Dementia sufferer disadvantaged by council’s digital focus, says former councillor

A former councillor has complained that her efforts to help a friend with dementia are being made harder because of the council’s determination to deal with almost everything online.

Dawn Barnett, who represented Hangleton and Knoll on Brighton and Hove City Council from 2004 to 2023, said that she had tried phoning the council but couldn’t get through.

She said that a recorded message for most of the past month said that there were problems with the phones and, despite long waits, she couldn’t get through.

Mrs Barnett, 84, said that she would prefer to see someone face to face but there was no longer a public counter at Hove Town Hall.

She said: “You used to be able to go to Barts House and there was the housing team on one side and the council tax on the other.

“I’m trying to help someone get their council tax sorted out. He’s got Alzheimer’s disease.

“You can’t talk to anyone face to face. You can’t get through on the phone. They want everyone to email. Not everyone is computer literate.”

She said that she was helping someone who would not have been able to deal with the council online himself, adding: “They want details that he can’t help with because of his dementia.”

“An office worker at the council told me that they’re told they’re not to talk to anyone.

“I’m not blaming the office staff but the phone lines are only open for four hours a day.”

Mrs Barnett said that council workers had continued working from home since the coronavirus pandemic and it had made dealing with the council much harder for a lot of people, not least the elderly.

And she said that people struggled with computers for a variety of reasons including. These included loss of dexterity in the hands and fingers and loss of mental capacity.

The council’s People Overview and Scrutiny Committee agreed to set up a “task and finish group” last month to look in more depth at customer services, with a view to taking evidence and then producing a report next January.

A report to members of the committee said: “Digital exclusion remains a significant issue.

“The (council’s) Customer Experience Strategy specifically identifies digital exclusion as a key challenge, noting that some residents lack internet access, digital skills or accessible technology.

“The strategy commits the council to providing support, equipment, alternative access routes and staff training to assist digitally excluded residents.

“The (council’s) Digital, Data and Technology Strategy highlights the need to ensure all resident groups benefit from digital technology while maintaining a customer-centred approach.

“The strategy promotes digital solutions but explicitly recognises that vulnerable residents may require tailored support and alternative routes to services.”

The report asked a series of questions including: “Does the council fully understand the barriers that some groups of people face in accessing services?

“How does the council measure success in enhancing digital inclusion and reducing digital exclusion?

“What is the council’s customer service offer to people who are unable to use digital services?

“Does this offer meet the varied needs of city residents, particularly in terms of people with protected characteristics?

“How confident is the council that the shift to digital has not led to disengagement by vulnerable people who need support, particularly people with relatively easy-to-address needs that will become hard-to-address crises without intervention?

“The council has recently redesigned face-to-face support to focus resources in libraries. How successful is this initiative proving and how will it evolve?

“Is there a danger that reductions in face-to-face options mean we pick up fewer problems at an early stage?

“How accessible is our face-to-face offer for people with protected characteristics?

“Does the council have a coherent position on phone services?

“A significant percentage of local people may be able to use digital services but are reluctant users – because they have limited digital skills or access, would rather talk face-to-face, because they believe council digital services are poorly designed, etc.

“What is the council doing to encourage digital use by the digitally reluctant?

“What is the council doing to ensure that customer experience of digital services is a positive one?

“How is the council managing reputational risk associated with negative customer experience of digital services?”

Mrs Barnett said that the council should remember who paid for services and wages through their taxes and do a better job of helping residents when they just needed to thrash out a problem.

She added: “You try to do the right thing but you can’t speak to a soul.”