London authorities join forces to improve out-of-hours services

16th September 2008

Three London boroughs and the leading business transformation company Vangent today announced they have signed a framework agreement that is set to deliver a pioneering “shared service” operation to manage public out-of-hours contact facilitating service delivery across inner and greater London. The boroughs are Ealing, which will be the first to implement the service, Barking and Dagenham and Waltham Forest.

The Framework is available to all 62 member organisations of the London Contracts and Supplies Group which, in addition to the 33 London councils, includes housing associations and other London public sector bodies.

This unique collaborative project vividly demonstrates the improvements in service efficiency and effectiveness that can be achieved when London boroughs work together. The principles of the framework are focused on improving customer service to the citizens of London, making substantial cost savings for tax-payers and eventually harmonising and optimising how out-of-hours council services across London are accessed.

The new joint service operates on a detailed ‘price list/schedule of rates’, in accordance with high service standards. It replaces costly separate call handling arrangements in each participating borough, reducing their costs to an average of one third of the current level (based on a recent survey). Charges will reduce further as more organisations join.

Capital Ambition, London's new Improvement and Efficiency Partnership, facilitated the specification and tendering of the Framework, under the direction of the Customer Services for London Group (which is composed of senior customer services staff from all of the London boroughs). The project was delivered to a relatively small budget. Plans are already underway with a significant number of councils to commence service provision this year.

Nigel Rourke, Business Development Director at Vangent said, “Vangent is delighted to have been selected to deliver the service for London, which will be operated from our state-of-the-art contact centre at London Bridge, a facility designed with shared service provision in mind. The Framework is testament to public sector determination to work smarter and more joined-up; an agenda that is becoming ever more crucial as citizen’s expectations increase, budgets are squeezed and the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games get closer.