In our Monday discussion group, we talked about what’s been worrying you lately. The main concern was about subsidies. It’s really important now, especially with the tight budget at the council. It seems like the finance team might not fully understand how much subsidies are affected by things they can’t control. This could be anything from an increase in homelessness, sudden changes in government policy, or even simple mistakes by staff members.
I’d suggest checking out the courses offered by LA Directories. Kim from there is really knowledgeable about subsidies. Also, our partner Business Smart Solutions has some great resources on subsidies.
But it’s not just subsidies that are on your mind. Issues like staffing, managing vacant positions, and dealing with an aging workforce are also concerns. We’re losing a lot of experience and skills as people retire.
There’s also the challenge of balancing the use of automation and AI with maintaining our old network infrastructure. Speaking of which, don’t forget about our 2024 Automation and AI workshop series starting on January 30 at 11 am. The first session features Graeme Maychell from Govtech talking about automation in billing and collection, and Aneeq Star & Andrew Smith from ICS AI discussing AI co-pilots for better customer service. You can sign up here: https://bit.ly/VNAA24.
The slide pack is attached, and the reports and tables mentioned in both the slide pack can be found at: while the recording can be accessed from https://bit.ly/VNR240122 while files and reports can be downloaded below.
We also have a WhatsApp group where you can stay connected and participate in further discussions. You can join us here: https://bit.ly/3Qjrkqe.
Please note that the handout contains additional slides covering other items of interest in the news and job adverts, which are provided in partnership with Business Smart (https://www.businesssmartsolutions.co.uk/).
We have launched a new subscription service for our CTR rewrite product. This lets you spread the cost over five years, providing steady service during this period. With the recent changes in welfare benefits and the upcoming election, this could be a helpful option for you. More information is available at https://bit.ly/CTRP23.