Birmingham City Council

In February 2020 Birmingham’s multi-agency SEND Improvement Programme instigated a recovery project with a challenging deadline, meaning we had a tight timescale to get resources operational. Attempts to source office-based resource proved problematic in terms of:

• Sourcing and interviewing the number of resources required.
• Sourcing and locating laptops (and office space at that time).

Whilst working through options with IT Birmingham identified that they could recruit remote workers so they started to explore this option with agencies (it is worth highlighting that this was pre-lockdown and MS teams were not in everyday use within the LA).

One of the notable aspects of the collaboration was the meticulous planning and coordination involved in setting daily targets for the officers. We not only understood our requirements but also actively engaged with Birmingham to align the team’s objectives with their organisational goals. This level of involvement and strategic thinking ensured that the recruited team members were not only qualified but also equipped to contribute effectively to our project.

Our proactive approach in contracting team members based on the confirmed daily targets meant that we could seamlessly integrate new personnel without compromising the quality of our operations. This not only saved Birmingham City Council valuable time and resources but also allowed them to focus on other critical aspects of their business, confident in the knowledge that the staffing process was in capable hands.

We not only fulfilled our commitment to provide Birmingham with a ready-to-start team but also demonstrated a commendable level of ongoing support through consistent communication. The resources we brought on board were well-prepared and equipped to commence their roles, aligning seamlessly with the timeline promised during the initial stages of the collaboration.

What truly sets us apart is our proactive approach to communication. We maintained a steady flow of updates, flagging any concerns or potential issues with the team, which allowed us to address and resolve issues promptly. This level of transparency and responsiveness created a collaborative and effective partnership, ensuring that our partners expectations were continuously met.