Blue Badge Scheme database in Rochdale

Why was the project initiated?

The Blue Badge Scheme for disabled parking provides a vital lifeline to disabled people in Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council. The marked increase in the council’s elderly population is reflected in the rise in Badge holders from 673,000 in 1987 to over 2.3 million in 2007. Two-thirds of badge holders are over the age of 65 and 55 per cent of them do not use public transport.

Government consultation and research findings have led to the Department for Transport publishing a Reform Strategy. This details plans to introduce a comprehensive package of reforms, including providing local authorities with up to £10 million to establish a secure data-sharing system. Together with Government Connect, Rochdale has a wonderful opportunity to realise the benefits that a secure and effective communication and data-sharing system offers for Blue Badges.

By utilising GCSx (the Government Connect Secure Extranet), all Greater Manchester and North West authorities could have access to vehicle driver data. This would facilitate the issue of badges, and provide for significantly enhanced fraud enforcement. It would also enable secure data exchange with local authority partners such as the NHS, police authorities and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

The vision is to enhance the integrity of the scheme, leading to the establishment of a national database with local access.

Who is driving the project?

The project is being driven by a steering group within the council’s Transformation Programme Office, consisting of:

• Jason White, Programme Manager
• Sam Micklethwaite, Project Manager
• Jacinta Costello, Project Manager.

What are the key success factors?

For the project to succeed Rochdale must:

1. engage with all stakeholders in the North West region including other local authorities, partner organisations such as the NHS, DWP, police, PCTs, other central government agencies and Blue Badge holders
2. ensure that authorities wishing to engage are GCSx compliant
3. baseline existing processes across Greater Manchester and the North West, assisted by the North West E-Government Group (NWeGG)
4. agree a common process design
5. carry out an options appraisal
6. complete a data sharing schema and data sharing protocol
7. test the solution.

What will be different as a result?

The creation of a shared database will provide for a more efficient, effective and transparent application and administration process. This will improve equality of opportunity and access for all applicants through improved customer focus and reduced exposure to bureaucracy.

How will the community benefit?

The project aims to reduce misuse of the scheme. Prevention is enhanced via a secure application gateway. Misuse is detected in a more timely and effective manner thereby dissipating the negative consequences that this can have for severely disabled people and the wider community.