There is no denying the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on traditional working arrangements. Organisations across both the private and public sector have had to rapidly evolve and adapt to the new workplace revolution to allow for unheralded remote and flexible working arrangements. While the UK continues to ease lockdown restrictions, there can be no denying the workplace has been fundamentally changed to accommodate new office layouts, socially distant working practices, limited face-to-face meetings, staggered lunch breaks and different start/finish times.
To facilitate this revolution, many local authorities have, or are currently undergoing, a complete organisational transformation. This can be seen not only through a technological transformation, which has better equipped staff to embrace flexible working arrangements, but also through organisational wellbeing efforts to support morale, culture and employee wellbeing.
While parts of this transformation have been embraced as welcome change, it also carries significant risks if not managed correctly. We have already observed a number of councils battling with issues caused by rushed ICT upgrades, disorganised workplace policies and ineffective wellbeing measures implemented to comply with government orders, which have a significant impact on the ability of the local authority to deliver services to its constituents.
Bloom is experienced in working with local authorities to better understand the impact these ‘new normal’ workplace and working arrangements have on local authorities’ ability to deliver services their communities. Digital change in local government requires people and culture to change so that it works with the people and for the people.
With access to over 7,000 suppliers, we can help you navigate various options and deliver the right supplier to deliver meaningful long-term solutions that can help your council embrace the ‘new normal’ working arrangements.
With our ability to source any supplier based on their capability, we are ideally positioned to help you deliver in these challenging times. We can act as an extension of your procurement team, ensuring you can access the suppliers you need quickly and compliantly, via a fully auditable process that aligns with your governance requirements.
Bloom’s outcomes-based model allows us to deliver a fully managed end-to-end service, helping your council to implement reliable long-term solutions, delivering efficiencies and cost savings while ensuring you only ever pay for what is delivered. With even greater pressure on budgets anticipated in the coming months, managing outcomes requirements is essential to ensuring cost-effective solutions across ICT and organisational wellbeing efforts to support the ‘new normal’.
Bloom have assembled a panel of ICT and Organisational Change and Wellbeing experts across Bloom’s supplier community for insights into the legacy workplace challenges facing local authorities, and the technological/wellbeing aspects of future-proofing working environments.
Embracing the digital ‘new normal’ revolution
ICT experts from our supplier community address investment priorities around legacy infrastructure and the best methods of consolidating rapid changes made at the height of the pandemic.
Increasing employee engagement in the ‘new normal’
Organisational Change and Wellbeing experts from our supplier community explore the current trends local authorities are employing to support morale, culture and employee wellbeing.
Working with Bloom to access the NEPRO solution has ensured we realise all the expected benefits from a neutral vendor approach in procuring and managing specialist professional services. They are a true partner and are continually looking to improve the way we work and ultimately the services provided by the suppliers.
Bloom was essential in the recent hiring of a consultant for a governance project within oneSource. Through the NEPRO solution, I was able to hire a consultant within 2 weeks of posting my project requirements. I was provided with proposals from a range of experienced and relevant suppliers and received valued support from Bloom throughout the process.
I chose to work with Bloom as I liked the idea of outcome-based projects. It’s so much more efficient, as it’s a compliant process without the need to go through the OJEU process as it’s still competitive. Bloom has many suppliers already available but we can add suppliers whenever we want. Having someone who can help by providing a second opinion; a neutral point of view has been valuable to us.
Through Bloom we were able to engage with Cardiff Council efficiently and help them access social care services they urgently needed in a compliant way.
Due to their robust and wide-reaching supply chain, Bloom is able to identify and access even the most niche suppliers. Bloom was able to provide a speedy and robust solution that would not have occurred to us.
Bloom is a professional and far reaching procurement partner, allowing Torne & Shirmers to reach its target market in supporting the Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), Local Authorities, Universities and NHS Trusts throughout the UK.
We became a Bloom Accredited Supplier following our attendance at the NCC supplier engagement event, this was crucial to Impeller finding out more information about Bloom and it also gave us great exposure to NCC and definitely assisted in helping us win business with them.
Through Bloom and NEPRO we were able to access the right supplier in a short time frame.
Bloom helped us find suppliers in a rather niche market with the skills and expertise we required, which we would have otherwise found very difficult to source.
We have been working in partnership with Bolton Borough Council to transform the delivery of their property services. This close collaboration combined with our expertise means together we have made sure our solution is the best for the people of Bolton.
We were proud to support West Sussex County Council and CAPITA with their annual planning programme and help to deliver the best outcomes for the County.
Being a Bloom accredited supplier offers us appropriate opportunities and improves our chances of being successful. The competition process for the Invest South Tyneside project was robust, yet quick and straightforward and Gardiner Richardson is delighted to have been selected. We’ve hit the ground running and have quickly been able to begin delivering impact and results for Invest South Tyneside.
The NEPRO solution assisted the Council in achieving our aims of supporting local business while freeing up valuable time for us to concentrate on high value strategic projects.
Bloom provided a fast and compliant route to market. Allowing us to promptly begin work on the project and deliver the desired outcomes.