Purpose

To receive the Digital Exclusion Review report which has been undertaken by the Communities and Localism Select Committee.

Decision

Cabinet were asked to consider the recommendations of the Digital Exclusion Review Group which was formed to investigate the issue of Digital Exclusion.

Councillor Ashley Waite, Chairman of the Review Group reported that an issue that Councillors were aware of was that some members of the public have been unsure how best to contact the Council with queries about services or requests for assistance.  The website held an enormous amount of information and also featured a significant number of forms to enable customers to access numerous services, but some people lacked the confidence and skills to navigate their way through an online process and others simply did not have an appropriate device to enable them to contact the Council in that way.  Often these people were some of the most vulnerable residents who needed support the most. The Group carried out the review in order to understand the work that the Council had already been doing to support people in getting online and to consider what more could be done to help. Cabinet welcomed the report and their response can be found in the link below.

RESOLVED

1. That the ‘Digital Exclusion Review Group, as well as the supporting officers and partners, be thanked for their work and subsequent recommendations.

1. That Cabinet’s responses to the Digital Exclusion Review report and recommendations, as detailed at the meeting, be agreed. 

Note: a complete breakdown of the scrutiny recommendations and Cabinet’s responses can be found here