Stockport wins iNetwork Innovation award

Stockport Council has won the iNetwork Innovation Award just weeks after being nominated for two prestigious Local Government Chronicle awards.

Judges unanimously decided that the redesign of Fred Perry House reception and the introduction of the Better Off Stockport website were worthy of winning the Innovative Access to Public Services Category.

It follows the announcement that both Stockport Family and the Council’s Adult Social Care service were both nominated in the Most Innovative Service Delivery Model category for the upcoming LGC Awards 2017.

Councillor Alex Ganotis, Leader of the Council, said: “To win one award so soon after being nominated for others really symbolises how hard our staff work to provide the services we offer.

“The iNetwork Innovation Award re-emphasises our decision to provide a modern digital space where people are helped to self-serve council services. It’s seen waiting times for a home visit for vulnerable residents reduce from 10 weeks to 4 weeks which is a fantastic achievement.

“With the LGC Awards, these nominations are richly deserved. It’s the premier event of the year in the local government calendar so to be nominated in what has been a record year for entries is a fantastic achievement. But all in all, what I think this shows is that Stockport Council is continuing to be innovative in order to help our local communities.”

Stockport has transformed its reception to provide a modern digital space where people are helped to access council services. Self -check in points automatically inform officers when visitor arrive while others are guided to a high street style area of tablets and PC’s where staff use a Restorative techniques to enable and support customers to self-serve.

Elsewhere, a social worker from Stockport will soon find out if she is to be awarded the title of Social Worker of the Year.

Sarah Kelley has been nominated for the Newly Qualified Children’s Social Worker of the Year prize and will find out if she has won at an exclusive awards ceremony which will take place in London. Sarah is one of 78 finalists across 15 categories and the winners from each category will compete against each other to be named the “Overall Social Worker of the Year 2016.”