Northgate-is - News Item 755

New partnership to transform St Albans public services

17th April 2008

New partnership to transform St Albans public services

St Albans District Council today announces that it has agreed a partnership with Northgate Information Solutions, a leading provider of innovative services to the public sector and utilities markets, to transform council performance and deliver first-class public services for the area’s 130,000-plus citizens.

The new contract, worth more than £2.5 million over seven years, will deliver a comprehensive ICT managed service that provides council staff and citizens with enhanced access to council information, whilst significantly reducing administration costs and promoting more sustainable work practices.

This innovative service will encourage the council to deliver continuous improvement in public services including:

• a faster and more efficient service for all council staff, freeing up time for specialist workers to focus on the needs of St Albans’ most vulnerable communities;
• closer contact with Northgate’s experienced advisers, providing their expertise at a significant reduction to the normal cost of external consultants;
• proactive monitoring of the condition and capacity of equipment, with upgrades delivered when required, enabling the council to focus on continual improvement in overall service delivery;
• secure and reliable access to information, with data stored and maintained in an environment that benefits from 24hr monitoring and comprehensive disaster recovery procedures.

Northgate will provide the council with comprehensive desktop support for over 450 council officers and councillors, and enable a more flexible service for home working, which contributes to reduced traffic congestion and lower demands for car parking.

Mutairu Jibril, Head of IT at St Albans District Council, said today:

“The council is committed to delivering a first class service for staff and citizens by adopting innovative practices and intelligent approaches to our work. Northgate has a shared commitment to sustainable public services and our partnership will deliver radical customer service improvements that make a real difference to the lives of St Albans citizens. This new service is a stepping stone for transforming the way the council works.”

Joe Bradley, Managing Director, Local Government & Social Housing, at Northgate Public Services, added:

“We are delighted to be working with St Albans District Council to deliver this programme of continuous improvement to public services that put the citizen at the heart. Local authorities must provide effective and efficient services that take into account the needs and expectations of the public, and reach out to those in the most vulnerable communities.”

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For more information:
Fellows’ Associates:
Naomi Stevenson 020 7849 3508; 07966 890403; nstevenson@fellowsassociates.com
Kuntal Biswas 020 7849 3347; 07930 566291; kbiswas@fellowsassociates.com

Notes to Editors:

1) Northgate Information Solutions is a leading provider of innovative services to the public sector and utilities markets. Northgate’s task is to enhance public value through the intelligent use of people and technology, and to share in the economic and social benefits that this brings.

2) In the UK, the company works with four out of five local authorities and every police force. Northgate supports public service transformation through sustainable performance partnerships. Its technology is used in the administration of more than £12 billion of revenues and benefits; in electoral administration systems covering 18 million people; to support the national system for reporting police performance; and in the management of over three million local authority and housing association properties worldwide. Founded in 1969, the company has over 6,500 employees.