Member Article

Helping to tackle Anti-Social Behaviour

A SUNDERLAND software business was recognised for its work to help tackle anti-social behaviour within the public sector.

Orcuma, which tailored their CRM system for Durham County Council, believes that the recognition they have gained at the Dynamite Awards for the project will allow them to capitalise on opportunities presented by the growing number of MASHs (Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hubs), whereby public sector partners – such as councils, housing associations and the police, come together to tackle community issues.

The CRM system, known as FIRsT (Flexible Information Reporting Tool), was configured by working closely with the council to understand the processes that the application needed to support as well as the different organisations and teams involved in tackling anti-social behaviour. As part of the transfer to the new CRM system, more than 30,000 records were migrated.

Co-founder and director of Sunderland Software Centre-based Orcuma, Paul Mitchell, said that the system’s ability to cater for the needs of multiple stakeholders, while storing data safely and securely, was something that he believed would appeal to MASHs, allowing them to access information from anywhere, ensuring as responsive a service as possible.

He said: “It is great to be recognised for the quality of software that we have produced for the public sector worker. We have worked very hard to make the FIRsT system as flexible as possible to help make a difference in this important area of the council’s work and we are sure that, as more multi-stakeholder partnerships are formed, the FIRsT system will be adopted by many more authorities regionally and nationally.”

Orcuma’s FIRsT system is also supporting a key Safe Durham Partnership project, something that will see the system used by social landlords, housing associations, the police and fire and rescue services.

Richard Whittaker, co-founder of the company, said: “We’ve seen real success so far with the public sector and new private sector clients. The system is highly adaptable, and we can ensure that it absolutely meets the needs of the users, which is of course essential when the system is designed to tackle such complex social issues such as anti-social behaviour. And the security of the system means that it appeals to public sector clients, allowing them to use a highly responsive system, and one they can trust.”

Councillor Paul Watson, leader of Sunderland City Council, said: “Orcuma is a real shining light in its field, producing a complex system, but translating that into something that is as simple and straightforward as possible for the end user to work with.

“Sunderland has carved a niche in the software and technology sector, and it’s fantastic to see the skills and expertise of our businesses being used to bring benefits to local authorities both across the city and the wider North East region.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Andrea Mason .