www.erewash.gov.uk

Communications Strategy - people first

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/erewashbc

@erewashbc

Communications

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In a rapidly evolving connected world it is important that the council adopts a ‘people first’ approach to communications and to better understand our communities, helping to improve and shape service delivery.

Our aim is to facilitate communications that take place at a person’s convenience and enables ease of access to council information and services.

We will establish more effective and efficient ways to communicate with people, the right action at the right time and in the right place - people should be able to access whatever services they need through their preferred method of communication.

The council has enjoyed considerable success in expanding the number of communication channels helping to increase audience, particularly younger age-groups within the community. There is much more to do with residents seeking greater flexibility in how they receive information and how to book and pay for services.

Our residents expect easy access to information and services allowing them to be more connected and find information quicker - we will aim to be much more effective, efficient and look to improve the resident experience, whilst looking to deliver efficiencies, where possible.

Communications contact is at a tipping point with two-thirds of all interactions initiated via digital and self-service channels, the centre of resident engagement has shifted to ultimately enable people to help themselves.

The council will look to develop and introduce new methods of communication and will continue to adopt a multi-channel approach including print media, such as EBC today to reach vulnerable people and those without access to the internet.

To put Erewash on the map - a first class borough in which people have pride and where they choose to live, work and play.

The council values the opinion, ideas and thoughts of all our residents – it is with this in mind that the council carried out a successful consultation with you earlier this year to better understand how you would like to get involved.

The council would like to thank all the people that responded and their well-placed comments that have helped to shape the way the council will engage local residents in the future.

The consultation results have highlighted opportunities to extend our communications offering to reach more people within the communities in Erewash – over 900 residents responded and expressed approval of the council’s drive to involve residents more.

Strategic aimOur aim is to improve satisfaction and experience by ensuring our residents, members, staff and communities are regularly informed about council services, facilities and projects through clear, concise and timely communication and to facilitate ease of access.

The council will implement proactive, timely, easily understood communications activity in support of the council’s corporate vision.

Satisfaction guaranteedEBC, +1% to 66%National, +2% to 63%Satisfaction that the council keeps residents well informed

EBC, +6% to 62%National, no change at 51%Satisfaction that the council provides value for money EBC, +1% to 75%National, +1% to 68%Satisfaction with the council overall

EBC, +2% to 92%National, +3% to 80%Satisfaction with the council’s waste collection

EBC, +9% to 71%National, -2% to 69%Satisfaction with the cleanliness of the borough

*Year on Year Comparison – 2016 v 2015 (June)

Sources:EBC Communications Tracker Survey – June 2016 (355 Erewash adults)

LGA Resident Satisfaction with Councils – July 2016(1,001 British adults)

Get Involved

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Chris Corbett, Leader of the Council

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1. Ensure that communications is an essential element for the effective delivery of the council’s services.

2. Communicate effectively in an open, honest and professional manner.

3. Council information is easily accessible, responsive and meets equality standards.

4. Communications across all media will be:

Clear, consistent, easily understood with simple terms of explanation

Suitable for the specific audience including hard to reach groups

Relevant, current, persuasive (factual) and interesting

Educational in direction and informative

Identifiable and adhere to the council’s corporate style

Principles

The council will align its communication approach with the outcomes it needs to achieve. We will look to improve our reach and resident engagement and will use digital communications to help deliver real outcomes.

5. Measure media effectiveness through public feedback from regular communications tracker surveys.

6. Adhere to The Code of Recommended practice on Local Authority Publicity for all council communication.

Aims

Communications

Measurement

Understanding people better to engage in their preferred method of communication.

Creating awareness of services & benefits by providing ‘ease of access’ to information

for residents.

Deliver key messages by the appropriate communications channel.

Improve people’s experience by listening to their views and taking relevant action.

Design consultation to key audience groups by preferred communications channel.

Provide relevance and value in all communications.

Improve credibility/reputation through accurate, timely and accessible communications -

a trusted source of information.

The council will ensure that our residents, members, staff and communities are well informed about the council’s services, facilities, events and projects that we deliver through innovative communications with ease of access key to our communications strategy.

Improve by +2% per year the percentage of residents satisfied that the council has kept them informed of council services and benefits.

Improve access to council services and benefits -

Provide ‘value for money’, efficient and effective council services -Improve by +2% per year the percentage of residents satisfied that the council provides ‘value for money’ services.

Improve the council’s reputation with the borough’s residents -

Improve by +2% the percentage of residents satisfied with the council overall.

Inform and engage residents to help shape council services -

Improve by +2% per year the percentage of residents satisfied that they can influence decisions affecting their area.

Communications

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Internet of thingsWith nine in ten adults going online every day, being connected is seen as a core part of people’s daily lives. The increased number of options of where and how to access the internet is accelerating the use of online services – 71% of adults own a smartphone and use this to access the internet.

As new technology is adopted the more traditional methods of communication are being replaced, such as emailing (-7%) and SMS text messaging (-8%); newer online methods of communication are gaining significant levels of reach including: social media, instant messaging, and photo/video messaging.

There has been a significant national shift in the popularity of communication services to on-demand and online. The increased use of apps on mobile devices is more task-driven enabling more efficient use of time.

The council will monitor public access to council information, establish usage/preference and then adopt new communication methods to reach Erewash’s diverse communities - this approach will ensure that the council’s audience continues to grow as traditional media declines.

WebThe council requires a simpler clearer layout for its web offering to help users find information quickly and move towards a user focused, service based site whilst also improving speed and content quality:

• Use clear calls to action to achieve simpler navigation

• Shorter pages resulting in less opportunity to take wrong path

• Use of high quality images to strengthen layout

• Keep pages clean and simple

• Minimise the amount of text on screen

• Mobile enabled to improve access

A full review will be undertaken of the council’s website with the overall aim to provide improved user experience and encourage residents to choose digital first, where possible.

Social MediaEBC has enjoyed success in building a substantial audience through facebook and twitter. As traditional media declines, the council will look to adopt new social media channels to help improve residents access to information and council services.

The council will ensure that it engages with our diverse communities through innovative communication to meet the needs of our residents. The council will take a targeted approach and build greater awareness through community groups to meet the needs of different audiences.

The mobile phone is the most popular device for using social media with a range of age-groups spending from one to two hours per day on social media sites.

Source – Ofcom Communications and Market Report, August 2016 EBC Communications Survey, August 2016

MobilePeople with a smartphone in the palm of their hands are more connected than ever and the council will look to adapt communications to meet this ‘connected community’. Younger generations are ‘mobile first’ and expect ease of use, regardless of device. Real time access to information and transactions has grown through the use of smartphone technology.

Smartphone has overtaken the laptop in connecting to the internet with 45% of smartphone owners carrying out transactional activities online. Traditional means of communication such as emailing and texting are being substituted by instant messaging services.

The council will monitor the changing way in which people are engaging with mobile content and how they interact with communications activity – by adopting the communications principle of the right action at the right time and in the right place, EBC will be able to introduce new platforms and continue to engage with its residents.

Keep connected to stay ahead

71% of all adults have a smartphone, up from 66% in 2015

86% of adults have internet access

at home

Smartphone is the most used

device for accessing the internet

Eight out of ten internet users agreed

that new communications methods have made

life easier

Erewash Borough Council has over 3,000 twitter followers

Erewash Borough Council has over 10,000 facebook likes

Six in ten adult internet users use social media

16-24 (99%), 25-34 (84%)

35-44 (77%), 45-54 (64%)

55-64 (51%), 65+ (24%)

1,700 people access the

council’s website on a daily basis

Social media use, by age group

The council will look to identify specific opportunities to use digital tools and techniques to improve ways in which people find information and carry out online transactions. The council will consider invest to save principles, where possible, to deliver service improvement, enabling residents to self-service and secure long-term efficiencies.

The council will adopt best practice principles and guidance from the Society of IT Management (Socitm) to help deliver digital innovation. The council will look to develop an accessible and usable website, mobile enabled and use social media to interact more effectively with people.

Better connectedCommunity engagement through consultation is the way in which the council establishes and develops positive relationships with the public, community groups and voluntary organisations. Effective community engagement helps to ensure that the council understand, consider and respond to the needs of communities.

Consultation is key in gaining resident involvement and the council aims to extend community engagement to incorporate social media to encourage more people to take part in the council’s decision making process.

The council will review and adopt a community hub approach, where partners are connected, sharing information and resources for the benefit of the community, encouraging residents and community organisations to get involved.

The council has already put into practice lessons learned from partners including Sight Support Derbyshire and CamTAD, supporting people with hearing loss to help improve both our communications and service offering.

Consultation principles:

The council will look to introduce new ways of communicating with our residents to meet the diverse needs of our communities including mobile accessible website, self-service kiosks, web-chat and web apps.

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The council will work towards a better

informed community with increased participation

in the council’s decision making

process.

Provide easy to understand

information to assist the public in engaging with the council and concentrate efforts with those directly

affected.

Build an on-going understanding of communities and

share relevant community issues to help improve service

delivery.

Encourage, promote resident involvement

in council consultation through digital

communications.

Ensure feedback is shared on the outcomes of

specific community engagement/

consultation activities.

Digital engagement principles:

Encourage innovative new ways of working that provide a better quality of

resident experience.

Manage demand more effectively by promoting greater take up of self-service.

Understand people’s needs and direct resources to where they will have

the most impact.

Design for people, understand residents and the context in which they are using services -

collate, communicate and connect.

Make things simple, get things live fast, refine based on resident consultation.

Do things once, if a solution works, make it re-usable.

Encourage ‘digital first’ approach, where appropriate.

Improve the ratio of online self-service to traditional contact.

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EBCtoday readership -

65,000 80% of all adults aged 25+

Most people read more than half

of EBCtoday

Council contactIlkeston Town HallWharncliffe RoadIlkestonDerbyshireDE7 5RP

Long Eaton Town HallDerby RoadLong EatonDerbyshireNG10 1HU

If you require this publication in an alternative format and/or language please contact the council to discuss your needs. Information on the council’s services including a language translation option can be found on our website www.erewash.gov.uk or email your request to enquiries@erewash.gov.uk

/erewashbc

@erewashbc

www.erewash.gov.uk

enquiries@erewash.gov.uk

0115 907 2244