement the change. It would also consider maintaining a service in Connah’s Quay, where demand remains strong.
“There is more work to be done,” she said. “Most importantly we will be seeking input from members to determine the location and frequency of community surgeries.
“One example proposes visiting community locations on two days per week. Balancing the frequency is vital to the success of this approach.
“Community-based days need to spread the geographic spread of the service without diluting it across too many locations.”
The report was debated at Corporate Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee last week with concerns raised about the impact on rural services.
But Flintshire’s Chief Officer (Governance) Gareth Owens said that the decision presented an opportunity for the service.
“If we were to adopt a peripatetic model that would give us an opportunity to get out of the five towns and into the 20-odd other wards within the council that don’t have a Connects Centre directly within them.
“At a time of shrinking public transport we think that is an important improvement in the level of service and access.”
Cllr Thomas added the idea was to increase access to those in the north and east of Flintshire specifically, with decisions based on population.
“Change must happen to ensure that Flintshire Connects continues to operate and best serves the needs of our county.”
By Alec Doyle – Local Democracy Reporter
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