Exploring the challenges facing local authorities
In partnership with Socitm, we collaborated with Cumberland Council to explore how local authorities in Northern Ireland overcame some of today’s toughest challenges.
Hear how UK councils are cutting costs, streamlining services, and using intelligent automation to improve citizen experiences. Cumberland Council shares their own transformation journey, providing practical insights for your organisation.
This webinar recording provides useful information for all public sector professionals
Mark Gannon
Director of Client Solutions
Dave Sanderson
Director of Member Services
Craig Barker
Senior Manager Digital Innovation and Customer Experience
Explore how Intelligent Automation is empowering local authorities to tackle pressing challenges.
The importance of strong digital leadership in local government is not a new concept but one that’s recently become imperative. ‘Underfunded’ and ‘understaffed’ have long been words synonymous with the public sector, with local authority ‘spending power’ falling and staff numbers have dropped consistently since 1999. It seems we’ve finally hit a crisis point.
In 2000, less than 7% of the world had internet access. Fast forward to today and that figure rises to a whopping 63% — a fact that’s even more astounding as it includes emerging and developing economies — where 93% are on social media. Just think, most of us didn’t even know what that was in 2000.
Local authorities in the UK have seen a 37% reduction in core grants since 2010 — and a near 38% reduction in staff since 1999. As a growing population places higher expectations on local government, councils have less people (and money) to service demands. The question has turned into one of survival, as a £2.4 billion increase in inflationary costs threatens to push many English councils into bankruptcy.
