Bracknell rolls out remote working

Bracknell Forest Borough Council is running a flexible working study as it prepares for the development of new premises based around innovative working practices.

The council is looking to improve remote working facilities while cutting IT costs, and expects the study to be complete by the end of the year.

As a public sector organisation, it is vital that money is well spent, said IT services manager Richard Dawson.

“Being conscious of public money, I cannot commit to spending funding where it is not necessary or where it can be better used elsewhere,” he said.

“Ultimately, it is about providing better services at lower costs. It enhances user and supplier experience and makes support easier for me. Our new building will be hinged on new ways of working.”

The authority is an established Citrix site and has been using thin client technology which in the past five years has cut hardware costs by £60,000.

The council has halved its Citrix server count from 30 to 15, and has extended its refresh cycle from three years to five. Dawson said £25,000 has been saved on desktops in the past year alone.

The technology supports joint working with agencies such as the NHS and Youth Justice, and allows staff to share information securely between agencies and the council.

There are already 250 remote access users across the council, and take-up is increasing every week.

Social workers can already log in from home, and check cases and appointments for the day, before going straight out into the field, bypassing the need to travel to their office.

The council said it plans to add its Integrated Children’s System to the remote working platform this month.