Background
Sandwell Council have developed over 200 internal and customer-facing services via their MySandwell portfolio, which is powered by the Granicus govService platform.
The latest service to go live on the platform is Blue Badges which has been developed by Optima Digital Solutions to address long processing times, high volumes of avoidable contact, manual data handling and poor customer experience. The result was a fully redesigned, digitally enabled service available via MySandwell, going live on 10 November 2025.
The transformation was delivered by Granicus govService specialists Optima Digital Solutions in collaboration with the Council’s Digital Transformation Team, the Sandwell Enquiry Team, Adult Social Care Occupational Therapists, and residents themselves – placing people at the centre of every design decision.
The challenge
Prior to transformation, the Blue Badge service relied heavily on paper-based processes, postal correspondence and manual re-keying of data into national systems. These legacy approaches created inefficiencies that placed pressure on internal teams resulting in:
- Processing times upwards of 12 weeks from application to decision
- High volumes of avoidable customer contact from residents chasing updates
- Manual handling of payments, documents and approvals throughout the application process
- Poor accessibility for customers unable to engage by post or telephone
- These issues were limiting the service’s ability to meet resident expectations and consuming significant capacity across the Sandwell Enquiry Team and Adult Social Care.
What we delivered
Working closely with Sandwell’s internal teams, we designed and delivered a comprehensive end-to-end digital Blue Badge service on the Granicus govService platform.
This was based on Optima’s “Ready to Go” Blue Badge service designed specifically for the Granicus govService platform.
Optima’s “Ready to Go” services are pre-built, highly customisable customer and back-office forms developed thanks to Optima’s extensive public sector knowledge.
The Blue Badge solution was designed with automation, accessibility and channel shift in mind – removing manual intervention at every possible touchpoint.
Core capabilities
- Dynamic online forms that adapt questions based on previous answers, reducing unnecessary burden on residents
- Digital document uploads, requested only when required and tailored to application type
- Mandatory validation preventing incomplete submissions, with save-and-return functionality for residents
- Integrated online payments, removing the need for costly outbound calls or legacy payment processing to collect outstanding payments
- Automated eligibility checks and auto-declines for ineligible applications
Intelligent triage and case management
- Auto-triage between Occupational Therapists and the Blue Badge team using an agreed scoring matrix
- Digital OT assessment stages, including automated badge ordering via the DfT Blue Badge API upon approval
- Digital requests for further information, with automated reminders alongside automated cancellation if no response provided within defined timeframes
- Database checks to prevent reapplication where legislation restricts timing
Integration and correspondence
- API integration with the DfT Blue Badge API, eliminating re-keying and enabling auto-ordering of badges on approval
- Automated email correspondence throughout the journey, with printed letters where necessary for residents unable to receive digital correspondence
- Digital appeals and replacement badge requests using the same automated efficiencies
- Assisted digital support via the Granicus govService platform for customers requiring additional help
Outcomes and impact
The results delivered by this transformation are significant, representing a change in both operational efficiency and resident experience.
Channel shift and digital inclusion
- 3,835 applications submitted digitally since go-live
- 97% self-service, with only 1% requiring assisted support via the Sandwell Enquiry Team
- 39% of applications completed by friends or relatives, demonstrating genuine accessibility design
- Strong uptake across all age groups, evidencing broad digital inclusion
Backlog clearance
A legacy backlog inherited from the previous system was fully cleared by December 2025, demonstrating the operational headroom created by the deployment of the new service.
“There were over 1000 cases in the backlog, the team were able to close them in 6 weeks. I’m not sure how the service would have ever reduced the backlog, to be honest.”
Senior Lead Officer – Digital Transformation, Andrew Langford
Capacity released
The daily customer service staffing requirement for Blue Badge fell from five full-time equivalent staff to one, with capacity redeployed to priority front-door services. This was achieved without any reduction in service quality.
Customer experience
- Improved clarity, transparency, and application tracking throughout the resident journey
- Simplified payments and correspondence, removing friction at key touchpoints
- Average customer ratings close to 4 out of 5 across both submission and decision stages
Why Optima Digital Solutions
Why did you choose to work with Optima for this project?
“We wanted a process that was fully featured but adaptable to meet our own local preferences, allowing us to make efficiency optimisations to meet our specific needs. Optima provided this and the support to help us to adapt it. We also have had great experiences working with Optima on other projects, so we consider Optima a trusted partner.”
Why did you go with a customised solution from Optima rather than the standard one provided by central government?
“We wanted something to fit within our existing Granicus govService infrastructure, and something that could be adapted to go beyond what the central government online service offers.”
Why did you choose Optima’s ‘Ready to Go’ solution over the Granicus provided and maintained solution?
“We wanted a process that was fully featured, but adaptable to meet our own local preferences and optimise efficiency to meet our specific needs.”
Find out more
Optima are public sector specialists focused on helping local authorities unlock the full potential of their Granicus govService platform. Where the supplier provides the platform, Optima provides complex integration and automation workflows that deliver real transformation.
The Sandwell Blue Badge project demonstrates what is possible when technical depth, collaborative working and a genuine focus on resident outcomes come together. Optima’s approach is always co-created with the council’s own teams, building confidence and capability that outlasts our engagement.