Local Government Review (LGR) Partner Update

March 2023

Dear partners,

In just a few days we will launch North Yorkshire Council, so I wanted to share some important information with you and to reassure you that it’s very much business as usual for us here. Despite being on the cusp of completing the most significant overhaul of local government here since 1974, you should notice minimal change over the transition stage. That’s the hope! Bins will still be emptied, leisure centres and libraries will open, roads will be fixed, streetlights will be turned on etc. You will still be able to use the contact details you have and speak to the people you usually speak to. All telephone numbers will continue to work, emails are being automatically forwarded and so on. There is much more below, but I wanted to make this point with clarity at the start. Below are some key updates from a number of the workstreams forging the foundations of the new council, which I hope are helpful.

Customer Workstream – North Yorkshire Council will implement a ‘one front door’ approach from day one. This means access to our services will be easier while we provide the right experience by using the right contact methods for differing scenarios.

As a partner, you will continue to have direct contact with colleagues. This will be done via direct dial and email addresses, which will be provided to you. Any legacy phone numbers and email addresses, however, will continue to work. 

The council’s new customer number is 0300 131 2 131. This number will go live on 1 April but will not be manned until day three – Monday 3 April – instead it will revert to the normal out-of-hours service.

The phone lines and main customer access points will be open at the following times/days:

Day	Telephone	Main customer access points
Monday	9am to 5pm	9am to 4.30pm
Tuesday	9am to 5pm	9am to 4.30pm
Wednesday	9.30am* to 5pm	9.30am to 4.30pm
Thursday	9am to 5pm	9am to 4.30pm
Friday	9am to 4.30pm	9am to 4.30pm

*Please note the later opening every Wednesday to provide training time for customer service teams

Outside of this time, a customer out-of-hours service will be available via this phone number for those who need to access urgent help for social care, housing, registrar, Ryecare and trading standards. We will also have a situation message which can be turned on if required. 

There will be times customers need a direct contact. For example, if colleagues are supporting a specific enquiry or accessing a service. Post day one, a team email or direct dial hunt group number will be provided. This means customers will get a response even if members of the team are away from the office.

The customer service team will be led by Margaret Wallace and will sit in Gary Fielding’s Resources directorate.

The full correspondence received is attached.