Commission Offers Insights on Evaluation Outcomes

The town hall is taking a significant step forward in digitalization with the introduction of a "virtual office" for the Social Services department. This new service, a collaboration with ACP IT Solutions, is part of the town hall's digitalization initiative.

Citizens can now schedule digital appointments with individual departments of the Social Services office through the new service. The virtual office is available for contacting the Social Services department and is accessible at the provided website.

The initial focus of the pilot project will be on General Social Counseling, Education and Participation, and Caseworker for Refugees. During the scheduled "opening hours", citizens can access various offers and interact with employees of the Social Services department via video conference in the virtual office.

Dr. Petra Rixgens, Chairwoman of Caritas Rhein-Erft and the head of the social service office, led the introduction of the virtual office. She stated that all data protection requirements and the highest security standards are met in the virtual office.

The opening hours for General Social Counseling are Thursdays from 10 am to 12 pm, while Education and Participation is available from 8 am to 12 pm on Thursdays. The Caseworker for Refugees can be contacted digitally on Wednesdays from 9:30 am to 12 pm.

It's important to note that personal appointments at the town hall remain possible alongside the virtual office. However, wait times may occur in the virtual office due to demand. The waiting list position is displayed transparently in the virtual office, providing citizens with an understanding of their position on the list.

The virtual office pilot project will run for six weeks, after which it will be evaluated for potential permanent implementation, starting from June 2025. The service was introduced with the help of IT experts, led by Johannes Bawidamann.

The town hall encourages citizens to make use of this new service and experience the convenience of digital interaction with the Social Services department.