At this year’s PFM Awards MITIE was among winners for its facilities management partnership with Essex County Council.
Essex County Council has experienced much-publicised pressures on public sector expenditure, resulting from the economic downturn. Working with MITIE, the authority has embarked on what the council terms a transformational programme that has already saved more than £340m across the council and estimates to deliver a further £215m over the next three years.
The ten-year contract with MITIE employs over 500 people across 350 sites, delivering services including building maintenance, estates management, cleaning, security, catering, waste management and mail & distribution services. MITIE says that it has supported community engagement, including launching a fully accredited apprenticeship scheme, hosting World of Work days for over 300 Essex pupils, and creating “Essex Unite” with Jobcentre Plus and the Essex Coalition for Disabled People to provide 15 new work placements for adults with disabilities. The PFM judging panel said it recognised the working partnership between MITIE and Essex County Council, as well as partners, Lambert Smith Hampton and Atkins.
Sam Greenwood, Business Innovations and Change Manager for MITIE’s Essex County Council contract, was also recognised as a finalist for the FMA Young Manager Award.
Ruby McGregor-Smith, pictured, chief executive of MITIE, said: “I’m delighted that our successful partnership with Essex County Council has been recognised as industry leading. This contract marks a transformation in local authority outsourcing, and we look forward to continuing to deliver exceptional service over the long-term.”
Essex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transformation and Corporate Services, Cllr Derrick Louis, said: “The authority has embarked on a transformational programme that has already saved more than £340m across the entire council and estimates to deliver a further £215m over the next three years. The innovative property and FM partnership with MITIE is a key element in this strategy, having already delivered a sustainable £3.1m revenue to date.”
MITIE was shortlisted in the ‘Partners in Secure Facilities’ category for its partnership with Sellafield.
