Warwickshire News Mine

County and Borough Councillors joined customer service staff at the joint call centre to celebrate the change today (Monday 8th November).

The move means that telephone queries about all council services in Nuneaton and Bedworth borough are now answered at the call centre, regardless of whether it is the county council or borough council that provides the service in question.

Calls to the councils will continue to be answered on the existing telephone numbers which are 01926 410410 (for Warwickshire County Council) and 024 7637 6376 (for Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council).

Bringing the customer service advisers together under one roof has resulted in a more efficient and effective service, say the councils, with telephone calls for all council services coming into one place.

It is the latest phase of ‘Warwickshire Direct’ in Nuneaton and Bedworth borough, a joint venture designed to make council services more accessible to residents by bringing them together. The council partnership already operates successful One Stop Shops at Nuneaton Town Hall, Stockingford and Bedworth.

Council staff already work together to answer queries over the phone at a joint Warwickshire County Council and Warwick District Council customer service centre at Warwick’s Shire Hall.

Last month, customer services advisors from the county council joined forces with borough council advisors at the Nuneaton & Bedworth Area Office on the High Street in Bedworth, enabling residents to speak face-to-face with staff about both councils’ services at a single Bedworth location for the first time.

Cllr Alan Farnell, Leader of Warwickshire County Council and County Councillor for Nuneaton Weddington, said: “Our joint one stop shops with Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council at Nuneaton Town Hall, Stockingford and Bedworth have proven to be very successful, so bringing our very knowledgeable and helpful call centre staff together under one roof to create a joint customer service centre makes perfect sense.

“By bringing our services together, we can make the way we deliver services more efficient and more effective. This approach reduces the cost of providing these services and enables our specialist staff to focus on the tasks that only they can do. It also means that residents have easier access to all our services in one place.”

Cllr Tony Lloyd, Portfolio Holder for Customer Services at Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council, said: “This new way of working will ensure an effective and efficient service is provided to customers by both Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough and Warwickshire County Councils.  The change will cause no disruption to the current service and users can simply phone in as they usually would.”

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