Eight Scottish councils and their partners have been honoured for outstanding quality of service to the public at the 2012 COSLA Excellence Awards.
West Lothian, Glasgow City, North Ayrshire, and City of Edinburgh Councils, along with South Lanarkshire Council and Strathclyde Police, all took first place in the main categories of the Awards. Glasgow City Council also scooped the Chairman's Award, while the SOLACE Best Team Award went to Midlothian Council. A ground breaking partnership of councils to deliver the M74 Completion Project was also recognised for Delivering Excellence by the Scottish Government.
COSLA President Councillor Pat Watters CBE, who chaired the judging panel, described the entries for the awards this year as inspiring: "The COSLA Excellence Awards showcase and celebrate the very best of Scottish local government. The sheer impact being achieved by these projects is proof that Scotland's local services are in great shape."
Councillor Watters continued: "Every one of our finalists have set new standards for excellence, and demonstrated innovative ways of dealing with some of Scotland's most complex issues. Their results speak for themselves, but above all else, I have been struck by the utter determination and passion that council workers and our partners have for improving outcomes for their communities."
"All those who took part - and we had more entries from more organisations than ever before - can be proud of their achievements. The Scottish local government family faces major challenges over the next few years, and now more than ever, the COSLA Excellence Awards have a vital part to play in translating real success stories into more responsive, efficient and effective local services across the country. Where these projects are leading, others will follow, and that makes the future very bright indeed."
Full list of winners
Category 1: Service Innovation and Improvement
City of Edinburgh Council - Edinburgh Parks: Making the Matrix Perform
Category 2: Achieving Better Outcomes
North Ayrshire Council - North Ayrshire Homeless Prevention Service
Category 3: Tackling Inequalities and Improving Health
South Lanarkshire Council and Strathclyde Police - 'Move the Goalposts'
Category 4: Strong and Sustainable Communities
Glasgow City Council - Credit Union Development Programme
Category 5: Securing a Workforce for the Future
South Lanarkshire Council - Eddlewood Training Academy
Category 6: One to Watch
West Lothian Council - Citizen Led Inspection
The SOLACE Best Team Award
Midlothian Council - Newbattle Peak Performance Academies
The COSLA Chair's Award
Glasgow City Council - Long Term Conditions and Macmillan Project
The Scottish Government Award for Delivering Excellence
Glasgow City, South Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire Councils - M74 Completion Project
