Celebrations were in order for housing staff at Bedford Borough Council last month, when they were finalists at the MJ Achievement Awards.
Staff were nominated for the Best Council Services Team category at the award ceremony in June, with judges commending the team for their innovation, determination and relentless focus.
The MJ Achievement Awards are run by The Municipal Journal (The MJ), a weekly magazine and online news hub covering civic administration and local government across the UK.
Their awards are one of the most prestigious national award ceremonies in the UK, often referred to as the ‘Oscars’ for local government.
Cllr Andrea Spice, portfolio holder for economic prosperity, planning, housing and regulatory services, said: “The Housing Team have worked tirelessly to improve outcomes for everyone – service-users, taxpayers and the community as a whole.
“The judges were impressed by the Housing Service Transformation Project, which simultaneously improved our homelessness services while reducing spending by £5million.
Read: Borough temporary accommodation overspend reduced by £3.5 million in 12 months
“There was no single step to doing so, but the team were unwavering in tackling every issue and every challenge, beginning with making sure we had the right staff in place.
“But it’s not just about having the right people but giving them the right tools and getting the right results from others – by managing demand, working with other partners, investing in temporary accommodation and a whole host of other measures.”
Cllr Spice highlighted the challenging environment that the housing team have dealt with, saying that officers met each challenge “head on”.
“We couldn’t be more proud of them,” she said.
Cllr Spice also thanked former cabinet colleague, cllr Phillippa Martin-Moran-Bryant, who resigned in May.
Read: Second senior councillor quits Mayor Wootton’s cabinet in days
“[Cllr Martin-Moran-Bryant] provided unstinting support to the team during her time overseeing housing,” she said.
