Issue - meetings

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Education presented a report on the implementation of a Cashiering Service Modernisation Programme and, in particular, the proposed closure of face-to-face cashiering services as a means of reducing the use of cash and promoting more efficient electronic methods of payment both internally within the Council and by its customers.

The Cabinet Member advised that the Modernisation Programme would involve the cessation of the face-to-face service provided at the Barking Learning Centre with effect from 1 June 2012, with the intention that the service at the Civic Centre, Dagenham would cease at a later date.  The Corporate Director of Finance and Resources advised that the original timing for the closure of the face-to-face service at the Civic Centre had been put back to May 2013 to enable any lessons from the closure of the service at the Barking Learning Centre to be incorporated into a further report to Cabinet, and to facilitate the smooth implementation of a new financial system across the Council earlier in the year.

It was noted that a public awareness campaign was an integral part of the Modernisation Programme and a key focus would be to raise awareness of alternative methods of payment available to customers and the advantages that those methods offered.

Cabinet agreed:

  (i)  The closure of face-to-face cashiering services at Barking Learning Centre from 1 June 2012 as part of the Cashiering Service Modernisation Programme;

  (ii)  That a further report be presented in the new year on the proposed closure of face-to-face cashiering services at the Civic Centre, Dagenham from 1 May 2013, in the light of the lessons learned from the closure of the service at the Barking Learning Centre; and

 (iii)  That the Corporate Director oversees the development of a Communication Action Plan to advise customers of alternative and easier methods of payment and encourage more take up.