Waveney District Council has signed a contract with Norfolk County Services Limited, to form a 15 year Strategic Partnership that will transform its Operations and Facilities service area - including many of its prominent, public-facing services.

Following a cabinet decision to approve Norfolk County Services Limited as the Council’s preferred provider, a Joint Venture Company will be established called ‘Waveney Norse’. From 1 July 2008, Waveney Norse will operate a wide range of services including refuse collection and recycling, cleansing, grounds and property maintenance, cemeteries and parking.

Commenting on the agreement, Cllr Stephen Ardley, Portfolio Holder for Health and Well Being said: “This Joint Venture Company will operate some of the most the prominent, public-facing services we provide. It was our aim to ensure continuous improvement and sustainability of services and find a partner that shared our objectives of providing a first class service that offered increased customer satisfaction. It was therefore essential that we retained our influence and the Council will be represented on the board.

“Internally, there will be a cultural shift as we move to this new partnership, but the transition should be seamless for our customers. On the surface, they should see little change, but in the long-term, they should benefit from improved performance and increased value for money. The Council’s customer call centre and local offices will still be the first point of contact for residents with enquiries and requests for services.

“We are looking forward to working with Norfolk County Services Limited and sharing in the future success of these services. We will be supporting staff through this process of change as they continue to provide the best possible service for our residents and customers.” 
 
Tony Williams, Cabinet member for Commercial Services and Efficiency and Director of NCS Ltd, said: "We are delighted to be working in partnership with Waveney District Council to help deliver excellent frontline services to residents. By working together, local communities will benefit from assured high quality, integrity and best value services, while staff will enjoy networking opportunities with colleagues across Suffolk and Norfolk.

"This venture demonstrates the market leading position of NCS Ltd as a service provider able to successfully compete against stiff public and private sector competition. By offering a winning combination of strong commercial awareness and best public sector management practises, we are able to bring unique value to the marketplace."

Back in November 2006, Waveney District Council adopted the Enabling Authority Agenda, as part of its Strategic Direction and Medium Term Financial Strategy. This policy was introduced to ensure that services were ‘fit for purpose’ and to facilitate continuous improvement and investment as well sustainability. It was then decided that an ‘Operations and Facilities Options Appraisal’ would be conducted to determine the best way forward for this service area.

Ahead of this appraisal, the Council conducted a ‘Needs Assessment,’ were residents and customers were given the opportunity to have a real say about the future of operational services and facilities in the district. This assessment generated valuable feedback and provided a base from which to develop future priorities and plans.

Officers completed considerable background work and took expert legal, human resources, financial and procurement advice for this project and the procurement process was approved on the 21 August 2007.

The Council short-listed potential service providers for the Operations and Facilities Partnership and during the competitive dialogue phase it was necessary to make a decision on the most appropriate management model for the services. The preferred management model for a Strategic Partnership was a Joint Venture Company, because of its flexibility, inclusiveness, development potential and business strength.

The transfer involves in the region of 165 staff (full time equivalent) and they will move across on existing terms and conditions. They will also enjoy the potential benefits of being part of a larger organisation, such as improved potential for training, development and career progression.