How does working in partnership improve services?
Partnership with the Post Office
The UK Passport Service has developed a partnership with the Post Office to
extend and improve accessibility and the level of service it provides. For
a small fee, customers can now take advantage of a special check and send
service at local post office counters which ensure their application is
complete and correct, so minimising delays in receiving their passport.
Want to know more? Contact: Christine Nickles, Head of
Communication
Tel. 020 7901 2470, Email: christine.nickles@ukpa.gsi.gov.uk
A vast network of partners
Bath and North East Somerset's Dog Warden Service has such a vast
network of partners that Dog Warden Dennis Oakman has created a spider
diagram to illustrate its reach. Important partners include the public,
local press, police, social services, schools, dog handlers, the RSPCA and
the health service, among others. This partnership approach helps make the
service, which includes taking action against offenders and educating the
public, highly effective.
Just one recent example was the highly successful FIDO line (Find Idle Dog
Owners), which encouraged members of the public to inform on offending dog
owners who habitually allowed their pets to foul public areas. The press
cooperated to give the initiative huge publicity, resulting in a flood of
information and penalties for the offenders. Another was working in
partnership with local parish councils to divide the purchase and
maintenance of bins for responsible dog owners to dispose of dog mess in
parks and recreation grounds.
Want to know more? Contact: Dennis Oakman
Tel. 01225 477555, Email: dennis_oakman@bathnes.gov.uk
Partnership improves policing
All police forces in England and Wales are required to work closely with
local partnerships on crime audits and strategies. Dyfed Powys Police has
four divisions, which work closely with the local authorities. The force
also works with a wide range of other organisations, including health,
probation, voluntary agencies, Age Concern, Victim Support and others. The
close working relationships with local authorities and other key agencies
have proved essential in developing Community Safety Strategies. The first
of these implemented in 1999, set a target of a 5% overall reduction in
crime by 2002. By April 2001, a reduction of 6.93% had already been
achieved.
Dyfed Powys Police recently set up The Citizens Panel as a joint enterprise
with the local health service and the county council. Made up of 1,200
people, the size of the joint enterprise allows the force to get responses
to very specific topics and issues. 'The beauty of that is that we can
target our questions,' says Paul Morris, Strategy and Planning Officer.
'We can tailor specific topics that we want to find information about,
for example levels of crime experienced by people over 50. Doing this on a
partnership basis, means you get more for your money and it reduces the
consultation burden because everyone has a responsibility to consult.'
Want to know more? Contact: Paul Morris, Strategy and
Planning Officer
Tel. 01267 226638, Email: paul.morris@dyfed-powys.pnn.police.uk
