Is self-service a good option for children’s services?

I came across an interesting article the other day reporting that 61 per cent of respondents to a global survey of consumer habits said they would be willing to shop in a completely automated store with vending machines and kiosk stations offering virtual customer service.

What I found particularly fascinating was that 42 per cent of respondents said they would actually prefer to shop in this way – presumably notwithstanding unexpected items in the bagging area.

There was a time when self-service was regarded as no service in retail terms. But the survey results indicate a real shift in social attitudes to living in a more automated world.

Indeed, I’ve become aware of an increasing number of local authorities that are moving areas of their children’s services provision in this direction through online hubs. And those that have tell me this has helped them deliver a better experience for children and families as well as saving public money.

But what services could be improved by moving them online?

Simplifying school places

One of the most widely implemented services to go online in the authorities I speak to is school admissions. Parents simply apply for their child’s school place via a secure website and they get an email or text confirmation that their application has been received, giving them instant peace of mind. They will then be automatically informed of their child’s school place by email or can find out online as soon as the council makes the information available. 

This service seems to be getting ever more popular with parents. One authority I know has seen a staggering 74 per cent increase in take-up of online applications since they first launched and 92 per cent of parents in the area now choose to apply for their child’s school place in this way.

Looking at the options

I’ve recently seen a news report in which a council predicted savings of £500,000 over the next five years by increasing the number of online services it offers. When budgets are tight, figures like these are impressive.

There is huge scope for self-service portals to play a role in the delivery of children’s services, such as managing free school meals, help with transport and a range of other education grants. They can help to reduce costs, speed up the process and simplify the whole experience for parents.

Typically, these services require a paper form to be completed by a parent, which a member of staff will key into the system. Address details need to be verified and additional information may be gathered from other departments before letters can be written and posted out. This paper trail can make the process labour intensive and incredibly time consuming.

With a self-service option, parents enter the information the authority needs online and if the data is held centrally, their child’s eligibility can be checked automatically against electronic details already in the system. The result is that children get their free school meals or funded transport more quickly. And if they no longer qualify because their circumstances change, it doesn’t take weeks for the process to catch up.

It seems that self-service might well provide a valuable option for authorities to do more with less while helping ensure that families get the support they need sooner.

Phil Neal is managing director at Capita Children’s Services