This report sets out the decision to reduce the One Reading Community Hub call centre, triage and food operation from 6-days a week (weekdays 9am-5pm, Saturdays 9am-1pm) to 5-days a week (weekdays 9am-5pm, weekends and Bank Holiday closed).

As context to this, the report provides an overview of One Reading Community Hub operation to date, the Hub having been set up to take calls from the public to:

(a) Support those who were shielded with food parcels
(b) Pass on requests to voluntary sector partners from those who
were not shielded but required support regarding access to food, benefits advice, befriending and assistance with collection of prescriptions etc

The report focuses on the numbers of calls to the Hub during the week versus weekends, the resulting caseload being managed by the Triage team and the cases that are then passed to the Food Distribution centre at the Hexagon to supply food parcels to those who are shielded. This information is provided in the context of seeking a further review of operating days of the Hub, an initial review and agreement to operation reduction having been approved 24 April 2020.

The report also notes the transition arrangements for the Hub Call Centre operation due to the current contract for the Hub call centre provision (with Huntswood), which expired Saturday 13 June.

It is the decision of the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to reduce the One Reading Community Hub call centre, triage and food operation from 6-days a week (weekdays 9am-5pm, Saturdays 9am-1pm) to 5-days a week (weekdays 9am-5pm, weekends and Bank Holiday closed) with effect from 1 July 2020.