News & Events

V4 APPOINTED BY GWYNEDD COUNCIL

We’ve just been appointed to work in partnership with Gwynedd Council to assist on a Strategic Review of Leisure and Physical Activity for Gwynedd Council.  The council serves a sizeable area of Wales, stretching from Bangor in the North to the Dyfi Estuary on Cardigan Bay and including Snowdonia.
 

The aim of the review is to maximise leisure and physical activity across the public, private and voluntary sectors and includes 14 leisure centres.
 
Gwynedd Council is seeking the views of local people to ensure that they capture current and future needs and provide value for money.
 
Click here for more information  

 

• Waste collection and recycling
• Street cleaning
• Parks, trees and open spaces
• Property design and maintenance including surveyors and management of minor construction works within schools and community facilities
• Catering, including schools and council functions
• Fleet management, servicing, maintenance and testin
• Management of travellers’ sites
• School and public buses
• Couriers

We’re pleased to be supporting this year’s employee awards at Aylesbury Vale District Council. The awards, in their second year, are to encourage and reward staff who come up with ideas for savings and improving customer service.

V4 is sponsoring the Best Project or Major Piece of Work category.

Awards will be presented on Thursday 23 June 2011 at an awards ceremony help at theAylesbury Waterside Theatre, part of the council’s regeneration scheme.

AYLESBURY'S WATERSIDE THEATRE IS RICS SOUTH EAST PROJECT OF THE YEAR


V4 Services is delighted that Buckinghamshire's new Aylesbury Waterside Theatre took the Project of the Year accolade at the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) South East Awards held at The Grand in Brighton on 18 May 2011.

The theatre, also won the Regeneration category of the RICS South East Awards, and is at the heart of a wider regeneration programme for the town which is being project managed by V4 Services.

The canal and canal basin were hidden gems with limited access to the public and uninspiring buildings occupied much of the area together with small car parks.

Overall, reaction and support for the theatre has been strong. Its location makes it unmissable, local restaurants are seeing improved business and it is being used to attract more food and beverage outlets to the town. The benefits are also recognised by the commercial sector as the new facility has sent out a strong signal to potential new investors.

Aylesbury Vale District Council's far-sighted development of this site in a depressed inner area of the town has proved exceptionally successful and adjacent redevelopment is evidence of the theatre’s role in contributing to the wider regeneration of this area.

"The theatre is an impressive building with its architectural form and roofline flowing to reflect the nearby Chiltern Hills. Every effort has been made to reduce the visual bulk of a modern theatre, with carefully chosen materials breaking up the form, and reflecting the town’s surroundings," - James Offen, Chairman of the RICS Awards South East Judges.

DELIVER SAVINGS FROM BETTER CONTRACT MANAGEMENT

The CIPFA Procurement & Commissioning Network
17 May 2011 London, 18 May 2011 Leeds, 24 May 2011 Birmingham
 
As the public sector spending squeeze starts to bite, and the trend towards greater reliance on external providers (private companies, CSOs or mutuals) to deliver public services gathers pace, client organisations need to place added emphasis on contract management to help drive out costs while ensuring front line services are maintained.
 
The approach to contract management in many organisations can be very fragmented and inconsistent, resulting in wasteful expenditure. The current economic climate means that we urgently need to move away from the ‘let and forget’ syndrome that has hindered many contracts in the past. Evidence from the NAO, OGC and others indicate the importance of being an ‘intelligent client’ to ensure that service levels and value for money are delivered over the duration of the contract.
 

Mark Stephens, one of V4’s procurement specialists, will present recent case studies highlighting the key components and benefits of good contract management at this month’s CIPFA Procurement & Commissioning Network seminars.
 
To book a place

Click here to find out more about CIPFA's Procurement & Commissioning Network
 

CUMBRIA COUNTY COUNCIL APPOINTS V4

Leisure experts, V4 Services, have been appointed by Cumbria County Council to work in partnership with the eight organisations across the county (including: Allerdale Borough Council, Barrow in Furness Borough Council, Carlisle City Council, Copeland Borough Council, Eden District Council, South Lakeland District Council and the Lake District National Park) to conduct a review of culture and sports development assets and advise on the range of options available for the future management and operation of these services set against a target to reduce budgets by up to 25 per cent.

EXPLORE THE BENEFITS AND PITFALLS OF OUTSOURCING

Ben Ticehurst, V4 Director, joins a line up of eminent speakers at CIPFA’s Public Sector Practitioner Summit that will consider the merits of outsourcing public services on 29 March 2011 in Central London.

The event will offer a realistic and challenging perspective on outsourcing public services. 

Recent financial settlements and increases in demand for services have forced the public sector to look for ways of delivering ‘more for less’. In response, many organisations have begun to develop robust commercial strategies and looking at outsourcing and divestment as a means to deliver public services in the future.

However, although outsourcing is likely to become more common, there are still many concerns about the public sector’s ability to handle large complex contracts and some opposition to the idea of outsourcing. These concerns include the loss of accountability and difficulties with ongoing performance and contract management.  

This conference will give delegates the opportunity to hear both sides of the outsourcing debate in order to help them make a more informed choice and steer their authority in the right direction.

Click here to book a place

Cheshire West and Chester Council appoints V4 as new Leisure and Culture Framework supplier
 
V4 Services has been appointed by Cheshire West and Chester Council to help drive and deliver the council’s leisure and culture vision, objectives and specific priorities as part of a new four year Leisure and Culture Framework.

Chris Cook, Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Head of Culture and Recreation said: “Following a tender process, we’ve appointed V4 Services as our partner over the next four years to work with us in developing our leisure and cultural sector as a key component of regeneration and supporting a healthy and active local community.  We recognise that the next four years are going to be particular challenging and have developed an innovative and trail-blazing approach to leisure and culture service delivery.”

Steve Laird, V4’s new Director of Leisure and Culture and the delivery team, are already working on the first two projects which include the provision of a new leisure and cultural offering within Northwich and Ellesmere Port.

“This is a very exciting partnership for us.  This opportunity was particularly attractive to V4 because the council recognised that engaging a delivery partner through a framework agreement would not only provide better value for money, but will also enable our team to build up a better understanding of local issues. The council’s longer term approach means that we can really understand the needs of the local community and work with our clients to ensure that their vision and plans are supported by robust business planning, financing and sustainable delivery models. We hope that other authorities will follow Cheshire West and Chester in procuring partners in this way,” said Steve.

Having worked in the leisure industry for more than 25 years at a senior management level, Steve and his team have successfully completed projects for a broad range of clients including: London Boroughs of: Waltham Forest, Redbridge, Newham and Greenwich; Formby Pools Trust; New Deal for Communities; Aston University and Sport England to name a few. Steve has worked with over twenty local authorities to deliver Options Appraisals – providing support right through to service transfer (often involving ‘Trusts’).  

David Warden, Head of Leisure and Community Services, North Down Borough Council said: “We’re aware of the different management delivery approaches that have been successfully implemented in England and we want to ensure that all options for the management and day-to-day operation of our leisure facilities are fully considered.  V4 Services, who have a strong track-record within this area of work, will be working with us to assess the different operation models, financial and legal implications and the benefits of each to both the council and the local community.”

The options appraisal includes the management and operation of:

• The new £38mil name Leisure Centre and Northern Ireland’s first international 50m competition pool (scheduled to open in September 2012)
• Queens Leisure Centre,
• Holyrood Bangor Sportsplex and
• Six multi-use recreation grounds

Steve Laird, V4’s Director of Leisure and Culture said: “We’re delighted to have been appointed to work with North Down Borough Council and deliver this critical piece of work which will shape the future community leisure provision for years to come.  We have confidence that our experience of working with over 20 local authorities and particular expertise in the different delivery model options will enable the council to make informed decisions securing the most sustainable, efficient means of delivering its sports and leisure services.”

Having worked in the leisure industry for more than 25 years at a senior management level, Steve and his team have successfully completed a broad range of projects and specifically options appraisals for over 20 local authorities including: London Boroughs of: Redbridge, Waltham Forest, Newham; Peterborough City Council and Stoke on Trent City Council to name a few.  This work has including provision of support right through to service transfer (often involving ‘Trusts’).

ASSOCIATION FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT EVENT: MANAGING CHANGE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR, 1 MARCH 2011, 6.30PM, PETERBOROUGH TOWN HALL

V4 Services and Peterborough City Council share their experience and tips for managing change and a major council wide transformation programme which has resulted in £48m cumulative savings over a four year period.

The event will highlight the:

• strategy for winning internal support from staff, managers and members
• governance structure and gateway process for decision making  and reporting of the work programme
• means of financing future savings through an 'invest to save' fund

Click here to find out more and enrol

C3 LEISURE AND CULTURE ACQUIRED BY V4 SERVICES 
 

Leisure and Culture Consultants – C3, have been acquired by local government supplier, V4 Services.  The acquisition by V4, who provide cost reduction solutions to a growing number of local authorities, is a further step in meeting the needs of local authorities to provide new and innovative ways of providing non-statutory services at reduced cost.

V4’s Managing Director, Adam Jacobs said: “We’ve worked with C3 on a number of occasions and their reputation for practical delivery and tangible results fits very well with V4’s client focused, hands-on delivery and our broader cost savings programmes within local government.”

V4 already has a foothold within the leisure and culture sector, providing client-side capital programme and project management for Aylesbury Vale District Council’s town centre regeneration scheme.  The opening of the new £42m Aylesbury Waterside Theatre by Cilla Black OBE, in October 2010, marked the first of five projects to be completed within the overall regeneration programme.  The team is now working on the refurbishment of the town’s AquaVale Leisure Complex.

Steve Laird, Managing Director of C3 Consultants, joins V4 as Director of Leisure and Cultural Services.  Having worked in the leisure industry for more than 25 years at a senior management level, Steve and his team have successfully completed projects for a broad range of clients including: London Boroughs of: Barnet, Redbridge, Newham and Greenwich; Formby Pools Trust; New Deal for Communities; Aston University and Sport England to name a few. Steve has worked with over twenty local authorities to deliver Options Appraisals – providing support right through to service transfer (often involving ‘Trusts’).  

Talking about the change, Steve said: “I’m excited about this move and particularly the additional benefits that we will be able to offer our client base.  V4 has an excellent track-record of delivering savings and improved outcomes through their managed service Commercial Procurement Hubs and whole-council cost reduction programmes and there are synergies here with the movement towards strategic procurement and partnerships with the not for profit sector and new forms of social enterprises and the opportunities presented by the Localism Bill.”

CONSOLIDATED BUSINESS SUPPORT - DELIVERING THE ADMINISTRATIVE MACHINERY FOR A UNITARY COUNCIL

Find out more about the benefits that can be achieved through a shared service business support model at the Sharing Exchange, 11 February 2011, ICC in Birmingham

An event hosted by the Regional Improvement & Efficiency Partnerships and the National Business Transformation Group

Paul Tonks, V4 Services and Peterborough City Council’s Business Transformation Delivery Partner and Karen Harrington, Peterborough City Council, Head of Business Support will share their experience, learning, the dos and the don'ts.

Having implemented and proved the benefits of a shared administrative model for a single department within the Peterborough City Council, the vision was to build an efficient, flexible and resilient shared administrative model for the whole council – serving a workforce of 5,700+.

In the space of just 18 months the team has grown from 30 to 153, undertaken a major office move, achieved high levels of customer satisfaction, reduced sickness levels and kept employees engaged and motivated.  They have also delivered £329k cumulative cashable savings to date and through Manor Drive Solutions (the new in-house temporary staff agency) have reduced expenditure on agency staff by £1.17m and are on target to produce an income of £45k this year.

Still in its infancy, both in terms of the management team and the model of delivery, the Business Support Team is now focused on driving further improvements to meet the council’s financial challenges and provide an efficient, effective back-office function at a cost no greater than it needs to be.

Watch the highlights of the presentations

Download the presentations

ARE YOU READY TO TAKE ON GOVE'S VISION FOR EDUCATION?

V4 is partnering with Place Group to help schools, academies, LEAs, the voluntary sector and other providers explore future options for the provision of education services.

To find out more visit Stand 26 at the National Association of Business Managers' Conference, 18 & 19 November 2010 at the Brighton Metropole Centre.

RE-EXAMINE THE WAY YOU WORK TO DELIVER VITAL EFFICIENCY SAVINGS ...... a one day conference for senior IT professionals 

Ben Ticehurst, V4 Director joins thought-provoking speakers at an upcoming Guardian and Kable conference, Driving Efficiencies in Public Sector IT, on 30 September 2010, Inmarsat, London. 

The event will explore how the public sector will need to embrace IT to deliver services differently, incorporating conversations around shared services, new communication tools - including social media - and opening up data for re-use. 

The day will also focus on how IT can make savings itself, featuring a case study and debate around cloud computing, led by Ben. This session will explore whether G-Cloud will deliver the savings on the scale required, assess the benefits and challenges of cloud computing and the key issues around the G-cloud, including security, the apps store and the different operating models available. Register for the event to find out more about the work that is happening pre-cloud and how this can be replicated for immediate savings.

Read Kable's article on a recent round-table on G-Cloud

TAKE PART IN THIS WEEK'S IDeA 'GETTING MORE WITH LESS' ONLINE CONFERENCE (19 - 23 JULY) .........

Paul Tonks, V4 Director, shares Peterborough's transformation journey - securing political buy-in, shaping the programme (over 70 projects) and achieving £48m cumulative savings in four years.

Join now to share ideas, best practice and tap into an online efficiency community.  You'll need to register, but it's quick and free.