Folkestone and Hythe District Council with Reachout (Sigma Connected)

Summary of Submission

Folkestone & Hythe (FHDC) recognised that their Council Tax recovery process wasn’t prompting engagement from their most vulnerable residents. Without sufficient resource to proactively engage residents, those in need were missing out on vital support and incurring additional fees when debts escalated to enforcement. 
FHDC piloted ReachOut to address this issue. 
ReachOut takes a holistic approach to supporting residents, helping them to resolve all their bills, guiding residents to support for their physical, mental and financial wellbeing. Calling residents over a two week contact strategy, ReachOut promoted the support available directly from FHDC, increasing engagement with the Council and the uptake of support. The partnership drove down Council debt and prevented households being passed through to enforcement. 
The partnership demonstrated the value of private and public sectors working together in service of those most in need, and the benefits of taking an innovative approach that complements the existing recoveries process.