Sopra Steria provides Cleveland Police with a range of services.
They include human resources (HR,) business support, finance, estates, learning and development, control room and ICT.
Staff in these services have an end date of 2020.
Under the contract terms, Sopra Steria employs the staff. This is as part of the outsourced contract, which started in 2010. As part of its terms, the contract can be extended.
If that is to happen, it must be decided upon by a date in 2018. The Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC)is the contracting body.
Therefore, is a matter for the PCC, in consultation with the Force, to determine whether to extend the contract.
Cleveland Police proposal
The PCC has received a full and detailed proposal from Cleveland Police. The force has set out the options. It considers these to be an appropriate provision of services in future in respect of these functions.
Based on a full and detailed consideration of that proposal, the PCC has made the decision not to extend this contract past its planned end point in 2020.
The remaining contract time period will be known as ‘due diligence’. This means we can assess how to collaborate, operate and perform more effectively in future.
We can also plan our operational delivery when the contract comes to an end in 2020.
Significantly, the due diligence period will examine how the Sopra Steria services can be returned and delivered ‘in-house’ by Cleveland Police.
Project Fusion
The Force’s proposals are for the due diligence and business change process to take place as a programme of work known as Project Fusion.
It is anticipated that the future service provision model will realise savings of c£8 million over the period from 2020 to 2025.
The PCC is satisfied that the strategic partnership with Sopra Steria has succeeded in saving in the region of £70million over its contractual lifespan.
He wishes to acknowledge the positive partnership with Sopra Steria.
The partnership reflected the Government’s focus at its inception in 2010, introducing private sector service provision into public services.
However, as an organisation Cleveland Police, has evolved significantly since the decision was made.
Today, public policy and the PCC’s Police & Crime Plan favour collaboration between Blue Light services wherever possible.
The PCC agrees with the Chief Constable that there must be innovative solutions. This is to make further savings and deliver the best possible policing service to the people of Cleveland.
The Force’s Proposal documentation – entitled Make or Buy – and the business case in respect of Project Fusion form the background to this decision.
The documentation and business case are not being published at this time. This is on the basis that they contain information which is commercially sensitive (and therefore confidential.) The information is also subject to consultation in due course with employee representation.
Documents are attached to Part B of this Decision Record. They will be published once those two conditions are considered by the Chief Constable to have been discharged.
A full Communications Plan has been approved in conjunction with this Decision Record Form.
All stakeholders will be fully informed as this decision is carried into effect and Project Fusion gets underway.
Decision DRF-103015. Decision not to extend Sopra Steria’s Contract (application, 214kB)