@UK PLC and Serco to deliver savings via Care Framework

Dec 18, 2012

Aldermaston, 17 December 2012 - @UK PLC are on all 4 lots of the national Pro5 (http://www.pro5.org) framework awarded by the North East Procurement Organisation (NEPO) to help local authorities meet the requirements of the personalisation agenda.

The UK government has challenged councils to provide 70 per cent of their social care service users with personal budgets by April 2013, with the vision of enabling individuals to take control of their care and support. Pro5’s four-year framework for the provision of Social Care eMarketplaces supports local authorities in implementing this personalisation target by offering a route to establish online environments, where service users can confidently purchase the goods and services relevant to their social care needs.

@UK is leading the way in this area and with over 700,000 citizens currently purchasing from @UK suppliers has a proven established platform that is already connected into the NHS N3 network joining up health and social services.  @UK currently has a pilot social care emarketplace running at Hertfordshire County Council and a care directory at Peterborough City Council.

Ronald Duncan, Executive Chairman of @UK said:

"We are delighted that our fully integrated marketplace has been named in all four lots of the national framework for the provision of social care marketplaces. As the first to market with a fully integrated system that has the security to both store patient records and make card payments, our solutions provide significant benefits to local authorities seeking to meet the requirements of the personalisation agenda.”

Serco has used the @UK marketplace to deliver its guarantee of 25% savings in social care for Hertfordshire County Council.

Nigel Bates Strategic Development Director of Serco said:

"Serco is committed to delivering real transformation in our customer's most critical business areas and to providing the citizen with improved outcomes.  Providing innovation in the access to and provision of care is a fundamental element in this strategy and the e-marketplace is at the heart of that solution.  Our transformation and innovation approach has allowed us to deliver guaranteed savings in adult social care - one of the largest areas of spend and therefore highest priorities for local authorities.”

The framework aims to meet the needs of commissioners, providers and service users by delivering the following benefits:

- Better Information Management: eMarketplaces provide local authorities with a way of consolidating information on the goods and services available for purchase in one place.

- Promotes Collaboration Opportunities: eMarketplaces facilitate sharing of content across local authorities and with other agencies for the benefit of end users.

- Removes Barriers to Market: eMarketplaces allow a broader range of providers, such as the third sector and local suppliers, to sell to individuals.

- Drives Savings for Service Users: Visibility of the types of goods and services bought by budget holders enables negotiation of even better terms with providers.

- Provides a Cost Effective Solution to Councils: Opportunities to generate revenue through advertising mean that eMarketplaces offer local authorities a potentially cost-neutral solution.

A wide range of goods and services, relating to both Adult and Children’s social care, will be provided through eMarketplaces (such as home care, holistic therapeutic days out, residential home places and assistive equipment) enabling older and disabled adults, young people in care, and their carers to make informed choices regarding individual support packages.

Ian Taylor, Director of NEPO and the Pro5 Group, says: “A huge amount of effort has gone into making this framework the best solution for local authorities to deliver online support for personal budget holders and their carers. We know that suppliers, especially charities and social enterprises, will welcome the opportunities that the systems on the framework will provide to market their services to this growing market.”

The framework has been let following a fully OJEU compliant process led by NEPO on behalf of Pro5, and with input from other interested authorities including Gloucestershire County Council as partners on the evaluation panel. 

ENDS   ###

 

Notes For Editors

@UK PLC

@UK is the UK’s leading electronic marketplace with over 1 million users. @UK PLC provides a joined up set of eBusiness solutions: Spend Analysis, Purchase to Pay and Electronic marketplace connecting into Supplier eCommerce systems. The company also provides business startup services including eCommerce and eProcurement.

@UK PLC is listed on the London Stock Exchange AIM market under 'atuk'.

http://www.uk-plc.net

 

@UK PLC Ronald Duncan – Chairman Tel: +44 (0)118 963 7000

Mob: +44(0)79737 54817

 

@UK PLC Karen Wan – Communications Tel: 0118 963 7000

Email: Karen.wan@ukplc.net

 

Serco

Serco is a FTSE 100 international service company, which combines commercial know-how with a deep public service ethos.

Around the world, we improve essential services by managing people, processes, technology and assets more effectively. We advise policy makers, design innovative solutions, integrate systems and - most of all - deliver to the public.

Our global BPO business has over 50,000 employees across 98 locations, with a presence in 10 countries providing the complete spectrum of business services to customers in the public and private sector around the world.

As a dynamic global service organisation, our people have the expertise and intimate knowledge of our customers’ markets as well as best practice processes and technologies to exceed expectations. We have the vision, agility and determination to deliver cutting-edge business process solutions and set ever-higher standards in the markets we serve.

Serco currently delivers a range of services to local government including business process outsourcing (BPO), property management, procurement, economic development to facilities management, information communications technology to environmental services, supporting local authorities to deliver services to millions of UK citizens daily.

In the last four years Serco has signed strategic partnerships with Glasgow City Council, Hertfordshire County Council and Peterborough City Council as well as several shared service contracts with local authorities including Enfield Council and Derby City Council.

More information can be found at http://www.serco.com

Luke Allen, Communications Manager, 07718 194 509

 

Pro5 Group

The Pro5 Group is a partnership of the largest public sector buying organisations in the UK (CBC, ESPO, NEPO and YPO), committed to delivering national procurement solutions that achieve best value and cost savings for the public sector. www.pro5.org

 

NEPO

The North East Procurement Organisation (NEPO) is the lead organisation for this tender, acting on behalf of Pro5 and working with other national and regional groups including the Local Government Collaborative Commissioning Group (LGCCG), the National Advisory Group (NAG) and the Local Government Association (LGA). Find out more about NEPO at www.nepoportal.org

 

Pro5 and NEPO Media contact:

Amanda Hassall , Six Degrees Limited

amanda.hassall@sixdegreespr.com

Direct: +44 (0)1628 822741

Mob: +44 (0)7855 359889