Improving Services Through Listening To People

Improvements to council and public services that have been made as a result listening to people across Dundee are set to be highlighted.

This includes the establishment of the Hope Point community wellbeing centre, as well as the Dundee Women’s Hub.

The City Governance committee on Monday May 13 will consider a detailed report showing how the local authority has responded to suggestions from the public that have been taken forward by service areas.

The report outlines how the council has looked at suggestions and comments to enhance the ways in which it interacts with people.

This has been done in a number of ways including involvement of users in planning new services and facilities, meetings with representative groups like tenants, carers, parents and people with disabilities.

There is also analysis of individual complaints, comments and suggestions that have been received.

Convener of the City Governance committee Councillor John Alexander said: “We are a listening council, and it is important that the view and experience of people can be taken on board to improve services for everyone.

“We are never complacent about these issues because the voices of those in our city like people with lived experience, foster carers, families, children and young people are vital in letting us know how to make improvements.”

Examples include:

• Mental health and wellbeing developments have had significant contributions from patients, service users, carers, families and the workforce. This has led to a number of developments including introduction of a Mental Health Response Vehicle and the opening of Hope Point Community Wellbeing Centre.
• The Benefit Delivery Team continue to actively listen to their customers and ensure they are supported to make their Council Tax payments by applying Council Tax Reduction, applicable discounts and exemptions, changing payment dates, encouraging direct debit take up and continuing to work with Corporate Debt and Advice Services. Recognising the cost of living crisis, the team have also reviewed their refund process in order to ensure refunds are issued at the earliest opportunity.
• Changes were made to the latest Fuel Well Dundee support available, based on feedback from the 10,800 citizens canvassed in 2022/23. Customer feedback showed a 300% increase in those citizens off fuel supply or in danger of going off fuel supply since the original Fuel Well Dundee scheme.
• The Environment Waste Team commissioned and developed a mobile app to provide help on a range of waste & recycling activities including setting collection reminders, identify what materials can go in each bin and access to a wide range of service-related guidance.
• Almost 1300 young people responded to a survey about their use of the National Entitlement Card for free bus travel. Results were very positive in terms of the financial and environmental benefits of free bus travel as well as the opportunities this provided to travel to education, leisure and to see friends/family, as well as greater independence
• Engagement with the community in Linlathen identified the quality of local green spaces as a key priority for residents. A networking event led to the installation of three play areas within disused green spaces.
• Key representatives from the British Sign Language community and relevant organisations and stakeholders have been at the centre of the planning and development of the Council’s new BSL Plan.
• Dundee Violence Against Women Partnership have worked alongside a wide range of partners to develop Dundee Women’s Hub, which opened in 2023.

The full list of improvements is available on the report here.

The council details the process every year on the We Listened, We Acted webpage.

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