Mid Kent Improvement Partnership, the shared service comprising Maidstone Borough Council, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council and Swale Borough Council, has selected Capita’s software services business to support their operation. The five year contract gives Maidstone Borough Council and Tunbridge Wells Borough Council a platform on which to base their shared revenues and benefits operation. It also allows Swale Borough Council to share the IT without working operationally with the other two Councils.
All three councils in the partnership share software that includes the ability for citizens to manage their revenues and benefits accounts online. Employees will also be able to access and update information regardless of their location using Capita’s TotalMobile solution.
“Sharing services provides a logical solution to the issue of protecting and improving service delivery to local residents and businesses, while cutting operational costs,” said Stephen McGinnes, head of revenues and benefits. We knew the Capita software and their delivery team, as we had independently used them, so we were confident that they would deliver on their promises. Residents will receive a faster improved service, as we will be using the latest software available that has more functionality.”
Capita’s software currently supports fifteen shared services throughout the UK, partnering with 38 local authorities within these operations.
“With some customers reporting efficiency gains of 40% and £1million worth of savings in the first year, it is clear why councils are seriously considering shared services as an option,” said Paul Millard, operations director, software services, Capita. “It is now expected that, as a citizen, you should be able to communicate with councils by logging on to a website at any time to update your personal details, such as a change in your income or a new address. Similarly, employees need to be able to do their job wherever they are, without having to duplicate effort when they get back to the office. Our software will give better access and better services to the councils’ citizens and their employees.”