Recovering from an office fire

Andrew Down Head of HR, IT & Technical Services

Responsible among other things for IT and facilities

The first 24 hours and a bit more

Crowmarsh office

Thursday 15 January 2015

Thursday 15 January 2015

Thursday 15 January 2015

Thursday 15 January 2015

Thursday 15 January 2015

Thursday 15 January 2015

Thursday 15 January in Alpe D’Huez

Our journey – the level of disruption

• Approximately 400 staff with no place of work.

• All network connections destroyed – websites down, e-mail systems down, half the councils’ phone lines down and back office IT systems down.

• Business continuity plans, IT disaster recovery plan and emergency plan invoked.

• Our arrangements at the time were out of date, and the three plans above were not linked. Business continuity was a low priority/had a low profile within the councils.

From 3am Facilities staff first on scene • Alert senior management • Provided plans of building, identified asbestos and helped

fire brigade identify entrances • Isolated utilities • Extra security at Abbey House • Emergency response • Got CCTV files and passed to police

By 7am • Crisis management team and housing needs team established

in Abingdon (recovery centre).

• Outsourcing provides a helping hand.

• Staff and councillors becoming aware.

• IT battlebox and back up tapes collected.

• Risk assessment on staff safety and other council buildings undertaken, and police presence temporarily established at recovery centre as a precaution.

By mid-morning

• All staff accounted for. • Confirmation of services unaffected, and establishing business

critical services and documents.

• Emergency financial arrangements in place.

• Insurers and structural engineer on site at Crowmarsh.

• IT disaster recovery contractors deliver hardware

• Temporary website up and running

Later in the day

• Internet access established at recovery centre.

• Initial plan agreed regarding business critical services.

• Scrutiny committee held as planned.

• Full briefing meeting held between the councils, fire service and police.

Friday

• Full restoration of council IT systems underway, some services back up and running.

• Signage at Crowmarsh to explain what’s happening and site security put in place.

• Staff hold ad hoc meetings and set up private Facebook site.

• Meeting with salvage company, loss adjusters and insurers held. • Seating plan and rota for Abingdon office agreed.

• Regular communications being released.

The weekend

• Brand new Office 365 email system launched, access to emails on former system follows.

• Website relaunched, full update on what council services are affected.

• Most applications up and running and main database available but not fully functional.

• Additional office space acquired.

• Initial structural report on Crowmarsh received.

• Chief executive handover!

Week one

• First staff briefing takes place on Wednesday morning.

• All staff paid!

• 83 desks equipped in Abingdon office.

• Full IT restore completed; all systems functioning.

• Search for new offices commences.

• Retrieval of critical documents starts from the Crowmarsh site.

Week one - facilities

• Good knowledge of building and in regular communication with facilities manager at Abbey House on crisis management team

• Liaised with police and fire and security company • Set up site security • Set up extra workstations at Abbey House and at Old Abbey

House • Post and formal signs • Lots of good will from staff • Copies of tests and plans to insurance company

Week two and beyond • 171 desks equipped in Abingdon thanks to county council

providing extra space, with more office space acquired in neighbouring building and elsewhere (282 desk space in total).

• Building supervisor on site every day • Increased security • Salvage operation • Storage in Crowmarsh car park • Full extent of impact sinks in – very few personal possessions

salvaged. • Elections delivered successfully from temporary

accommodation.

Securing new office accommodation

Finding a new office

• Appointed agents • Shortlisted suitable properties • Quickly identified our first choice • Commenced lease negotiations • Finally exchanged contracts 24 April

Before exchange of contracts

• Define space requirements • Draw up layout plans and consult • Repeat previous two steps … several times • Tender exercise for fit-out contractor • Tender exercise for furniture provider • All the while, keeping loss adjusters in the loop

After exchange of contracts 27/4 4/5 11/5 18/5 25/5 1/6 8/6 15/6 22/6 29/6

2F fit-out 2F furniture 2F IT 2F move 1F fit-out 1F furniture 1F IT 1F move GF fit-out GF furniture GF IT GF move Public open

Constraints

• Timetable • Had to move out of two sets of temporary accommodation by 31 May • Lead time for telecomms

• Liaison with loss adjusters • They were agreeing the bills

• Competition for resources • Especially during period of the elections

• Landlord’s requirements • Notably RM’s 24x7 data centre

A few problems along the way

• Building issues, known and unknown • WCs • Health and safety during partial occupation • Parking • Telecomms / wide area network • Unsurprising teething troubles • Attempted mission creep

What have we got? • Reception area • Cash office • 3 interview rooms • 7 meeting rooms • 4 acoustic pods • 13 individual offices • 4 kitchen / break-out areas • 380 desks • Collaborative work space • Store rooms

135 Eastern Avenue, Milton Park Comments from staff survey • ‘The collective response to

the fire was energising’

• ‘The working environment is much better now we are at 135 Milton Park - the layout of the office space and the equipment we have, I am enjoying 'hot desking'

Maintaining good communications

All we had:

LEARNING POINT – do you know what channels would work for you?

The morning after

Getting our voice back

• We got the media to do a lot of the talking for us and push the messages we couldn’t:

• How services were affected • How long it would be before we’d be up and running • How residents could help • Where to find out more

• We responded to every enquiry and agreed to every interview – they were

our mouth piece for the first few days

Getting back online • Our websites were going to be down for a few days • Launched a temporary website in a few hours – had to promote

a new URL because it would take 24 hours to divert ours • Planned all the changes needed to our official sites so as soon

as we could get access to them we could up-to-date them in a few hours

• LEARNING POINT – would you need a temporary site? do you have the expertise to create one off the cuff? If not consider having one ready.

Staff communications

• Verbal cascade of messages – but they were quickly becoming longer and more time consuming

• Needed secure way of getting detailed information to staff • Solution – mass text with the URL to Google Docs and verbal

cascade of the password • Staff set up Facebook group that we use to push messages

through – using our personal accounts • Sat 17 launched email system all staff could access – daily

updates much easier • Wed 21 – first weekly staff briefing took place

Councillor communications

• Relatively easy as we use Mailchimp for our councillor and town and parish council newsletters

• As soon as internet access was restored (end of Day 1) we could get messages out to most councillors through a google email account using the contact details on mailchimp.

• Political cascade • One-off councillor briefing • LEARNING POINT – make sure you have back up personal

contact details of everybody you may need to contact.

Information gathering

We spent time each day reviewing our media coverage, web traffic, telephone enquiries etc. to check • the right messages were getting through • what the hot topics were • if our messages/our approach needed to change We regularly talked to staff about the problems they were facing so we could help address them through our communications.

Contact details

Andrew Down Head of HR, IT and Technical Services andrew.down@southandvale.gov.uk Tel: 01235 540372

Caretaking Services Team The journey from DSO to ALMO

Background • 2005 Shadow Inspection highlighted that particular attention was

needed to several areas of the Caretaking Service • In October of that year, Stockport Homes Ltd was formed and an

“Achieving Excellence – Best Value Review” was undertaken in early 2006

• Many of the financials relating to the service provision had not been quantified until this point

• A number of key outcomes were delivered over a 2-year period, providing a good foundation for future growth and change

• Terms and Conditions were re-negotiated in 2007, to provide a more flexible and efficient service

• Area Caretaking Service Charges were introduced in 2008 to try and reduce the deficit, which stood at nearly £190K

Current position • Reduced overall FTE count from 32 to 29 Caretakers • Naturally reduced from 15 Residential Caretakers to 6 currently • Brought in-house an external building cleaning contract which saved £73K annually • As of 1st April 2016 the final external building cleaning contract will be brought in house

and the team will expand by 2 FTE. Annually the efficiency savings will be in excess of £14K

• Moved away from “1-man/1-block” so we are more flexible to meet the needs of each specific area – as opposed to a ‘one size fits all’ approach

• Reduced service charges in 2014 for 276 customers, saving them a total of £34,400 annually by introducing new ways of working. Further service charge reductions are coming into effect in April 2016 for 288 customers, saving them a total of £24,750 annually.

• Service charges now in place for all Area and Block Caretaking Services and all cleaning services

• Removed all weekend overtime, making savings of £93K per annum • Now offer Caretaking and Cleaning Services to 4300 customers, which is an 18%

increase of our overall customer base since 2014 • Changes to both our stock ordering process and our cleaning product supplier has freed

up budget to spend on better equipment, making best use of our resources

Engaging the staff and

staying motivated!

Consultation & Involvement • Honest and open conversations about the weaknesses and strengths of

the service • Consulting with staff and unions from the earliest opportunity so challenges

can be overcome together • Identifying where change is needed and supporting the team to see this

too • Being aspirational about where we want to be and what we want to

achieve • Realistic conversations about how we can achieve our goals • Sharing financial data – showing people what their actions can mean for

customers • Sharing both the positives and negatives from Customer Surveys and

doing something about it!

Helping me to understand how I can Transform Lives

Moving away from the corporate PDR process. Using an L&D tool that

allows the team to understand their

purpose at work – and set their own standards

of what they want to achieve together. Helping staff to

understand the impact they have on our

customers and their colleagues.

Being a part of the wider organisation…

Promoting the team using the Staff Newsletter & The

Hog (Intranet)

Team and individual award nominations, both

internal and external

Running Community Events for Young People in Stockport and organising

charity events!

Providing opportunities..

From Volunteer to full time staff member….

Working with our tenants… giving them a path into work

Innovation in service delivery and expanding the offer

Introducing new ways of working • In 2012 consultants were brought in to identify areas for improvement and

to identify efficiency savings that could be made • Changes to how work was allocated (no longer one person per block) saw

a reduction in 3 FTE overall. 276 customers were able to benefit financially by this change – each saving between £99 - £154 each, per year.

• Teams became much more flexible and covering work became much easier (i.e when staff were on leave)

• Staff had to take on more work, for no extra pay. Motivating staff through this was critical

• In 2015/2016, further changes were made to the way we work and weekend overtime was removed. This saw a saving of 93K per annum, but again, managing the impact on staff was critical and how the change was communicated to them was just as important!

Bringing the tower block cleaning contract in house

• Contract with SSK provided 166 cleaning hrs per week, over 10 sites • The contract was providing building cleaning in sites where we already had

Caretakers working • The standards were not consistent and the retention and turnover of staff

made it difficult to manage performance • Stockport Homes Caretakers were consulted about their ability to take on

this work • Pilots were done in 2 high rise blocks and proved successful • The contract was brought in house in June 2014 • 4 SSK staff were entitled to TUPE. 2 took on roles as Caretakers (filling

Stockport Homes vacancies) and 2 completed TUPE as Cleaners • Annual savings were £73K

New opportunities… • Another external cleaning contract was in place at 10 sheltered schemes

and 12 low rise blocks that are managed by Stockport Homes. • Service standards varied from satisfactory to excellent at different

schemes • The current deficit on the contract was over £9K per annum • Financial modelling proved that services could be provided by the

Stockport Homes Caretaking Team for around £5K less than the current service charge income (removing the deficit and helping to reduce service charges)

• Due diligence was completed in March 2016 and 3 new staff members will join the team on 1st April 2016 as Cleaners

• The likelihood is that these staff will also support future pilots for private cleaning – as they are all part time so have the flexibility to pick up ad-hoc work

What does the future hold? • Commercialisation of our services – becoming a trusted contractor who

tenders for external work • Private cleaning – Initially linked up to our Carecall Client base (mainly

over 60’s) • Window Cleaning Service – Look to expand our skill set and take on more

work • Specialist Cleaning – Removing the need to pay specialist cleaning firms

for work such as Category A Bio-Hazards • More work from within our own organisation – Hoarding Clearances, Scrap

Metal Recycling, Void Cleanses and Clearances, Furniture Recycling

Satisfying multiple customers and stakeholders

Customer Involvement

• CSP Review undertaken • All actions implemented and approved

by the Quality Panel • Monitored and signed off by our

governance team

• Bi-annual satisfaction surveys introduced • New ways of surveying customers

introduced • Social Media utilised to target hard to

reach customers

• Annual Caretaking Forum • Consultation groups to set new

‘outcome’ focused service standards • Foyer based sessions in the evenings

• Attend Tenant & Resident Associations • Housemark Peer Review • Greater Manchester Estate Services

Benchmarking Group (GMES)

Stakeholder Involvement • Caretaking Business Plans must be signed off by the Business

Development Sub-Group and Leadership Forum • Outcomes of Satisfaction Surveys must be analysed and include detailed

qualitative and quantitative information. This is then reported to the Neighbourhood Management Team with a detailed action plan, which is monitored until completion

• PWC audits are supported and any recommendations implemented in full • Regular strategy meetings take place between Service Managers to

ensure all teams are working together effectively • Best practice and benchmarking data is shared between GMES and this is

now a platform for working strategically with other providers to negotiate with major suppliers etc..

Any questions?

Cityserve Employment Partnership

Dale Guest – Business Manager

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Cityserve Overview• 299 Catering Contracts

• 215 Cleaning Contracts

• 2,488 members of staff

• 70,000 meals served each school day

• 2014 Reorganisation – looking at different aspects of working more cost effective and more efficient

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• To reduce agency staff within catering/cleaning –Reduce DependencyRespond to Customer requirements

• Provide trained and motivated staffJob Ready

• Maximise local recruitment potentialTap into local potentialLocal workforce

• Open up opportunities ‐LTU Opportunity to broaden age range

Recruitment

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• Birmingham City Council Employment Action Team

• DWP – Jobcentre Plus

• In‐Training – Training Provider

• Pilot Programme Developed

PartnersPartners

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• Partners – agreed roles – important –honesty/communication – Cityserve the drivers – Guaranteed Job Interview 

• Will come to the offer later• Campaign• Advertising in local jobcentres Initial idea to hold an open 

recruitment day on the City Centre• Targeted approach within localities• Expressions of interest• Assessment Day representatives from all partners provided an 

overview of their involvement• Candidates signed up

ApproachApproach

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• 3 weeks intensive training – including practical experience preparing a buffet lunch at the Salvation Army Headquarters

The ProgrammeThe Programme

DAY 1 Introduction to Cityserve The job roles Personality Styles

DAY 6 First Aid Awareness Common illnesses British Red Cross test

DAY 2 Team Work Communication Skills DAY 7

Health & Safety CIEH Level 2 exam

DAY 3 Application Form DBS screening DAY 8

CV development Cover Letter

DAY 4 Equality & Diversity Safeguarding DAY 9

Customer Service Planning an event

DAY 5 Food Hygiene Highspeed Training Exam

DAY 

10+

Interview Techniques Work Experience placement Job Interview at Cityserve

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• Full attendance required to complete course including no lates and no part days 9.00 ‐4.30

• Transferable skills motivated and candidates possessing the required skills to work in the catering and/or cleaning sector

• Accredited Training• Job interview Guarantee• Living Wage attractive• Locally based employment• Graduation– incentive/recognition – candidates felt valued 

and all commented on the comaraderie within the groups

The OfferThe Offer

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Practical ExperiencePractical Experience

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Graduation DayGraduation Day

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• 55 candidates successfully graduated – Local Councillor/Head of CS• Cityserve Interview guaranteed

GraduationGraduation

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• 36 Candidates successful at interview• 22 Placed• 14 awaiting start dates – Matching• 19 Unsuccessful referred back to Provider for further support

• 75% Retention• 25% left – health issues/other employment/reasons unknown

OutcomesOutcomes

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• Belmira moved to the UK with her family from Germany. With a 20 year career in the catering industry, she was keen to use her skills in the UK and secure employment in a catering role. Although Belmira had an awareness of food standards and safety, unfortunately she did not have the required qualifications for UK catering employment. Belmira was unemployed for 12 months before learning of Cityserve’s  Recruitment Pathway Employment Partnership initiative. She enrolled on the initial pilot programme in November 2014 and undertook the full two week course, with a guaranteed job interview at the end. During the course, she learnt all about Food Safety Principles and safe systems of working in accordance with UK and HACCP regulations. She was also given the skills to plan menus and present food in an appealing and attractive way. She understands the different allergens and their effects, and how to use appropriate recipes and ingredients to meet required allergen standards.

• On successful completion of the programme, Belmira was presented with her certificates at the graduation day and interviewed for a Schools General Assistant role with Cityserve and was successful. She now works at a school near to her home, allowing her to drop her children to school as well as collect them outside of working hours.

• Of the Cityserve Recruitment Pathway Project, Belmira says, “I thought I wasn’t good enough to work in the UK, but this opportunity has given me the confidence and skills to get a job in the industry I love. I have been overwhelmed with all the positive feedback the school has given me since starting my job.”  

Case StudyCase Study

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• Much higher interest than anticipated initially one course was anticipated not to disappoint a further 2 put on – flexibility of provider to redirect resource

• DBS clearances – from 3 days to 3 months and more• References – LA requirement – not worked in 12 months

• New Training Provider following the last course funding ceased Cityserve left to administer

• Job matching ‐ ongoing

ChallengesChallenges

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• Rolling Programme

• Identify a new training provider

• Work Placements

• Apprenticeships

The FutureThe Future

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Thank You

Contact: Dale GuestBusiness Manager

0121 464 6490Dale.guest@birmingham.gov.uk0121 464 6490

‘Local jobs for local people’‘Local jobs for local people’

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