Surrey County Council have a major telework implementation with a target to improve the environment, set a model for employment practice and reduce their property portfolio by 50%.

Staff at Surrey County Council will be giving flexible working some serious thought over the next few months as the authority prepares for a radical shake-up of working practices.

Some 3,400 staff in 83 buildings across the county will be affected by the proposed flexible working programme - known as Surrey Workstyle - which is expected to reduce the authority’s office stock by up to 50 per cent over the next two/three years and create efficiency savings of up to £3 million per year through better use of buildings and technology and freeing up cash for front-line services.

The proposals, which have been agreed in principle by the policy and finance committee are currently being considered by staff who have until June to comment and offer suggestions.

"The consultation process is a means of communication enabling staff to find out what Surrey Workstyle will mean to them and to offer them the chance to say how they want it to work," said communications officer Naomi Grove. "It will be going ahead - that’s non-negotiable - but they will be able to shape it."

She said several pilot projects were already up and running within the authority and feedback from staff involved had been both positive and constructive. The projects had also given people the chance to address specific departmental issues which were flexible working had thrown into the spotlight, she said.

Michael Gammon, chairman of the policy and finance committee, said the process of change was evolutionary but radical, stressing there was no blueprint that could be applied to every county council office because of different community needs and the wide variety of professions represented across the authority.

"Surrey Workstyle will require each of the council’s departments to develop, in a manner appropriate to the services it offers, the type of far-reaching change in working patterns achieved in financial services and other sectors in recent years," he said.

"It requires firm leadership and skilled management, the co-operation of staff to offer improved services for our customers and a more effective workforce with working conditions tailored to their needs." Surrey Workstyle is also geared towards helping the council to achieve its aim of cutting car use among staff, as part of its company transport plan. Fewer and shorter journeys between home and work can reduce traffic congestion, lessen work-related stress and boost staff productivity. The policy and finance committee will meet again in July to consider the results of the consultation process and discuss the next step.

The model of Surrey Workstyle currently being considered by staff includes:

• a single corporate headquarters (although no decision about whether to retain County Hall or replace it with new headquarters somewhere in Surrey will be finalised for some months)
• four major area offices for staff who have to be in a broad geographical area or could be based anywhere in the country
• about 25 local office bases designed to meet the needs of customers for direct access to council staff and to allow staff to work closer to home for at least part of the week.

Currently 80% of access to council services is via the telephone but the smaller offices will enable those who do want face-to-face contact with officers to link up to a variety of departments eg. education, social services, housing all under one roof rather than having to travel between several different addresses which is presently the case.