Articles
Partnership work to make customer service more accessible for residents in Gedling Borough
Date Posted: 11:21 AM on Mon, 2 October 2023Gedling Borough Council is highlighting its customer service outreach “hubs” which operate across the borough in partnership with local community groups and charities, giving residents an opportunity to speak to an advisor in person, without travelling to the main council offices in Arnold.
National Customer Service Week, which takes place from Monday 2 – Friday 6 October, is a week-long opportunity to raise awareness of customer service and the vital role it plays in successful business practice.
When residents have an enquiry or need support with a council service, they can contact the council’s Customer Service Team either by phone, email or social media. A number of residents also travel to the council’s main offices at the Civic Centre in Arnold, to speak with an advisor in person. Residents visit the offices in person for several reasons, from providing documents to requesting support with an online application, but in some cases, it can also be at a time when a resident is in a vulnerable position or needs to discuss a sensitive issue.
To ensure as many residents as possible can access customer service support, advisors also carry out outreach work at other venues in partnership with local community groups Calverton CORE Centre and Hope Nottingham’s Carlton Community Hub. The outreach sessions mean that residents have an alternative venue to visit if they need to speak to an advisor but may not be able to travel to Arnold to do so, as well as being able to access additional services offered by community partners at each site.
Advice can be given on general council enquiries as well as support with completing housing benefit applications, updating council tax details, help with Homesearch housing applications, taking bookings for bulky waste collections, logging reports of fly tipping and more.
Although the council’s Customer Service Advisors visit venues once a week, the locations offer a range of services throughout the week, including operating foodbanks, a drop-in café, befriending services, welfare and benefit advice, running health and well-being sessions, craft activities, job clubs as well as providing details of other local groups and services that are available.
Gedling Borough Council Customer Service Hubs can be visited at:
- Hope Nottingham - Carlton Community Hub (former Carlton Methodist Church) – 88 Carlton Hill, Carlton, NG4 1EE – Every Tuesday 11am – 2:30pm
- Calverton Core Centre – Collyer Road, Calverton, NG14 6JX – Every Thursday 9am – 3pm
No booking is required to speak to a Gedling Borough Council Customer Service Advisor, but activities hosted by partner organisations may vary.
For more information about the customer service hubs and partner community groups, go to www.gedling.gov.uk/outreach
Councillor Kathryn Fox, Portfolio Holder for Life Chances and Vulnerability said;
“We know how important it is for residents to be able to contact us when they need support, and that for many residents speaking to someone in person can make a real difference.
A key priority for the council is to ensure that we offer the best possible customer experience, and that our facilities and services are accessible to all. By holding these outreach services we’re able to help residents who may struggle to visit us at our Arnold offices.
I’d like to thank the volunteers at Hope Nottingham, Calverton Core Centre, and all the other community organisations across the borough for the fantastic work they do, they really are a lifeline to so many in the community. I’m incredibly grateful for the support they give our residents and for allowing us to partner with them to provide this vital outreach service.”
Sam and Becky, Project Managers at Calverton Core Centre said;
“Services that people can walk to make a huge difference to our community and with the help of Gedling Borough Council, CORE has been able to respond to the needs of local residents.
We issue food vouchers, help facilitate hardship payments and offer advice on cost-of-living support as well as referring residents to Gedling Borough Council Customer Service Advisors who can help with other issues. We’ve seen some residents have their bills reduced and even find out about benefits they didn’t know they were entitled to thanks to the customer service outreach work.
The partnership between us will only go from strength to strength as we continue to share knowledge and expertise, which enables us to support our community more effectively together.”
Michael Singh, Development Manager and Lead at Hope Nottingham’s Carlton Community Hub said;
“The partnerships our Hub has established, with Gedling Borough Council, Jigsaw, The Ark and more have been very successful, providing opportunity for residents to access all kinds of holistic and local support.
We encourage anyone who hasn’t visited the hub to come along for a cuppa and get to know us. Ours is a warm, welcoming space where our volunteers offer compassion and friendship in a safe and non-threatening environment.”