NEW Detailed Good Practice Case Study : Delivering high performing services at low cost: waste collection in North Kesteven

06 Dec 2010

North Kesteven is one of the best performing councils in the country for recycling a large proportion of their waste and minimising overall levels of waste produced by households. The authority has maintained a high level of performance over several years, and has been able to build on their performance year-on-year, whilst also ensuring that the service is as efficient as possible.

The council manages to achieve high performance ratings at a low cost per household by:
• Matching operations to the needs of local area, for example the three wheeled bin system for residual, garden and recycling waste, implementing alternate weekly collections, ensuring flexibility with crew sizes and reducing garden waste rounds in winter.
• Developing a culture of continuous improvement, for example increasing the range of recyclable materials collected, conducting a route optimisation review and developing staff engagement activities.
• Driving out costs, for example targeting education/prevention resources to the areas of greatest need, moving customer contact into the customer services function, maximising the value from contracts and reducing staff costs during off-peak periods to reduce agency spend.

North Kesteven performance: key facts
Residual household waste per household  468 kgs
Percentage of household waste sent for reuse, recycling and composting 55.7%
Satisfaction with council-provided refuse collection 83.4%
Satisfaction with council-provided doorstep recycling 79.6%
Waste collection cost per household £48.88

Click HERE to access the full case study

WIN case study: Efficient working – Daventry District Council moves to four day week waste collections and saves £250k/annum! and Guidance on moving to a 4 day week

02 Dec 2010

Fourâ€�day working has become a real option for waste collection authorities in a bid to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Since November 2009, kerbside waste and recycling collections in Daventry District have been taking place over four days a week to make the service more costâ€�effective to the taxpayer. Although crews continue to work a 37â€�hour week, collections no longer take place on Mondays, including bank holidays, which has reduced costs by approximately £250,000 and freed up additional time for scheduled vehicle maintenance. This case study explains the range of benefits it has produced, along with some of the challenges faced.

To read more click here

This document has been compiled to provide a brief overview of the ideas around moving waste and/or recycling collections from the standard Monday to Friday week to a four day week system. A number of authorities have made such changes to their services in recent years and this document brings together guidance and advice for councils who may be considering or actively looking at this way of working.

To read more  click here

WINK Issue 43 Latest on WIN!

02 Dec 2010

WIN case study November 2010: Wandsworth Borough Council trial new on-site pyrolysis technology to dispose of waste from high rise flats - read how Wandsworth ‘flushed away' waste and discovered potential efficiencies from on-site disposal More

Pyrolysis and gasification of MSW - want to find out more about these technologies, then request this briefing document commissioned by IESE in 2008 More

National Home Composting Framework - read WIN's case study on the framework to find out more, including how it can help save your council money More

England reach a 39.7% recycling rate - take a look Defra's Municipal Waste Management Statistics for 2009/10 More

1 million tonne reduction in waste sent to landfill since 2008/09 - read the annual LATS report More

Sustainable procurement for Local Authorities, Health and Higher Education - FREE training workshops in the South East from Defra's National Sustainable Public Procurement Programme More

7th Waste Management Finance Forum - register now for this CIWM approved event and receive an early bird rate More

WINK Issue 44 latest news on WIN!

02 Dec 2010

• NEW! WIN case study: Efficient working - Daventry District Council moves to four day week waste collections and saves £250k/annum! - read this case study to find out how Daventry moved to a 4 day week, the benefits of doing so and the lessons learnt More
• NEW! WIN FOCUS 10: Moving to a 4 day week - this focus brings together guidance and advice for councils who may be considering or actively looking at this way of working More
• Commercial & Industrial waste arisings 2010 - see the results from this years Defra survey More
• § Securing the future: the role of resource efficiency - read the latest research from WRAP which quantifies how resource efficiency actions, as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, can reduce abstracted water, ecological footprint and the use of specific resources More
• WRAP's annual conference 2010 - see the presentations from this years event More
• Place Based Productivity Programme (PBPP) supports councils in generating further improvements - the programme consists of 9 areas and Waste Resources falls within the Procurement, Capital and Shared Assets Workstream. Read the Quick Wins Strategy and find out more about the PBPP and how it can help your authority More
• Review of the controlled waste regulations - view Defra's consultation documents and have your say More

Efficient working – Daventry District Council moves to four day week waste collections and saves £250k/annum! and tips on how to move to a four day week

02 Dec 2010

Four day working has become a real option for waste collection authorities in a bid to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Since November 2009, kerbside waste and recycling collections in Daventry District have been taking place over four days a week to make the service more costâ€�effective to the taxpayer. Although crews continue to work a 37â€�hour week, collections no longer take place on Mondays, including bank holidays, which has reduced costs by approximately £250,000 and freed up additional time for scheduled vehicle maintenance. This case study explains the range of benefits it has produced, along with some of the challenges faced.

Click here to read more

This document has been compiled to provide a brief overview of the ideas around moving waste and/or recycling collections from the standard Monday to Friday week to a four day week system. A number of authorities have made such changes to their services in recent years and this document brings together guidance and advice for councils who may be considering or actively looking at this way of working.

Click here to read more

Healthy Lives, Healthy People: White Paper

01 Dec 2010

This White Paper sets out the Government's long-term vision for the future of public health in England. The aim is to create a 'wellness' service (Public Health England) and to strengthen both national and local leadership.

New Government Proposals for Health and Wellbeing

01 Dec 2010

Proposals for major reform are outlined in the 'Equity & Excellence: Liberating the NHS' White Paper. This paper is one of a suite of policy papers that will shape the future of health and social care. The plans are for a radical shift in responsibilities including:

• The devolvement of budgets for some £70bn of health to GP commissioning consortia from 2013.
• The abolition of SHAs and PCTs
• A new NHS commissioning Board to oversee the allocation of resources across the new system.
• The transfer of public health and health improvement responsibilities from PCTs to local authorities
• Directors of Public Health being jointly appointed by local authorities and a new Public Health service.
• Health & Wellbeing Boards to be set up in all local authority areas at first tier level.

The Department of Health has recently announced that it will support the setting up of Shadow Health & Wellbeing Boards in a number of areas to test out the approach.

At the moment the future status and governance arrangements for these boards remains uncertain but should be clarified shortly in Government's response to the consultation exercise.

Under coalition government proposals, local authorities will take on lead responsibility for Joint Strategic Needs Assessments.

In October, Andrew Lansley announced a ‘pathfinder' programme to enable GPs to test different design concepts.

District Councils will have an important role in feeding into Health & Wellbeing Boards on health related issues such as planning future settlements, housing, leisure, the environment and the spatial level at which commissioning consortia become established.

The Health Bill providing the statutory framework for the reforms has been delayed until the New Year, because of the huge response received by the Department of Health to the consultation.

It is taken for granted that the more individuals and local communities are empowered and involved in health improvement/tackling health inequalities, the greater likelihood of long term success. ‘Liberating the NHS' has less to say about citizen involvement in improving health outcomes as these have greater prominence in the latest White Paper ‘Healthy Lives, Healthy People' published on 30 November 2010. This sets out the Government's long-term vision for the future of public health in England. The aim is to create a ‘wellness' service (Public Health England) and to strengthen both national and local leadership.

See http://www.eastmidlandsiep.gov.uk/events/1/356/the-opportunities-and-challenges-of-the-public-health-white-paper/ for details of the FREE conference being organised for local authorities and their partners across the East Midlands to explore the implications of the new Public Health White Paper and participate in discussions on the key issues.

(Digest from LGID Briefing Note 2 - Coalition Plans for Health and Wellbeing).

Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS White Paper

01 Dec 2010

The NHS White Paper, Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS, sets out the Government's long-term vision for the future of the NHS. The vision builds on the core values and principles of the NHS - a comprehensive service, available to all, free at the point of use, based on need, not ability to pay.

It sets out how the Department of Health will:
- put patients at the heart of everything the NHS does;
- focus on continuously improving those things that really matter to patients - the outcome of their healthcare; and
- empower and liberate clinicians to innovate, with the freedom to focus on improving healthcare services

Mansfield Housing Needs Staff: Big Society Pathfinders

01 Dec 2010

Mansfield's MARS (Multi-agency Rented Solutions) scheme which recently won a prestigious Delivering Chances Award from the East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership, has also been selected as one of the first wave of pathfinder mutual companies announced by the government.

Click on the link bnelow to watch our short film about the MARS Scheme:
http://www.eastmidlandsiep.gov.uk/emiep-tv/1/47/mars-scheme-mansfield-dc/

Officers in Mansfield District Council's Housing Needs team developed the proposals themselves after the long term future of their current external Supporting People funding was put at risk. The proposals for the MARS scheme show a Big Society approach which means the service can not only continue, but also generate income and help stimulate the local economy. Staff, who are the real experts, can take over and deliver better services b by bringing empty properties back into use for the people who need them the most. By tackling problems when they first arise and not expensively managing them over many years, it is hoped that the scheme will become self-financing through the development of new income streams.

The Council will benefit from support as a pathfinder to create a model for the future of public service delivery through employee led social enterprises. They will be helped by mentors from the world of business and consultancy, including John Lewis Partnership, Tribal and the Office for Public Management.

The MARS Scheme which is one of our Delivering Chances Awards winners has been made one of the first 12 schemes to operate the government's new Mutuals Scheme.

Find out more by visiting: http://www.mansfield.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=3784

The twelve Pathfinders are:

1. An awarding body setting up as a mutual by a consortium of FE colleges  
2. The London Partnership - creating a ‘Reducing Multiple Disadvantage' Community Interest Company from a group of DH, LA, PCT and NHS staff 
3.  The Department of Health's London and SE Learning Disability Team forming a regional Community Interest Company 
4.  Hammersmith and Fulham Children's Services exploring new models of delivery with staff, possible commercial partners and neighbouring local authorities 
5.  North East Essex PCT spinning out into a Community Interest Company 
6.  The creation of a social enterprise for delivery of housing support services to vulnerable people in Mansfield, bringing together a range of public sector workers 
7.  The Lambeth Resource Centre exploring options for coproducing services with employees, service users and third sector organisations to provide rehabilitation support for people with physical and sensory impairment 
8. NHS employees forming a social enterprise to provide joined up services for homeless people in Leicester 
9. Teaching and administrative staff planning to set up a Trust to run Newton Rigg Agricultural College in Cumbria 
10.  The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea working with employees to examine the potential for different models of employee led youth support services
11. Integration of Community Health and Adult Social Services in Swindon into a cooperative
12. Westminster City Council working with employees in Children's Services and neighbouring local authorities to move towards creating an arms-length mutual organisation.

Help Boost Apprenticeships in 2011

25 Nov 2010

The National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) is gearing up for Apprenticeship Week 2011.

Apprenticeship Week 2011 (taking place from 7 - 11 February) aims to grow the number of Apprenticeship places with a particular focus on progression beyond level 2. For further details click here.

Here at the EM IEP, we have been working in partnership with NAS to encourage local authorities in the region to take up apprenticeships. Earllier this year, we launched the East Midlands Local Authority Apprenticeship Agency (EMLAAA). We have also identified and produced short films for 3 excellent regional Apprenticeship schemes examples:

City of Lincoln Apprenticeship Scheme
Women in Construction - Leicester City Council
One in a Million - Nottingham City Homes

An Apprenticeship Week Toolkit is available to download here.

The NAS website also suggests ideas for increasing the take up of apprentices by businesses of all sizes during this crucial period, for more information click here.

For more information visit the National Apprenticeship Service website.

Leading Lights Events

24 Nov 2010

"Leading Lights" brings together local councillors from across the East Midllands, who have a zeal for community empowerment, and who want to be coached and developed to become better champions for community empowerment.

The national organisation "Urban Forum" is leading on this piece of work for the East Midlands Empowerment Partnership and are running a series of facilitated action learning sessions to address issues councillors are experiencing and to provide support to them in their community engagement work.

Look out for the December Leading Lights workshops on "Using community engagement skills in the new policy world" taking place in:

Leicester - Monday 6th December - www.emep.org.uk/leadinglights9  
Mansfield - Tue 7th December - www.emep.org.uk/leadinglights10  
Northampton - Wed 8th December - www.emep.org.uk/leadinglights11  

Customer Insight in Action

24 Nov 2010

For anybody interested in finding out how to tailor services to their customers better, read our newly released 'Customer Insight in Action' document which is full of lots of interesting and inspiring examples of how customer insight is already being used in the region.

We have been supporting the development of customer insight capacity in a number of ways. Several sub regional projects have been funded to purchase tools for use across partnerships and to develop the capacity to make best use of these resources. At a regional level we have provided free training and networking opportunities on topics such as customer journey mapping, cirlces of need and survey methods.  

Cutomer Insight in Action

24 Nov 2010

For anybody interested in finding out how to tailor services to their customers better, read our newly released 'Customer Insight in Action' document which is full of lots of interesting and inspiring examples of how customer insight is already being used in the region.

We have been supporting the development of customer insight capacity in a number of ways. Several sub regional projects have been funded to purchase tools for use across partnerships and to develop the capacity to make best use of these resources. At a regional level we have provided free training and networking opportunities on topics such as customer journey mapping, cirlces of need and survey methods.

Download the 'Cusomer Insight in Action' publication at:

http://www.eastmidlandsiep.gov.uk/uploads/Publications/Customer%20Insight/EM%20IEP%20Customer%20Insight%20in%20Action%20-%20Web%20version.pdf

CIPFA Value for Money Toolkit - Out Now!

22 Nov 2010

The CIPFA Value for Money Toolkit toolkit is available to all councils across England as a way of getting up-to-date information on their council's performance, and how it compares to other authorities. It brings together a range of performance indicators, along with financial information to help identify areas where efficiencies can best be made.

This tool is freely available to all English authorities http://www.cipfastats.net/vfmtoolkit/  

(The toolkit should not be released to any third parties and should be used for internal process only).

Place Based Productivity Programme Children's Services Workstream: Newsletter 1

18 Nov 2010

Introduction: The Place Based Productivity Programme was conceived in summer 2010 as part of the Local Gvernment Groups response to budgetary challenges.

To receive the newsletter directly into your inbox contact preed@westmidlandsiep.gov.uk

Derby's Market Hall benefits from EMPA framework

17 Nov 2010

Opened in 1866, Derby Market Hall has recently benefitted from one of the East Midlands Property Alliance's (EMPA*) frameworks, via Ashe Construction Ltd. The company worked with MPT Scaffolding Ltd to provide scaffolding to Derby's Market Hall.

Derby's Market Hall is still home to a busy, vibrant market. MPT Scaffolding has provided scaffolding to allow  maintenance to take place to extend the lifespan of the building and improve its visual appearence while retaining the original victorian features.

Click 'Download file' below to find out more about the project. 

* EMPA is an project funded by the East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership.

Highways Partnership Scoops Top Awards

10 Nov 2010

The Midlands Highway Alliance (MHA), an EM IEP sponsored project, has scooped two prestigious awards at the industry-esteemed Highways Magazine Awards on 20 October.

The money-saving partnership walked away with first prize in the Highways  Contractor Partnership category and the judges were so impressed with the work and efficiencies achieved by the MHA that they went on to award a ‘special merit award' for submitting the best entry overall, citing the excellent example of collaborative working and evident long-term savings made by the partnership.

The MHA involves four private contractors - Bam Nuttall, Ringway and the partnerships between Balfour Beatty & Birse and Tarmac & Carillion - who work together to deliver highway and transport schemes around the region, such as the new Enderby Park and Ride and Foxhunter roundabout in Leicestershire.

Matthew Lugg, Chair of the MHA said: "There are clear benefits to collaborative working with other authorities, where feasible. The MHA has so far delivered a number of crucial schemes from Peterborough in the East up to Staffordshire in the West.

"So far, the MHA has achieved £12.2 million of efficiency savings across the region. As well as providing excellent value for money, the MHA has just recently started a new construction skills and training academy which will benefit existing employees from both the contractors and local authorities, as well as new staff entering the industry.

"Although in its infancy, we hope the academy will be one of the biggest training success stories in the UK - with any luck we might be reporting on award successes of the academy next year!"

Watch our Driving Collaboration: Midlands Highway Alliance short film at: http://www.eastmidlandsiep.gov.uk/emiep-tv/1/15/

For more information about the Midlands Highway Alliance, visit: www.leics.gov.uk/mha 

Background:
The MHA formed in 2007 and is a collaboration of 13 Midlands-based local authorities plus the Highways Agency, who joined together to make efficiency savings in the procurement of contractors and highway commodities.

The partnership comprises the following authorities:
• Derby City Council
• Nottingham City Council
• Derbyshire County Council
• Nottinghamshire County Council
• Leicester City Council
• Peterborough City Council
• Leicestershire County Council
• Rutland County Council
• Lincolnshire County Council
• Staffordshire County Council
• Milton Keynes Council
• South Derbyshire District Council
• Northamptonshire County Council
• The Highways Agency.

And private contractors:
• Balfour Beatty/Birse
• Bam Nuttall
• Ringway
•Tarmac/Carillion

Collection contracts variations & mid-term improvement opportunities

09 Nov 2010

This document provides support & information for councils who are considering changes & improvements to their waste, recycling and associated services during the lifetime of an existing collection contract. WIN (the Waste Improvement Network) has spoken to a number of councils who have recently undergone similar processes and has brought together some of the information required to embark on such a project. WIN presents the circumstances in which collection contracts may need to be re�visited, varied, re�negotiated or in some cases re�tendered. WIN also explores the associated issues including Public Contracts Regulations; when to re�tender; legal lessons and examples of waste procurement damages. Also includes sections on where to go for support; effective contract management and procurement Training.

National infrastructure plan 2010

09 Nov 2010

National infrastructure plan 2010 - read the Governments plans for the future of Britain's economic infrastructure. Items regarding waste include: low carbon economy, waste reduction, improving waste treatment, landfill diversion, EfW as well as encouraging authorities to incentivise households to recycle more

Local Environmental Quality Project - Useful documents and update

05 Nov 2010

The LEQ project is part of the Efficiency Programme being delivered by the EM IEP and has been delivered by Keep Britain Tidy encompassing both Improvement and Efficiency work streams. Keep Britain Tidy have delivered a number of useful reports and events as part of this project.  This article will summarise the final learning event ‘Improving Efficiency in Local Environmental Quality' held on the 3^rd November 2010, and highlight the key reports which offer information on transferable good practice, how to make large and small scale efficiencies and how to improve the service delivered.

Councillors and officers from across the region attended the ‘Improving Efficiency in Local Environmental Quality' event. The first presentation discussed the broad efficiency saving routes which could be considered to help realise small and non-cashable savings across environmental portfolios, which could be delivered at an operational level.  This presentation was based on the Efficiency Report 1 developed by Keep Britain Tidy.

The routes to smaller scale efficiencies highlighted in the presentation and Efficiency Report 1 include:

• Regular operational and front line reviews including:
  • Machinery reviews
  • Route optimisation
  • Staffing
  • ICT
• Taking a holistic approach to budget reductions
• Development and use of consortiums
• Reviewing contracts
• Making specification adjustments to contracts

The discussion groups from the event highlighted that without implementing operational efficiencies, such as those above, it would be very difficult for a local authority to achieve the more strategic larger scale efficiencies necessary to meet current extensive cuts required to budgets.

Following the first presentation there was an interesting discussion around the demise of the National Indicator 195 and how local authorities will benchmark their services and monitor performance in the future. Keep Britain Tidy are very interested in discussing this with local authorities so please contact them directly if you wish to discuss this further. However, there are useful tools for benchmarking streetscene services readily available on the Waste Improvement Network website and the LGA / Cipfa website.

The following presentations provided examples of good practice from across the region, in which three LA officers kindly gave up there time to talk about some of the excellent work being done in their local authorities not only to improve efficiencies but also continue to deliver excellent services to the public.

Nina Camm talked about the innovative partnership work North Kesteven District Council is undertaking with a social enterprise, the leisure service providers and the parish councils. This partnership working has provided North Kesteven with efficiencies, better service delivery and greater public satisfaction. 

Angela Edwards outlined the work Bassetlaw District Council have been doing around reducing sickness levels, restructuring staff resources, improving public perception and satisfaction of street cleanliness. She also talked about joint procurement and fuel saving schemes, devolving street cleansing duties to parish councils and reviewing bulky waste collections. The joint procurement exercise Bassetlaw were involved with included all of the Nottinghamshire (waste collection) authorities and resulted in savings in excess of £1 million across the county.

Julie Snowdon from Mansfield District Council was the final local authority representative, she summarised some of the challenges Mansfield faced and some of the solutions implemented which have provided the service with £114,000 efficiency savings over the last 2 years. These have included better administration support to the management teams, additional enforcement powers and alternative solutions found to delivering education.

All three presentations were extremely interesting and provided delegates with transferable examples of work they could carry out to improve service delivery and reduce costs. These presentations were one of the highlights of the event, please follow this link to access the case studies.

The final presentation of the day summarised the key findings of Keep Britain Tidy's Efficiency Report 2. Efficiency Report 2 explored the cashable efficiencies which can be gained from operations through strategic and radical approaches. Operational reviews can release cashable efficiencies, for example:

• Route optimisation - technology and common sense
• Contract review - effective procurement
• Reviewing specifications - controversial or not?
• Machinery - newer technology (fuel / equipment savings)
• Staffing - differing regimes of delivery

The Efficiency Report 2 identifies that Strategic Cashable Efficiencies can usually be realised within 18months and can be made by exploring:-

• Consortia usage
• Competitive Dialogue
• Joint Contracting
  • Informal or formal
• Sharing services/ officers
  • Frontline
  • Back Office
• Pooled budgets
• Communication Campaigns
  • Enforcement
• ICT - Handhelds, citizen reporting, networked communities

Finally the Efficiency Report 2 states that radical efficiencies can take more than 18months to realise these include:

• Behaviour chance to reduce costs
• Co-production and co-designing services
• Employee Mutuals, delivering services for community benefit.
• Super councils
• Mutual service delivery

During the presentation Keep Britain Tidy stated that strategic and radical efficiencies will require clear planning and clarity of outcomes.  It is also essential to ensure that there is cooperation of staff, senior managers and elected members, public consultation and commitment to see the efficiency initiatives through to completion. Although these types of efficiencies initiatives are often more difficult to implement and take longer to deliver results, they may be the only way local authorities can reduce costs necessary to meet post CSR budgets and a changing economic climate for Local Government.

In conclusion, the reports that Keep Britain Tidy have completed for the EM IEP and the event discussions highlighted that there is no ‘magic wand' to drive out efficiencies from Local Environmental Quality Services. However, by sharing and integrating good practice, striving to implement more challenging strategic efficiencies and continuing to be innovative with service delivery, hopefully Local Authorities will be able to deliver ‘better services for less' over the coming years of austerity.

For more information on the LEQ project please contact Rebecca Parker at: rebecca.parker@nottss.gov.uk.