Case Studies
Below is a selection of case studies that demonstrate the benefits of working with the Pentagull team.
Street Scene was a new service that came together from combining a number of other services within Blackpool Council. These consisted of Highways (Inspection, Maintenance and Enforcement), Waste (Commercial and Domestic), Street Cleansing and the Neighbourhood action team. They used two main IT systems, an in-house written standalone complaints system and a highways management system procured from the local government software market. Alongside these systems were over 30 spreadsheets and small databases required to help the teams capture data to their requirements.
Customer First was created as a new service in 2004 as part of Blackpool Council’s strategic transformation programme known as Changing Times and Access to Services. The new service was established to be the main contact and service resolution point for the Council with integration of all frontline services into the new customer centre. The thinking behind this was based on a customer centric approach for local government and assisted from e-Government funding from central government. The service had grown from a budget of around £500k to a budget close to £3million in 2006/7 and was nationally recognised as one of the best approaches to putting the customer first.
Progress Employment Support is a not-for-profit limited company formed in 2002 with a purpose of assisting more disabled people into valued jobs and more employers reaping the benefits of a diverse workforce. The primary role is to support disabled people and their employees to benefit from working together and make employment a reality. Financial support comes from a range of funding sources with inclusive employment remaining a priority across the political landscape.
The Government and Local Agencies have identified the need for a more co-ordinated approach to Anti-Social Behaviour and the protection of vulnerable victims. Blackpool Council working with its partners and the Home Office have recognised the local issues and developed a tiered approach responding to those at risk and developing a strategy to inform a robust and informed design for the future.
Within Blackpool Council an investment had been made into an IT system that had become embedded across three directorates and multiple services. The system was predominantly used for enforcement but had other modules that were utilized as well. The service areas that used the system were: