The shortlist of finalists for Welsh local public services’ award scheme was announced at the Welsh Local Government Association Conference this evening. Awards will be presented at an Efficiency and Innovation Conference in the Autumn.
Carl Sargeant AM, Minister for Social Justice and Local Government said:
“I congratulate all of the finalists for this year’s Excellence Wales Awards. We all know that public services are entering challenging times. In times of challenge and change it is important that we do not lose sight of what is already good. Our public services are rich in quality and innovation, and employ many thousands of people who are committed to the highest standards of public service. Award schemes such as Excellence Wales help celebrate these achievements, but crucially help to promote, share and embed best practice across Wales’ public services.”
Steve Thomas, WLGA Chief Executive added:
“Local government has much leading practice and high achievement of which to be proud. In my experience the most successful organisations are those who are keen to learn from others and are not frightened to innovate. Excellence Wales has the twin aims of promoting peer learning and recognising leading practice and to reward and encourage innovation. By working together we will improve further our public services in Wales in this difficult financial environment. This evening’s finalists are testament to the hard work of officers and councillors across local authorities and the wider local government family to drive forward high quality public services in Wales.”
Over 50 applications were received across this year’s three themes and all Welsh local authorities as well as police authorities, national park authorities and fire and rescue services were represented. The finalists across the three themes were:
Our Homes- delivering good quality affordable housing
- Cardiff Council
- Carmarthenshire County Council
- Conwy County Borough Council
- Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council
Our Strong & Healthy Communities- protecting and improving quality and length of life
- Bridgend County Borough Council
- Carmarthenshire County Council
Our Services – delivering high quality, citizen-centred services
- Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council Common Assessment Framework & Team around the Child)
- Ceredigion County Council (Integrated Children’s Campus)
- Conwy County Borough Council (Genesis Conwy)
- Flintshire County Council (Specialist Schools programme)
- Gwynedd Council (Savings Strategy & Asset management Plan)
- Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council (Systems Thinking)
- Powys County Council (Parent Works Project)
- Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council (Tackling domestic abuse)
- Torfaen County Borough Council (Food Standards Service)
- Wrexham County Borough Council (Waste management & PFI funded facility)
- Snowdonia National Park Authority (Equality for all)
- Mid & West Wales Fire & Rescue Services (RaFT initiatives)
Also a number of collaborations where authorities are working closely with other public agencies and the third and private sectors to deliver shared services were also finalists for Excellence Wales status.
- Regional Funding Fair (Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire, Swansea)
- Street Lighting (Denbighshire, Conwy, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Isle of Anglesey, Powys, Wrexham)
- South East Wales Improvement Collaborative (SEWIC) (Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Cardiff, Caerphilly, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Newport, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Torfaen, Vale of Glamorgan)
- Community Equipment Service Integration (Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil, Cwm Taf NHS Trust)
- hared Legal Services (Swansea , Bridgend, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire)
- Planning Services (Brecon Beacons and Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authorities)
- Procurement of Personal Protective Equipment (all Wales Fire & Rescue Services)
- Governance in Police Authorities in Wales (Police Authorities in Wales)
Councils and the wider local government family provide hundreds of everyday services that we all see and use in our daily lives. Excellence Wales is about recognising good practice across the range of these services and celebrating them. The Scheme aims partly to recognise and reward, but fundamentally to share learning and improve public services. A series of ‘Learning Exchange’ events and organisational raids will supplement ongoing coordinated peer support to share good practice throughout Welsh public services.
