Decision details

Decision Maker: Chief Executive

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: No

Purpose:

The Customer Support Team acts as the first point of contact for customer enquiries relating to Revenues and Benefits, Environmental and some Housing functions. These enquiries are primarily received over the phone but also come in via email and on line forms as well as face to face at the Reception in our Pier Avenue offices.
Later this month, the Revenues and Benefits team will be sending Council Tax bills to most domestic properties in the district and this creates a significant increase in the calls being handled by the team. In 2022, this equated to a 29% increase in calls being handled in March compared with those in February.
Call statistics show that, even without this anticipated spike in calls, the trend in phone contact is increasing year on year with 8% more calls being handled by the team in January 2023 compared with January 2022.
It is therefore proposed that the services of g2 are procured to provide two agency resources for a temporary period to assist the team and ensure continued service delivery. g2 is a recruitment agency that has nearly two decades experience of working with the public sector.

Decision:

To procure the services of G2, via and exemption from procurement rules, to provide two agency staff for a period of 12 weeks.

Alternative options considered:

Option 1 - As above
Option 2 - Not to procure additional temporary staffing resources

Publication date: 13/03/2023

Date of decision: 09/03/2023