Blog

Strength in numbers

19 Feb 2024

Start talking about supply chains and container ships, tankers, and computerised warehouses may well spring to mind. Yet a world away from the global logistics industry, supply chains sit at the heart of successful practice for many sectors, not least so employability.

Harnessing the expertise of specialist and local partners is a mainstay of Ingeus’ drive to enhance our services and boost the outcomes for people on our programmes. Supply chains are a vital part of our delivery strategy, and we work in partnership with private, public and third sector organisations across the UK who provide services directly to our participants and upskill our own internal teams. Most of these partners are small organisations or local enterprises with in-depth, grassroots knowledge of their communities or specialisms – and that’s what makes them invaluable.

To get the best results for the people we serve, understanding the unique needs and characteristics of a particular community or region is essential. Localism delivers solutions that large-scale approaches simply wouldn’t be able to tackle – and we embrace that.

Just like in traditional supply chains, efficiency, coordination, and the effective flow of information are vital. We expect integrity, flexibility, and high quality from our partners. Yet we also appreciate that not one size fits all, especially when working alongside smaller, specialist organisations perhaps working in the employability sector for the first time, or piloting new approaches. Our supply chain specialists facilitate every aspect of working with our local partners, creating an enabling culture where organisations work as part of our team.
 
Where larger providers like Ingeus really add value, I believe, is in capacity building – helping smaller organisations reach more people to help through our services and helping them develop their capabilities so they’re able to do more and continue to grow. 

A specialist skills trainer we work with in London, the CherryTree Foundation, is the perfect example of this. Starting work with us on the Work and Health Programme, this expanded to our JETS and Restart Scheme contracts. Last year they had over 2,000 Ingeus participants referred to them. They say people see them in a different light now and cite improvements in their communications and relationships with stakeholders and commissioners as a result, as well as having extra experience to help gain new contracts.

Another example is our learning partner DailyStep English, who adapted their digital language courses for our Restart Scheme participants. Together we helped them consider different ways their business might develop. We’ve supported them to think about their offer and how it can be adapted for different people; a catalyst for growth and further new business for them.

Peer-to-peer support and sharing best practice with expert colleagues is a golden thread through everything – our partners can access our in-house training and expert teams on everything including core functions such as learning & development, IT, and marketing. 

Of course, our teams love nothing more than to collaborate, communicate and celebrate, and that can be seen in the community volunteering teams get involved in too.  

The symbiotic relationship Ingeus shares with its supply chain partners means it’s a win-win for us, them, and most importantly, our participants. 

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