08a-comms strategy rpt cab 201011 - cannock chase district · payslip inserts 10 3.6% core brief...

ENCLOSURE 10.1

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CANNOCK CHASE COUNCIL

CABINET

20TH OCTOBER 2011

REPORT OF THE HEAD OF POLICY

RESPONSIBLE PORTFOLIO LEADER: CORPORATE IMPROVEMENT

COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY 2011-14

KEY DECISION – NO

1. Purpose of Report

To obtain Members’ approval of refreshed Communications Strategy 2011-14

2. Recommendation(s)

3. Summary

3.1 The current Corporate Communications Strategy was approved by Council in 2009. With the pace of communications technology and changes in demographics, it is important that we monitor and refresh the ways in which we are communicating as an organisation and ensure that our Communications Strategy is up to date and meets the needs of the community.

3.2 In order to improve the effectiveness of communications, both internally and externally, the Council needs to ensure that its communications are targeted to the right audience but perhaps more importantly through the right channel. The diverse needs of our communities have informed the refresh of the Communications Strategy.

4. Key Issues

4.1 Effective communication is at the heart of everything the Council does. Not only is it key to strengthening links with local people, service users, partner organisations and staff, it is crucial to ensuring that the Council’s vision and priorities are delivered.

4.2 There is a strong relationship between the provision of information and residents’ satisfaction which emphasises that the more we inform people about what we do, the more satisfied they feel with the services they receive and the Council overall. For this reason, the aim of the Strategy is ‘to improve resident satisfaction by making sure our customers, staff, Members and communities are informed about the services, facilities and projects we deliver through clear,

2.1 That Cabinet note the revised Communications Strategy 2011-14.

2.2 That Cabinet recommend to Council that the Communications Strategy 2011-14 be approved.

ENCLOSURE 10.2

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concise and innovative methods of targeted communication and to increase awareness of access to services”.

4.3 The Communications Improvement Plan underpins the Strategy and details the key strategic actions we will be delivering in order to achieve this. The contents of this Improvement Plan will therefore form the basis of the Corporate Transformation Priority Delivery Plan for 2012/13 with regard to communications activity. The actions and indicators from the Improvement Plan and hence PDP will be monitored through the Council’s Performance Management Framework and reported to Cabinet and Scrutiny on a quarterly basis.

4.4 The improvement Plan will be submitted for Cabinet consideration on 17 November 2011.

5. Conclusions and Reason for the Recommendation

5.1 Consultation undertaken with residents during summer 2011, together with the socially modelled customer insight data, collectively emphasises the importance of targeted, tailored communications. The new Strategy is informed by this data and details the strategic direction for improving the effectiveness of our communications both internally and externally. The findings of the external and internal communications survey are included in this report as background papers. All comments made are included.

ENCLOSURE 10.3

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REPORT INDEX

Contribution to Council Priorities Section 1

Financial Implications Section 2

Human Resource Implications Section 3

Legal Implications Section 4

Section 17 (Crime Prevention) Implications Section 5

Human Rights Act Implications Section 6

Data Protection Act Implications Section 7

Risk Management Implications Section 8

Equality and Diversity Implications Section 9

List of Background Papers Section 10

Annexes to the Report i.e. copies of correspondence, plans etc. Annex 1, 2, 3 etc

Report Author Details: Jamie Summerfield, Interim Communications Manager, Extension 4495

ENCLOSURE 10.4

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Section 1

Contribution to Council Priorities

The refreshed Communications Strategy aims to “improve resident satisfaction by making sure our customers, staff, Members and communities are informed about the services, facilities and projects we deliver through clear, concise and innovative methods of communication and to increase awareness of access to services”.

Successful implementation of the strategy is essential in order to achieve the Council’s four corporate priorities of People, Place, Prosperity and Transformation which collectively contribute to the Council’s vision.

Section 2

Financial Implications

Subject to any costs associated with the implementation of the Revised Communications Strategy being contained within existing approved budgets there are no identified financial implications arising from this report.

Any expenditure over and above the approved budgets will need to be considered as part of the budget process and require additional reports to be submitted for consideration.

Section 3

Human Resource Implications

There are no identified human resource implications arising from this report.

Section 4

Legal Implications

There are no identified legal implications arising from this report.

Section 5

Section 17 (Crime Prevention) Implications

Targeted communications can be effective with regard to perceptions of Crime and Disorder and would contribute towards the S.17 duty.

Section 6

Human Rights Act Implications

There are no identified Human Rights Act implications arising from this report.

Section 7

Data Protection Act Implications

ENCLOSURE 10.5

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There are no Data Protection Act implications arising from this report.

ENCLOSURE 10.6

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Section 8

Risk Management Implications

There are no risk management implications directly associated with this report. Strategic Risks with regard to the Council’s communication activity are contained within the Strategic Risk Register.

Section 9

Equality and Diversity Implications

The Communications Strategy adheres to the Council’s Equality and Diversity policy and in particular has due regard to the duties within the Equality Act 2010.

Section 10

List of Background Papers

Consultation responses to internal and external communications surveys – Summer 2011

Annexes to the Report

Annex 1: Communications Strategy 2011-14

Report Author Details

Jamie Summerfield, Interim Communications Manager, Ext 4495

1

Internal Communications Survey Total respondents = 99 Where are you based? Cannock Civic Centre 74

74.7% External Site 25

25.3% Have you received internal communications via the following face to face methods in the last twelve months? Yes No No reply Moving Forward Together 81

81.8% 18

18.2%

Did you find it useful? 49 60.5%

17 21.0%

15 18.5%

Team meetings 84 84.8%

15 15.2%


1 1.2%

9 11.1%

Core brief – briefing from manager 74 74.7%

25 25.3%


11 14.9%

7 9.5%

On the front line 22 22.2%

77 77.8%


3 13.6%

3 13.6%

Joint Consultative Committee 7 7.1%

92 92.9%


1 14.3%

1 14.3%

Have you received internal communications via the following printed methods in the last twelve months? Yes No No reply The Byte 64

64.6% 35

35.4%


9 14.1%

8 12.5%

Notice boards 62 62.6%

37 37.4%


11 17.7%

4 6.5%

Payslip inserts 69 69.7%

30 30.3%


16 23.2%

6 8.7%

2

Have you received internal communications via the following online methods in the last twelve months? Yes No No reply Core Brief 90

90.9% 9

9.1%


18 20.0%

4 4.4%

The Core (intranet) 89 89.9%

10 10.1%


13 14.6%

6 6.7%

Chief Exec’s blog 96 97.0%

3 3.0%

Did you find it useful? 61 63.5%%

30 31.3%

5 5.2%

The Byte 70 70.7%

29 29.3%


12 17.1%

5 7.1%

Communications emails 96 97.0%

3 3.0%


6 6.3%

5 5.2%

Yammer 9 9.1%

90 90.9%


5 55.6%

-

SMS Messaging system 18 18.2%

81 81.8%


4 22.2%

-

Overall, how satisfied are you with the effectiveness of internal communications? Very satisfied 8

8.1% Satisfied 42

42.4% Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied 38

38.4% Dissatisfied 10

10.1% Very dissatisfied 1

1.0%

3

Please select your top three preferred methods for future internal communications Moving Forward Together 29

10.6% Team meetings 72

26.3% Core Brief – briefings from Manager 23

8.4% On the front line 1

0.4% Joint Consultative Committee 2

0.7% The Byte 8

2.9% Notice boards 7

2.6% Payslip inserts 10

3.6% Core Brief online 27

9.9% The Core (intranet) 17

6.2% Chief Executive’s Blog 10

3.6% The Byte online 10

3.6% Communications emails 50

18.2% Yammer 1

0.4% SMS messaging service 7

2.6% If you would prefer any other methods of communication, please let us know

• More two-way communication. Channels need to be in place to allow employees to raise good ideas, cost-saving ideas etc. Something like a suggestion box??

• Some methods from the above list could be used a lot better than they are

• If the official communications emails were more selective and contained less 'cupboard for sale' and 'earring found in ladies toilet' and just important staff info they may be more useful. The types of message I have mentioned could still be circulated but perhaps under a different title as they encourage people to simply hit delete

• We need an electronic notice board where colleagues can sell things etc rather than comms sending emails - comms emails should just be about important issues not buying or selling! an electronic notice board of some sort would be the best place for such activity.

• Verbal communication and cross section meetings between officers and

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teams/colleagues is not included in any of these questions about internal communication. An organisation like this relies heavily on good working relationships and awareness of other services/roles. Internal verbal communication and awareness could be and needs to be improved with teams seeing themselves as part of "an organisation" rather than simply a member of an "in house team".

• All have relevance dependant on the message to get across. Key is to have regular (weekly or monthly not quarterly) and up to date info

• Needs to be more structured communication system in both directions. Current system is ad hoc and doesn't provide a structured way in passing down information.

• There are too many methods of communication and while I have ticked "useful" they are only so to certain extents, some more useful than others, others have very little useful information. Can't these methods of communication be cut back to stop the feeling of being bombarded by information. It would also save a lot on the costs of paper, printing, energy and manpower. Thanks.

• There doesn't seem to be a formal cascade of information nor a structured process for information flow upwards. Putting leadership team minutes on the intranet is fine but all a bit cryptic without being able to see the reports they refer to.

If you have any further comments about internal communications please use the space below

• Some methods of communication are not used as effectively as they could be or are under used. Sometimes the same messages come from all sources and it is not clear which the main focus is for different types of message. The Intranet Site (Core) is poor and information I know is one there is difficult to find. The site needs to be improved to make key information, policy documents etc more accessible. The use of html for things like leadership team meetings and the filing structure of them on the Core is poor as formatting etc is lost and the latest information is difficult to find. Information is also not updated quickly enough (at present only 2 Leadership Team minutes are available out of six meetings.)

• I think there are too many versions of internal communications. We only need 1 version - perhaps Communications emails. Also certain departments often get overlooked regarding management issues and updates due to not being in the main Council building (i/e Social Alarms, CCTV, Museum)

• The choice of method of communication is much less important than its timeliness.

• Have not come across the Yammer

• Large items of info are communicated very well it is the small items that get overlooked or it is assumed people already know about.

• Internal communication is disparate and disjointed and a rarity in any coherent manner. Minimal and condescending and appearing to be aimed at the intellectually challenged, it is a one way system. The phrase "working in a vacuum" should be included in every job description.

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• I do not think the JCC is utilised to its full extent and I believe it is not publicised widely enough to be as useful as it should be

• Your survey is useful up to a point but it will give a false picture of my views as I can only say yes or no. Very often methods are useful for one purpose but may be inappropriate or simply don't work for others. Also the answers to your top 3 could be a somewhat misleading as I think there are more permutations than that, it really depends on the kind of information you are communicating. I hope the feedback is of use.

• It is not so much the method of communication that is the issue, it is the content. It is often not timely, very detailed or relevant

• One to one type personal discussions with senior management is good as is blog but in respect of the latter and other notices it needs to be on a very regular update.

• There used to be a more structured system whereby all managers were required to hold team meetings on a weekly basis, on a fixed day and time. This was used to cascade key information from the Management Team. There was also a system whereby staff could ask questions and could expect a reply within 10 days. This no longer happens. Communications are of a more general nature and key information arising from Cabinet Meetings is not disseminated anymore, but found by chance.

• As I work in a location away from the Civic I am unaware of anything that may be posted on notice boards at the Civic. I may be missing out on important information but I would have no way of knowing this, perhaps anything that is printed for notice boards should be marked as such and then emailed to staff in other locations who can then print off and put up on boards themselves.

• I really feel that there should be a meeting of all Leisure/Arts/ Theatre/sports development including ground floor staff, as sometimes we can all help each other. with events ie Party in the park, Zumba in Park, Carnivals, etc. Sometimes as a group we do not all work together on the basis there are similarities between us all.

• There seems to be a disconnect between senior managers and those 'in the loop' and the teams involved in day to day work, plus between officers in different parts of the building who may be involved in similar or overlapping work areas. Often the links and synergies seem to be found by chance. Opportunities for ideas and improved ways of working therefore get less chance to emerge.

• There are far too many general emails sent to everyone each day - can these be filtered so that the number is reduced

• If perhaps the electronic core brief could contain links to other sources of information for employees this would be useful (for example links to the minutes of the JCC, leadership team etc). The Chief Executive's blog serves little purpose when it is so frequently out of date and does not convey much in the way of useful information which isn't already known. There are so many sources of information it is difficult to know if one has it all? Regular e-mails from communications are by far the best source of useful updates.

• There are methods of communication listed there that I have never even

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heard of yet I have worked here over three years - what, for example is yammer?? It is very hard to judge the effectiveness and usefulness of a method of communication with a simple yes or no answer - for example, some communication emails are very useful, others seem sometimes pointless to me. I have put that I don't find the Chief Exec's blog useful, but I feel that this is an under-utilised tool. Some of the blogs have been completely unhelpful and sometimes demoralising - particularly around the time people were at risk of redundancy. It was at these times, in particular that the blog could have been far more effective as I sometimes felt slightly patronised by them, which did nothing for morale (which is at an all time low). I also feel that they should be more regular than once a month, if that to really keep us informed.

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External Communications Methods

Total respondents = 357 In the last 12 months, through which of these communications methods have you received information about Cannock Chase Council? Yes No No reply Council website 202

56.6% 155

43.4% -


12 5.9%

1 0.5%

Newspapers 282 79.0%

75 21.0%

-


16 5.7%

2 0.7%

Radio 42 11.8%

314 88.0%

1 0.3%


2 4.8%

-

Television 52 14.6%

305 85.4%

-


1 1.9%

1 1.9%

Online (blogs etc) 73 20.4%

284 79.6%

-


1 1.4%

-

Twitter 21 5.9%

336 94.1%

-


1 4.8%

-

Facebook 61 17.1%

296 82.9%

-


1 1.6%

-

YouTube 16 4.5%

341 95.5%

-

Did you find it useful? 16 100%

0 0%

-

Flickr 10 2.8%

347 97.2%

-

Did you find it useful? 10 100%

0 0%

-

2

Yes No No reply Community forums and public meetings

94 26.3%

262 73.4%

1 0.3%


10 10.6%

-

Printed literature: leaflets/postcards/posters etc

266 74.5%

90 25.2%

1 0.3%


11 4.1%

1 0.4%

Chase Matters (Council magazine) 258 72.3%

98 27.5%

1 0.3%


23 8.9%

2 0.8%

Council reception areas 130 36.4%

226 63.3%

1 0.3%


8 6.2%

1 0.8%

Public notice boards 136 38.1%

220 61.6%

1 0.3%


3 2.3%

2 1.5%

Call centre 80 22.4%

276 77.3%

1 0.3%


13 16.3%

2 2.5%

Overall, how satisfied are you with the effectiveness of Council communications? Very satisfied 46

12.9% Satisfied 165

46.2% Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied 113

31.7% Dissatisfied 23

6.4% Very dissatisfied 23

6.4% No reply 2

0.6% Do you have access to the internet?

Yes 308

86.3% No 46

12.9% No reply 3

0.8%

3

If yes, how do you access the internet?

Home computer 284 79.6%

Work computer 102 28.6%

Public access (library etc) 22 6.2%

Mobile/ smart phone 96 26.9%

Other 3 0.8%

No reply 3 0.8%

Please select your top three preferred methods for future communications (Responses %) Council website 168

18.8% Newspapers 196

21.9% Radio 18

2.0% Television 31

3.5% Online (blogs etc) 35

3.9% Social media (Twitter, Facebook etc) 41

4.6% Community forums and public meetings 26

2.9% Printed literature 117

13.1% Chase Matters 126

14.1% Council reception areas 26

2.9% Public noticeboards 58

6.5% Call centre 14

1.6% No reply 40

4.5% If you would prefer any other methods of communication, please let us know

• All you need is a good website

• More public notice boards

• Mobile phones

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• Chase Matters ranked 1st

• Email

• Through open days, similar to what the Fire Service do

• Email

• Email

• Leaflet to home

• Sponsorship of events

• Email

• Information left at libraries

• Text messages

• Leaflets by door

• Email

• Leaflets

• We are old fashioned parents and like letters, that way you don't miss anything

• Sign up to an automated email server

• School presentations

• Texts If you have any further comments about communications please use the space below

• Need more. We don't get anything papers etc so would only know by word-of-mouth or website. Maybe take email addresses and signpost people to website.

• When we receive information through the post. I do read this and find it informative about our community.

• Advertise events through schools and local children’s centres.

• Didn't know CCDC was on Facebook, YouTube, Flickr.

• Communication is very poor and always has been - needs a complete revamp!

• Call centre = time consuming

• Chase Matters is very useful

• As I live in Prospect Village we do not get the usual free newspapers - the website is not user friendly so it is difficult to find out what is happening in our area.

• I would use the website If I had a problem or issue but would not go on there regularly for updates.

• Although lots going on we don't get to know about it, difficult to know when and where events are taking place.

• I think they are doing a good job

• Any communications please make sure there is a telephone contact number as not all of us are on the website.

• I found them to be very helpful especially when the access road was in planning. The plans were sent to us as requested & any questions

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answered. Also, the planning dept have been very helpful with suggestions to the plans on the property.

• Very poor communications

• The website is very difficult to navigate. Current planning applications received are not available. Walsall Council's site is so much easier.

• Reduce waiting times on the Council hotlines

• Katie & Kerry excellent ambassadors for the Council

• Ask people of Cannock if they want the cheap shops ou keep letting into the town.

• Please answer the phone

• Didn't know Chase Matters existed

• I phoned the Council about a new brown bin as ours was split – they sent a new one the next day.

• Brilliant customer service

• Website is hard to use & find information

• A lot of people find out about events too late.

• Keep the Play Rangers and other free services

• It's about time they did what was best for the community and not themselves! Selfish!

• Overall very effective

• You need to communicate more with young people

• Through staff telling me & through the other services I use – ie hospital, doctors etc.

Effective communication

Communications Strategy2011-14

Resident satisfaction

Moving forward

Value for money

www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk

2

Introduction - A Communicating Council

Why are communications important?

Background and where we are now

Aim of the Strategy

The principles of our communication

Moving forward - Our Strategy

Performance Management

3

A Communicating Council

Communication is at the heart of everything we do.

Not only is it key to strengthening links with local people, service users, partner organisations and staff, it is crucial to ensuring we deliver our vision and priorities.

We are committed to providing high quality, planned and sustained corporate communications.

Effective communication needs to be driven by an explicit strategy and senior leadership and aligned with every aspect of our work. It is the responsibility of everyone who works at Cannock Chase Council and the Leadership Team is committed to working with Members to drive this Strategy and ensure that communications is embedded within the organisation.

We want to keep people informed, listen and respond to their concerns and refl ect their priorities in our own. We want to increase people’s understanding of our services, the local democratic process and our role as a community leader/employer.

Communications is a two-way process - it is about giving people the opportunity to express their views and opinions as well as providing information. Good communications lead to more effective services, a better reputation and strengthened relationships.

Stephen Brown | Chief Executive

4

Why are communications important?

What people see, the services they receive and the information they read or hear will all infl uence perceptions. It’s from every call to every contact to every experience, which is why managing these well improves our reputation and residents’ satisfaction with our services.

Research by polling company Ipsos MORI found that the more residents feel informed, the more they tend to be satisfi ed with public services and their local authority. The research also shows that overall satisfaction with local authorities is further heightened when an informed public feel they can infl uence local decision making.

This is why we give communications at Cannock Chase Council such a high profi le.

By way of example, consultation data tells us that 70% of the District’s population feel safe in their local area after dark. This group do not necessarily need to receive communications aimed at reassuring residents about community safety after dark. However, it follows that 30% do not feel safe and there is an evidential need to communicate with this group in order to understand why they feel this way and provide communications which would reassure them (i.e a priority target group).

By targeting such a message, not only would it reach the required target audience, but it would also avoid irrelevant and costly communications with an inappropriate audience.

5

Background and where we are now….

We use a wide range of communications channels and tools, including:• Media relations to ensure positive coverage of the

Council• Our website • A Council magazine that was previously

distributed four times a year• Marketing campaigns on specifi c services and

initiatives• Printed literature like posters and leafl ets

With the pace of communications technology and changes in demographics, it is important that we monitor and refresh the ways in which we communicate as an organisation and ensure that our Communications Strategy is up to date and meets the needs of the community.

With this in mind we carried out a communications review with our residents in summer 2011. In particular, we wanted to understand:• Which communications channels they had used

to obtain information about the Council and its services

• Whether they found these channels and information useful

• Overall satisfaction with the effectiveness of Council communications

• Access opportunities through e-communications such as the internet and mobile services

• Preferred methods for future communication

This consultation told us that:Overwhelmingly, newspapers were the most utilised source of information, followed by our website, printed literature such as leafl ets and posters and the residents’ magazine ‘Chase Matters’

In respect of the most frequently used channels (as listed above) residents stated that they found the source ‘useful’

59% of respondents were either very satisfi ed or satisfi ed with the overall effectiveness of communications. However, a signifi cant 31.7% were neither satisfi ed nor dissatisfi ed.

86% of respondents had access to the internet (through work, home computer or mobile/smart phone)

The most preferred methods for future communications were newspapers, followed by our website, Chase Matters residents’ magazine and printed literature.

These consultation responses, alongside other data sources such as Customer Insight, have collectively informed the 2011-14 Communications Strategy.

Aim of the Strategy

The aim of this Strategy is simple….

In order to achieve this, we need to have proactive, timely and well organised communications activities that gain local, regional and national recognition.

Most importantly, we need to learn from what has worked well and actively seek feedback from residents, businesses, partners and our employees in order to shape and refresh the ways in which we communicate.

We will not stand still in our approach to communications and there is always more we can do and will do.

As part of this Strategy we will be introducing some new methods of communication and monitoring arrangements for some of the activities we already carry out.

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Thee prrincipless of our ccoommuunicatioon

In order to achieve the aim of the Strategy, we are committed to ensuring all internal and external communication is guided by these principles:

Open and honest - presenting a clear picture of what’s happening, when and why and dealing with people’s concerns

Clear and consistent - all communication should be easy to understand, using jargon-free Plain English and simple terms of explanation

Relevant and timely - communicate what people need to know when they need to know it

Targeted - we will use various communication channels to meet the diverse needs of our communities

Accessible and two-way - using a range of communication channels and feedback mechanisms to maximise reach and encourage dialogue with all sectors of our community

High quality and value for money - present a professional and identifi able image of the Council, while minimising costs.

“To improve resident satisfaction by making sure our customers,

staff, Members and communities are informed about the services, facilities and projects we deliver through clear, concise

and innovative methods of targeted communication and to increase

awareness of access to services”

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Moving Forward - Our Strategy

1.We will communicate the right messagesIn line with the principles outlined within the strategy, our communications will be relevant and inform people of what they need to know and most importantly when they need to know.

2. We will communicate to the right people (i.e target audiences)It is essential to identify the relevant audiences we communicate with in order to deliver the most relevant messages through the most appropriate channel. Our main audiences include:• Residents• Elected Members• Employees at all levels and locations• Business community• Public sector partners in the District• The media (local, regional and national print,

broadcast and online)• Community and voluntary organisations• National opinion formers• Potential inward investors

3. We will communicate through the appropriate channel - recognising diversityRecognising diversity when communicating with residents is vital. We take diversity into account in our communications, by having a fl exible approach and having awareness to meet the needs of different audiences.

We believe the most successful way to communicate with our diverse communities is by ensuring we use a variety of mediums to meet the varying needs. The Equality Act 2010 protects people from discrimination on the basis of protected characteristics; age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership and pregnancy and maternity.

Accordingly, through delivery of this Strategy and a targeted approach, we will ensure that individuals receive communications which meet their specifi c needs in a non-discriminatory manner.

Our previous Communications Strategy was produced in 2009. Since this time there have been huge technological changes in communications, particularly surrounding social media.

There is no longer a single method or universal way of communicating with residents. The diverse needs of our communities also confi rms that there simply isn’t a ‘one size fi ts all’ approach.

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The previous approach of District-wide campaigns that broadcast information to general audiences through paper communications will now evolve to ensure that we deliver more targeted communications through a variety of mediums, tailored to the various audiences.

There are 41,385 households in Cannock Chase District. By using Customer Insight (socially modelled data) we know which communication channels households are most receptive to. Clearly households use more than one communication channel and therefore the fi gures below depict the prevalence of particular channels within District Households and do not therefore total 100%.

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4. We will use new digital communications tools More people than ever are using the internet, which is transforming the way in which all organisations, including the public sector, are communicating.

According to the Offi ce of National Statistics, in 2010 approximately 60% of the UK adult population had accessed the internet every day or almost every day (a staggering 30.1 million adults).

Within Cannock Chase District, according to our summer 2011 consultation, 86% of respondents said they have access to the internet, with a huge majority accessing the web on work or home computers and mobile phones. Additionally, Customer Insight data shows that 28% of the District’s households (11,715) are receptive to the internet and electronic communications.

LOCAL NEWSPAPERS - 51%

FACE-TO-FACE - 43%

INTERACTIVE TV - 41%

TELEPHONE - 32%

INTERNET AND ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS - 28%

TEXT MESSAGES - 19%

MAGAZINES - 13%

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Social networking is becoming an increasingly popular internet activity and offers huge potential as a communications tool.

In May 2011, 26.8 million people visited Facebook, the most popular social network in the UK. There are now 100 million active users of Twitter around the world. According to Ofcom’s 2011 Communications Market Report, 48% of the adult population used social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter in the fi rst three months of 2011.

Social networking offers an opportunity to communicate with young people in the District. A signifi cant 91% of 16 to 24-year-olds say they took part in social networking on websites like Facebook and Twitter (Offi ce for National Statistics, 2011).

However, it is very important to note that this is not an activity that is limited to younger age groups.

• Almost one fi fth (18%) of internet users aged 65 and over indicated that they participated in social networking (ONS, 2011).

• Between 2009 and 2011, usage of the social networking site Facebook among the over-50s population in the UK grew faster than any other group (Nielsen, 2011). In this period, overall membership of Facebook increased by 41%. Among over 50s, the fi gure was 84%.

• For the fi rst time, over half (55%) of those aged 65-74 in the UK have access to the internet at home, while over three-quarters (77 %) now have a mobile phone.

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The Council has a presence on Twitter and Facebook, as well as video site YouTube and photo-sharing site Flickr. Over 1,200 people receive news and information from the Council via Twitter but we must continue to develop and extend our presence and infl uence in social networking to reach as many people as possible.

Mobile technology also offers us an opportunity to expand communication channels. Over a quarter of adults (27%) and almost half of teenagers (47%) in the UK now own a ‘smartphone’, the new generation of mobile phone that allows quality internet access. In our summer 2011 communications consultation, over 25% of people who said they had access to the internet used mobile phones to do so.

We will innovate and explore new channels, such as text and mobile internet, to give customers the opportunity to be communicated with in the way that suits them best.

Performance Management

The Council’s corporate vision is shared with the Local Strategic Partnership and states that:

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“By 2021 Cannock Chase will be a place where people

have the opportunity to enhance their quality of life and achieve

economic prosperity”

Our Communications Strategy is vital in ensuring that we communicate effectively with our residents about the progress we are making in achieving this vision and ultimately “improve resident satisfaction by making sure our customers, staff, Members and communities are informed about the services, facilities and projects we deliver through clear, concise and innovative methods of communication and to increase awareness of access to services”.

We know that improving our communications (with residents in particular) is a priority and the Communications Improvement Plan details the key strategic actions we will be delivering in order to achieve this.

The contents of this Improvement Plan will form the basis of the Corporate Transformation Priority Delivery Plan for 2012/13 with regard to communications activity. The actions and indicators from the Improvement Plan and PDP will be monitored through the Council’s Performance Management Framework and reported to Cabinet and Scrutiny on a quarterly basis.

This publication can be provided in braille, on audio cassette tape/disk, large print and in alternative languages on request to Cannock Chase Council on 01543 462621.

Cannock Chase CouncilPO BOX 28, Civic Centre, Beecroft Road, Cannock, Staffordshire WS11 1BG

Tel: 01543 462621Fax: 01543 462317 Email: [email protected]: www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk

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