Capita and Southampton City Council’s exclusive shared services forum in Southampton showcased the millions of pounds in savings that have been delivered to three local authorities as a result of sharing services through the South Coast Framework since its creation in 2007.
Councillor Royston Smith, leader, Southampton City Council, commented: “We made a bold choice when we entered into a 10 year partnership with Capita in 2007. This decision has really paid off for us and we have already seen £30 million in savings and a marked improvement in our customer services. We were pleased to be able to share our experiences with our neighbours and learn more about the challenges that they are facing.”
Over 30 senior representatives from councils across the region attended the event at Capita’s regional business centre on 22 March 2011 to share experiences and learn from three authorities already benefitting from the shared services arrangement: Southampton City Council, Hart District Council and Havant Borough Council.
Councillor Ken Crookes, leader, Hart District Council, commented: “Hart is a small council with limited resources at our disposal, especially in today’s financial climate. Working with Capita has enabled us to get the benefits of a big organisation’s resources and so far we have made some £270,000 in savings. Making use of the South Coast Framework means we can be sure our services are running efficiently so we can focus on delivering an excellent customer service.”
Sandy Hopkins, chief executive, Havant Borough Council, commented: “Havant is a forward-looking council and we appreciate the benefits that can be achieved in these challenging times by capitalising on the experience of a private sector partner and sharing services. We wanted to deliver service excellence to our citizens while still finding innovative ways to make savings. Buying directly from Capita through the South Coast Framework has enabled us to do this.”