VIDEO: From Jakarta to Epsom – Indonesian party visit Surrey

Government officials from Indonesia have called on the expertise of Surrey County Council.

A 15-strong party from the National Institute of Public Administration visited the Focus Youth Centre in Epsom to find out how the authority transformed young people’s services.

The civil servants from the Jakarta-based organisation responsible for developing public services were told how the council cut the number of young people in Surrey registered as not in education, employment or training to a national low while also saving more than £4.5 million.

Welcomed by Cabinet Member for Children and Families’ Wellbeing Clare Curran, the delegation also heard that rising demand for services such as those for children with special educational needs and disabilities is straining finances.

The visit, which was arranged through Governance International, was led by deputy for public administration innovation Tri Widodo Wahyu Utomo (pictured) and also included the head of the public service innovation centre Erfi Muthmainah and Agung Nugroho, head of the partnership and capacity development division.