West Lancashire District Council

The Requirement

The council's new customer service point (CSP), opened in late 2005, is a new service for its residents in Skelmersdale. Based in the local shopping centre, residents can drop in to the CSP and request information on housing and council services, pay a bill or make a request for repairs.

In order to facilitate out of hours access to services, Amatica has installed a secure kiosk facility to provide an additional point of contact. Amatica has previously supplied the council with a network of kiosks, based in a number of council and housing offices that enable tenants to access information and advice on housing issues.

The Solution

The new kiosk would be sited in a public shopping centre and would be unattended for much of the time. This required a highly secure and robust enclosure. The Expo kiosk is designed for external use, so is robust enough to withstand the elements and daily public use. The kiosk is equipped with an integral keyboard, enabling users to email enquiries to the council from the kiosk.

The kiosk is set into the external wall of the CSP. This means it can be used even when the CSP is closed.

The Outcome

The kiosk gives residents in West Lancashire convenient access to housing and council services. The housing information kiosk project forms a key part of West Lancashire District Council's e-Government strategy.