Warwickshire News Mine

The Warwickshire Direct Partnership, an exciting joint venture involving all six local authorities in Warwickshire, is working together to ‘join up’ information and advice on a variety of council and other services, enabling residents to access them when and how they want to.

The Partnership has been recognised by the e-Government National Awards for its work in implementing a shared system for managing public enquiries and requests about council services and the rewards that this shared system is producing. 

The annual e-Government National Awards highlight the UK’s best services that improve citizen and business transactions with councils, central government departments and other public sector organisations.

The Warwickshire Direct Partnership has been named as a finalist in two categories: ‘e-Government Excellence in Shared Services’ and ‘Local e-Government Excellence in Efficiency’.

Councillor Trevor Russel, Chair of the Warwickshire Direct Partnership and Deputy Leader of Stratford-on-Avon District Council, said:  “The Partnership is one of the best examples anywhere of councils – in our case, six – working closely together to deliver shared services to improve customer access and achieve real efficiencies and savings.

“It is a model for partnership working – both in Warwickshire and nationally – and it’s extremely encouraging we have received national recognition.”

Councillor Peter Fowler, Portfolio Holder for Performance & Development, Warwickshire County Council, said: “I’ve been greatly impressed with the work of the Warwickshire Direct Partnership, so this nomination is well deserved.

“An improved shared system that is effective and increases the speed with which public enquiries are dealt with is good for the public and for local authority staff. We’ve all signed up to improving customer access and this is a positive step in the right direction.”

This year’s award finalists were chosen from a record 345 nominations submitted by councils and organisations across the UK’s public sector. The winners will be announced and presented with their awards on 17 January 2007 at an awards ceremony at the Savoy Hotel in London.

The aim of the Warwickshire Direct Partnership is to help speed up the modernisation of council services by providing economic and efficient solutions that are of real value to Warwickshire’s citizens.

The Partnership is also behind ‘Warwickshire Direct – Kenilworth’, a pioneering information and resource centre based at Kenilworth Library that has revolutionised the way people in Kenilworth access local information and services.

Link to WCC