Voicescape, a Manchester provider of tenant engagement software for social landlords and local authorities, has been appointed by Newcastle City Council to help manage its council tax arrears.
The council has over 110,000 properties subject to council tax and will use Voicescape’s collections software to streamline its council tax collection. It is hoped that, by using the technology, the scale and quality of customer engagement will improve – something that has already been seen in the city with existing Voicescape client Your Homes Newcastle, which manages estates and homes on behalf of the council.
Lesley Watson, revenues & benefits manager at Newcastle City Council, commented: “The last two years have created significant challenges due to the impact of COVID-19. It’s clear that as the cost of living bites, we need to increase community engagement and support our officers further to maximise income collection. We’re confident Voicescape will play a vital role in helping us achieve our aims.”
Voicescape has also appointed Sean Sutton as its new head of local government as it seeks to strengthen its position in the public sector. Formerly head of public sector at Esendex, Sutton brings more than 11 years’ experience in managing software applications in both central and local government.
Bill Williams, chief revenue officer at Voicescape, said: “We’re confident [Sutton’s] arrival will help us to amplify our core message of driving resident engagement through digital transformation within local government such as at Newcastle City Council.”
The pressures currently facing households have had a direct impact on collection and arrears figures in local government, with an average drop in council tax collection rates of 1.12 per cent, and as much as 10 per cent for some councils. This equates to average arrears of £2.7 million per council nationally.
Sutton added: “I passionately believe that digital should be at the core of every business strategy for client and staff engagement. Mobile platforms are the route into change. Digital is the language of today, and for the future generations of residents.”
