Slough Borough Council To Rely On Arvato

Take over government services for British councils and lower their costs of administration while still delivering greater service quality to citizens – that is the business proposition fulfilled by Arvato UK & Ireland. More and more councils are deciding to outsource parts of their services to the Arvato specialist. The most recent addition to the client list is Slough Borough Council in southwest England, with a population of around 120,000. From April 2012, Arvato will improve a broad range of transactional services for the council while also lowering costs.

The services Arvato will handle for the Slough Borough Council include revenues and benefits, payroll, finance services, and HR and logistics services. Initially signed for ten years, the public-private partnership is expected to deliver £26.5 million in savings; Arvato will invest £3.8 million. Under the agreement, staff from four service areas within Slough Borough Council will transfer to Arvato on their current terms, and will deliver the services through the creation of the Thames Valley Transactional Service Centre – a shared service hub that will not only support the council’s services, but will also offer transactional solutions to a wider range of private and public sector organizations, creating employment opportunities for Slough. Arvato has also guaranteed the creation of 100 apprentice positions, who will be trained to NVQ Level 2 in contact centers.

“Our approach to enhancing services and achieving cost savings is based on investment - in infrastructure, technology and people – and a fundamental belief in collaboration,” says Rainer Majcen, Managing Director, Public Sector at Arvato UK & Ireland. “Slough is a strategic location for our business, and we believe the joint development of the shared service with the council is an important move forward in how public sector organizations can start to take the lead in delivering service excellence.”

Councillor Rob Anderson, Leader of Slough Borough Council said, “The council is committed to protecting front line services, looking for innovative ways to save money and drive efficiencies. Arvato has a long and successful track record of delivering this type of partnership project – both in the UK and internationally, across the public and private sectors. Our collaboration represents an innovative approach that will safeguard local jobs, maintain high service levels, and secure new investment into the local economy, as well as providing our staff with a fantastic opportunity to develop their careers.”

The public-private partnership with the Slough Borough Council is the fourth such collaboration between Arvato and a government agency in the UK. Arvato and the East Riding of Yorkshire Council have been partners since 2005; a ten-year project with the Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council launched in 2008; and Arvato has worked for the Chesterfield Borough Council since 2010.