More than £5 million is to be spent over four years on digital improvements that offer residents and businesses more choice and makes Powys County Council more resilient.
The money will be used to fund more than 15 separate projects that will support the delivery of the council’s vision to create a stronger, fairer, and greener Powys.
These include a new digital system for sharing information between community health and social care services, one for managing council houses and providing services for tenants, and one for submitting and keeping track of planning applications and building control queries.
There will also be extra services and options added to the more than 68,000 online My Powys Accounts, which are now being used by residents and businesses.
“This ambitious digital programme is about meeting the expectation of those who come to us for help, information, or advice, who want more choice and flexibility around how and when they contact us,” said Cllr David Thomas, Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Transformation. “It will also result in fundamental changes to the way the council operates, with the aim of delivering services in a more cost-effective way, and greater convenience to customers.”
Cllr Jake Berriman, Cabinet Member for a Connected Powys added: “New technologies can help improve the lives of our residents, including the most vulnerable, and we need to seize these opportunities whenever we can.
“Our transformation work has already led to many service improvements and better customer experiences, and we want to make sure that continues with new digital options that people want to use rather than feel they have to use.”
The projects that are funded may change, following an assessment of detailed business cases, while others are also likely to be added to the initial list of 15:
- A new system for sharing information between community health and social care services.
- A new system for managing council houses and providing services to tenants.
- The transfer of council services, reliant on copper phone lines, over to digital networks.
- A new system for managing planning, building control, land charges, public protection, and private sector housing services and for providing public access to them.
- The use of sensors and other remote technology to help monitor vulnerable people in their own homes, as an aid to care services.
- The transfer to a more secure and robust online storage system for council data.
- An AI-powered (artificial intelligence) online chat system for residents and businesses to use when contacting the council.
- The use of sensors and other remote technology to help monitor environmental changes.
- A mobile app that will allow residents and businesses to stay logged into their My Powys account.
- Transformation of Powys’ Property, Planning and Public Protection Services.
- The expansion of My Powys Accounts to include more services.
- A new online printing and posting system for council staff to use.
- A Powys staff mobile app that will allow more tasks to be completed on phones or tablets.
- A health and care mobile app that will allow residents to access both council and NHS services through a single account.
- The use of a community platform in Powys to help people ask for, and offer, care or support through either paid for or voluntary services.
