Proposed changes to face to face customer services

What's the latest?

Background to the consultation

You can contact us in several ways to get help and information about our services including by telephone, online, self-serve, email, web chat (messaging one of our staff during office hours), chatbot (automated messages to answer common queries), social media and face to face through our Customer Access Points (CAPs). 

There are currently eight CAPs across the county located in Barnard Castle, Stanley, Seaham, Spennymoor, Durham City, Crook, Chester-le-Street and Consett which support residents who are struggling to access our services online or over the phone.

At present, 90% of the enquiries we receive are made by phone, email or online. And despite opening hours being reduced at the four least used CAPs last October, demand for face-to-face customer services remains low, with only 38% of available appointment slots being used since these changes were introduced.

What was proposed

We want to ensure that the remaining 10% of our residents, who cannot access our services in any way, other than face to face, are best served by what we provide.

Our aim now, therefore, is to develop a more responsive offer which delivers customer service support to the places it is most needed. So, rather than continuing to spend unused appointment time in our current CAP locations, we are exploring opportunities to serve wider community needs by providing support across more locations in the county, benefiting you with increased choice, reduced travel requirements and a better service overall.

This does, however, require a reduction in the opening times of our current CAPs to avoid increasing our costs to deliver the service. The following new opening days are therefore proposed at our current locations:

• Barnard Castle: Wednesday
• Chester-le-Street: Monday
• Consett: Wednesday
• Crook: Wednesday
• Durham City (Clayport): Thursday
• Spennymoor: Thursday
• Seaham: Friday
• Stanley: Tuesday

How the proposals were developed

The opening days for the existing CAPs have been suggested following a review of appointment data, along with knowledge of what is happening in the CAPs' local areas. This has helped us recommend the best opening times to match resident demand. We have also considered feedback from some residents during appointments and our consultation last year, who said their nearest CAP was further away than they would like.

Have your say

Before we developed these proposals further, we wanted to hear what you think of the proposals and how they might affect you.

Consultation results

Following analysis of your and councillor feedback, the recommended option for our face to face services is to have Customer Access Point (CAP) surgeries that open for one day a week from current locations, with additional locations in Peterlee and Newton Aycliffe also opening one day each week. This will better reflect current demand and increase accessibility in the east and south of the county. 

While this proposal will lead to a reduction in the opening times of current CAPs which will impact some people, the service is not being removed, it is being re-modelled on a demand-led basis to provide a broader reach and better access to more residents with the introduction of more locations. In addition, alternative customer access channels including telephone, email, social media, and web chat will remain available. 

The recommended option was agreed by our Cabinet at its meeting on 16 October 2024.The full report, including service data and consultation feedback, can be found in the Cabinet agenda and minutes - 16 October 2024,  Agenda Item 4. 

There were some changes to the proposed opening days following feedback and the following has been agreed (from 1 October 2025):

• Barnard Castle: Wednesday 10.00am to 5.00pm
• Chester-le-Street: Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm
• Consett: Thursday 9.30am to 5.00pm
• Crook: Tuesday 8.30am to 5.00pm
• Durham City (Clayport): Thursday 8.30am to 5.00pm
• Newton Aycliffe (new): Friday 10.00am to 4.30pm
• Peterlee (new): Wednesday 8.30am to 5.00pm
• Spennymoor: Thursday 8.30am to 5.00pm
• Seaham: Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm
• Stanley: Tuesday 8.30am to 5.00pm

The new opening times and locations (except Durham City) will start from 1 October 2025. The CAP in Durham City is being considered as part of a wider review of services at this location.