"When we revised the City Council’s strategy for engaging with our citizens two years ago, one of the persistent requests was “please offer us joined up face to face services with other organisations”.
"Potential users argued, quite rightly, that making trips to see advisers from related services at different times and places was costly and time consuming.
"So, we decided to move our customer services front desk from our council offices in St Aldate’s to the Westgate Library.
"This brought our face-to-face support services closer to a key location where residents visit, and meant our advisors are alongside those from Oxfordshire County Council and Citizens Advice.
"Bringing the three organisations under one roof has brought powerful results.
"Earlier this year, for example, a man carrying a pile of bills visited Citizens Advice for financial help. When they spotted a council tax reminder, Citizens Advice suggested he sit down with the City Council’s advisors.
"We clarified his immediate concerns, guided him towards benefits he was previously unaware of, provided immediate assistance with a food voucher, and connected him with wider financial support and advice.
"We’re now averaging 360 visits per month to the Westgate Library, with about 50 of these resulting in collaboration and referrals between the City Council, County Council and Citizens Advice.
"Overall, our goal is to make it as easy as possible for residents to interact with Oxford City Council.
"We know most residents will want to do that online and, in response, we have made improvements to our digital services, including moving more of our forms online and refreshing our website.
"But we also know that some issues are too complicated to be resolved online and that some residents, quite reasonably, just prefer to speak to someone in person.
"I’ve been really pleased to see that our face-to-face customer satisfaction scores have increased from 91% satisfaction with our old front desk in St Aldate’s to 97% satisfaction now in the Westgate Library.
"But everyone knows customer service isn’t about statistics – it's about helping individuals.
"I’ve been heartened by the powerful stories that have come out of the closer working with the County Council and Citizens Advice to help people and change lives. Our collection of ‘thank you’ cards that we proudly display in our offices is testament to that. Change can be for the better.
"If you or someone you know needs help or support, please consider visiting our support desk in the Westgate Library. We are open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10am to 3pm."
Councillor Nigel Chapman, Cabinet Member for Citizen Focused Services and Council Companies
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