Herefordshire Council’s small creative ideas with big results

• Having a programme of printer rationalisation throughout our offices, replacing printers from several different suppliers with combined printers / scanners / photocopiers from one supplier
  
• Combining information management training into one session so that trainees need attend once instead of booking on different sessions for Data Protection / Freedom of Information, Information Security, Data Quality and Records Management
  
• Implementing a Policy Register to track what policies are held and when they are due for review
  
• Use of a bicycle courier service within Hereford city which navigates through any traffic jams and is also environmentally-friendly, reducing our carbon footprint
  
• Using record surveys to find out such things as where information is kept, how often it is accessed, what format it is in, and which records are vital to the interests of the organisation. Information is shared on matters such as information security and office accommodation to save further surveys having to be carried out.
  
• Share information with partners to utilise their experience. Herefordshire Council works in a deep partnership with Herefordshire Primary Care Trust, and an example here would be having joint meetings, communications, training sessions and policies wherever possible to utilise expertise and reduce duplication.
  
• In addition, Herefordshire Council has commenced on a transformation programme, Herefordshire Connects, which aims to replace lots of small systems (including stand-alone Access databases) with considerably fewer joined-up systems. 
  

Thanks to Herefordshire Council for all these examples