Northgate Information Solutions, a leading provider of innovative services to the public sector and utilities markets, has signed two contracts worth a total of £1.2 million to promote efficient, effective and environmentally-friendly services.

Northgate will support Places for People, the leading housing and development organisation, and Service Birmingham, the strategic partnership between Birmingham City Council and Capita, to take their services out to local communities.

At Places for People, it will provide around 1,000 housing officers across the country with the ability to improve services for residents whilst out in the field. Maintenance requests can be logged on-the-spot, queries answered immediately, and residents receive help with completing housing application forms or amending payment schedules in their own homes. Staff will also benefit through reduced travel and the ability to work from home through removing the need to collect and return case files.

As part of its wider transformation programme, Service Birmingham has now selected Northgate as its preferred supplier for mobile services across the city. It will be used primarily by the housing department to find more innovative ways of delivering services that benefit both employees and citizens, particularly in the most vulnerable communities.

Tony Hayes, Head of Information Management & Technology at Places for People, said today: "Places for People focuses on creating places where people choose to live – whether that means providing brand new communities or transforming existing neighbourhoods into vibrant, popular areas to live and work. Our partnership with Northgate will enable us to deliver improvements to our services quickly, right at the point of need, through empowering our staff to take action in their communities.”