Warwickshire News Mine

Last year saw yet more big changes across the county to how Warwickshire County Council delivers its services and helps local people with any queries they have.

Some of those changes involved the county council working with other local authorities and Warwickshire Police through the ‘Warwickshire Direct’ partnership, which aims to make local services more accessible.
In 2009, the ‘Warwickshire Direct’ One Stop Shop at Warwick’s Shire Hall, where residents can get help and information face-to-face, celebrated its first full year of operation. The One Stop Shop, which was developed in partnership with Warwick District Council, was officially opened by Olympic star Sharron Davies in 2008.

Last year, the county council also launched a new website homepage to help residents find the council services and information that they want quickly and efficiently on the internet.

In October, it was national Customer Service Week and to celebrate, the ‘Warwickshire Direct’ One Stop Shops in Warwick and Kenilworth opened up their doors to a number of organisations, who were on hand to give people advice on everything from community safety to children’s services.

Customer service staff also proved they had the ‘X-change Factor’ by swapping roles and doing each other’s jobs!

Staff working at the ‘Warwickshire Direct’ One Stop Shops in Warwick district and the council’s Customer Service Centres in Warwick and Bedworth were rewarded for ‘always smiling’ and ‘going the extra mile’. They were nominated for a series of awards to celebrate good customer service.

Anyone who ever felt like giving the council a ‘thank you’ card for good customer service or a ‘red card’ for poor service could now do just that, with the launch of new customer satisfaction cards in October 2009. The cards are available to fill in at the Warwick, Kenilworth, Lillington and Whitnash One Stop Shops.

Also in October, Rugby Borough Council announced that it would be working in partnership with Warwickshire County Council and completely refurbishing its Town Hall reception to create Rugby borough’s first ‘Warwickshire Direct’ One Stop Shop, which is due to open later this year.

In November, Warwickshire County Council, in partnership with Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council, launched the latest of its ‘Warwickshire Direct’ one stop shops at Stockingford Early Years Centre and Library. It was the first time that the councils had launched a one stop shop service on the premises of an Early Years Centre, making it unique in its location.

At the start of December, Warwickshire Police teamed up with ‘Warwickshire Direct’ to ensure that as many residents as possible have better access to services. On 7 December, the services previously available from the front desk at Warwick police station relocated to the ‘Warwickshire Direct’ One Stop Shop in Shire Hall.

Finally, at the end of 2009, councillors and staff came together to celebrate the fact that customer service advisers from Warwickshire County Council and Warwick District Council had come together under one roof at Warwick’s Shire Hall to create a new customer service ‘super team’! The move means that there is now just one telephone number that residents need to call – 01926 410410 - if they have a question about a council service in Warwick district.

Councillor Heather Timms, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Customers, Workforce and Partnerships, said: “Our Customer Service Advisors answer hundreds of customer queries each week on a wide range of subjects and services.

"We are constantly striving to make it as easy as possible for the people of Warwickshire to talk to us and have their needs met in the most convenient way.”

For more information on Warwickshire Direct and all the ways in which you can contact Warwickshire County Council and the county’s borough and district councils, visit http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/warwickshiredirect.

Link to WCC