A project led by Cumbria County Council’s Social Services has been short-listed as a finalist in the prestigious “e-Government National Awards” for IT projects. The ceremony will take place on January 25th at the Savoy Hotel in London.
Cumbria County Council’s “Electronic Financial Assessment” has been shortlisted for the award. The County Council has worked with the London Boroughs of Sutton, Enfield and Lambeth to create a fully mobile system of Electronic Financial Assessments.
This system is used to assess contributions to residential and non-residential care for elderly and vulnerable people.
This latest short-listing is a further success for the project which scooped third place in the Local Government IT Excellence Award last October.
Eden was used to pilot the scheme and it went live in the district from December 2004. Following the success in Eden, Electronic Financial Assessments have rolled out across Cumbria from the end of October 2005.
The scheme has been part funded through Project Nomad, which is the national e-government mobile working program, sponsored by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
County councillor Oliver Pearson, spokesman for Adult Services says:
“Everyone at Cumbria County Council is delighted that we have been nominated for this award. The scheme has brought numerous benefits for the council and the public.
Electronic Financial Assessments mean that the whole process of assessment is quicker and more straightforward for both officers and anyone being assessed. It also ensures that we make the fairest charges as officers have access to the most up to date assessment information.
By reducing the amount of time officers spend processing an assessment a more personal service can be given to the service user and more time spent ensuring that they receive the best possible support."