OnePlace - launching a unique offer

Marchday, owners of Lingfield Point, says that there is absolutely no need for Birmingham City Council to outsource its jobs overseas.  Marchday is part of a unique consortium ‘OnePlaceUK’ that specialises in saving public sector cash by the use of shared services and rationalising assets.

OnePlaceUK advises the council to consider all options before taking such a drastic step and instead adopt a radical new way of working to suit the 21st century.

John Orchard, director of Marchday says that by following the path suggested the public sector could save millions of pounds to reinvest in services or staff.  OnePlaceUK helps neighbouring local authorities and public sector organisations work together to share common functions and make best use of space.

The aim is to stop the duplication of straightforward tasks and keep the cash to save libraries, arts venues and front line staff – be it teachers and caretakers or binmen and gardeners.

The logic behind OnePlaceUK is undeniable and yet only a handful of local authorities and public sector organisations have caught on… hence the action Birmingham seems set to take.

It is already working in several places including Darlington and Stockton Borough Councils in the North East of England. Stockton Council has confirmed it saves a massive £680,000 a year by sharing some of its HR, IT and finance back office functions with its neighbouring authority.

Every million pounds the public sector can save equates to around 35 jobs – and John says that alone makes considering this approach worthwhile.

Too good to be true?

“It sounds too good to be true which can be a problem. The fact is that most councils don’t know what to do with their existing properties. We work with them to get best value out of their portfolio and get their running costs down.  Instead of having a knee-jerk reaction we want people to understand how this works, to think seriously about it and to consider the benefits.

“Over the last 20 years many organisations have grown organically and we need to stop the corporate sprawl. They now find themselves overblown and in a form they wouldn’t have chosen if starting afresh.

“In good times they may chose to live with these inefficiencies but tough times have brought a need for clear thinking. As always, this presents opportunities for those who are open-minded and can decide what shape they need to be in for the future. The result will be a happier, more efficient workforce, an improved service for the customer and an organisation model which is sustainable for the next 20 years.”

A working example

Lingfield Point, Darlington, is already home to a cluster of public sector organisations including Student Loans Company, NHS, Darlington Borough Council and NAAFI.

This has allowed the creation of a ‘shared services’ centre providing these organisations with critical support without the crippling cost. They have also facilitated the creation of Xentrall, a joint venture between Darlington and Stockton Borough Councils providing IT services to both.

“Many of our public sector customers have the same needs. We can often provide shared facilities to satisfy these without burdening an individual organisation with the cost. This results in people needing less space and less duplication of meeting rooms, break out space etc.”

The model works effectively and efficiently

Graham Black, of Catalyst said: “We take care of everything from assessing the portfolio, to creating a full business case, handling change management and consolidating staffing needs.

“Because we are offering long term leases we are able to offer a long rent free period – perhaps up to five years. That frees cash to allow the customer to move and for the fit out of the building.

“They could then sell their property assets should they wish to – but even without doing that – because the buildings they move into are sustainable and cost effective – they make massive efficiency savings into the millions anyway,” said Graham.

For further details log on to www.oneplaceuk.com or www.marchday.com