The most significant and wide-ranging partnership agreement between a Police Authority and a private sector partner comes into operation this Friday (October 1st) - and local people will benefit from the start.
The £175million ten-year contract between Cleveland Police Authority and Steria will cover support services including information technology, call handling, criminal justice and business services including finance, human resources and procurement.
One of the first benefits for the public will be the launch of a new ‘call back’ system, initially asking a hundred members of the public each day for their views on the services they have received.
Major points of the partnership include:
● £50m of savings over the ten years of the contract to help protect frontline policing.
● A guarantee for the full ten years of the contract, protecting current terms, conditions and pension rights plus a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies for all transferring staff—in total around 470.
● 999 calls will continue to be handled from the Force Control Room, which will remain at Force Headquarters with responses to calls remaining under the control of the Force.
● Steria will set up a shared service centre in the area with the prospect of further job creation.
Steria is a major international company providing services to clients in the public and private sectors. It employs 18,300 people working across 16 countries and in recent years has been in partnership with Cleveland Police in the development of the Force’s state-of-the-art mobile technology system.
One of the first impacts of the agreement will begin on Friday with the launch of a ‘call back’ system to check how satisfied members of the public are with the service they have received.
Said Cleveland Police Authority Chair Councillor Dave McLuckie “Friday really marks a major milestone for the authority, the Force, our staff and private sector partner...and I believe it is also a significant development nationally at a time when every part of the public sector, including the police, is looking at how they can maintain and improve service during a period of unprecedented financial challenges. Already other authorities and forces are showing great interest in what we have achieved in Cleveland.
“We believe that the partnership which comes into operation on Friday, after a very long and detailed process of consideration and negotiation, produces winners all round—it means significant savings which can help protect front-line policing, safeguards for the staff affected probably better than any other group of workers in the area, and an improved service for the public.
“That will be demonstrated from the very first day as we introduce the new ‘call back’ system which gives members of the public the opportunity to express their views on the quality of service they have received...and will help us to learn how we can do things even better.”
John Torrie, Chief Executive Officer of Steria UK says of the technology and service: “Friday is just the start for this shared service and its robust and enhanced control room service. It will deliver for everyone who lives in the local community. Our client Cleveland Police will now be able to utilise technology to really give vital information back to their original caller. Doing more for less and fully utilising technology to its fullest extent is one of the most important business drivers being faced by every organisation right now. This is a working example of how shared services can really deliver enhanced services when budgets are stretched and resources are challenged.”
Friday will see a series of ‘welcome’ events for staff transferring to Steria - beginning with a visit from senior personnel from the company, the Authority and the Force to the Force Control Room at the Ladgate Lane Headquarters in Middlesbrough just as the contract comes into operation at midnight.