Telford & Wrekin finalist for APSE Council of Year award
Telford & Wrekin Council has been nominated for six awards and the Overall ‘Council of the Year’ in the prestigious Association of Public Service Excellence awards.
The Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) awards promote excellence in local authority services. The awards recognise the best and most innovative councils in the UK, focusing on frontline services and councils who are achieving excellent results.
Finalists were required to present best practice case studies to demonstrate commitment to implementing innovative ideas that support continuous improvement and adaptation.
The winner of the award will be announced 13 September. Competition to be shortlisted was tough, with over 370 submissions from more than 100 organisations. 40 organisations were eligible for the Overall Council of the Year category with only 9 shortlisted, including Telford & Wrekin Council.
APSE work with over 300 councils throughout the UK in areas such as waste and refuse collection, parks and environmental services, environmental health, leisure, school meals, cleaning, housing and building maintenance.
In addition to the Council of the Year award, six Telford & Wrekin’s teams have also been shortlisted as finalists in the following categories.
• Best Efficiency and Transformation Initiative - for Telford & Wrekin’s Let’s Dine for secondary schools
• Best Health and Wellbeing Initiative (including Social Care) - for the Working Together – Building Recovery partnership within the Drug and Alcohol Action Team
• Best Collaborative Working Initiative (with other public sector or third sector) for the Telford Land Deal
• Best Service Team: Construction and Building Service
• Best Service Team: Sports, Leisure and Cultural Service.
• Best Service Team: Environmental Health, Trading Standards and Regulatory Service
Council Leader Shaun Davies said: “It’s great to see such strong external recognition of our services. This is significant recognition given the work of APSE.
“Despite huge financial pressure from cuts in central funding, and growing demand for many of our services, we have continued to provide excellent value for money services to our community. Equally we are developing new commercial services to help reduce the impact of cuts in our grant to help protect as far as possible key services. To be shortlisted in six categories demonstrates our commitment to improving our services often by innovating.
“Residents in Telford & Wrekin can be assured that we’re doing all we can, albeit with ever decreasing resources, to make sure that they have local services of which they can be proud.”
