Innovative Swansea Council services are in line to pick up a series of major awards later this month for their work improving crucial public services to local people.
The blue riband Association of Public Service Excellence Awards are taking place in Cardiff on September 10 and Swansea is the only Welsh authority in the running for the overall Council of the Year in Service Delivery award.
The honour is up for grabs after Swansea collected four APSE nominations for its efforts in areas like improving waste management within its construction processes, raising standards in building maintenance and housing repairs and developing recruitment programmes to encourage people to take up apprenticeships.
The entries have been made by the Council’s Corporate Building Services and by the Performance and Strategic Projects team which has developed a system which helps the Council deliver projects effectively.
Chris Holley, Leader of the Council, said: “The Council and local council taxpayers are already benefiting from the achievements of Corporate Building Services and the Performance and Strategic Projects team.
“Gaining recognition from their peers by being shortlisted in the APSE awards shows Swansea Council’s determination to be the best it can be is being acknowledged among other local authorities.”
The award nominations are:
Waste Management and Recycling Service – Corporate Building Services
A new waste management and recycling strategy has led to significant improvements including:
- A cost reduction in 2008/09 of £140,000.
- Reduction of 29% of waste produced.
Internal Service Team of the Year – Corporate Building Services
- Consistently high performance in housing repairs and tenants satisfaction levels.
- Significant reduction in sickness absence levels over the last five years.
Best employee and equality initiative – Corporate Building Services
- The reintroduction of trade apprenticeships for the first time in many years has responded to the need to replace skilled tradesmen who were part of an increasingly aged workforce. Current numbers taken on stand at 74 since its inception.
- The introduction of the Saturday morning trade school, aimed at developing and understanding of construction and the workplace for year 10 and 11 pupils.
Best Information & Communication Technology Initiative – Programme and Project Management Team
This is down to the creation of an internet based e-learning tutorial website which provides the processes, tools and templates to successfully undertake Programmes and Projects.
It is designed around the user requiring understandable, accessible and easy to use information. The tutorial is recognised as an example of current best practice.
Recognition includes an article published in the world-wide publication Project Manager Today. Two Councils have also bought the e-tool and many Councils visit the Swansea office to learn about how the package was developed.
