These two Councils, located in different counties, have built a partnership to improve the services delivered by both authorities. Sound working relationships already existed before an opportunity arose for Breckland to provide support for Forest Heath's new revenues and benefits IT system.
The relationship developed and now provides a shared processing function for both Councils. Staff from both Councils work in the same building, with management costs shared between them. Financial savings of at least £100,000 a year for each Council have been achieved. At the same time, performance has improved as a result of the ability to respond better to peaks and troughs and by combining resources on initiatives such as training.
The Partnership is supported by a joint board, which has a mutual aim - to achieve top-quartile performance. It has not been without difficulties, but a strong commitment and leadership from the highest levels of both organisations has overcome the problems so far. The partnership has attracted a lot of interest from other councils - one of which is pursuing its interest with a view to joining.
In relation to the Efficiency Challenge, what potential barriers did they encounter?
- Risk aversion
- Service policies
- Partnerships
- Staffing issues
- IT systems