Innovative communication helps Southampton City Council on the path to excellence

Staff at Southampton City Council are feeling positive about delivering the 3% efficiency savings required by the Government thanks to the success of one of the biggest internal communication events organised by a local authority.

Working with Sussex-based business improvement consultants, Woodward Lewis, a new approach to business planning was introduced based on the Business Excellence Model. Over a two month period, staff from all levels across every directorate took part in a series of activities and events which allowed them to give direct feedback and learn about how individual services relate to each other and support the Council’s strategies.

“The Council has taken such a huge step forward in ensuring direct, face-to-face communication with its staff,” says Chief Executive Brad Roynon, who championed the project. “We believe this is of paramount importance when facing continued pressure to change and Woodward Lewis provided invaluable change management expertise and personal enthusiasm that allowed us to roll this out as a positive experience,” he adds. “It gives me a clear overview of improvement activity across the Council in an easily accessible form and is helping to focus our future management development programme.”

Using a lighter, low paper-work version of the Business Excellence Model, devised by Woodward Lewis, the exercise gave a rigorous analysis of service strengths and weaknesses and corporate priorities for action without the need for a large audit-style review. It also helped managers to work together within directorates to recognise mutual dependency and opportunities to maximise strengths. A series of face-to-face conferences also took place, the largest of which involved a staggering 809 staff.

“We’ve worked with many local authorities and we’ve never come across such a comprehensive and ambitious internal communications and consultation event in another Council,” says Jane Lewis, partner at Woodward Lewis and specialist in helping local authorities. “This was an ambitious project so we’re delighted that it has been such a success for Southampton City Council. We knew it would take something special for it to work and with a little innovation we believe we delivered just that.”

For Further information about the project please contact Jane Lewis at Woodward Lewis on 01243 539595 or click on the link in the right hand column.