Working with the challenges of the Coronavirus pandemic, past and present.
It’s now been just over a year since COVID-19 caused how we live and work to change abruptly. Across that year though, Civica along with our customers have successfully learned to adapt to a very different world.
In the spring of 2020, we were an early signatory to the C-19 Business Pledge. We focused as a priority on safeguarding our people and communities and ensuring the successful ongoing provision of our business-critical software and services. That focus has been maintained throughout the pandemic and in a similar way across all our countries, we operate in.
We responded with new resources and rapid innovations, including the COVIDCare app delivered in March 2020 for the Northern Ireland Department of Health to later in 2020, a contact solution to support local track and trace in the London Borough of Redbridge. Across all the parts of the public sector that we support, we have responded to the needs of the customers and communities we serve, applying and adapting our software and systems.
We have been delighted to receive significant recognition during the past year, from individual awards for our people and as an employer of choice, to our cloud and digital solutions such as Best Cloud Finance Solution for our work with South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. We recognise that many customers are looking to build on new and stronger ways of working, and are also focused on accelerating the adoption of new technologies.
Supporting our Employees
Our priority remains the physical and mental well-being of all our colleagues. Our teams continue to do an amazing job, responding to our changing working world with exceptional resilience and flexibility. Underpinned by our strong operating platform, this continues to sustain our business activities.
We’ve worked hard to proactively provide guidance and support for our people, from keeping remote workers engaged to our mental health champions and free-to-access Employee Assistance programme. We’ve enhanced the way we communicate and continue to look for new ways to share ideas and inspiration. We have gathered and reacted to feedback via regular Pulse surveys and will continue to do that throughout 2021.
As each of the countries, we operate in moves towards a relaxation of Covid lockdown restrictions, we are adapting our approach in line with the guidance of national governments.
In regions where facilities can be accessed, colleagues are able to ‘opt in’ to a limited number of workspaces available in our hub offices for occasional days. This is made possible by our workspace booking app and supported by attendance tracking together with comprehensive arrangements to protect the safety of colleagues. For many of our colleagues, working from home continues to be the primary arrangement for now and our Incident Response and People teams continue to look for ways to support our colleagues and enhance these working practices.
Providing tools and resources for our customers
Alongside business as usual for our customers, we've worked hard to support the national and local level response through practical, innovative and updated software capability. We have delivered a range of new capabilities quickly, such as those listed below, and continue to provide system advice, configuration and data insights to ensure effective action.
- Local Government
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Community Helper software
Built on the iCasework platform to help local authorities co-ordinate rapid support for vulnerable people while minimising safeguarding risks. Securely manages requests with smart routing to rapidly match and direct these to agencies and volunteers. Free to councils for 6 months. Initial partnership with Liverpool City Council, the digital platform is easy to use, quick to implement and highly secure.
Authority
Worked closely with Hamilton City Council to mitigate new risks and ensure a smooth system go live. Adjusting the programme to reduce the impact on Hamilton staff already under major pressure maintained project momentum while accommodating movement of all council staff to working from home.
Asset Edge
With travel restrictions in place, organisations are using cloud-based Signum software to record and obtain detail on placement of temporary road closure signage. Digital access to information for entities such as state police and neighbouring shires is assisting enforcement with accurate information on signage.
- Health & Care
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Carelink
To support community carers providing front line care for the disabled and aged, new Global Client Alert function developed for the CarelinkGo mobile app. This alerts carers in the field for important COVID-19 updates prior to their shifts.
Civica Experience
Working with Western Sydney Local Health District, the Civica Experience platform is being used to gain patient feedback from every COVID-19 telehealth appointment. Feedback is obtained in real time for priority patients who need to come into hospital, can be managed at home or need community support.
- Libraries
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Spydus
With branches closed, Spydus software is helping libraries to continue providing educational, entertaining resources to their communities. Users are able to borrow online a wide range of electronic content, which can be easily managed remotely and securely including 2 factor authentication. Free staff access to Spydus online training platform for the duration of closures.
Helping our Communities
In challenging times, people take great comfort from supporting and helping their colleagues and their wider community. Throughout the pandemic, we’ve actively encouraged our colleagues to support their local communities including through our Donate-a-Day scheme. Our people continue to help with causes close to their hearts including providing direct support to people in their local communities.
