The shared communication and contact centre platform, for the Welsh public sector, received a virtual ministerial launch as local authorities are being told that joining the shared network would be the quickest and most cost-efficient way for them to see 30% of their employees work from home in future.
Initially set for March this year, the launch of Connecting Wales has been delayed because of COVID-19. However, as a result of the delay, new COVID-related services, like CAV24/7 and the Transport for Wales demand responsive bus service fflecsi have been added to the platform.
The Welsh Government has said it wants to give workers more flexibility to work remotely in future and suggests that Connecting Wales could drive regeneration and economic activity in communities across Wales after the threat from COVID-19 recedes.
Connecting Wales was officially launched by Welsh Government Minister for Housing and Local Government, Julie James, in a virtual event alongside Rob Thomas, Managing Director of Vale of Glamorgan Council, the lead authority on Connecting Wales.
“At the Vale of Glamorgan Council, we are continually looking for innovative methods to improve the way in which we operate and deliver essential services” said Thomas. “Joining the Connecting Wales platform and mobilising contact centre agents to remote working is the simplest, most efficient and cost-effective way for local authorities and other public sector bodies to set the ball rolling. This platform should be a key priority for those seeking to achieve the Welsh Government’s target of enabling 30% of workers to work from home.”
The long game
Local authorities employ around 140,000 people in Wales and there are currently thought to be more than 2,400 public sector contact centre workers in the country. Employers are also currently examining other implications of long-term home working for more of their staff, such as stable and efficient broadband connections and who pays for them.
Connecting Wales is powered by private sector partner FourNet’s Community Cloud technology and delivered to public sector bodies through PSBA (Public Sector Broadband Aggregation) therefore offering cost-effective network connectivity.
Richard Pennington, CEO of FourNet, said: “The Connecting Wales platform elevates homeworking to the same service levels as employers would offer from their own offices, but it also brings major cost savings.
“In addition, there’s no need to rip out perfectly good equipment since the platform can integrate with existing council telephone systems that may still have a few years of investment left in them. Connecting Wales has been designed to allow seamless connectivity and call routing between front and back offices, which removes the need for corporate contact centres and telephony services to be replaced, at great cost, for no reason.”
The Minister for Housing and Local Government, Julie James said: “The pandemic has changed how many of us work. Connecting Wales will allow more employees from across local authorities to work from home whilst maintaining key services for their communities.
“This project is a fantastic example of what can be achieved when local authorities and the public sector work together. I am delighted it has gone from strength to strength, enabling greater collaboration across local government, increased innovation and better services for their customers in both English and Welsh”
