Scottish Government procurement annual report: 2018

Annex B – Examples of Community Benefits Delivered

1. Warmer Homes Scotland

The following are the delivered community benefits of the Warmer Homes Scotland Contract:

• 15 Work Placement or Work Shadowing placements for 14 to 16 year olds.
• 40 Work Placement or Work Shadowing placements for those aged 16 or over.
• 527 Training placements (Warmer Homes Scotland Related).
• 108 Training placements (Renewable Energy Skills Framework for Action).
• Three Pre-Apprenticeship placements, stepping-stones to allow candidates to enter the industry of their choice, covering all Warmer Homes Scotland related work areas.
• Five Graduate placements.
• 59 New Apprenticeship placements (new registrations).
• 29 Existing Apprenticeship placements (already on existing schemes).
• 22 Completed Apprenticeships (Including Modern Apprentices).
• Jobs created in the core PAS 2030 and MCS work areas including office/support – 436 number of new jobs created in this area of work.
• 88 New S/ NVQ course placements.
• 30 Completed S/ NVQ awards.
• 24 Training Plans Completed.
• 11 Supervisor Training places delivered.
• 15 Leadership and Management Training places delivered.
• 390 Advanced Health and Safety Training places delivered.

2. Work First Scotland ( WFS)

Our contracts secured the following community benefit commitments from our suppliers Remploy, Shaw Trust and Momentum.

Shaw Trust

Delivery of Work First Scotland by the Shaw Trust has provided economic benefit to a diverse supply chain comprising a number of SMEs, social enterprises, Third Sector organisations and Supported Businesses. The following community benefits were delivered:

• The creation of 13 new roles filled by job seekers from priority groups.
• Establishment of a wellbeing campus in Edinburgh which opened at the end of June 2017.
• Targeted recruitment and training for job seekers to help generate or improve employment opportunities, working with a range of companies and partners to provide pre-employment screening, guaranteed interviews, training, work placements, job opportunities and additional support.
• Up-skilling staff during the term of the contract with targeted staff being supported in completing their SVQ courses while working on the contract and all delivery staff having had an opportunity to:
• Complete first aid courses.
• Training in employer engagement.
• Unconscious bias.
• Train the Trainer courses.

It supported community organisations and residents through its volunteer and social enterprise activities which included:

• A new suit for all male job-seekers to wear at interviews.
• Crafts, health walks, embroidery, healthy eating, jewellery making and drama via volunteers.

Remploy

Delivery of Work First Scotland by Remploy resulted in the following community benefits:

• Six new jobs post with three filled by people from priority groups.
• Four apprentices specifically recruited to deliver the contract.
• Two work placements for school pupils, college or university students.
• Two work placements for people from priority groups.
• Peer-to-peer mentoring, customer-facing employment skills.

Remploy is also a Scottish Living Wage employer signed up to the Business Pledge and Digital Participation Charter.

Under the contract provision, Remploy also worked on a pilot with Ayrshire College and Skills Development Scotland, to help students in their final year of college to get used to the world of work. The outcome of the pilot was positive with the majority of students moving on to a positive destination in work or in continued education with a far greater focus on what sector or industry they wanted to work in.

Remploy captured learnings from the pilot with further roll outs planned, and is actively seeking to engage with more employers to increase the number of positive destinations in to which students might move.

Momentum

Delivery of Work First Scotland by Momentum resulted in the following community benefits.

• 36 staff recruited to deliver the contract.
• Three work placements for people from priority groups.
• A graduate recruit.

Momentum is committed to the Scottish Business Pledge for all employees. It has a clear commitment to the learning, development and progression of their staff to ensure they reach their potential, continuing to offer flexitime or time off in lieu to support this ambition. This has resulted in staff secondments, career changes and promotion.

3. Catering in the Scottish Government

As part of our commitment to drive social and environmental benefits through our procurement and ongoing contract management, our catering provider is supporting:

• A Modern Apprentice in hospitality Management SVQ Level four.
• Support of the 'Springboard FutureChef' scheme aimed at young people between ages of 12 and 16 years, helping them to learn to cook; gain experience and hopefully inspiration which can influence career choices.
• Volunteering with local food banks and food drives.

The catering facilities at St Andrew's House was shortlisted for waste reduction project of the year, with tackling waste being critical to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, protecting land and water and improving livelihoods.

4. Gaelic Medium Education National Standardised Assessments Project

Our contracts secured the following community benefit commitments from our provider:

• Creating eight new jobs to include:
  • Recruitment of four Gaelic-speaking teachers by main contractor.
  • A further two new Gaelic-speaking jobs being created in Stornoway through the supply chain.
  • Two modern apprenticeships.
• Supporting events to promote work placements including those for digital, language and business skills and careers in the Educational Technology ( EdTech) sector at employment fairs or careers events in schools.
• Providing a variety of work experience opportunities through the network of Gaelic schools and with Education Scotland.
• Supporting career events at Gaelic schools.

5. Water and Waste Water Billing Services

Our providers have engaged two apprentices and have had extensive engagement with schools education programme on encouraging pupils into engineering careers.

6. Server Maintenance Framework

Since the start of the Server Maintenance framework in 2015, our provider has retained two Modern Apprentices, and taken on a third Modern Apprentice as a direct result of the extra workload taken on through the framework over the reporting period.

7. Hosting Services and Digital and Technology Services ( DATS)

CGI – Modern Apprentice recruited to support the Hosting Services and DATS frameworks.

8. Network Enablement Services ( NES)

Our framework enabled our Scottish based SME provider to grow, with four new jobs created supporting high skilled jobs in Scotland.

9. Office Equipment

Our providers have committed to offer:

• Employability skills – helping young people achieve positive destinations. This includes employability skills training, work placement, work experience, mentoring, challenges and projects for young people.
• Education – supporting schools and universities.
• Community benefits – playing an active role in the community, for example encouraging their staff to volunteer partnerships with charities including:
  • Charitable fundraising.
  • Involvement in local business associations, and supporting Framework Public Bodies with events or initiatives.

An example of what has been delivered in this reporting period is that an Employability Skills programme was created with Department Heads in East Lothian Council, Midlothian Council and the City of Edinburgh Council to work with young people, and support pre-full time employment through World of Work training.

In partnership with Knox Academy and East Lothian Council, a provider has showcased best practice Employability Skills for young people in preparation for their world of work.

As part of the Digital Schools programme, a provider has created Digital Learning packages which allow students and young people to develop social media programmes.

10. General Stationery and Office Paper

Our office stationery provider introduced a modern apprenticeship programme across the business in conjunction with Skills Development Scotland and introduced a modern apprenticeship programme across the business in conjunction with Skills Development Scotland and employed one modern apprentice in Airdrie to service the framework and two additional Graduates as junior account managers. The supplier also has two interns via Adopt an Intern working on the framework. Our supplier has also increased the number of Regional Distribution Centres ( RDCs) in Scotland from three to five, with the new RDCs being located in West Edinburgh and Dundee. The new RDCs created an additional 34 posts.

11. Central Government Procurement Shared Services ( CGPSS)

Community benefits are considered and questions included in the majority of tenders issued by CGPSS. The following are a few examples where community benefits have resulted from a competition:

• Provision of Hard Facilities Management Services for Scottish Police Authority and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
• Provision of Soft Facilities Management for Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh.
• Provision of Illuminated Trail for Royal Botanical Gardens Edinburgh.

Royal Botanical Gardens Edinburgh Illuminated Trail

Within the provision of the contract, the supplier included a number of community initiatives to ensure local community involvement in the illuminated trail event including:

• Community development programmes and the ability to create ongoing long-term engagements for the public through the year to link into the winter delivery programme.
• Creating young peoples' programmes of engagement to assist in the delivery of audience experience.
• Working with local community schools, universities and other community groups as partners to the event to:
  • Create work for the trail i.e. a community artist to lead and develop ideas and bring it together as a completed work.
  • Engage community groups as performers i.e. engaging local choirs to perform at the venue as part of the front of house content.
• Working with students from the digital media course at Edinburgh College, to create opportunities for students to undertake work experience.
• Recruiting their freelance team from the local area.