Council extends Unity link-up

OLDHAM Council has agreed a contract extension with service provider Unity Partnership.

The partnership - a joint venture with Mouchel - has been delivering a range of council services including ICT, highways and customer services since 2007.

The council says the new agreement sets out significant changes in the partnership to deliver improved services and value for money as the authority looks for more savings on top of the £100 million-plus cut in the last four years.

From today, Emma Alexander, Oldham Council’s executive director of commercial services, will also be managing director of Unity.

In addition to that and other managerial changes, Unity will deliver “significant savings” over the next two years, though figures haven’t been revealed.

Unity is also making a major new commitment to Oldham Council’s Get Oldham Working campaign: investing £200,000 over the next four years to support local people into work, including increasing the number of apprenticeships, staff volunteering opportunities and jobs.