IT Managed Service
Last updated
Was this helpful?
Last updated
Was this helpful?
We provide fully outsourced IT services to local government. That means end-to-end support from the computer on the desk, to the network that connects it, and the infrastructure in the background.
It gives local authorities and their citizens peace of mind. Our service includes IT security, compliance, project delivery, FOI requests, office moves, and a support wrap focused on continuous service improvements. We provide these elements so councils can focus on delivering for the citizens of the area in sectors like education, social care, revenues and benefits, and social housing.
Each account is different, because each local authority needs different things from their IT managed service. An important element of the service is our flexibility. Right from the start, we build each account around the teams we’re working with and the needs of the local area. Then we have tailored service-level agreements we commit to and deliver in line with those needs.
Our service can be broken down into 3 different functions:
on-site teams embedded in the local authority
support desk including a centralised cyber, service and technology team
account management
Our on-site teams are local to each council that we work with. They are responsible for maintaining and proactively managing the council’s IT infrastructure and applications. All accounts have technical staff skilled in desktops, applications, networks, and servers as well as a service delivery management, project management and programme management. Working in an agile manner, the on-site teams agree with the council on the resources available and prioritise how best to deploy them. Because they are in the council offices working alongside council staff, they can also look for opportunities to better engage with the council and improve their services.
Our support desk is based out of the NEC Hartlepool office and is the first-line triage for any support calls across all our IT managed services. The experienced team resolves 70% of calls that come through as a first-time fix. The remaining, more complicated calls, are passed to the on-site teams to resolve. Our support desk is reinforced by NEC Software Solutions’ Cyber, Service and Technology (CST) wider support team, with its rigorous cyber security and incident management capabilities.
Our account managers play a vital role in the overall quality of the service we offer. They work on our contracts from the beginning, to ensure that what we commit to our clients is achievable and deliverable. Then they spend the duration of the contract building partnerships and trust in the council and local community. Each account manager also lives within the local area of their client, so is just as invested in the success of the partnership as the people on the ground delivering the service. We’re integrated into our partner councils from the bottom up and top down.
While each account is unique to that local authority, there are consistent patterns we follow in service delivery across all our accounts.
Every client has a monthly review board, where the NEC site-based leadership team meet with the ICT lead for the local authority to review the monthly service report. We review all key metrics for the service (like support calls raised and resolution times), identify any trends and agree mitigating actions.
We consistently work in line with the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), a best practice framework for IT service management. ITIL ensures predictable and stable IT environments. As an organisation, we’re ITIL version 4 accredited and certified to ISO 20000. Working within these frameworks, we deliver the best service possible to clients by streamlining processes and identifying opportunities to improve efficiencies.
An important element of the ITIL framework is the Change Advisory Boards (CABs) that review and authorise changes to council IT systems. They ensure changes are managed effectively causing minimal disruption. We have an internal CAB within our organisation that works alongside the specific CABs in each council to scrutinise plans and advise on the best approach. As much of our work focuses on IT, we also liaise closely with the Technical Advisory Boards (TABs) too.
Our robust first-line to third-line support ensures we answer any support calls in a timely manner. As first-line triage is done, simpler challenges like password issues can be resolved immediately. Then second-line support step in for more complicated remote issues, like applications not working. Where there are complex site-based problems that require a hands-on approach, third-line support (the on-site team) are ready to assist. For us, the priority is constantly seeking best practice to mitigate risks and respond rapidly when required. Say there was a major incident, like a network outage from the local authority’s telecoms provider. We’d be on hand with tailored disaster recovery plans, safeguarding data and diverting network traffic to enable key workers to deliver vital services while working with their telecoms provider to help restore wider connections.
We’re proud of our relationships with our customers, and rightly so. All of our accounts are long serving, the longest of which has partnered with us for the last 15 years.
A big reason for the longevity of our relationships is our investment in local people and community. Where possible, we always recruit locally to the council using local residents to support local IT. That means our teams are invested in delivering contracts well, because it impacts their families and neighbours.
We work as part of the council team. We’re not a provider, but an integrated and integral part of the service. Being embedded in the team allows us to understand the complexities and dynamics of the council better.
Everything a council does must be:
in response to legislation,
of benefit to the citizens, or
a cost saving for the council.
Working closely with our local government customers enables us to fully understand their priorities. And in doing so, we are best placed to review and innovate their IT systems. This might mean improving an online interface to allow citizens to engage more easily with the website, or it might be improving infrastructure security. Anything we deliver must meet the needs outline above, and in doing so our partners trust us to provide what’s best for them and their citizens.
Our focus on continual service improvements helps find efficiency gains for our council partners. One of our partners has seen a 30% reduction in calls as a direct consequence of technology upgrades and improved tools and skills across the council. By prioritising weaker areas in the council’s IT, we’re able to proactively resolve challenges allowing staff to be more productive with reduced system downtime.
We employ around 40 members of staff across all our IT managed service contracts. A really important part of that figure is made up of our local modern apprentices. Talented young people are brought into the council and encouraged to progress into increasingly more senior roles across Digital Studio and wider NEC Software Solutions.
As part of our ongoing partnerships, we also invest in social value for the communities we work in. In Hartlepool, we’ve invested £1 million in setting up a new business centre for Hartlepool Borough Council. The building of the new business centre helped boost the economy through its use of local traders and suppliers. Now council teams, including our own, work out of the building every day.
Our partnerships don’t just focus on one-off big investments. They’re about continually turning up for the communities we work in, which is why each year we invest further in local programmes. We support local charities by donating prizes for their raffles as well as helping to organise and run events. We also provide technology to several community hubs, enabling local people to equip themselves with digital skills to help in education, employment and accessing local services online.
