Redbridge i brings together a range of applications, many of which have been seen only in the private sector thus far, in an approach that gives residents unparalleled access to council services and a direct say in how those services are delivered. 

The site has been designed to provide for:

• personalisation
• customisation around individual preferences
• registered users can make use of automatic recommendations based on their viewing history
• create their own personal Redbridge i homepage, selecting the modules and applications they most want to see or use.

The site’s capacity to create a bespoke experience for users arose from listening to our residents and responding to their desire for locally focused, up to date information, efficient services and choice in how our services are delivered. 

Users may register on the site to:

• find the services closest to where they live
• report a problem and see the information displayed in a new interactive map
• use our ‘How do I?’ application to deliver the answers to the most frequently asked questions in an accessible format. 

Our tailored approach is supplemented by the use of targeted modules to display the information and service links key target groups are most likely to require. 

The opportunities to engage as citizens register with the site is exponential as the Council can establish a dialogue with a broader range of individuals, affinity groups, and neighbourhoods. It is a mutually beneficial arrangement in which the Council holds the ring facilitating community discussions and learning from them, while the community gets to have its voice registered and acted upon. Our new discussion forums enable free-flowing debate at both borough-wide and neighbourhood levels. They also put people who share an interest in touch, developing more opportunities for community-based co-operation. Although, they may on occasion make for uncomfortable viewing, the forums are already beginning to have an impact and will feed through to our area committee and scrutiny processes.

Our partners in Health and the Police are already using the site to share news and promote services. They are also keen to use the site’s capacity for transactional applications and citizen engagement and we will be working closely with them over the coming months to develop the platform as a community portal to further engage and involve our citizens. 

The Redbridge i project is more than just the creation of a new website. The site also provides a tangible impetus for service transformation and citizen-focused service improvements. From back-office database integration, to new systems for payments and job applications, the site has provided a flexible platform through which we can deliver the services our residents want to receive.