Northgate-is - News Item 964

Wellingborough invests in radical improvements to its front line services

Over 75,000 citizens in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, are set to benefit from radically improved front line services thanks to a new initiative from their local council and Northgate Public Services.

The Borough Council of Wellingborough is implementing Northgate’s citizen relationship management solution (CRM), which will provide a better, more efficient and more responsive service.

The development will deliver measurable benefits to the local community and council employees alike. Among other improvements, Northgate’s CRM will:
• increase the number of queries dealt with at the first point of contact
• raise citizen satisfaction through better services
• empower employees  to enhance the quality, consistency and range of services they offer by equipping them with information to satisfy enquiries from citizens
• ensure efficiencies across the Council’s services
• support an associated initiative to enable citizens to make better use of the Internet to obtain services and information.

Lyn Martin-Bennison, Chief Executive of the Borough Council of Wellingborough, said today: “Our mission is to make Wellingborough a place we can all be proud of.  We want to deliver efficient and high quality services for our local communities and we recognise that some of our systems need to be improved.

This is why we are delighted to work with Northgate. We were looking for a proven local government solution that would take our service delivery to the next level, drive future service improvements and increase efficiency. With Northgate, this is exactly what we have found. I am confident that investing in their solution will significantly enhance the quality of our citizens’ lives by improving the services they receive."

Russell Osborne, Managing Director of Citizen Solutions at Northgate Public Services, said: “At Northgate, we focus exclusively on meeting the evolving demands of the public sector. We work closely with local authorities to maximise the benefits of collaboration. Our knowledge and expertise helps us to work in partnerships with our customers that enable citizens to enjoy the benefits of effective and efficient services.

“The Borough Council of Wellingborough looked for a solution capable of meeting the current and future needs of its citizens. While many areas in the Borough are relatively affluent, we want to reach less advantaged members of the community and ensure that they receive the services they deserve in the right way and at the right time.”
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For more information

Fellows’ Associates:
Kathy Sutton   +44 (0)20 7324 6221; +44 (0)7966 890401
Konstantinos Makrygiannis +44 (0)20 7324 6222; +44 (0)7949 421356
 
Notes to editors
1. The Borough of Wellingborough is situated eleven miles from the county town of Northampton and just south of Kettering. It has a population of 75,500. Wellingborough has approximately 2,500 businesses within its boundaries.
 
2. Northgate Public Services is an innovative provider of transformation and improvement services to the public sector. It is committed to high quality public services that place individuals and their communities at their heart. Its knowledge and understanding of people’s needs is core to its business, as too, is its depth and breadth across public services.

3. Northgate’s task is to enhance public value through the intelligent use of people and technology; to understand why and what change is necessary; to provide new thinking leading to improved performance; and to link company rewards with positive outcomes for the communities for whom it works. It supports transformation through sustainable performance partnerships.

4. In the UK, Northgate works with 95% of local authorities, every police force, and a large number of health organisations, housing associations, utilities and transport companies. Founded in 1969, the company has nearly 8,000 employees.

5. Front Office is Northgate’s leading citizen relationship management system. It has an established reputation for helping public sector bodies to improve transactions with customers; track the progress of queries; and review performance while providing other management information.