£23 million Shropshire Council computer overhaul agreed

But councillors have agreed the project should come back to be scrutinised at regular intervals as it proceeds.

The 'ICT Digital Transformational Programme' is hoped to make £11 million in savings for the authority in the long run, while joining up what are currently multiple different computer systems for different departments, making the authority more modern, efficient and commercially competitive.

At a Shirehall meeting on Thursday, councillors heard Shropshire Council had not invested in its IT infrastructure since it became a unitary authority in 2009, exiting computer systems were not joined up across the authority and it meant things were unnecessarily complicated both for council customers accessing services and how staff dealt with service users.

Shropshire Council's Lib Dem group leader Roger Evans, councillor of Longden, said he did not want to obstruct of delay the project but asked if it could go through council scrutiny committee for review as it goes ahead, rather than simply being actioned by officers once agreed.

He said: "I propose that it comes to scrutiny for a full review of the the costs of the digital transformation project to identify any savings that can be made.

"Members need to be aware of what is happening and to be able to keep track of it."

The business case was agreed with the Councillor Evans' motion.

Fellow Lib Dem Heather Kidd, Shropshire councillor for Chirbury and Worthern, said after the meeting: "It was interesting that they accepted our amendment to go through scrutiny, because that's never happened before, but it is a lot of money to be spent."

It comes after a planned new council computer system to manage children and adults cases will move to the next stage in Telford after being approved by cabinet chiefs.

The planned £1.59m procurement is taking place because the contracts with Telford & Wrekin Council’s current providers end in March 2018.

The council is currently carrying out a review of business needs with a view to bringing in an ICT system solution suitable to meet the wider requirements of both children’s and adults services.

The plans moved a step ahead when they received the approval of Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet at a meeting on Thursday evening.

Cabinet chiefs approved funding for the project and delegated authority to senior council officers to proceed with the next stage of procurement for the system.

Telford & Wrekin Council has worked alongside and supported Shropshire Council with the scoping and procurement they have carried out for their own new system.

This has ensured that the council can access the same contract through a compliant procurement process.

Councillor Paul Watling, cabinet member for children, young people and communities, said: “There’s operational efficiencies with bringing the two systems together.

“It will reduce unnecessary bureaucracy.

“It will show a streamlined, more flexible children’s and adults service.”

Councillor Arnold England, cabinet member for adult social care and older people, also welcomed the plans for the new computer system.

He said: “It’s going to be funded from existing resources.

“There will be an ongoing saving as well. It’s got to be a win-win.”

Council leader Shaun Davies added: “It’s good that we are investing in this.

“It is a huge area for us as an authority.”

The new system will support all of the work of adults and children’s services, including social care, safeguarding, and early help and prevention.

A report, which was put before cabinet chiefs during their meeting at Addenbrooke House on Thursday, said it was agreed with directors and the procurement team at Shropshire Council that their invitation to tender would state that Telford & Wrekin Council may wish, in the future, to join their contract should the authority agree on the same provider.

Shropshire Council has chosen a preferred supplier and contacts were signed at the end of March.

The report said: “We are confident that their decision to go with this supplier was informed by a thorough and robust evaluation and assessment process which we were part of.

“Equally we believe this approach will meet our system and service needs.”