Adjusted opening hours for the social services department from February

The city administration is adjusting the opening hours of the Social Services department on a trial basis from 1 February 2026. New time slots for public access will be trialled during a three-month pilot phase. The aim is to gain insights for the further development of service times for the entire administration.

The city of Bocholt is launching a trial phase for adjusted opening hours in the social services department on 1 February 2026. With this three-month pilot project, the administration is pursuing the goal of optimising the quality of service for citizens and internal work processes. The results of this test phase will serve as an important basis for decisions on the future organisation of accessibility within the entire city administration.

Specifically, the new model stipulates that the social services department will remain closed to the general public on working days between 12.30 and 14.00. In addition, free access to the information centre will be guaranteed. In addition, free access to the department's information desk will not be possible all day on Tuesdays or on Wednesday afternoons.

These periods will be used more for concentrated processing and for individually arranged consultations. The City of Bocholt emphasises that agreed appointments are still possible outside the general opening hours and in the above-mentioned time slots in order to flexibly meet the needs of those seeking advice.

This temporary change will initially only affect the social services department, while the opening hours of all other city administration offices will remain as usual.

At the end of the three-month trial period, the administration will analyse the experience gained in detail. The focus will be on how a modern citizen service can be organised that ensures both a high level of accessibility and efficient processing of requests.

The times in detail:

• Mondays, 8 a.m. - 12.30 p.m. and 2 p.m. - 5 p.m.
• Tuesdays by appointment only
• Wednesdays, 8 a.m. - 12.30 p.m., afternoons by appointment only
• Thursdays, 8 a.m. - 12.30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Fridays, 8 a.m. - 12.30 p.m.