Llanelli Rural Council
Welsh Purchasing Card delivers value and efficiency to Llanelli Rural Council
The Welsh Purchasing Card (WPC) is a low-cost method of ordering and paying for low-value, low-risk items. Available through the Welsh Assembly Government’s xchangewales programme, it is provided by the Royal Bank of Scotland at no cost to the user organisation. The card has delivered significant benefits to Llanelli Rural Council. This is evident in the time saved helping job seekers to quickly access new skills to support their return to work.
Formed in April 1974, Llanelli Rural Council (LRC) is one of nine community councils in the Llanelli district area. One of the key services the Council provides to the local community is occupational training through its department, LRC Training. Holding Approved Training Provider status and funded by the Welsh Assembly Government, LRC Training provide access to training for local job seekers referred to them by the Job Centre.
After being referred, job seekers have only 13 weeks in which to apply for, and access training and qualifications to help improve their job prospects. LRC Training is responsible for booking learners on to courses, as well as securing dates for assessment tests. Using the WPC to make these bookings has significantly reduced the time between sourcing and booking a course. Thus enabling the job seeker to attend as soon as possible, making the most of their allocated training period.
The Council’s Deputy Clerk (Administration), Mrs Wendy Evans, comments, "Using the Welsh Purchasing Card has really streamlined the process in booking courses attended by learners, including large goods vehicle (LGV) driving tests, driving theory tests and health and safety tests".
Card users at the Council simply go online to the appropriate training provider’s website to book the most suitable dates for their learners. The Council are able to complete the booking process quickly, as they can pay instantly with the WPC.
Six members of staff at the Council are authorised to use the WPC. Card usage is controlled with limits set by the Council’s management team. With spending limits agreed in advance, card holders find it much easier to stay within their budgets – a great advantage for the individual and the Council. Details of all spend on the Council’s cards can be securely viewed by any authorised personnel via the Smart Data OnLine (SDOL) card management system which is provided free of charge with WPC.
Before the adoption of the WPC, the Council spent a large amount of time on administration - filling in forms, sending off cheques and waiting for payments to clear. "Only after our cheques had cleared were we able to book and confirm training course and assessment test dates. Job seekers often spent up to two weeks of their 13, waiting for us to let them know when they would be able to attend their courses and take their tests", explains Mrs Evans.
For Llanelli Rural Council, the resulting efficiencies in time and money saved, has helped them provide a better service to their job seeking customers: "Booking courses and tests with the Welsh Purchasing Card saves us between 10 and 14 days of time. The benefit to learners is enormous as it means that their needs are being met instantaneously and achieving success can, in most cases, lead to full time employment".
