What We Are Aiming to Achieve by Creating This Team

Neighbourhood First

What we are aiming to achieve by creating this team

A multi skilled neighbourhood based team across Eastbourne providing a presence in the community that can respond to customers, encourage prevention and enabling, resolve issues on the ground and ensure the highest ‘clean, green and safe’ standards are maintained

A more speedy, simple, responsive customer journey leading to higher customer satisfaction

Relationship building in the community with customers and with partners and other agencies
Empowered and multi skilled staff, resulting in higher staff satisfaction.

Role A - Neighbourhood Advisor (Zones)

Role activities

Working effectively with customers and partners

Interacting with and responding to customers out in the neighbourhood – either one-to-one in the street or by approaching people in their homes, or at drop in sessions / surgeries. Also interacting with staff and owners of retail outlets and other businesses
Interacting with customer special-interest groups such as neighbourhood panels or trade and residential associations. Possibly making presentations or answering questions at group meetings
Building and sustaining links with representatives from other agencies in the zone: Police, Eastbourne Homes
Within the team there would need to some expertise/ experience of proactively dealing with dog issues, e.g. education

Empowering customers

Encouraging customers to self serve by using digital channels: the Customer portal, email
Managing customer issues effectively (triage thinking): spotting possible emergencies or serious cases to pass straight over to Specialist Advisors
Supporting customer enabling and self serve by observing peaks or trends in interaction types and spotting opportunities for the Council to initiate further enabling and self serve. This could involve championing own ideas, participating in multi departmental teams or project teams

Using systems effectively

Comfortably using a number of systems: the website, the Customer portal, the intranet, Love Clean Streets application, Contact manager (CRM and W2 functionality)

Knowledge of services

Having a good understanding of the services provided across the council, and a good knowledge of the terminology and acronyms used by the services

Knowledge of the zone

Having a deep understanding of their assigned geographic zone, including a number of cleansing and cutting rotas, expected standards, what is and is not EBC’s responsibility and hot spots for incidents
Maintaining and updating an information pack about the zone

Handling Enquiries / Service requests

General enquiries, largely about their zone (e.g. bin day) - scripted but expected to be memorised in time, included in an info pack about their zone, which they will add to and keep up to date
Logging service requests on behalf of customers: missed bins, new / replacement bins, clinical waste or assisted waste collection, pest control appointments (but can’t take payment)

Reporting issues

Knowing the required standards and rotas of contracted works across their zone: grass height, cleanliness
Knowing the acceptable limits of pollution (air, noise, water, etc) in order to report possible issues
Knowing the acceptable limits of health & safety and food safety in order to report possible issues
Understanding possible planning enforcement issues: developments without planning permission, building issues – blights, disrepair
Community enforcement issues: littering, fly tipping, graffiti, dog fouling, smoking
Some parking issues to support Neighbourhood First parking zone if required
Maintenance issues: bus shelters, parking meters, fences, bollards, signs, gates, stiles, public conveniences
Reporting via Blackberry using Love Clean Streets app, or via Contact Manager using handheld device, or in an emergency situation by calling relevant team to action

Community enforcement

Issuing warnings and penalty notices, explaining to people what they have done wrong and why it matters
Doing initial, on the spot, investigations: checking fly tipping for ID, graffiti for known tags
Passing more detailed investigations to enforcement (either Customer First (Case Management) or Specialist Advisory) eg. Finding the tradesman who fly tipped
It is not envisaged that Neighbourhood First would lead other types of enforcement (e.g. planning, pollution) but may support those teams on request

Supporting other teams

Visiting private and council properties on request in order to verify facts for other teams and in some cases discuss findings with customers
Relating to waste contract: bins not being presented, incorrect items in recycling
Relating to reports: verifying graffiti, fly tipping, abandoned vehicles, overhanging vegetation, maintenance and nuisance issue or other reports
Initial validating of environmental health, food or health & safety reports: observing bad smells or noise, for example, or dangerous practices (e.g. someone working dangerously) – write up so can act as witness
Checking that notices have been put up for licensing and putting up notices for planning, photographs for planning, other checks as required by licensing and monitoring changes on the ground for planning policy
Checking that contracted works have been carried out, where specialist knowledge isn’t required for this verification (e.g. graffiti has been cleaned, street name plate has been replaced)

Monitoring and inspections

Schedule of monitoring activities using scripted checklists on a handheld device:

Taking ownership for maintaining standards in the zone – creating a route around the zone in order to achieve this, checking for standards and reports as described above, with a particular emphasis on cleansing (including dog issues) and grass cutting contract work
Visiting public conveniences within the zone to check cleanliness standards and maintenance issues
Checking other Council infrastructure within the zone to check cleanliness standards and maintenance issues (e.g. bus shelters, sea front)
Visiting public parks and gardens within the zone to check cleanliness standards and maintenance issues
Visiting car parks in the zone to refill and check working order of parking meters (if required to support Neighbourhood First (parking)
Playground inspection -risk assess, inspect, maintain and specify maintenance and repair work for playgrounds

Flexible working

Services may need to be extended beyond 9 to 5 and into Saturdays. Flexible working or a rota system may therefore be required.

Role B – Neighbourhood Advisor (Operational)

Role activities

Note – these roles are largely operational with an element of Neighbourhood First triage type work

Working effectively with customers

Interacting with and responding to customers out in the zone

Empowering customers

Encouraging customers to self serve by using digital channels: the Customer portal, email
Managing customer issues effectively (triage thinking): spotting possible emergencies or serious cases to pass straight over to Specialist Advisors
Supporting customer enabling and self serve by observing peaks or trends in interaction types and spotting opportunities for the Council to initiate further enabling and self serve

Using systems effectively

Comfortably using a number of systems: the website, the Customer portal, the intranet, Love Clean Streets application, Contact manager (CRM and W2 functionality)

Knowledge of services

Having a good understanding of the services provided across the council, and a good knowledge of the terminology and acronyms used by the services

Flexible working

Services may need to be extended beyond 9 to 5 and into Saturdays. Flexible working or a rota system may therefore be required.

Specific to Downland

Knowledge of the zone

Having a deep understanding of their assigned geographic zone (Downland), including what is and is not EBC’s responsibility and hot spots for incidents

Handling Enquiries / Service requests

General enquiries, largely about their zone (e.g. unauthorised activities) - scripted but expected to be memorised in time, including in an info pack about their zone, which they will add to and keep up to date

Reporting and dealing with issues

Unauthorised activities e.g. camping, vandalism, fly tipping, parties, littering, vehicles on the downs, dog fouling, fires, trapping, shooting
Issuing warnings and penalty notices, explaining to people what they have done wrong and why it matters
Reporting via Blackberry using Love Clean Streets app, or via Contact Manager using handheld device, or in an emergency situation by calling relevant team to action

Monitoring and inspections, and ad hoc checks for other teams

Schedule of monitoring activities using scripted checklists on a handheld device:

A route around the zone to monitor contracted works
Monitoring all infrastructure to report (or complete) maintenance
Carry out ad hoc checks and verifications for other teams

Downland operations

Programme and carry out renewal and maintenance of farm boundary fencing as required within tenancy agreements
Schedule and carry out maintenance and repairs to footpaths, bridleways, stiles and gates and report any observed breaches of the conditions of tenancies.
Keep records of fencing renewal programme and materials, fuel and equipment inventories.
Programme and carry out summer and winter mowing and maintenance of the open Downland grass areas and ensure that all annual mowing schedules are observed.
Carry out site surveillance to ensure that the land, flora and fauna are not abused and that Downland bylaws and the countryside code are observed.
Unlock gates providing access to Downland parking areas as required.
Arrange and supervise the open Downland grazing scheme with licensed graziers, ensuring that all sites are appropriately grazed and that temporary fencing is maintained to ensure stock remain enclosed.
Arrange for the taking of hay in rotation and to arrange sale and collection of bales.
Maintain the Downland workshops at Cornish and Bullock Down Farms and carry out general maintenance to all machinery and tools
Maintaining inventories of hazardous material/ chemicals and up to date risk assessment where necessary.

Specific to parking

Knowledge of the zone

Having a deep understanding of their assigned geographic zone (car parks), including what is and is not EBC’s responsibility and hot spots for incidents

Handling Enquiries / Service requests

General enquiries, largely about their zone (car parks) - scripted but expected to be memorised in time, included in an info pack about their zone, which they will add to and keep up to date

Parking operations

Ensure that as far as is practicable income targets are met
Check the operational function of Pay and Display ticket machines in the Council’s ‘off street’ car parks to ensure their effective operation.
Report faults in ticket machines and any other equipment.
Check vehicles parked in all designated car parks and issue a penalty notice when a vehicle, other than a vehicle duly authorised to park without payment or a vehicle exempt in accordance with Parking Orders is parked without displaying a valid pay and display
Check vehicles parked in all designated car parks and issue a penalty notice when a vehicle is parked other than in accordance with the Orders applicable to that parking place.
Travel between car parks as may be required
Litter pick the Council’s ‘off street’ car parks to ensure that they remain presentable to the user (depending on new waste contract arrangements)
Report all vandalism, damage and faults within the car parks including the surface area, fencing, signs and equipment
Issue permits for coach parking at the Pierhead from 68 Grove Road
Assist the Council in the process of any prosecution resulting from the issue of a parking notice by completing a witness statement
Assist with control of coaches at peak times, if required.

Specific to rapid response and maintenance

Operations to support Neighbourhood First (Zones)

Provide a rapid response fixing and maintenance service where issues need to be resolved quickly rather than passed to a contractor e.g. remove graffiti from Council owned buildings; undertaking minor repairs, removing fly posters
Support Neighbourhood First team when a vehicle is required e.g. to transport heavier equipment such as for graffiti cleaning

Inspect seafront parades, beaches, and public conveniences, first thing each morning
Report or action all issues, damage and obstructions on the seafront
Schedule maintenance of facilities and equipment
Specify small works and supervise where required

Pest control

Undertake sampling, and disinfestations and disinfection treatments required to maintain public health and control of nuisance pests