Archived decisions

1 Background

1.1 IT for mobile working offers the potential to transform the delivery of services and yield substantial productivity and service benefits to the County Council. 1.2.Also the National Priorities and E-Government Outcomes published by the ODPM has established a requirement for all authorities to provide online facilities to allow "ICT support and documented policy for home/remote working [for staff]" and "Access to home/remote working facilities."

1.3 On 24 September 2004 the Social Care Executive Member agreed to proceed with the first two phases of the IT to Support Mobile Working Project: Phase 1 (Return on Investment Analysis); and Phase 2 (Technical evaluation, design and proof of concept) for completion by the end of December 2004, at a cost of £270,000; to be funded by Social Services' resources.

1.4

1.4 This paper outlines a four phase development and investment strategy to develop and implement these facilities. On completion of the first two phases the Cabinet can then decide whether to proceed to the subsequent third phase (full Pilot) or agree other options. This Pilot phase could be initiated in the Spring of 2005. On completion Cabinet could consider the relative priority of a range of HCC `mobile' staff for the deployment of appropriate equipment including field social workers, Trading Standards Officers, Education Welfare Officers , Youth Workers, and Community Safety Officers at the beginning of the implementation. Phased implementation should be possible from early 2006.

1.5 Potential benefits to the County Council include:

· Time savings for mobile workers - including time travelling, waiting between appointments, finding information, and duplicate recording

· Reduced travel costs

· Improved case load management and throughput gained from `re-engineering' social care tasks

· Support for flexible working and associated improved work - life balance

· Assisting the recruitment and retention of staff

· Medium to long term savings in office accommodation costs

· More efficient processes and improved data accuracy

· Enabling the achievement of a full electronic records and associated savings in paper file storage and management

1.6 Initial analysis suggests that these benefits are similar for most Departments, many of which have a mobile work force. Social Services, Environment, Education and Property, Business and Regulatory Services have the greatest business need.

1.7 Although some Departments and partner organisations have applied IT facilities to meet discrete operational requirements, further investment in a common corporate infrastructure has the potential to yield substantial benefits across the County Council. These benefits will be derived from changing service delivery arrangements and will utilise a range of supporting technology. The type of facilities to be used will depend on the business process and function to be carried out. For some a small hand held device, such as a `Blackberry' will be suitable, for others a data pen, and for some a Lap Top PC or `Tablet' PC

1.8 Social Services provides a good example of the opportunities for business transformation and benefits realisation. Social Services has approximately 1000 mobile fieldworkers with significant pressures on front line social workers particularly in child care. Social Care staff have identified a clear business requirement to use SWIFT and other systems directly while out of the office, rather than having to make notes and return to base to undertake this task. Also, as in other Departments, the pressure on office accommodation (such as in the Andover Area office) is requiring the implementation of limited mobile IT facilities within offices. Further development of these facilities would offer substantially more benefit by supporting work outside the office and thereby possibly enabling further reductions in office space. It is expected that clear cost and service efficiencies will be demonstrated, not least by avoiding the need to recruit fewer additional social workers than would otherwise be needed.

1.9 The increase in locality based teams for Integrated Children's Services will require a different systems solution than is currently in place in order to respond to the occupancy of shared office spaces in various host organisations. Experience to date with the similar position in Mental Health would indicate that mobile IT would offer substantial operational advantages such as accessing systems from health bases, which is otherwise difficult to achieve.

1.10 Preparing for implementation of a mobile IT approach now would move the County Council into a strong position in advance of the development of Children's services in the coming months and years.

1.11 The Education Department and County Treasurers' have similar mobile `caseworkers' with a similar business requirement to Social Services. For others there is a requirement to access common systems, e.g. e-mail, diaries, lone working systems, in a similar way as well as specific specialist needs, e.g. mapping systems.

1.12 Using Social Services as a model this paper describes what is meant by Mobile IT, considers implementation issues, proposes a development approach, and sets out an indicative plan, costs and benefits. Social Services is offering to test equipment and pilot the facilities involving colleagues from other Departments.

1.13 Mobile IT working can be delivered at different levels via mobile devices such as `Blackberries', and Laptop PCs. In a Social Services context these levels can be seen as:

· Option 1 - On-line access to all office systems and SWIFT from anywhere using a combination of wireless technologies with capability for off line working where a network connection cannot be achieved (e.g. parts of the New Forest)

· Option 2 - On-line access to full SWIFT and the electronic social care record (not IT2000 office systems) from anywhere (as above)

· Option 3 - Off-line access to the core forms in SWIFT with frequent synchronisation of data through fixed office and mobile network links

· Option 4 - Off line access to the core forms in SWIFT with at least daily synchronisation of data through office network links (an extension of the approach adopted by the IT2000 PDA service that is available in the County Council)

1.14 Option 1 is more complex, requires more development effort, and would yield the maximum benefit. Option 4 offers an entry level to test the concepts and benefits of having SWIFT available through Mobile IT. However it does not support full flexible working and use of an electronic records as the worker is restricted to returning to a Council base to update and check information that has not been previously downloaded and to use office systems. Appendices 1 and 2 describe the operational impact of the above options.

1.15 From experience of similar trials of mobile working elsewhere Laptop PCs or similar devices, appear to offer the best technology to support this way of working for social care staff. A number of authorities such as Cambridgeshire are now introducing Tablet PCs for their social work and other staff. This is due to the need to emulate A4 sized forms and can accept handwriting, which is a much more acceptable input mechanism for staff. Other smaller devices such as `Palmtops' will also be evaluated and are likely to be more cost effective for specific tasks. It is envisaged that the current feasibility study will identify a range of products, that can be supported by a common IT communications platform from which discrete business areas can then select the most cost effective option for their purpose.

1.16 Other information technology e.g. using mobile phones and smartcards, will be examined in the future to support the delivery of Home Care services. Other newer technologies, are also emerging and may offer substantial benefit at lower cost.

1.17 This paper presents an outline business case and implementation plan based on the Social Services model. Detailed costs, benefits and development and implementation options are currently being evaluated. These will be based on the revised business processes and requirements. Any technology solution will be determined by the business needs.

2 Implementation issues

2.1 Requirements

The technical design and solution needs to meet the requirements of the Council as a whole. These wider requirements have been outlined in the current phase.

2.2 Technology

This is complex and requires development. The Council's mobile architecture is being designed and tested in the current phase. This work will draw on the substantial body of expertise in the IT industry as a whole and in social care in particular. The infrastructure will be designed to support application by all Council departments.

2.3 Change Management

While there is a rising demand for mobile technology among many mobile staff , and social workers in particular, enabling this and achieving the benefits will require substantial changes to working practices. These changes will have to be carefully managed and supported. Experience elsewhere suggests that, initially at least, best results are achieved by voluntary take up of the technology and new working practices. The change then sells itself. It is possible that this softer implementation approach would naturally yield accommodation savings that would part offset the cost.

2.4 Equalities

The proposal has been assessed to be in accord with requirements of the Equality Standard for Local Government and the Corporate Equalities Plan and Race Scheme.

3 Proposed Approach

3.1 Four stages have been identified, the first two are underway :

· Assessment (including business requirements)

· Design, Proof of Concept and Business case

· Build and Pilot

· Full Implementation

3.2 The Proof of Concept will involve the development of a working prototype of the facilities. These will then be tested, using simulation exercises, by a group of children's social workers based in Gosport. This will test the feasibility of using the facilities. However it will not be a full pilot of the facilities involving full use to deliver services. On completion Cabinet will be presented with the business case and options for moving to a pilot phase. 3.3 A number of Social Care Teams have offered to pilot the facilities e.g. child care reviewing officers, social workers, and family placement teams. To ensure proper support and evaluation, and contain costs it is unlikely that all volunteers can be included. It is proposed therefore that a pilot includes up to 100 social care staff in Fareham and Gosport, and Andover areas. It would build on the office changes planned at Chantry House, Andover which involve reconfiguring office accommodation to enable a reduction of 25% of space.

3.4 A pilot phase would use the full production facilities and would aim to prove their value and validate the business case prior to investment in the full implementation. On completion of a pilot phase Cabinet would be presented with an evaluation of the benefits, costs, and options for moving to the next stage, a phased corporate implementation.

3.5 Overall Indicative Project Timescales

Phase: Complete by:

1

Return on Investment analysis October 2004

2

Technical Evaluation, Integration planning, Pilot plans, Proof of Concept and Business Case

Dec. 04

Decision to proceed to pilot January 05

Secure Funding for the Pilot Feb. 05

3

Pilot Implementation Spring 05

Pilot Period Spring / Summer 05

Pilot completion and Evaluation and Recommendations

September 05

Decision to roll out and secure funding October 05

4

Technical Preparations, Communications, etc Dec. 05

Roll Out Period Begins Jan. 06

4 Financial Implications

4.1 Initial estimates indicate that the corporate IT infrastructure to support all departments applications and enable a full pilot of the facilities will cost in the region of £700,000 to set up. The Cabinet could consider whether to proceed to that stage on completion of the current phases of work and submission of a full business case.

5. Benefits

5.1 Tangible savings in mileage and office IT equipment would offset the annual costs to some extent. Other larger productivity improvements should reduce the expected growth in social care and other staff and associated costs office and travel costs. In the medium term release of office accommodation could yield substantial additional cost savings and capital `windfalls'. Application of the common infrastructure to other departments will yield additional benefits.

5.2 Within the proposed timescale it is not possible to quantify detailed benefits for all County Council Departments. Detailed work is underway for Social Services Department and some broader analysis will be completed for other Departments The maximum Social Services benefits of implementing full Option 1 facilities may be in the region of: £'000 pa

Mileage 70

Staff time saving 3,200 - 5,000

Accommodation (from 2008) 254

5.3 In the medium term savings arising from the reduction in office accommodation costs are likely to be achieved.

5.4 Mobile working can be seen as a corporate initiative, with potential significant benefits for several Departments. Therefore any subsequent pilot and implementation phases should be resourced from a corporate IT development programme, supported by corporate capital receipts.

6 Legal Implications

None

7 Personnel Implications

As part of this development policies and procedures for flexible and mobile working will be revised in consultation with the Trade Unions.

8 Impact Assessment

Race and equality impact assessment has been considered in the development of this report and no adverse impact has been identified.

9 Crime prevention issues

This proposal will have no direct impact on the prevention of crime.

10 Next steps

10.1 Complete phases one and two and report to the Corporate Management Team (CMT) in January 2005.

10.2 Subject to CMT's agreement report back to the Executive Member (Policy and Resources) in February 2005.

11 Recommendations

That the following decision is approved:

11.1 To endorse the decision already taken by the Executive Member for Social Care on 24 September 2004 to undertake the first two phases of the IT Support for Mobile Working t Project at a cost of £270,000, to be funded from Social Services Resources, and to receive a report on completion of these phases.

.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background documents

The following documents discuss facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and have been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB: the list excludes

1. Published works

2. Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

None

Appendix 1

IT Mobile Options, Picture of a Typical Day

Current:

Charlie is a Registered Children & Families Social Worker who starts the day by driving the 10 miles from home to the office. Once there, by checking SWIFT workflow, talking to colleagues and her team manager, she can establish that in addition to the two visits already planned for the day, another visit is now required to be slotted in. Charlie then locates the paper files for the three visits, reads through and replaces the files, checks SWIFT to establish whether any new contacts have been recorded and leaves the office.

In two of her meetings, Charlie takes ample notes on paper to be able to complete in SWIFT the next stages of the cases she is working on. At the last appointment however, the client was not there and Charlie was forced to drive past her house, back to the office to type the day's notes into SWIFT and to deal with any workflow items received since she was last in the office. She works until after 6pm to complete the work and drives home

Option 4: Forms synchronised in the office

The variation from Charlie's day to one under Option 4 would be that Charlie would be able to capture the details on an tablet PC, which reads and translates her handwritten notes into text, or keeps some items in free script. She will still drive past her house to go back to the office, although once there, is able to press a single button to transfer the days' notes to SWIFT, enabling her to leave earlier. Charlie will still have to work through the Workflow items at the beginning and end of the day but will be able to leave a bit earlier.

Option 1: Swift and IT2000 available on-line from anywhere

Charlie is now able to login to IT2000 and SWIFT to check email and SWIFT workflow to see whether anything new has arrived before she leaves home. She can read the Electronic case file, found by pressing a button in SWIFT while reading the workflow items and can make the journey directly to the first appointment. At that appointment, she will use an offline version of SWIFT to avoid being connected to the network all the time, but knows that she is the only person who can make any alterations to the case while she is dealing with it that day. For the next appointment, Charlie feels that the use of the Tablet will not be practical, so chooses to capture the detail on paper. This will require re-work later, but since the last appointment is aborted, can drive straight home and make the update. While connected, Charlie can check the workflow items and email, and is comfortably finished and at home by 5pm, still in contact with the office should any other case arrive which requires urgent response.

Appendix 2

Indicative Benefits Matrix