Framework agreements designed to cut the cost of procurement for public sector organisations were introduced many years ago. In this feature Ross Macmillan describes how collaboration has been taken a step further by councils forming a consortium and the use of G-cloud.

Read more on SMARTER PROCURMENT LEADING TO CHOICE AND FLEXIBILITY…

Councils are organised on a departmental basis and while this serves the needs of the organisation it can provide difficulty for customers. In this feature Dawn Crewe describes how customer service was improved by cutting across departments and functions.

Read more on ELMBRIDGE COUNCIL TURNS CUSTOMER CONTACT INTO SERVICE BRILLIANCE…

Hilary Jones, Deputy Chief Executive of Scarborough Borough Council, discusses how the move to online services has improved the provision of care for residents across the borough.

In 2013 Scarborough Borough Council launched its ‘SWITCH’ programme, to make council services more accessible to its 100,000 residents by radically improving online accessibility. Since the launch of the council’s new website and self-service portal last year, many more services can be accessed online, 24/7 from a range of devices.

Read more on HOW GOING DIGITAL IS CONTRIBUTING TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL INTEGRATED PUBLIC SERVICES…

The NHS holds vast quantities of highly sensitive data and ensuring that it does not fall into the wrong hands when equipment reaches the end of its life is a major issue. In this feature Andrew Blocksage describes how the data can be protected and, at the same time, value extracted from the redundant equipment.

Read more on HOW TO PROTECT DATA AND PUT MONEY BACK TO THE NHS WITH YOUR OLD IT…