Surrey County Council’s shared services team has been named the best in Europe by a major industry body. The county council team was praised by the The Shared Services & Outsourcing Network (SSON) for putting the customer at the heart of its service, driving cost savings and increasing efficiency and customer satisfaction. The team was … Continue reading
A five-year roads repair project that saved £3 million through better planning has inspired a new longer-term strategy to improving Surrey’s streets. At a meeting on Tuesday, Surrey County Council’s Cabinet adopted the longer-term planning approach used in Operation Horizon so that all road maintenance is better and saves taxpayers’ money.
Unemployed, kicked out of home and not thinking about training, Surrey teenager Lou Nappin never imagined he would score a job with one of London’s oldest football clubs. But the 18-year-old from Sunbury defied the odds to do just that – netting a youth coaching role with Fulham Football Club, thanks to a helping … Continue reading
Potentially life-threatening cosmetics have been seized by Surrey County Council as part of one of the UK’s largest-ever hauls of its kind. The 752-kilo cargo taken by trading standards officers at Heathrow Airport includes more than 1,000 cosmetic items, from creams to lotions, containing a skin bleaching ingredient – hydroquinone – that is banned in … Continue reading
Community support for Surrey carers As part of National Carers’ Week, there will be a carer information day at Elmbridge Civic Centre in Esher on Monday, 9 June from 11am to 3pm. Held in conjunction with Carer Support Elmbridge in the centre’s reception area, the event will showcase the wide range of local community organisations available … Continue reading
The Guardian has published an article about a Surrey County Council scheme giving vulnerable adults foster-care style support. Surrey’s shared lives initiative offers adults with learning and physical disabilities or mental health needs the chance to stay with a carer and their family on a short or long-term basis. So far the scheme has helped … Continue reading
For the agenda and reports for the county council’s Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, 27 May, visit the council’s website
A major bridge that carries thousands of Surrey commuters a day has won a prestigious award. Surrey County Council’s new Walton Bridge was among the winners at a ceremony held last night by the Institution of Civil Engineers to celebrate the best projects in the industry. The bridge, which was the first new Thames crossing … Continue reading
An award-winning poet will kick off the Surrey Libraries’ Festival for Children this Saturday, 24 May. Martin Daws, who is the Young People’s Laureate for Wales, will be just one of many loved literary figures hosting fun activities for kids at libraries across Surrey. The events range from comic art workshops to stop-frame animation. Helyn … Continue reading
A credit card-sized device is to be handed to people with dementia to help prevent them becoming one of the tens of thousands of adults with the condition who go missing across the country each year. It has been estimated that every year more than 40,000 people with dementia get lost for the first time. Around 800,000 … Continue reading
Surrey County Council aims to use its purchasing power to create 170 apprenticeships. Firms are being asked to pledge to fill apprentice places as part of their bids for contracts to provide council services. The authority, which negotiates tens of millions of pounds worth of contracts each year, is also encouraging key contractors to look … Continue reading
A congestion-busting scheme to cut the pain of delays and boost the economy has received backing from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). Surrey County Council took control of who digs roadworks, where and when last year with the launch of a permit scheme. It means roads are dug up and closed less often, cutting hold-ups and … Continue reading
As foster care fortnight headed towards its second week, the MJ published an article by Surrey County Council leader David Hodge about his experiences of growing up in care. Story that appeared in the MJ: With my background, looking after vulnerable children has personal importance for me. I was brought up in an orphanage in the … Continue reading
As fostering fortnight got into full swing, Surrey County Council revealed that its 250 carers have more than 1,600 years of experience between them. Surrey fostering in figures: 1,601 – years of experience carers have clocked up 644 – children currently being looked after 236 – families caring for children 14 – specialist carers. In addition, there are 77 relatives … Continue reading
Two groundbreaking road improvement projects that carry thousands of Surrey commuters a day are in the running for prestigious awards. The cream of the engineering industry has shortlisted both Surrey County Council’s building of the new Walton Bridge and its £100 million Operation Horizon roads overhaul among regional finalists for the Institution of Civil Engineers … Continue reading