Better way for residents to contact Redbridge Council launched

Published: 06 October 2026 A person seated at a desk in an office, wearing a headset and lanyard, looking at a computer workstation.

Redbridge Council have launched a new customer contact platform, marking an important step in improving how residents get in touch with the Council and how we respond to ensure they can access the support they need.

The changes are designed to make contacting the council simpler, quicker, and more convenient. Our new phone system has been developed with input from residents and Council services. It provides clearer options, helping callers get to the right team more quickly and making it easier to find the support they need.

Residents contacting our Customer Contact Centre can also take advantage of improved call-back options, meaning they do not always have to stay on the line while waiting. We are also providing clearer information about queue times and their place in the queue.

Our Customer Contact teams at Redbridge can also now send SMS links directly to residents' mobile phones, taking them straight to relevant online information, forms and services. This will help people who are able to self-serve complete what they need more quickly, while allowing our teams to focus their time on residents who need additional support.

Councillor Judith Garfield, Cabinet Member for Resident Experience and Modernisation, said: “We know residents want to reach the right service quickly, understand how long they may need to wait, and have more flexibility in how they contact us. I am pleased that our residents, staff, services, and partners have all helped to shape this exciting improvement, and I would like to thank everyone who has contributed. This is about making it easier for residents to contact us, giving them more choice and helping our staff provide the best possible support.

“This work forms part of our wider approach to modernising customer services. Technology on its own is not the answer, but when used well it can help us provide better support, offer more choice and deliver a more joined-up service for residents.

“The launch is an important milestone, but it is only the start. We will continue to listen, learn, and build on this, introducing new ways for Redbridge residents to contact us and using technology to create a simpler, more joined-up and responsive customer experience.”

 The next phase of the programme will introduce additional features, including improved email management, webchat, and better interaction history. This will help us build a more complete picture of how residents contact us and the support they need.

We also plan to introduce tools such as call summaries and customer insight reporting, helping to reduce administrative tasks for staff and giving us a better understanding of residents' experiences. As these improvements are rolled out, our goal is to make interactions with the Council as straightforward as possible. Residents should not have to navigate unnecessary processes or repeat information they have already provided, and we want to use what we learn from customer contact to continue improving our services.

The launch of the new platform provides a strong foundation. Our focus now is on building on that progress, listening to residents and continuing to improve their experience of Council services.