Overview
St Anne's provides a wide range of support to a diverse range of people - the common factor is that all of our support is focused on the individual needs and aspirations of each person. Whether support is required because people are homeless, lives are chaotic due to dependence on drugs and alcohol or people need support because of mental health issues or a learning disability, St Anne's support people to live as a full and active member of their local community.
Case Study
Client Background
Established in 1971, St. Anne's is a major provider of social care services in Yorkshire and the North East. The charitable company has a reputation for providing high quality and innovative care and support to a range of vulnerable individuals. In partnership with voluntary and community based services, statutory agencies and housing providers, St Anne's has helped over 3,700 people across the Yorkshire & Humber and North East regions in the last year.
From homeless people and those with learning disabilities, to individuals with mental health and drug and alcohol problems, St Anne's promotes independence, opportunity and inclusion. Their person-centred approach and commitment to the provision of high-quality services means they can continue to support individuals as their needs and goals change, helping them to live as full and active members in their local community.
Challenge
Considerable variations in pay rates and agency margins for temporary agency labour, for the same jobs within the company as a whole and across 150 locations. This allowed for over-charging by agencies and a heavy administrative burden associated with timesheets and invoices, whilst invoice inaccuracies further increased administration costs. Issues with VAT payments followed from inconsistencies in charges across agencies and job categories. Absence of terms and conditions alongside large number of unaudited suppliers also left room for a mixed quality of service.
Solution
- Standardise rates for all skill sets and agency margins, placing all agencies on a level playing field
- Implement a preferred agency panel, to gain control
- Introduce service agreements with KPI's to monitor service levels
- Introduce e-tips® to streamline administration and remove invoice errors and provide real-time management information.
Implementation
de Poel began working with St Anne's in January 2009. Following a detailed site analysis to determine agency spend and existing supply arrangements, proposals were made to the senior management team at St Anne's for consideration. These included recommendations to generate cost savings and to streamline the process of managing temporary recruitment through use of de Poel's web-based electronic timesheet system and invoice processing system, e-tips. A dedicated de Poel Account Manager was also appointed to oversee the operational side of the process and to be the first point of contact for the client.
Once the recommendations were approved, de Poel invited all of the existing supplying agencies to attend a series of presentations outlining the new process and the associated benefits. Agencies keen to continue to supply were required to submit a formal request, along with up to date proposal documentation. With a 70% positive response rate, de Poel suggested a consolidated list of suitable suppliers from which a panel of 20 were selected within the Yorkshire & Humber and North East regions. This was followed up with agency and client training and inductions to e-tips®, allowing them better access to management information and weekly spend and save reports.
Results
- Cost savings of 11% achieved, through standardising 120 different rates to 8, removing inconsistencies. The new rates, as well as the rules behind them, mirrored those of St Anne's current workforce, their permanent and bank staff. A new set rate for sleep-in jobs particularly eradicated worries about either under or over-paying staff.
- Preferred agency panel of 20 operating with formal service level agreements. Established to ensure that all panel agencies operate under standard terms and conditions, whilst regular meetings and close liaison with dedicated de Poel Account Manager ensured that key performance indicators were achieved.
- A newfound ability to manage VAT charges resulting from de Poel's ability to incorporate legislative changes into the supply process prior to the live date.
- Successful implementation of e-tips® reduced invoices down from 5,000 per year to 52, saving time and administration costs, with indirect cost savings of £175,000 and providing clear visibility of temporary labour spend.
