Local Council wins National Public Services Awards

Glasgow city council’s development and regeneration services, was named as the overall winner of the Guardian public services awards 2008, sponsored by Hays, the UK’s leading specialist recruitment consultancy. By finding and honouring the best in public service provision, the national awards play a key role in spreading excellence, which is more important than ever before given the current downturn. 

The council’s Scotcash enterprise was the winning scheme, showing the way for financially excluded people in Glasgow to control their money and reduce their debts. Scotcash goes far beyond its initial aim of providing affordable loans and now plays a major role in financial services in the city, by offering access to bank accounts, financial advice and even discounted household goods. Judges praised it as an outstanding example of public agencies’ capacity to innovate and intervene in a timely and hugely effective way at the hard edge of social policy.

Mark Staniland, Director of public services at Hays, says: “These awards have become a benchmark for quality in public services delivery and we are proud to have been a principal partner of the awards and involved in the judging for the fifth year running. Judging was incredibly challenging because of the high standard of entries, and we are delighted that Glasgow city council was the overall, very deserving, winner.”

For further information about Hays visit www.hays.com

Pictured left to right: Kirsty Wark, broadcaster, journalist and event host; Sharon MacPherson Glasgow city council’s debt strategy officer; Hugh Kelly from Glasgow city council; and Mark Staniland, director of public services at Hays.

Note to Editor:

Hays plc is the leading global specialist recruitment group. It is market leader in the UK and Australia, and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe. As at 30 June 2008, the Group employed 8,872 staff operating from 393 offices in 27 countries across 17 specialisms. For the year ended 30 June 2008:

• the Group had revenues of £2.5 billion, net fees of £786.8 million and operating profit before exceptional items of £253.8 million;
• the Group placed around 80,000 candidates into permanent jobs and around 300,000 people into temporary assignments;
• the temporary placement business represented 49% of net fees and the permanent placement business represented 51% of net fees.

  For further press information please contact:

Claire Fowler
Hays
T. 020 7222 8575
E. Claire.s.fowler@hays.com