A consortium of six South-East Wales authorities and Northgate Public Services have renewed their shared services partnership for a further five years.

The partnership, which focuses on the delivery of cost-effective IT solutions for Social Services, follows implementation of the Unified Assessment Process for Adults (UAP) and the Integrated Children’s System (ICS) across the authorities in the consortium working cooperatively with Northgate. 

Ellis Williams, director of social services, Rhondda Cynon Taff Council and chair of the South-East Wales consortium, says: “By sharing procurement and services, we have been able to develop a system which is responsive to the needs of our users and helps our staff deliver a joined up service built around personal needs, which also reflects value to the tax payer.”

Russell Osborne, managing director of Citizen Solutions at Northgate Public Services, adds: “We believe that shared services and joined up working can transform social care, not only for individuals, but for communities. At a time of unprecedented demand and limited resources, the consortium has shown how innovative delivery can be richly enhanced by local development.”