Blaneau Gwent Council has agreed to merge its ICT services with an existing Welsh public sector partnership from April.
This week, partners in the Shared Resource Service (SRS) voted to allow the council to join them, in a move designed to generate additional income to invest in service improvements and deliver savings.
Blaenau Gwent councillors approved the move earlier this month, concluding a process that began in 2014 when a report highlighted a number of issues with the council’s existing ICT strategy, resilience and structure.
Council leader Steve Thomas said: “Our business cases explored all options, benefits and risks to determine the preferred solution and resulted in our recommendation to full council to join the SRS as a partner.
“Going solo was no longer an option given our drive for ICT efficiency, service improvement and transformation through digital projects”
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He said that the council would now be able to sustain service levels and help meet budget challenges.
SR
was created in 2011 by the merger of ICT teams from Gwent Police, Monmouthshire County Council and Torfaen council with a £3m resource centre in Blaenavon officially opened by First Minister, Carwyn Jones.
The existing partners are Torfaen County Borough Council, Monmouthshire County Council and the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Gwent.
Torfaen council leader Bob Wellington said: “The SRS continues to attract interest from organisations from both within the private and public sectors and I’m certain more partners will follow.”
Earlier this week, South Wales Police and Gwent Police announced plans to replace their pen and notebooks with smartphones.
