Northgate-is

Northgate Managed Services wins 2012 BETT Award - ICT Company of the Year

2012-01-12T00:00:00+01:00

Northgate Managed Services, leading provider of IT services to the education sector, is celebrating today having scooped ‘ICT Company of the Year - over £3million turnover’ at the 2012 BETT Awards which took place on 11th January 2012, at the Hilton Hotel, Park Lane, London. The BETT Awards form an integral part of the annual BETT show and celebrate the creativity and innovation that can be found in technology for education. The winners are chosen on the basis of excellence in ICT provision and support for nurseries, schools, Academies, colleges and special schools alike, with a clear focus on what works in the classroom. The award recognises Northgate’s outstanding provision of ICT services and its contribution to the success of schools which has led to a six to seven percent increase in GCSE results at A*-C within the schools with which it works. It also recognises Northgate’s commitment to building solid partnerships, provision of first class customer service, significant investment in staff training and development and improving the employability and education opportunities for young people. This success is reflected in the company’s strong financial performance and dynamic growth of 13% in revenue in the education sector. Commenting on his company’s success, Andy Ross, Chief Executive for Northgate Managed Services said: “Northgate Managed Services is really delighted to have won ICT Company of the Year in the 2012 BETT Awards! It demonstrates our commitment to working in partnership with schools and Academies across the UK to deliver effective IT services and solutions within the education sector and to improving outcomes for teachers and learners. We have highly committed employees who take pride in delivering a high standard of service. Each one should be very proud of their contribution to this achievement.” The judges, including key government agencies, teachers and local authority representatives, commented “Northgate is clearly committed to working with schools and has adapted well to the changes in funding to produce solutions that will work with schools. The size of the company means that they are able to supply many different solutions and sustainability options.” Northgate works with 1,250 schools and colleges providing a full range of innovative and flexible IT services and solutions, supporting over 430,000 teachers, students and IT users across the UK. The company works in partnership with its customers to gain a deep understanding of their objectives to design, implement and deliver services and solutions to meet these needs. -End-

Northgate Managed Services Named as Preferred Supplier for the Education Network Northern Ireland Contract

2012-01-11T00:00:00+01:00

Northgate Managed Services (Northgate) has further cemented its reputation as one of the UK’s leading providers of ICT services by being named as Classroom 2000’s (C2k) preferred supplier for the new ‘Education Network Northern Ireland’ (ENNI) contract. The news was announced today at BETT 2012, Europe’s largest education ICT event in London.

The five year contract will see Northgate design, implement and manage a completely new and innovative Private Cloud environment for all schools in NI, providing secure access to resources online, 24 x 7 from a wide range of devices. The new ICT investment will bring schools the benefits of cloud computing while ensuring students and teachers are secure online. The new Education Cloud provides the ability to scale computing resources to meet the needs of schools both today and in the future. Schools will access a range of applications and educational resources through Northgate’s My-School learning portal.

The continued investment in ICT in schools ensures that every student can attain the vital ICT skills needed for today’s technology driven workplace and support the continued growth in NIs vibrant technology sector.

The new infrastructure will also offer greater device connectivity - allowing teachers and students to gain access to the network and resources securely via personal devices such as smart phones, IPads, tablet PCs and laptops. Broadband provision will be improved with schools being provided with up to 200Mb. This contract will see Northgate take responsibility for the Wide Area Network, Local Area Network and Telecoms.

Commenting on the award of preferred bidder status, Andy Ross, Chief Executive, Northgate Managed Services said “This is a tremendous achievement for the company and is one that clearly positions Northgate as one of the UK’s leading providers of ICT services for schools. Our previous experience in this sector both in NI and across GB has enabled us to propose a solution that we feel proactively and innovatively offers the end user a more intuitive system and one that is based on the very best in Cloud technology.

“Achieving preferred supplier status is also of great significance for the local economy. Securing technology jobs in NI can only be viewed as a positive boost for Northern Ireland.”

Jimmy Stewart, Director, C2k said, “When preparing the ENNI contract specification we were very clear that it should recognise the educational requirements of NI schools, have the ability to deliver technology driven learning environments and for its solution to be innovatively designed and developed in a manner that provided flexibility – Northgate’s submission offered us this and much more.

“The award for preferred supplier status to Northgate is as of a result of the company’s innovative response and of its extensive experience in the sector. Northgate has continuously demonstrated excellence in the education services it has developed and has a highly talented and dedicated team in place. I look forward to working with Northgate in the coming months and to deploying the ENNI infrastructure in schools across NI.”

Northgate Information Solutions appoints Adel Al-Saleh as Group Chief Executive

2011-11-28T00:00:00+01:00

(London, 28 November 2011) Northgate Information Solutions, the leading international systems and outsourcing Group, is pleased to announce the appointment of Adel Al-Saleh as Group’s Chief Executive Officer. Adel will succeed Chris Stone, who previously announced his decision to leave the firm.

Adel, aged 48, is an experienced technology business leader who has worked across multiple industries and geographies. Prior to this appointment, Adel spent 5 years at IMS Health, a leading technology based analytics and services company for the healthcare industry, where he held several senior positions including president of EMEA, senior vice president Global Pharma Solutions, and president of US.

Prior to joining IMS Health in 2007, Adel spent 19 years at IBM, working his way up after joining as a systems engineer. Adel held several senior positions at IBM across the world, including general manager of Sales and Industries in the Group's European region, general manager Global Wireless Business, vice president of Communications Sector Americas (covering Telecommunications, Utilities, Media and Entertainment industries), and vice president EMEA Sales and Services Personal Systems Group.

Adel said: "I am delighted to accept this prestigious role. In the past few years Northgate has grown to become a global leader in HR outsourcing and systems, managed services and public sector systems. Under KKR's ownership it is poised to continue that development, build on recent acquisitions and consolidate the leadership positions it has taken in its chosen sectors."

Todd Fisher, Northgate's Chairman, added: “We are very pleased to have persuaded Adel to join us. His successful track record at IBM and IMS Health speaks for itself. He is a technology business leader through and through and we feel he is exactly the man to build on Northgate's successful track record and work with its talented management team to deliver growth in this demanding environment. I look forward to working with him."

Adel is married and has four children. His hobbies include fitness training, cooking, the performing arts, and he plays an active role in improving education standards.

NORTHGATE MANAGED SERVICES SUPPORTS 'COMPUTER CLUBS FOR GIRLS' IN 40 PRIMARY SCHOOLS

2011-11-14T00:00:00+01:00

Northgate and e-skills UK provide schools with access to online IT club for girlsNewtownabbey based Northgate Managed Services, one of the UK’s leading providers of educational IT services and solutions, has sponsored ‘Computer Clubs for Girls’ (CC4G), an e-skills UK after-schools club initiative which encourages girls aged 10 to 14 to consider IT related education and careers. Northgate’s support allows 40 schools from across Northern Ireland to access this specially designed online resource.Created by e-skills UK and designed by Aardman, the creators of ‘Wallace & Gromit’, the colourful and exciting virtual world of CC4G aims to inspire girls aged 10 to 14 to consider IT-related futures by bringing technology to life through projects based on topics that girls enjoy, such as music, fashion and sport.The website allows learners to log-on from school or home and share their progress with parents and guardians, bridging the gap between what happens at home and at school. CC4G was born out of industry wide research which showed that girls begin to lose interest in technology from between 10 and 14 years of age; with most believing it to be unappealing, ‘geeky’, and just for boys.This attitude is very much reflected in the low number of women working in the sector; only 17% of the 1.2 million individuals designing, building and running the systems on which we all depend are female and just 8% of computing A-level candidates in 2011 were girls.Commenting on the CC4G project Eleanor Lee, Marketing Director at Northgate Managed Services said; “It is fantastic for Northgate to have the opportunity to play an active role in this hugely worthwhile initiative. As ICT is imbedded across the curriculum ensuring all learners are confident in using ICT is critical. e-skills UK research has shown that girls are less confident in using IT and this also impacts on the number of girls choosing to pursue technology-related careers. Technology offers fantastic career opportunities which can be incredibly rewarding, not least in terms of salary and travel opportunities.“The importance of engaging with the next generation as early as possible cannot be overstated. In today’s economic climate nothing could be more important than giving young people the resources to have bright futures, and now more than ever that means technology. 90% of all jobs require IT skills and every year 110,000 new people across the UK are recruited into IT specialist careers. These facts and figures cannot be ignored and that is why Northgate is firmly behind CC4G.”Carole McConville, e-skills UK, said; “Having an organisation of Northgate’s stature on board is just fantastic and a real endorsement of CC4G. Their support and sponsorship has been invaluable and has allowed 40 schools from across Northern Ireland to take part in the project and to run a CC4G club. These clubs will not only teach the girls valuable IT skills, but will also show them the importance of teamwork and project management , and help develop their communication skills.“We know that there are many more schools that want to set up a CC4G club, but without further sponsorship this is just not possible. I would like to take this opportunity to encourage other businesses to follow Northgate’s example and get involved with their local school.”To find out more about CC4G, please go to: www.e-skills.com/cc4g , and to find out how to sponsor a school or a group of schools, please contact: carol.mcconville@e-skills.com

NORTHGATE MANAGED SERVICES WINS '2011 IT SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR' AWARD AT PRESTIGIOUS UK IT INDUSTRY EVENT

2011-11-14T00:00:00+01:00

Northgate Managed Services has been nationally recognised as the IT Supplier of the Year at the British Computer Society (BCS) & Computing UK Industry Awards 2011.Newtownabbey based Northgate Managed Services has cemented its reputation as one of the UK’s leading providers of ICT services by being named ‘IT Supplier of the Year’ at the British Computer Society (BCS) and Computing UK Industry Awards 2011. The award recognises Northgate Managed Services' dynamic growth and its strong financial performance which saw the company return a 21% increase in its revenue, successfully win more than 80 news clients in a range of sectors; invest significantly in staff training and development, strengthen industry partnerships, and create more than 100 new jobs across its UK operation. Commenting on the award, Andy Ross, Chief Executive, Northgate Managed Services said, “We are delighted to have won the 2011 IT Supplier of the Year Award. This is the second time in 3 years that we have won this award and reflects a huge amount of hard work over many years and is a fantastic endorsement of the services and IT solutions we provide to our clients. “None of this would be possible without our staff. Each individual plays a vital role in the client engagement lifecycle and in support of this we have rolled out a significant programme of training and development. The results have been pleasing, with customer satisfaction surveys returning a rating of 98%. “Being named 2011 IT Supplier of the Year is a great honour for all of us, especially against such strong and notable competition. I know that winning this award will motivate us all to work even harder to retain the high standards to which we all aspire.” David Clarke, Chief Executive Officer of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, said: “On behalf of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, I’d like to congratulate all our winners, medallists and finalists. The awards are very rigorously judged so to be a winner or medallist means that you really are the best of the best. “The variety of organisations from across different sectors that collected awards this year reinforce the fact that today the IT profession is integrated into the business and is increasingly being seen as a partner that can help deliver real value, benefit and success. “It also highlights the extent to which IT is embedded in our society, from our healthcare, the high street and car production, to the stage; IT is the enabler behind so many businesses in the UK.” The awards are sponsored by Computing Magazine and BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT.The BCS & Computing UK IT Industry Awards provide a platform for the entire profession to celebrate best practice, innovation and excellence. In total, this year’s Awards featured 23 categories which covered: project, organisation, technology and individual excellence. The categories were open to organisations and individuals involved in IT across the public, not for profit and commercial sectors.

Northgate Managed Services named Finalist in 2012 BETT Awards in two categories - 'ICT Company of the Year' and also 'ICT Service and Support'

2011-11-14T00:00:00+01:00

Northgate Managed Services, a leading IT services provider to the education sector, is delighted to announce that it has been shortlisted as a Finalist in the BETT Awards 2012 in two categories – ‘ICT Service and Support’ and ‘ICT Company of the Year’. The 2012 BETT Awards will take place on 11th January, 2012 at the Hilton Hotel, Park Lane, London. Commenting on his company’s success, Andy Ross, Chief Executive for Northgate Managed Services said, “Northgate Managed Services is delighted to be announced as Finalists in the upcoming BETT Awards 2012. It demonstrates our commitment to working in partnership with schools and academies across the UK to support improving outcomes for teachers and learners. “Being amongst the Finalists in both the ‘ICT Company of the Year’ and the ‘ICT Service and Support’ categories is something we are extremely proud of and demonstrates our ability to deliver effective IT services and solutions within the education sector. We have highly committed employees who take pride in delivering a high standard of service. Each one should be very proud of their contribution to this achievement.” The BETT Awards celebrate the best digital products and technological companies supplying ICT for education. As a partnership between the BETT Show organisers Emap Connect and BESA, the awards are widely regarded to be the most highly esteemed awards in the industry and truly showcase outstanding education sector products and learning solutions. Northgate works with 1,250 schools and colleges providing a full range of innovative and flexible IT services and solutions, supporting over 430,000 teachers, students and IT users across the UK. The company works in partnership with its customers to gain a deep understanding of their objectives to design, implement and deliver services and solutions to meet these needs.

Productive New School Term for Northgate Managed Services

2011-09-28T23:00:00+01:00

Over 380,000 teachers and learners across the UK now benefiting from Northgate’s expertise…including those at the country’s first Free School.

As pupils and teachers settle into routine after the back to school rush, the first month of the new school term has proved to be highly productive for Northgate Managed Services, a leading provider of education-based ICT services and solutions.In September alone, an additional 7,000 teachers and learners benefitted from the delivery of new ICT and Northgate’s educational expertise. The contracts, which are worth over £9m to Northgate, are a firm indication of the company’s strength and reputation within the education sector across the UK. Included in the new education contracts is the UK’s first free school, Aldborough EACT Free School, as well as three new Academies including Richard Rose Morton Academy in Carlisle, Malcolm Arnold Academy in Northampton and Havelock Academy in Grimsby.Pleckgate High School, the first of 18 schools in Blackburn to be completed under the former Government’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, is also benefiting from a flexible ICT rich learning environment supported by Northgate. For each school, Northgate has tailored bespoke services and solutions to meet its specific requirements. These incorporate a range of teaching and learning tools including wired and wireless networks, remote access, cashless catering, access control, managed print and Northgate’s cloud-based online learning portal, My School. Northgate's service desk and onsite teams will continue to support and manage the ICT in these schools. In addition to maximising the potential for learners and enriching the educational experience, the services will also deliver long term cost savings and efficiencies. Commenting on the company’s ever expanding reach into the UK education sector, Chris Wiseman, Education Sales Director of Northgate Managed Services said:“The new academic year has highlighted the key role Northgate is playing in delivering ICT in education today. This is not only good news for learners and teachers at the many schools, colleges and Academies we are servicing, but it is also recognition for the educational team at Northgate Managed Services. “Ensuring each establishment was ready for the new school year was a top priority and was achieved thanks to the expertise and dedication of our on-site and service desk teams. This approach, coupled with our partnerships with suppliers, local authorities, contractors and the schools themselves has ensured every teacher and pupil – no matter what stage they’ve reached on their educational journey – has access to the very best resources and most up to date learning environment.”

Third Year Lucky for New IT Apprentices at Northgate Managed Services

2011-09-21T23:00:00+01:00

For the third successive year, Northgate Managed Services (Northgate) is offering young people a career development opportunity in Information Technology (IT) through the recruitment of up to 10 apprentices. The announcement reflects the strength of the IT sector and in particular the demand for IT & Telecoms professionals in Northern Ireland which is forecasted to grow by 3.71% in the next decade. The Northgate IT Apprenticeship Scheme which is supported by the Dept for Employment & Learning has been hugely significant in helping to build a skilled and qualified workforce. Since it was first launched in NI in 2009, the apprentices who have successfully completed the training scheme are now working as full time Northgate employees. Following its success in Northern Ireland, this year the company has extended the scheme across the UK with apprentices now accounting for over 5% of the company’s workforce. The 18-month ‘earn while you learn’ programme is targeted at school-leavers or those who are by-passing university. In addition to studying for their NVQ (levels 1, 2 and 3) the Apprentices gain hands-on experience across a variety of roles and departments within Northgate, with a permanent job on offer to those who successfully complete the Scheme. As a huge advocate of the apprenticeship concept, Andy Ross, Northgate Managed Services’ Chief Executive is delighted to extend the programme for the third year. “We work very closely with the education sector in Northern Ireland so it is fitting that we are also helping those leaving school to get a first step up the career ladder. I would actively encourage young people - irrespective of their qualifications and training - to consider this as a viable career option. Working in the ICT sector can be highly dynamic, stimulating, and rewarding and this will be vouched for by many of our employees, a significant percentage of whom do not have degrees but have the determination, drive and ability to succeed. “I’ve no doubt that coupled with our graduate recruitment programme, the Northgate Apprenticeship Scheme is forming the backbone of a sustainable and valuable workforce that will not only strengthen our own business but bolster the NI economy as a whole.” As well has having an interest and passion for ICT, anyone interested in applying for the Apprenticeship Scheme must hold GCSEs in Maths and English. Further information is available on www.northgatemanagedservices.com

Northgate Managed Services and Abraham Guest High School launch National Level 3 Certificate in ICT for pupils.

2011-09-14T23:00:00+01:00

Pupils from specialist sports and arts college, Abraham Guest High School, Wigan are set to benefit from a new and innovative partnership with one of the UK’s leading providers of education ICT services and solutions, Northgate Managed Services (Northgate) with the creation of a new ICT based course that aims to provide students with a unique mix of theory based learning and ‘industry ready’ experiences.The ‘Northgate Academy’ builds on the strong relationship that exists between Northgate and the School. Northgate provided and now manages the technologies which facilitate true anytime, personalised learning for the school’s 900 students. The Academy will offer groups of year ten pupils, with an aptitude and enthusiasm for ICT, the opportunity to study for an OCR (Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations) National Level 3 Certificate in ICT. The course comprises six modules and will be facilitated by staff from Abraham Guest and Northgate over a two year period.Students will be given the chance to engage directly with Northgate by travelling to the company’s Northern Ireland headquarters for a number of work based learning days. During their time at Northgate’s Newtownabbey site, students will participate in specially designed workshops and be mentored by staff from departments such as Customer Services, Technical Services, Servicedesk Support, Sales, Marketing and HR.Northgate is playing a key role in the curriculum for the course and has provided input into modules covering issues such as collaborative learning and problem solving. Northgate will provide the students with a practical case study for some of the topics explored and its staff will act as ‘online mentors’ for the students on an ad hoc basis.Commenting on the new Northgate Academy, Paul Bousfield, Headteacher, Abraham Guest High School said, “Creating the Northgate Academy is a great development for the School. Having the ability to offer students the opportunity to attain such a high level qualification at Key Stage 4, in partnership with an industry leader such as Northgate, is not only fantastic, but also singles out the School as a forward thinking and progressive learning institute.“Northgate’s input and professionalism throughout this process has been second to none. The students that have already begun the course have all enjoyed their time in Northern Ireland and have learnt a lot from their Northgate mentors.”Chris Wiseman, Education Sales Director, Northgate Managed Services commented “The ‘Northgate Academy’ is something that we’re all very proud of. Being asked by a school to get involved, and indeed to actively shape the learning of its pupils is a tremendous honour for us and is certainly something that we feel very passionate about.“Taking a hands-on approach offers us the opportunity to ensure that we provide the Abraham Guest students with skills required by the ICT industry. Over recent years and as a result of our own recruitment process we have identified a number of gaps in skills in young people wishing to pursue ICT based careers. This is something we wanted to address and getting the opportunity to do so using the Northgate brand is fantastic. We very much look forward to strengthening our relationship with Abraham Guest High School and to developing the ‘Northgate Academy’ further.”

Northgate Managed Services Announced Finalists in UK IT Industry Awards

2011-09-13T23:00:00+01:00

Northgate Managed Services (Northgate) has been recognised as a leader in the IT industry by being named finalist for two categories in the prestigious UK IT Industry Awards. With offices across the United Kingdom, the firm which is a leading cloud, infrastructure and ICT managed services provider are finalists in both the IT Supplier of the Year and IT Employer of the Year Categories. Held in November (10^th), the UK IT Industry Awards are the ultimate recognition of achievement for any company involved in ICT in the United Kingdom. Northgate, which employs over 1,300 people across the UK, made it through to the final stage in the Employer of the Year Category in recognition of the excellent employment and career opportunities which are offered to their workforce. The company invests heavily in skills and personal development for all employees. Being named finalist in the IT Supplier of the Year, compliments last week’s announcement of the company’s strong financial results for the full year ended April 30th 2011. Strong growth is demonstrated by Northgate Managed Services due to the roll out of orders won in previous years. The company continues to demonstrate business successes and recently secured a UK wide deal with estate agents Strutt and Parker to provide IT services across all of their 50 offices. Northgate also won a number of schools and academies deals including
a £5.8m contract with the Isle of Sheppey Academy in Kent, a £1.5m contract with Malcolm Arnold Academy in Northampton and a £2.5m contract with Rushey Mead School in Leicester. They continue to grow in the Health Sector and are currently working with every health board in Scotland and Northern Ireland to deliver smarter, more efficient ways of operating. Andy Ross, Chief Executive for Northgate Managed Services, said: “This nomination underpins a hugely successful year for the company and demonstrates the brilliant work which our team have been involved with. Already in 2011 we have secured a long line of contract wins across the UK and are confident that this will continue. Being amongst the finalists for IT Supplier of the Year is something which we are extremely proud of and demonstrates our ability to deliver effective IT services and solutions across a range of sectors. Our services are provided by highly committed teams of employees, so being recognised for their achievements by being shortlisted in the Employer of the Year category is very important to us”. The awards are sponsored by Computing Magazine and BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT. David Clarke, Chief Executive Officer, BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, says: “Congratulations to the finalists; the competition to reach this stage of our prestigious Awards is tough. Our Awards are central to our mission to recognise the innovation and professionalism of those working in IT and I’m delighted that every year we have such a variety of high quality entries. They are an excellent reflection of the impact IT has on so many aspects of our information society and the potential IT has to transform business, society and our lives.”

Northgate Seminar Unleashes the Power of SharePoint

2011-09-12T23:00:00+01:00

IT, Finance, Marketing and HR Business Managers Urged to Attend Seminar

Proof that Microsoft SharePoint 2010 is one of the most most flexible and robust application platforms in use today will be shared with the public and private sector at a seminar hosted by Northgate Managed Services (22 Sept 2011).

The half-day workshop (8.30 - 1pm) is the first to be held at Northgate's new sales and marketing office in Mossley Mill. Experts from Microsoft and Ergo will offer delegates a detailed insight into why Sharepoint 2010 has earned its reputation as a robust application platform - predominantly due to its relevance and compatibility across business units. In essence it makes it easier for people to work together through better management, workflow and sharing of information.

As a Microsoft Gold Partner, James Turnbull, Managing Director, Infrastructure Solutions, Northgate Managed Services, explained why the seminar is a valuable opportunity:
"Our research indicates a lack of understanding regarding SharePoint 2010 and its full potential, not only within different business units but ultimately across organisations as a whole. We're confident the expert opinion and customer endorsements on offer at the seminar will help businesses appreciate how this unique solution can help them streamline business processes, free up management time and drive efficiencies throughout."

One such customer is Nadene Aspel, Software Solutions Manager from the Western Health & Social Care Trust who will explain how SharePoint 2010 has helped integrate service delivery across the organisation which spans five Council areas and employs 12,000 staff:
"Having gone through a period of organisational change I'm delighted to have the opportunity to share the positive experience of working with Northgate and Ergo to highlight the benefits which SharePoint 2010 has delivered to the WHSCT. From the establishment of common practices and procedures, to the integration of services and enhanced information sharing it continues to deliver positive results throughout the Trust which can only be good news for those who work for us and for those who use our services!"

Places, which are free of charge, can be reserved by contacting Ciara on 028 9085 7025 or by registering online at www.northgatemanagedservices.com/sharepointevent

Northgate Information Solutions delivers 12th successive year of increased profitability

2011-09-08T23:00:00+01:00

Northgate Information Solutions (“NIS”), the leading international systems and outsourcing Group, announces its results for the full year ended April 30th 2011.

Malcolm Arnold Academy invests in ICT to engage and stimulate students

2011-08-24T23:00:00+01:00

Malcolm Arnold Academy in Northampton is to benefit from a new robust, flexible and sustainable Information & Communications Technology (ICT) service and change management programme from Northgate Managed Services. The £1.5million contract will help equip the Academy with the tools and skills required to further engage their students when it re-opens in September 2011.

Opened in September 2010 and sponsored by the David Ross Education Trust, the academy represents an initiative to broaden the horizons of its students and is committed to increasing achievement through provision of an innovative curriculum. The Academy believes in the potential of ICT as a tool to deliver and support their innovative teaching and learning approaches and have invested in the most up to date technology and resources.

Through engaging with teaching and support staff, Northgate will be supporting the academy to prepare for change as it moves to the new ICT rich environment. After analysing existing needs, an extensive training and developmental programme has been designed to build confidence and encourage wider use of ICT in the classroom. A 'proof of concept' room has been set up so that teachers can familiarise themselves with the new hardware and software.

Teachers and students will be able to access the academy's educational resources from any device connected to the internet, at any time, with the implementation of a mix of technologies such as thin client, virtual desktop, wireless and Northgate's "cloud-based" learning environment, MY-SCHOOL. Northgate will ensure the entire program is successfully delivered through effective project management of the ICT solution which will be supplied, installed and managed by Northgate.

Principal, Philip Cantwell,

"It was important for us as an academy to have a robust IT solution that would integrate seamlessly with the existing school environment. Not only did we want a solution that was technically viable, we wanted one that was highly effective in the classroom as a teaching and learning tool. We realise the potential of how the effective use of ICT can engage and stimulate students and improve and enhance their learning. It was important for us to unlock that potential.

Teachers are already thinking about how they can use the new Interactive White Boards (IWBs) and visualisers to develop the way they can use ICT in their classrooms, such as recording clips of practical demonstrations for upload into the students' resources on MY-SCHOOL, where students can watch whenever they need to, at school or at home.

We're also very excited at the opportunities to expand teaching and learning outside the classroom with the introduction of the new campus-wide wifi network. We're looking forward to our fantastic new redeveloped atrium being used for cross-curricular and informal learning opportunities, with students collaborating in small groups with staff, using our new wifi thin client laptops and mobile IWBs.

Working closely with the team at Northgate Managed Services, we will be developing an on-going training programme to ensure that both teaching and non-teaching staff can develop their skills to ensure they benefit fully from the new ICT provision. We look forward to working in partnership with Northgate in the future"
Chris Wiseman, Sales Director, Northgate Managed Services
"We are delighted to be working with the David Ross Education Trust and Malcolm Arnold Academy. We have focussed on designing a solution and change programme that meets the challenges of the school. The academy is keen to ensure that the new ICT solution is not only robust, but is one that the teachers can take full advantage of to benefit their learners. Northgate's extensive experience with schools right across the country will help them to do this."

Northgate already supplies ICT services and solutions to over 1,250 schools, colleges and academies across the UK including another David Ross Academy, Havelock Academy in Grimsby.

Northgate Managed Services exhibits at NHS Scotland Event

2011-08-22T23:00:00+01:00

On August 23rd and 24th, Northgate Managed Services is exhibiting at Stand No.42 at the NHS Scotland Quality in Action Event, at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, Glasgow.

Together with their partners, Northgate will be demonstrating the latest healthcare and industry ICT services and solutions that support patient focused health services.

As one of the leading health events in Scotland, It provides an opportunity for individuals working in, and with, NHS Scotland to consider and discuss some of the important challenges and opportunities for health now and in the future. The 2011 event will be showcasing the successes NHS Scotland has had in improving sustainable quality of healthcare in Scotland and share examples of best practice in quality.

As part of this, Martin Egan, Director of eHealth at NHS Lothian, will be presenting a session "Nearly The Holy Grail - Clinical Portals For Faster, Better and Borderless Care". This session explores the piloting of a clinical portal giving clinicians across NHS Lothian, NHS Fife, NHS Borders, NHS Dumfries and Galloway, instant electronic access to patient data in order to deliver better, faster care. The session examines what the portal provided, how it was assessed, how the system was set up across four NHS Boards and how it is being rolled-out. The portal solution is based on technology from Carefx who is working in partnership with Northgate to deploy and support the system.

Partners exhibiting with Northgate Managed Services include CareFX, Imprivata, G2Speech, Data fusion International, Tracline, MetaCompliance, Patientrack and Courion.

New jobs for Hartlepool and the North East created by Northgate

2011-08-17T23:00:00+01:00

Twenty five new jobs in the local area are being created by Northgate Public Services as the company celebrates a number of new contract wins including the national Blue Badge Improvement Service for disabled drivers.

The Regional Business Centre, based in Wynyard Business Park, is currently on the look out for local people to fill a number of new vacancies to work on Blue Badge, benefits assessment and other support functions carried out by the Centre. The recruitment is underway and is planned to be completed by January 2012.

The Centre, which works with local authorities across the UK to transform processes and help deliver better services for less, opened in 2006 with a staff of just six. Since then it has gone from strength to strength and now employs 42 people. The Centre will be involved in delivering the five-year national Blue Badge Improvement Service contract recently awarded to Northgate on behalf of central government and local authorities. The service is aimed at responding to the challenge of continued high demand for badges and preventing fraud, while also improving customer service and the administration and enforcement of the Blue Badge Scheme.

Northgate is also teaming up with Hartlepool College as part of a modern apprenticeship programme. The scheme will offer local young people the opportunity to gain valuable on-the-job experience. The first four students join next month.

Joe Bradley, Executive Director for Northgate Public Services said: “The Business Centre opened in 2006, in a small office on Wynyard Park, with a team of 6 people and has gone from strength to strength. We now occupy a much bigger office and employ 42 people who work on various contracts. This is a really exciting time for us as we work to support new economic opportunities in the local area. We are delighted to bring approximately 25 much needed new jobs to Teesside and are now actively recruiting for a variety of vacancies.”

Steven Wallis, Assistant Principal, Hartlepool College said: “Hartlepool College are delighted to be working in partnership with Northgate in order to offer apprenticeships to local people in the field of business and administration. Northgate will provide the employment, training and mentoring in an attractive and progressive working environment, while we will provide the structured learning and assessment consistent with national standards. It's a superb opportunity to earn and learn at the same time, work for a superb company and achieve excellent qualifications.”

Northgate to provide newborn hearing screening service in Ireland

2011-08-16T23:00:00+01:00

Northgate Public Services in association with the English Newborn Hearing Screening Programme Centre (NHSP) announces that it has been awarded a framework contract by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to provide a newborn hearing screening service in Ireland.

The two year deal, which comes with the possibility of a further extension for a year, builds on Northgate’s and the NHSP’s long track record in both infant and adult screening in the UK.

The service which has initially been commissioned in Cork University Maternity Hospital will be rolled out across the whole of HSE South by early 2012. Once completed, Northgate will be screening over 17,000 babies per year at hospitals in Cork, Wexford, Waterford, Tralee, Kilkenny and Tipperary.

Dave Meaden, Chief Executive, Northgate Public Services, said today: “We are delighted to have been selected by HSE as their partner on this important programme. We all want to give our children the best possible chance in life and infant screening programmes help to achieve this. This Newborn Hearing Screening Programme is one of a number on national initiatives to improve hearing services for children. It will make a real difference to Irish families and their children.”

Northgate backs Glasgow City Ladies as final countdown for Europe begins

2011-08-03T23:00:00+01:00

Glasgow City Ladies FC were today celebrating another great result without even kicking a ball – as ICT firm Northgate Managed Services renewed its sponsorship of the club. The Scottish champions will again display Northgate’s logo on the sleeve of first team shirts for another year, starting with next week’s UEFA Women’s Champions League ties. Glasgow City head off for Europe this week to prepare for qualifying games against Serbian cracks �FK Spartak Jaffa as well as Mosta FC of Malta and Faroese outfit KÍ Klaksvík. They will do so boosted by Northgate’s second year of sponsorship after the company confirmed their backing for another season. City’s General Manager, Laura Montgomery, expressed the club’s delight in the renewed sponsorship. She said: “These are really exciting times for our club just now, as we head off into the UEFA Women’s Champions League once more, to take on some of Europe’s best. “To do so, on the back of the fantastic news that Northgate Managed Services have signed up once more to be a principal sponsor is a great boost for everyone at Glasgow City. “We strive to set standards both on and off the park and to have a company the stature of Northgate renew their partnership with us, hopefully re-affirms their belief and our own in the level of ambition at this club.” ICT firm Northgate has a Scottish base in Glasgow and is headquartered in Belfast, with more than 1,300 staff providing cloud services, infrastructure services and ICT specialist managed services to public, private and third sector organisations across the UK.

James Turnbull, managing director of Northgate Managed Services, said: “As Northgate grows its own reputation in Scotland, so too are Glasgow City with another league title achieved and representing their country in Europe – again – just days away.

“We were only too happy to commit to backing the club as they aim to break new ground and become the first Scottish team to qualify into the knockout stages. “At Northgate we continue to attempt to find new ways to use technology to help firms increase their potential and allow our own business to grow, so both organisations are similarly ambitious. “We wish everyone at Glasgow City LFC all the very best for their European matches and are sure they will do Scotland proud.”

South Derbyshire partnership leads the way

2011-08-01T23:00:00+01:00

The first year of a pioneering partnership between South Derbyshire District Council and Northgate Public Services has been a success, both organisations announce today.

Launched on August 2nd 2010, the partnership showed an innovative response to the age of austerity by focusing on delivering better services for less.

Under the terms of the agreement, Northgate took on responsibility for managing much of the District Council’s Corporate Services and guaranteed to deliver £2.1m of savings over seven years, to continuously improve services and to create economic opportunities for the area.

Over the past 12 months, Northgate has been looking at a variety of ways of making additional savings and helping to further improve the Council’s back and front office services in areas such as Finance, Organisational Development, Revenues and Benefits, Customer Services, IT and Business Improvement. This has helped deliver positive results for local residents and the Council’s employees.

Increased staff training and investment in technology has seen service improvements including a reduction in the time taken to process a benefit claim from 23 days to 12 days. Abandoned telephone calls have reduced from 10 to 2.8 per cent. Overall, this has helped customer satisfaction to reach an all time high of 96 per cent.

One of the key features of the partnership was the creation of new jobs in the area. Working with Burton and South Derbyshire College, the partnership has been able to provide new opportunities for local residents at Northgate’s Regional Business Centre, based in Swadlincote, South Derbyshire.

The pioneering work was recognised this year when the partnership was awarded the Government Business Outsourcing Award 2011. It has also drawn interest from across the country, with other authorities using it as an example of best practice.

Cllr Bob Wheeler, the Leader of South Derbyshire District Council, said: “I am delighted that our partnership with Northgate is helping us to continue to improve our services to the public. Northgate’s understanding of local government, its commitment to deliver on promises, and the emerging relationships built up with the Council have empowered our staff to achieve more at an already high performing authority. Our shared vision has allowed us to continue delivering high quality, efficient services and realise savings. This will continue into the future.”

Joe Bradley, Managing Director of Northgate Public Services, said: “We are proud to be working closely with South Derbyshire District Council to enhance services and deliver better for less. Together, we’ve helped to drive forward innovation and offer high performing, accessible and personalised services for residents. Northgate and the Council have fostered an extremely good relationship in which a culture of collaboration, quality and value for money is growing and getting stronger all of the time.”

Northgate awarded place on new Government Procurement Service framework agreement

2011-07-31T23:00:00+01:00

Northgate Public Services has today announced that it has been successful in being awarded a place on the new Government Procurement Service (formally Buying Solutions) Local Government Software Application Solutions framework agreement.

The new framework has been set up by Government Procurement Service to give local government bodies an easy and cost effective procurement route for a range of application solutions and associated goods and services. The framework will cover all business areas, including revenues and benefits, performance management, social housing and social care.

Northgate has previously been awarded places on a number of other Government Procurement Service framework agreements, including Software Application Solutions and IT Managed Services.

This current award will enable the company to continue to offer its full range of solutions and associated goods and services to customers across the public sector through the framework route.

Peter Rottier, Director of Innovations and Partnerships at Northgate Public Services, said today: “We are delighted to have been awarded a place on the Local Government Software Application Solutions framework. This will continue to allow local authorities and other local government bodies to gain access to our full range of solutions and services that will help them to deliver better for less. We look forward to using the framework to develop partnerships focused on meeting the challenges that the public sector currently faces.”

Northgate scores a Customer First with the Award of prestigious UK standard for its excellent customer service in schools sector

2011-07-31T23:00:00+01:00

Northgate Managed Services (Northgate) has successfully been reaccredited with the prestigious ‘Customer First UK Standard’ for its outstanding levels of customer service and continuous improvement within the Schools Sector. Northgate implements and manages a range of IT services to more than 1,300 schools throughout the UK, including every school in Northern Ireland. Northgate was first awarded the ‘Customer First UK Standard’ by Customer First UK in 2009 and since then has invested time and resources to further improving the level of service and support it provides to clients. Northgate were assessed against 30 statements , covering three key areas; the; building customer relationships, maximising market awareness and developing people . The assessment team looked for a consistency of approach throughout the business and how best practice and development areas were communicated and actioned. The organisation was highly commended for its strong client relationships, quality monitoring, improved internal communications and commitment to training and development. Commenting on retaining the ‘Customer First UK Standard’ Andy Ross, Chief Executive, Northgate Managed Services, said “I am delighted that the business has once again been recognised for its customer-orientated culture. Client support is central to what we do an area that we pride ourselves in. This award is a fantastic achievement for each and every Northgate employee. “We are committed to maintaining a leading marketing position in schools ICT and we constantly strive to improve by listening to our customers and responding to feedback in an innovative way. Retaining this accreditation further demonstrates our continued commitment to customers and the importance we place in building strong relationships.”

Northgate Managed Services and Imprivata Partnership Delivers Single Sign-On to NHS Scotland

2011-07-27T23:00:00+01:00

No-Click Access^TM for Health Workers across Scotland to Provide Enhanced Security for Electronic Health Records to Support Scotland’s ‘Better Health, Better Care’ StrategyNHS Scotland has confirmed a purchase of a single sign-on and password reset (SSO/PR) solution to improve access to health systems, increase productivity and enhance data security for health workers across Scotland. The solution from Imprivata will provide No Click Access™ to the many patient systems that run in hospitals and health communities across Scotland. The agreement was procured through value added reseller, Trustmarque Solutions and will be facilitated via a partnership between Imprivata and leading ICT service and solution provider Northgate Managed Services, which will deliver and support Imprivata OneSign^® across all of Scotland’s NHS boards.In support of its “Better Health, Better Care” initiative, a strategy and action plan established by the Scottish Government in 2007, NHS Scotland wanted to remove unnecessary cost, delays and better manage the workflow complexity associated with accessing electronic patient data. Building the best security was also a key priority to help protect the increasing volumes of sensitive information while allowing for maximum clinician-patient service improvement. After Northgate and Imprivata delivered a successful pilot ahead of schedule, NHS Scotland worked with Trustmarque through the tender process to secure a country-wide agreement to include licenses for Imprivata’s OneSign, services, and five years of maintenance and support. “NHS Scotland is committed to ensuring the highest levels of data security while enabling all employees to work as efficiently as possible to deliver high quality patient care,” said Ronnie Monaghan, Head of e-Health Programme at NHS Fife. “Through a smart combination of healthcare and IT security expertise, Northgate Managed Services and Imprivata demonstrated the importance of understanding the complexities in patient and clinician workflow, ensuring that our patient data remains highly secure, and the need for maximising the time available between patient and clinician. As the appliance-based solution required no changes to existing infrastructure such as Active Directory, Imprivata OneSign can be seamlessly integrated with our existing IT systems at NHS Boards across Scotland. This will prove significant for improving access and usage of key clinical systems for providing care on a National scale.”James Turnbull, managing director, infrastructure solutions at Northgate Managed Services, added, “Northgate and NHS Scotland have a strong relationship built on trust and expert insight. We are delighted to build on this relationship by delivering industry leading healthcare technology and services that will improve productivity and efficiency, and ultimately contribute to better care for more patients in Scotland.”“Imprivata is pleased to have been selected as a core technology for NHS Scotland’s ‘Better Health, Better Care’ programme,” stated Omar Hussain, president and CEO at Imprivata. “NHS Scotland is a highly regarded technology innovator that leads the way for healthcare initiatives in countries around the world. We are very proud of the role that OneSign will play in the Boards’ pursuit of clinical excellence, one of the key pillars of their action plan.” Mark Garrity, Regional Sales Director at Trustmarque Solutions, commented, “Trustmarque has a rich heritage of providing innovative solutions and value added services to the public sector in the UK, particularly within the NHS. Through the longstanding relationship and trust we enjoy with NHS Scotland we are delighted to provide the advice and support necessary to help NHS Scotland identify the information security solution for Scotland’s healthcare boards.”

Northgate competes to Make a Million

2011-07-05T23:00:00+01:00

Northgate Managed Services is one of ten Northern Ireland businesses pitching their finest entrepreneurial ideas against each other to help raise funds for The Prince’s Trust. The companies have joined The Trust’s Million Makers competition in a bid to see whose innovative ideas will generatehe most return for the youth charity. Million Makers challenges teams to turn a seed fund of £1,500 into a fundraising profit of £10,000 by coming up with original and inspiring enterprises and implementing them over a period of six months. Teams from Allstate Northern Ireland, BNI Northern Ireland, Delta Packaging, Hewlett-Packard, Marks & Spencer, Northgate Managed Services, Parker Green International, RSM McClure Watters, ShredBank and Tughans are coming together with other teams across the UK to ‘make a million’. For their first task, teams will present their business plans to a Dragon’s Den style panel in order to secure their seed funding. Safe in the knowledge that they have a robust and water-tight plan, they will then deliver their own mini enterprise. Million Makers is a no-cost learning and development tool proven to build essential skills and motivate employees. Eleanor Lee, Marketing Director for Northgate Managed Services said, “Northgate are committed to improving the life chances and education for children and young people. The Million Makers challenge allows us to deliver on our CSR objectives through employee participation and volunteering. We are delighted to be involved in the Million Makers Challenge, we are only at the very beginning, but already our team is very enthusiastic about how we can turn our ideas into a winning enterprise. We have really enjoyed the team development days and we are identifying the key strengths and skills of our team members, Million Makers is an ideal opportunity to try something completely different. “The real bonus is that any funds we raise will go to help The Prince’s Trust work with young people in Northern Ireland which is a real incentive for us to come up with a winning enterprise.” Ian Jeffers, Director of The Prince’s Trust in Northern Ireland welcomed the support of the companies participating in Million Makers, “Every year more than 3,000 young people take part in our programmes throughout Northern Ireland. Initiatives like Million Makers raise funds to help us make a lasting difference to their lives.” “This competition combines skills development and networking opportunities whilst raising much needed money for our work. At The Prince’s Trust, we pride ourselves on creating mutually beneficial partnerships. For us it makes sense; we provide the learning and development opportunities for companies and they help us to raise vital funds.” “I have every confidence that Million Maker teams in Northern Ireland will lead the way in generating innovative, entrepreneurial and ultimately successful business ideas. All the money raised will go directly to local programmes run by The Prince’s Trust in Northern Ireland.”

Leicester schools commended for providing truly interactive learning experiences through technology

2011-06-29T23:00:00+01:00

A buzz of excitement filled the air at the Leicester Tigers Stadium recently as students and teachers from over thirty schools and colleges across Leicester joined educational technology experts to showcase creative use of technology. Led by the students themselves to share what they believe to be best practice for ICT in the classroom, the Engage, Evolve, Excel event was broadcast live to students all over the country thanks to English Martyrs RC School who operate Leicester’s school radio station SuperSonicFM. Demonstrating new ways to open up the curriculum to learners of all abilities, students from Ash Field Primary School demonstrated the latest 'Eye Gaze' communication device which enables users to control games on screen with their eyes. Soar Valley College, one of the organisers of the event, showcased creative use of the latest handheld technologies, such as Apple iPads and iPhones, Sony PSPs and Nintendo DS’ and Moat Community College demo’d innovative use of robot and coding technology to help engage boys in engineering. The day culminated with an awards ceremony hosted by world-renowned Professor Stephen Heppell, attributed as ‘the most influential academic of recent years in the field of technology and education’ who awarded prizes to the most innovative schools. The winners included Crownhills Community College, Ash Field Primary School, Shenton Primary School, Soar Valley College and Moat Community College. Mel Berry, Principal of Soar Valley College and one of the organisers said: “This has been an outstanding opportunity for schools in Leicester to tap into best practice use of technology across the city. We are so proud to have been involved and delighted to see our students and teachers recognised by Professor Stephen Heppell as one of most innovative learning environments in the area.” Chris Wiseman, Sales Director, Education, Northgate Managed Services - Leicester’s ICT managed service provider, said: “We were bowled over by the wealth of talent in Leicester, with so many teachers and students using ICT in creative ways in the classroom. What we witnessed at “Engage, Evolve, Excel” has been truly inspirational and we commend Leicester’s schools for their commitment to delivering such an interactive and engaging learning experience to young people.” The event was organised by Leicester’s schools and colleges in association with Leicester City Council, Leicester City Secondary EIP, The Schools Development and Support Agency (SDSA) and supported by leading providers of ICT services and solutions, Northgate Managed Services (www.northgate-is.com/managedservices). Key event sponsors included world-class education suppliers Promethean, CDEC, Siracom / Meru, and Sahara.

Northgate sends off Make IT Happy competition winners

2011-06-29T23:00:00+01:00

Northern Ireland's Make IT Happy competition winners Christ the Redeemer Primary School pupils are joined by Stuart Gunning, Regional Director Education, Northgate Managed Services at the George Best City Airport as they prepare to travel to London for the UK finals hosted at the Houses of Parliament.

Northgate currently provides IT services to every school in Northern Ireland through C2K, and as part of its ongoing commitment to education are supporting the School¹s trip to London. Christ the Redeemer Primary School are one of twelve winning schools from across the UK will be awarded £1,200 each, and from these entries 3 overall winners will be chosen to receive additional cash prizes. All winners have been invited to attend an awards ceremony on 28th June 2011.

The focus of this year¹s competition was how pupils were able to "Pass IT On" ¬ the pupils produced a DVD that demonstrated how they use IT in their school, how they pass IT onto younger students in their school and also how they manage and update their school website.

Selecting the School as the Northern Ireland winner the judging panel described their entry an inspiration in what was a fiercely competitive regional competition.

The "Make IT Happy" competition has been designed for primary school children in Years 4, 5 and 6 and has been running since 2007. The competition is managed by PITCOM (the Parliamentary IT Committee) and e-skills UK, the Sector Skills Council for Business and IT, with sponsorship from Nominet Trust and the IET.

Rushey Mead School to benefit from �2.5million Investment in bespoke and sustainable ICT Service

2011-06-26T23:00:00+01:00

Teachers and students at Rushey Mead Secondary School in Leicester, which is undergoing a £16m rebuild under the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, have welcomed the news that they will also benefit from a major investment in the very latest Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The £2.5million five year contract awarded to Northgate Managed Services by Leicester City Council, will provide a bespoke ICT managed service which is robust and fully scalable to support the wide ranging educational needs of Rushey Mead. The investment will enable the school, which has been designated as ‘Outstanding’ following exceptional Ofsted reports, to further enhance its strong track record of attainment and achievement. In light of recent budget cuts across the education sector, Northgate has worked in collaboration with the school and the Local Authority to develop a sustainable service which not only meets immediate needs but is flexible enough to meet requirements in the future. This approach is in keeping with the core objectives of the ICT strategy set by both the City Council and Rushey Mead. The ICT investment will greatly enhance the school’s learning environment, helping to create independent learners as students can access learning “anytime anywhere”. The school is fully wireless enabled and each and every student has access to a personalised virtual learning area where they can work on assignments, sort work and access emails, enabling them to communicate more effectively with teachers and fellow students.

Other aspects of the service provided by Northgate, such as managed print will also benefit the school through significant efficiencies and cost savings.

Carolyn Robson, Head Teacher at Rushey Mead said: "Staff and students at the school are excited at the prospect of moving into their new BSF building in the summer of 2012. With the ever-increasing use of new ICT by young people it is critical that the school environment reflects and adapts to the many technologies available." "Through the use of wireless technology throughout the school, electronic communication with parents, interactive white-boards in each classroom and a world class virtual learning environment Rushey Mead School will be able to build on its Outstanding School status enriching the lives of its 1500 students. Working in partnership, Northgate and Rushey Mead have planned a school based on a sustainable, adaptable and affordable model that will meet students and staff needs for a great many years." Chris Wiseman, Sales Director, Northgate Managed Services added: “Working alongside Rushey Mead and Leicester City Council at this crucially important stage in the school’s development is of great significance to Northgate. We relish this opportunity to play such a key role in the school’s development and to help create an ICT-based learning environment which not only maximises the potential for teachers and students today, but which also incorporates a vision for the future.“With this strong platform now in place we will work with the school to reach an even higher level by exploring other technologies and services such as cloud-based services which has proven to be driving force in ICT in Education throughout the UK.”

NORTHGATE MANAGED SERVICES SECURES MULTI-MILLION POUND STRUTT & PARKER ICT DEAL

2011-06-20T23:00:00+01:00

New IT services across top property group's 50 offices will support future growth. Leading UK Property Consultant, Strutt and Parker has awarded a multi-million pound five-year contract to Northgate Managed Services for the provision of an ICT Managed Service.

Northgate will be responsible for designing, implementing and managing a flexible, secure and resilient IT infrastructure supporting Strutt & Parker's growing reliance on ICT systems to deliver an improved experience for their clients.

The solution will cover data centre services and end user devices. Over 800 staff will be able to access the right systems, applications and data securely across Strutt and Parker's 50 corporate and commercial locations across the UK, in or out of the office.

Northgate will build, own and manage the ICT infrastructure on behalf of Strutt and Parker, which has been designed to be flexible enough to support new mobile technologies as the company grows. This service will be delivered from Northgate's ITIL certified centre of excellence in Belfast and using Northgate's national engineering team to provide local support at Strutt and Parker offices throughout the UK.

Andy Ross, Chief Executive for Northgate Managed Services, said:

"Northgate's strength is working with customers who are undergoing change and need a trusted partner to help shape and drive the business. The main challenge for Strutt and Parker was that they needed to improve the quality of their IT systems to support their changing business needs in a geographically diverse environment to continue to improve the quality of service to their clients.
"Our service goes beyond simply resolving day-to-day IT issues by using ITIL best practice service management tools, we will ensure delivery of strategic outcomes, not only addressing technology issues but, more importantly, the company's IT performance as a whole, thereby maximising return on investment.
"We will effectively utilise the growing potential of fully managed IT, to transform, standardise and rationalise their business - enabling the delivery of standardised systems and applications further supporting their strategic outcomes and future expansion."
Strutt & Parker is one of the largest property partnerships in the UK, offering services and professional support in all aspects of property and land from its offices across the UK.

Andy Martin, Senior Partner of Strutt and Parker said:

"We had a challenge to meet and have chosen Northgate to deliver it. This partnership will provide us with simple to use, secure reliable IT user environment - allowing our staff to access our data securely from anywhere. The flexibility of the solution and the provider will allow us to continue to take advantage of changing business requirements, delivering a quick reliable service to our clients, and with the flexibility to support our future business needs and long term growth plans.

Isle of Sheppey Academy to benefit from new 21st Century ICT rich learning environments

2011-06-14T23:00:00+01:00

The Isle of Sheppey Academy in Kent is to benefit from a new state-of-the-art Information & Communications Technology (ICT) service from Northgate Managed Services worth £5.8million. The ICT service forms part of the overall £54million building and development programme, which will see the opening of two brand new 21stCentury learning environments in the east and west of the island in 2013.

With Business and Enterprise as one of the Academy's Specialisms, ICT is used as a key tool to delivering the Academy's innovative teaching and learning approaches. Each site will benefit from high levels of ICT device provision and the most up to date technology and resources to support and inspire learning in each of its 2,450 students. Not only will teachers and learners have 24/7 access to learning, resources will also be available to parents and the wider community, underpinning the Academy's role as a hub for the island.

Working in partnership with the Academy, Northgate will deliver a robust, flexible and sustainable ICT solution that is tailored and designed to meet the needs of the Academy, yet flexible enough to respond to evolving priorities and changing technologies. Engaging with teaching and support staff, Northgate will also support the Academy in preparation for the move into the new facilities.

The school-based customer support engineers will be supported by Northgate's Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) certified service centre of excellence in Belfast.

In addition, the Academy will benefit from Northgate's "cloud-based" application called MY-SCHOOL, which unites a range of the academy's systems and applications under one single sign-on. Teachers and students will be able access the academy's educational resources from any device connected to the internet, at any time. Using a wide variety of widgets such as RSS news feeds, weather, maps, and search functionality, each student will also be able to customise to their individual preference.

Executive Headteachers, Alan Klee and David Rahman, said:

"The Academy aims to instil a culture of high expectation for every student. The new technology-rich environments will help every student raise their attainment and achievement levels across a range of academic and vocational subjects and equip them with the necessary skills to be successful citizens of the future. We look forward to working in partnership with Northgate Managed Services to help us achieve this"

Chris Wiseman, Sales Director, Northgate Managed Services

"We are delighted to be working with Kent Local Education Partnership 1 and the Academy on these inspiring new learning environments. The academy is keen to take advantage of the latest computer-based teaching and learning approaches, and Northgate's extensive experience with schools right across the country will help them to do this."

Northgate already supplies ICT services and solutions to over 1,250 schools, colleges and academies across the UK working with a plethora of exceptional centres of learning, including Trent Valley Academy in Gainsborough Havelock Academy in Grimsby, Litherland High School in Sefton and Abraham Guest High School in Wigan.

Leicester schools to share best practice for educational transformation through technology at 'Engage, Evolve, Excel' � 22 June 2011

2011-06-13T23:00:00+01:00

Event: 'Engage, Evolve, Excel' - free event for Leicester schools to showcase and share excellent and innovative practice in the use of technology for teaching and learning

Who should attend: Senior leaders, teachers, trainee teachers, bursars and ICT leads at Leicester primary and secondary schools

Date/Time: Wednesday 22nd June 2011 14:00 - 17:00

Venue: Honours & Legends Suites, Welford Road Stadium, Aylestone Road, Leicester LE2 7TR (free parking available)

You are invited to join over thirty schools, colleges and educational technology experts from across Leicester to experience a showcase of innovative practice in the use of technology at the "Engage, Evolve, Excel" event on Wednesday 22nd June at the Leicester Tigers Stadium.
From exciting classroom projects utilising the latest handheld technologies, such as Apple iPads and iPhones, Sony PSPs and Nintendo DS', to innovative use of robot and coding technology to help engage boys in engineering, "Engage, Evolve, Excel" is set to inspire best practice use of technology across the entire curriculum.

Teachers and practitioners from across all subject areas and across the phases of education, will be able to share their experiences, best practice, resources and methods of how technology can be used to support effective learning and to engage students.
The event is organised by Leicester's schools and colleges in association with Leicester City Council, The Schools Development and Support Agency (SDSA) and supported by leading providers of ICT services and solutions, Northgate Managed Services (www.northgate-is.com/managedservices). Key event sponsors include world-class education suppliers Promethean, CDEC and Siracom / Meru.

Keynote, Professor Stephen Heppell, attributed as 'the most influential academic of recent years in the field of technology and education'*, will share his latest experiences and findings on innovation in education to inspire attendees. Josie Fraser, Leicester City Council's ICT Strategy Lead (Transforming Learning Environments) will also talk about the authority's commitment and strategy to ensure that all young people benefit from access to technology to support learning.

The event will close with an awards ceremony led by Professor Stephen Heppell to reward the most exemplary schools.

Schools and colleges interested in attending the event should contact Northgate Managed Services on: T: 028 9085 7159 or e-mail: claire.mcbride@northgate-is.com.

To book a place at the event or discuss your requirements to cover the story, please contact Louise Peto, Account Director at Livewire Public Relations on tel: 020 339 7430 / louise.peto@livewirepr.com.

What can you see on the day?

2:30pm & 4:00pm - Keynote presentations from Professor Stephen Heppell, a recognised leader in the fields of learning, new media and technology.

- Exciting classroom projects utilising the latest handheld technologies, such as Apple iPads and iPhones, Sony PSPs and Nintendo DS.

- Innovative robot and coding technology to help engage and raise the achievement of boys in engineering.

- SuperSonic FM - English Martyrs Catholic School's radio station now broadcasting on the internet to bring Leicester schools a lively mix of music, news, views and interviews with scientists and engineers. (www.supersonicfm.co.uk)

- Use of computers and laser technology to produce key fobs from plastic and wood.

- Best practice use of online learning environments to promote independent learning and collaboration between staff and students

- The latest educational technologies from world-class education suppliers and key sponsors of the event - Promethean, CDEC and Siracom / Meru

Northgate bags Blue Badge Improvement Service

2011-06-09T23:00:00+01:00

Northgate Public Services today announces that it has been awarded a five-year contract to deliver the national Blue Badge Improvement Service on behalf of central government and local authorities.

The new service is aimed at responding to the challenge of continued high demand for badges and preventing fraud, while improving customer service and the administration and enforcement of the Blue Badge Scheme.

The Scheme, which was established in 1971, gives 2.5 million disabled people access to priority parking spaces enabling them to park close to where they want to go. The Blue Badge Improvement Service will enable disabled people to apply for and renew badges quickly and easily, help local authorities operating the scheme to deliver more effective services and cut down on fraud and abuse, and supply a new design of the Blue Badge itself.

Northgate, in association with Payne Security who will print, supply and distribute the newly designed badge, will develop a secure web-based service available over Government Connect. The service will provide:

an online eligibility checker and application form available on Directgov, as well as help and support for general enquiries from members of the public;
a secure common datastore of key information on badges and badge holders to enable verification checks to be made quickly and easily through a desktop computer, handheld device or smartphone;
better services for disabled people including quicker, easier renewals for those whose circumstances have not changed, automatic reminders and transfer of records when people move;
a web-based management information system and managed service administration and support.

The new card will be harder to copy, alter or forge through the introduction of sophisticated anti-fraud and anti-copy technologies.

The service aims to go live on 1 January 2012.

In an innovative move, the capital costs of the service will be funded by Northgate and Payne Security. They will recoup this investment over the lifetime of the contract through a charge per badge to local authorities.

Local authorities will also be given the choice to opt for a fully managed Blue Badge Service operated by Northgate on behalf of local authorities. For an additional payment, Northgate will deal with the applicant’s claim from start to finish.

The improvement service is part of a package of reforms developed in close consultation with disabled people and local authorities announced by the Department for Transport in February this year.
The reforms are aimed at ensuring improved customer service and more consistent assessment, efficiency savings and cutting down on fraud. Badge fraud is estimated to cost the public sector £46 million a year.

Dave Meaden, Chief Executive, Northgate Public Services said today: “Blue Badge is an essential service for disabled people. We are committed to making it more effective for the millions of disabled people who rely on it.

“This innovative programme is focused on enhancing vital local services for disabled people through preventing abuse, improving delivery and planning for increased demand in the future. In difficult times, it shows that improvements for people really can be achieved through new ways of working and using resources.”

Transport Minister, Norman Baker, said: “The Blue Badge Scheme is a positive help to millions of disabled people every day. In February, I announced major reforms to the scheme and I am now pleased, as the next step, to award this contract for the Blue Badge Improvement Service which will see even more of these reforms come into fruition, helping us to modernise the Blue Badge Scheme to ensure that it provides a fair and consistent local service for disabled people.”

Mark Andrews, Head of Contact Centre Services for Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “Cambridgeshire County Council has worked with The Department for Transport to advise on developments for the Blue Badge Improvement Service. The proposed new service will go a long way to address many of the concerns that are raised by both local authorities and Blue Badge holders and we believe that this self-funded service is an excellent way of delivering better for less - enabling local authorities to provide improved services to citizens while gaining from efficiencies.”

Northgate’s latest achievement is built upon a successful track record of delivering innovative services of a similar nature. These include working with the Insolvency Service’s Redundancy Payment Services, the Newborn Hearing Screening Programme and the National Joint Registry. The company currently works with 95 per cent of local authorities and its strong relationship with these was critical to its success.

The Deputy Governor of the Bank of England visits Northgate Managed Services

2011-06-06T23:00:00+01:00

The Deputy Governor of the Bank of England, Charles Bean took time out of his whistle-stop visit to Belfast to meet with officials from Newtownabbey based Northgate Managed Services. Deputy Governor Bean was interested to learn more about Northgate's business and to hear from staff as he toured the facility.

Julian Phipps, Chief Financial Offer talked in detail about Northgate's business strategies and some of the key business challenges it has faced in what have been tough trading conditions. The Deputy Governor also discussed the economy and the likely prospects for its recovery.

Supermarkets Support Government Crackdown on Blue Badge Abuse

2011-05-31T23:00:00+01:00

Following major reforms to the Blue Badge scheme announced earlier this year, seven major supermarket chains have now given their support for the Government’s drive to eradicate Blue Badge abuse.

Responding to the concerns of disability groups, Local Transport Minister Norman Baker wrote to all major supermarkets urging them to do what they could to enforce the scheme on their premises. So far Aldi, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose and Lidl have all responded positively in support of the Government’s drive to ensure strict enforcement of the parking bays in their car parks which are privately owned.

Norman Baker said:

"Many disabled people and disability groups have told me about the problems they have in finding a disabled bay at supermarkets because of their abuse by people who have no justification for parking in reserved spaces.

"I am delighted to have secured the support of the major supermarket groups and to know that they share my view that abuse of Blue Badge parking bays needs to be tackled, protecting customers who rely on such spaces. I hope other large retailers will now follow suit and consider what action they can take to help their Blue Badge customers."

The badges provide a vital lifeline to over 2.5 million disabled people every year by prioritising key parking spaces close to important services. However, rising levels of badge fraud have prevented those who genuinely need to use the parking spaces from doing so.

The seven supermarkets have said that drivers found abusing designated disabled bays will be issued with parking charge notices in some circumstances, alongside other measures including car park patrols, leafleting of vehicles and requests over in-store tannoys.

The major reforms to the Blue Badge scheme announced by Norman Baker earlier this year include a new badge design that is harder to forge, as well as improved enforcement powers for local authorities. However, the scheme does not cover privately owned car parks. The support of supermarkets is therefore an important step in ensuring wider enforcement of the scheme.

Following a competitive procurement exercise, Northgate Public Services and Payne Security have been awarded a contract to help make improvements to the Blue Badge scheme, which will include:

Shared administration between authorities including an online eligibility checker and an online application form available via Directgov, resulting in faster renewals, reduced abuse and operational savings;
a secure central database of all Blue Badges on issue and key information on badge holders that will enable fraud prevention and better enforcement;
secure printing, personalisation and distribution of the new Blue Badge design provided by Northgate’s partner, Payne Security.

A Lidl Spokesperson said:

"At Lidl, we are fully committed to assisting the Department for Transport's successful implementation and modernisation of the Blue Badge scheme. We will continue our ongoing, effective monitoring of our car parks and enforcement methods to prevent abuse of the disabled parking bays at our stores."

Gwyn Burr, Sainsbury's Customer Service and Colleague Director, said:

"We know the Blue Badge scheme is an issue close to our customers’ hearts. In 2009 we became the first supermarket to actively manage all of the disabled bays within our car parks and this led to a reduction in the misuse of these spaces, a fact recognised by the Baywatch survey last year. We are very pleased to support this campaign."

Mark Gunter, Group Retail Director of Morrisons, said:

"We have always been concerned about the abuse of disabled parking spaces and we will penalise those able-bodied drivers that incorrectly park in spaces allocated for blue-badge drivers. However, we also depend on the public to help us ensure that these parking bays remain available for disabled drivers."

The new service delivery improvements to the Blue Badge scheme will be operational from 1st January 2012. The capital costs involved in the development of the system will be funded by Northgate and Payne Security, who will re-coup their investment over the lifetime of the five-year contract via a charge to local authorities per badge issued.

Dave Meaden, Chief Executive of Northgate Public Services said:

"The Blue Badge scheme is an essential service for disabled people. We are committed to making it more effective for the millions who rely on it. This innovative programme is focused on enhancing vital local services through preventing abuse, improving delivery and planning for increased demand in the future. In difficult times, it shows that improvements for people really can be achieved through new ways of working and using resources."

NHS reforms must take account of health inequalities

2011-05-26T23:00:00+01:00

The government’s plans for NHS reform must consider the wider issue of health inequalities if patients are to receive better services for less, says Northgate Public Services today in a response to the government’s listening exercise.

In its current form, the Health and Social Care Bill includes details on eradicating inequalities in the provision of care. Northgate says that government plans must address the root causes of poor health by considering areas such as education and housing. Without such an approach, there is concern that much of the work of the NHS will be undermined by persistent health inequalities in local communities.

Northgate’s response also highlights the need for high quality, joined up information around public health, the NHS and social care. By bringing these strands of information closer together, the organisations says the new GP commissioning consortia and local authorities will be better able to identify the needs of their communities and tackle health inequalities.

The provision of information is also key to encouraging citizens to become actively engaged in their own care. Research has shown that there are health and also financial benefits to be achieved by encouraging active citizens and Northgate suggests that this approach will be key to the overall success of the health reforms.

Iain McLachlan, Managing Director, Northgate Public Services said today: “We completely support the government in its ambition to achieve healthcare outcomes that are among the best in Europe. However, we believe that if this vision is to become a reality, the proposed reforms must take a holistic view of well-being and look at the root causes of poor health. This will involve breaking down operational silos and working with other services to ensure that health inequalities are tackled at their source.”

Northgate development success delivers benefits to local authority staff

2011-05-11T23:00:00+01:00

An ambitious, user-led programme to re-develop Northgate Public Services’ revenues and benefits system has been a resounding success, the organisation says today.

Following consultation with local authority staff, Northgate embarked upon a process of re-development to move from traditional to browser-based forms with the aim of increasing customer satisfaction. This involved migrating 1500 Oracle forms using Oracle’s Application Express (Apex) in what was, at the time, the largest project of its kind.

The project has now become a flagship for the Apex community and was the subject of a recent Northgate presentation at the Dutch Oracle User Group’s Apex Day in March.

All 170 authorities using Northgate’s revenues and benefits system have now been working on the updated version for over a year. It provides a fully transactional, HTML based front-end creating a more user-friendly interface for staff. This has lead to an increase in the speed with which enquiries are handled and an improved service for citizens.

The news comes as Northgate announces that 100 per cent of the authorities using its revenues and benefits software have completed their annual billing for Council Tax and Business Rates within the deadlines they had set.

Sue Holloway, Director of Local Government, Northgate Public Services said today: "We are constantly seeking to innovate and develop the support we offer to local authorities further. Engaging with users is a key step in this process. At a time when all organisations are attempting to do better for less, it's great news to see positive results which benefit authorities, their staff and the wider community.

NORTHGATE MANAGED SERVICES HOSTS LIVERPOOL SCHOOL LITERARY VISIT

2011-05-05T23:00:00+01:00

Actor, director and playwright Dan Gordon hosts special “From page to stage” Masterclass for Liverpool students.

Northgate Managed Services (Northgate) has reinforced its position as one of the UK's leading education ICT specialists and shown a real commitment to the communities in which it works by going beyond simply providing and managing ICT. One of the many schools that Northgate works with, Litherland High School, just outside Liverpool, came on a three day literary and cultural visit to Northern Ireland. Northgate supported the trip by hosting a "From Page to Stage Masterclass" with one of Northern Ireland's most recognisable actors, directors and playwrights Dan Gordon.

Over the Easter holidays, teachers and students from the school visited Northgate Managed Services headquarters in Newtownabbey not only to learn first-hand how their ICT is being managed but to also take part in the Masterclass. The 'Give My Head Peace' actor discussed his background with the Year 10 students and talked about Belfast, its unique culture and how the city had inspired many of his creative works over the years.

Commenting on the school visit, Jim Donnelly, Headteacher of Litherland High School stated, "The students that travelled to Belfast are part of the school's Literary Society. We meet once a week and read a variety of books, short stories and poetry from authors such as Seamus Heaney and James Joyce. Coming from Northern Ireland myself, I was keen to have the students visit and to learn more about the places and culture that inspired these great writers.

"When Northgate suggested the idea of visiting its headquarters and hosting a literary masterclass we jumped at the chance. Dan Gordon was fantastic; his insights into the creative industries were excellent and his stories of his time writing and working in Belfast were both funny and engaging. The students learnt a lot and you could see that each and every one took something away from the event.

"I would like to thank Northgate for hosting the event and for taking a real interest in our school. Northgate has proved that there is much more to its education work than meets the eye. The students' feedback was nothing but positive, with many saying that they had gained a greater appreciation for Northern Ireland, its politics and its people. I have a feeling a few of them might be back here sooner rather than later."

Commenting on the Litherland student visit Chris Wiseman, Sales Director, Education, Northgate Managed Services said: "We were delighted to be able to support Litherland High School on their cultural visit to Northern Ireland. We believe that in order to help schools achieve their aspirations, it is vital to build active partnerships with the schools we work by supporting them in their educational activities in addition to providing them a highly flexible, scalable and professional service. The students certainly seemed to get a lot out of the event. Each presented their school impeccably and was a credit to Mr Donnelly and his staff."

Mayor Visits Northgate Managed Services Head Office

2011-05-04T23:00:00+01:00

Mayor of Newtownabbey, Alderman Paula Bradley took the opportunity to visit leading ICT services company Northgate Managed Services to learn more about its IT Apprenticeship Scheme.

Northgate's "earn as you learn" scheme offers school leavers and young people a direct route into a career in IT, combining educational study with on the job training. As part of the visit Alderman Bradley, had the opportunity to meet 23 year old, ex bricklayer, and current apprentice Peter Kane from Newtownabbey.

Peter discussed how Northgate have given him the opportunity to develop a new career path which has enabled him to graduate next month with specific IT qualifications and successfully undertake a permanent role within the company.

Peter's commitment and dedication to his training, as well as to Northgate, has led to him being nominated for the prestigious 2011 Department for Employment and Learning's 'Apprenticeship of the Year' award.

Alderman Bradley and members of Newtownabbey Borough Council were accompanied by Andy Ross, Chief Executive of Northgate Managed Services. Mr Ross discussed the company's plans for growth and explained the significance of the recent expansion to Mossley Mill.

Northgate Managed Services secures deal to help protect patients records from security breaches

2011-04-26T23:00:00+01:00

A data safety solution which improves the protection of the health records of NHS patients is to be rolled out Scotland-wide after a successful trial. Northgate Managed Services (Northgate) has secured a contract from NHS Scotland after its FairWarning© privacy surveillance solution proved a success with NHS Lothian. The solution resulted in immediate and significant improvements in the protection of almost one million patients' data in the region and will now be rolled out to all 14 NHS Boards across the country.

It is the latest health contract win by the Scottish arm of Northgate, Northern Ireland's biggest IT company, which recently secured a £6.5M deal to deliver a clinical portal service for an NHS consortium of four NHS boards across Scotland.

James Turnbull, Managing Director in Infrastructure Solutions for Northgate Managed Services, said: "We are delighted to be working with the NHS across Scotland after our successful partnership with NHS Lothian, which further demonstrates our expertise and capabilities in the health sector.

"The issue of data security is one that is affecting more and more organisations in today's technology-based business environment and it has never been so important for organisations in possession of critical information - such as citizen or customer data, intellectual property or trade secrets - to protect it.

"NHS Scotland has moved quickly to update its security protocols and to ensure the proper handling of sensitive and confidential patient information by its staff. I am confident that the solutions provided will only help to reassure patients that any information being held is done so securely."

In response to a need to be more proactive and further enhance data security, Northgate will implement the latest FairWarning© privacy surveillance solution to all NHS Boards, helping protect the electronic record TRAKcare system from internal security breaches.
Records from multiple healthcare applications are processed by pulling audit files from each system identified by any NHS Board to be monitored. The surveillance is non-evasive and systematically identifies users who are engaging in patient record access patterns that are indicative of snooping, password sharing and other suspicious behaviours.

This proactive monitoring enables NHS Boards to review in advance anything likely to be deemed as a data protection breach and take steps to further prevent incidents occurring. It can reduce privacy incident rates considerably and enable a rapid and thorough response to patient privacy enquiries. Replacing the manual review process with an automated system also generates considerable efficiencies and return on investment.

Jackie Stephen, Head of eHealth for NHS Borders, said: "We're delighted to be working with Northgate Managed Services to implement across, all NHS Boards, a data safety solution which has proven to further secure the data and records of patients served by NHS Scotland

"We treat very seriously the management and security of data. The introduction of a privacy surveillance solution will help us as we strive to ensure compliance with the Data Protection Act (DPA) and provide assurance to all patients across Scotland that their data is safe and secure."

PRIMARY SCHOOLS TO 'CONVERT' PRACTICE INTO SUCCESS AT THE HOME OF ULSTER RUGBY

2011-04-20T23:00:00+01:00

With the Rugby World Cup only a matter of months away and following on from the great form shown by Ireland and Ulster this season, rugby’s profile has never been greater.

In response Newtownabbey based ICT services company, Northgate Managed Services has joined forces once again with Ulster Rugby to host this year's 'IRFU Ulster Branch Primary Schools' Mini Rugby Festival' at Ravenhill.

The IRFU place a strong emphasis on participation rather than competition and this year's event will be a fun and rewarding day out for each and every team.

The festival takes place at Ravenhill between Tuesday 17th May and Friday 20th May and will see 40 schools take to the famous rugby field to compete in a series of round robin matches. Scores will not be kept so while there won't be an outright winner, the festival will help develop team skills and a genuine love for the game.

Commenting on this year's festival, Brian O'Shaughnessey, Community Rugby Officer at the IRFU Ulster Branch said, "Mini Rugby is a great way for children to get involved and enjoy rugby, and the annual primary schools' mini rugby festival is one that goes straight into the schools sporting calendars. Its format encourages participation and is viewed as a vehicle to spark interest in the game and help to develop players, so, they might have the opportunity to emulate heroes such as Ulster stars Andrew Trimble, BJ Botha and Nigel Brady. Our relationship with Northgate continues to be a very successful one, and I look forward to working with them for another year of Mini Rugby."

Eleanor Lee, Head of Marketing and Communications, Northgate Managed Services added, "We are delighted to be working with Ulster Rugby and to be supporting the Mini Rugby festival for a sixth year. It is a fantastic event and one that is enjoyed by all those that take part. Each year the talent on show surpasses that of the previous year, and I have no doubt that it won't be too long before we witness a player from this event representing Ulster and even Ireland."

Local business supports Sure Start Centre

2011-04-11T23:00:00+01:00

Parents and children visiting a Bletchley Sure Start Centre can now enjoy a new outdoor play area thanks to a group of volunteers from a local company.

Staff from Northgate Public Services have recently completed the refurbishment of the outdoor area at The Art Room Sure Start Children's Centre at Drayton Park School in Bletchley. The work involved clearing, repainting and re-covering parts of the play area and also preparing the site for a new sand pit.

The volunteers were taking advantage of Northgate's community volunteering scheme where staff are given time off to support local community projects. They were supported by local businesses; Dobbies Garden Centre and Slab & Tickle both donated materials to the project.

The Art Room Sure Start Children’s Centre provides a place for parents and children to attend play sessions and also access services from a wide range of professionals.

Mark King, Senior Family Support Worker, The Art Room, said today: "We're really grateful that Northgate staff have donated their time to the centre. The work they have done has helped to create a fun and safe outdoor area for parents and children to enjoy just in time for summer."

Nicola Crosbie, Northgate Public Services, added: "The Art Room provides a vital service to parents and children and we are delighted to have had the opportunity to use our community days to support the centre. We're always keen to help out locally and it was great to be involved in a project which can now be enjoyed by families in the area for many years to come."

Calling Leicester Schools and Colleges to showcase innovative use of technology

2011-04-10T23:00:00+01:00

Schools, Colleges and other key partners across Leicester are invited to showcase their excellent and innovative practice in the use of technology at the “Engage, Evolve, Excel” event on Wednesday 22nd June at the Leicester Tigers Stadium.

The event will enable teachers and practitioners from across all subject areas and across the phases of education, to share their experiences, best practice, resources and methods of how technology can be used to support effective learning and to engage students.

The event is organised by Leicester's Schools and Colleges in association with Leicester City Council, The Schools Development and Support Agency (SDSA) and supported by leading providers of ICT services and solutions, Northgate Managed Services (www.northgate-is.com/managedservices). This afternoon event, provided free of charge, will enable attendees to take away a wealth of practical ideas and strategies from the full range of exhibitors that they can then apply in their own schools and colleges.

In addition, keynote speaker Professor Stephen Heppell, a recognised leader in the fields of learning, new media and technology, will be sharing his latest experiences and findings on innovation in education to inspire attendees.

Mel Berry, Principal of Soar Valley College who is one of the organisers said "We are delighted to be able to offer this event . There is some very effective and exciting practice in the use of technology to support learning in all of our schools. This event is an excellent opportunity for schools in Leicester to tap into what is seen as best practice across the city. We are hoping that every secondary school, special school and college will be represented at the event

Chris Wiseman, Sales Director, Education, Northgate Managed Services said: "From our work with schools across the UK, we know there is a wealth of innovative talent out there, with many teachers creating fantastic, innovative learning techniques by using ICT in ways which others might never consider, for example using Nintendo Wii Fit for PE classes and incorporating Apple I-touch into music lessons. Our aim is to use the insights of our teachers to create a 'best practice' platform which can be shared by all teachers. Only by hearing from those at the coal face can we really appreciate how ICT will continue to play an inclusive and fully effective role in teaching today and in the future."

Josie Fraser, Leicester City Council's ICT Strategy Lead (Transforming Learning Environments) commented "Leicester City Council is committed to ensuring that all young people benefit from access to technology to support learning. All our learners need the skills and confidence to learn and work with technology, to ensure they can take advantage of the social and economic opportunities on offer in the modern world. This event gives Leicester a chance to showcase and share some of the innovative and effective ways our teachers and learners are currently using technologies within schools."

Schools and colleges interested in showcasing have been invited to submit a short summary detailing the types of innovative work that could be showcased at the event by registering online

www.northgate-managedservices.com/exhibitor or by contacting Northgate Managed Services

claire.mcbride@northgate-is.com or telephoning 028 9085 7159.

Prizes will be awarded on the day for the best showcase.

Northgate Managed Services delivers seamless transfer to Almac's new US HQ

2011-04-05T23:00:00+01:00

More than 15,000 records updated securely each day during a major migration programme thanks to Northgate’s expertise Newtownabbey based IT specialist, Northgate Managed Services has cemented its eight year partnership with global pharmaceutical company, The Almac Group after successfully migrating its global online resources to Almac’s new US headquarters in Souderton, Pennsylvania.The new headquarters houses clinical trial supply and technology services as well as introducing Almac’s analytical services to the U.S. for the first time. Using a specialist web application, up to 15,000 records are securely created and updated each day from Almac’s clients, worldwide. Northgate’s role was to manage the transition of key web services from its old data centre locations to its new operation, whilst ensuring that clients experienced no downtime during the migration process.A specialist team from Northgate was responsible for the highly time sensitive project which demanded meticulous planning together with implementation of the latest Citrix NetScaler web security technology. Now fully integrated, the new solution also allows Almac to meet the growing demands for its services from pharmaceutical and biotech companies world-wide.Commenting on the success of the project Andrew Hillis, Group Head of Information Services for the Almac Group said, “The decision to move key operations to our new Souderton site was based on business growth and development, but the transition process had to be flawless, with absolutely no break in service. Having worked with Northgate for eight years, the company’s experience, expertise and understanding of our business proved vital. The end result was the successful transfer and centralisation of resources, with an enhanced and highly effective infrastructure which is positioned to allow for future growth.” James Turnbull, Managing Director, Infrastructure Solutions, Northgate Managed Services said, “Almac’s feedback on the project is a strong endorsement of Northgate’s expertise and project management skills. Our client understanding and business insight proved key and ensured Almac delivered its three core commitments of innovation, quality and customer service. We look forward to developing and strengthening our partnership in the future.”

Career Opportunities in ICT Under Spotlight for Newry Pupils

2011-04-04T23:00:00+01:00

Pupils from Sacred Heart School in Newry have achieved a 500^thpupil ‘milestone’ after the school participated in a workplace visit to leading IT services provider, Northgate Managed Service in Newtownabbey.Hosted by Northgate as part of its commitment to careers development and aiming to provide pupils with an insight into the opportunities presented through the technology sector, the visits are part of an on-going series, organised by Momentum under its Bring IT On programme. As well as recording the 500^th pupil visit, this was the 25^thschool visit to Northgate since it teamed up with Momentum in 2010. In addition to capturing the imagination of pupils by highlighting the wide ranging career opportunities now offered by the ICT sector, the visit also gave the Sacred Heart pupils the chance to see how Northgate delivers its service support to 1250 primary and secondary schools throughout NI under the Classroom 2000 contract.Andy Ross, Chief Executive of Northgate said: “As a key provider to the education sector, we’re delighted to welcome the pupils and teacher of Sacred Heart from Newry to our headquarters and play our part in promoting ICT as a profession which is positive, creative, focused, exciting and future focused. “ICT is a driving force in our economic recovery process so it is essential we do all we can to support schools, colleges and local communities as we seek to attract our talented young people and do what we can to build a qualified, sustainable workforce for the future. We hope the visit gave them food for thought and that in the years to come we may well be welcoming some of the pupils back as full time members of the Northgate team.”To enhance the value of the tour, members of Northgate’s highly effective technical team explained how they provide valuable support to schools such as Sacred Heart to ensure seamless delivery of the learning process.Mrs McGeeney, head of IT for Sacred Heart added: “Actually seeing how Northgate delivers support to all NI schools through C2K was a revelation for our students. The diversity of services provided, using ICT, to both the public and private sectors was also a revelation as the students were able to see what they were being taught in school becoming a reality in the workplace. This was a very worthwhile experience.”

Northgate recgonised in delivering specialised solutions

2011-03-31T23:00:00+01:00

Northgate Information Solutions has been awarded the Oracle ISV Partner of the Year Award at the annual Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) Specialized UK Awards.

This is the second consecutive year that Oracle judges have recognised Northgate Information Solutions’ success in delivering innovative solutions and achieving strong customer success using Oracle applications.

David Callaghan, Senior Vice President, Oracle UK, Ireland and Israel said:

“These awards recognise the specialised partners that have consistently delivered high level innovation and excellence in their areas of expertise over the past year.

The judging panel believes Northgate Information Solutions has shown commitment to growing its Oracle business, has enhanced skills in its Oracle product line and has shown focus in vertical industries. We’d like to congratulate all partners on their award wins.”

Joe Bradley, Managing Director, Northgate Public Services said today: “We are delighted to have received this award. Our focus is always on meeting our client’s needs and helping them to deliver better services for less. The successful relationship we have developed with Oracle is key to this approach. Now, more than ever, it is essential that organisations work collaboratively to bring together their expertise and deliver positive outcomes for the community.”

Northgate Information Systems is a Gold level member of OPN and is Specialized in Oracle Solaris.

Northgate calls for focus on health inequalities

2011-03-30T23:00:00+01:00

Local government and local communities should be at the heart of a new approach to public health, says Northgate Public Services.

In a response to the Department of Health’s white paper Healthy Lives, Healthy People, Northgate warmly welcomes an extended role for local government in public health.

However, with local authorities under severe pressure, the company argues that it is essential that councils are given certainty over the level of resources to be allocated to them for public health. Without this, the response says, there is a danger that public health and reducing health inequalities will not be given the priority the government says it deserves.

GP commissioning may exacerbate inequalities rather than narrow them, according to Northgate. GP practices will have flexibility to form consortia in ways that will not necessarily be aligned with local authorities, leading to increased complexity in commissioning.

Northgate’s response also calls for:

action to address the digital divide, including in the short to medium term, developing multiple channels of information to enable active citizens to take more responsibility for their wellbeing;

a clear recognition of the importance of tier 2 authorities in developing co-ordinated public health services that reach out to the most disadvantaged;

representation for community organisations on health and wellbeing boards.

Sue Holloway, Director of Local Government for Northgate Public Services, said today: “The change the government plans is welcome. It is essential that local authorities are put at the heart of public health if we are to reach out to those most disadvantaged and address persistent inequalities.”

“Our concern is that public health should not become the Cinderella of public services. It is essential that local authorities are given the resources to do the job. This must involve and include local people not only in the design and delivery of services, but also in their assessment.”

New ways of working lead to improved outcomes

2011-02-28T00:00:00+01:00

Small-scale actions can help improve efficiency and reduce costs, says Northgate Public Services today as the company continues to work with its partners to provide innovative responses to the challenges facing the public sector.

By adopting new ways of working, Northgate suggests that resources can be freed up to focus on core tasks. The organisation points to a recent partnership with one mediumsized local authority where it has implemented NMail, a fully automated and secure postage and production solution.

NMail acts as a virtual mailbox for staff, allowing them to automatically and securely send documents to the NMail Print Centre from their desktops using already existing applications. Here, mail to the same individual is collated, before being formatted, printed and sent out, removing the need for staff to spend time manually processing mail.

Organisations can also achieve significant cost-savings through this kind of solution. One authority that has implemented the solution believes it has reduced costs by 40 per cent. By aggregating mail from a range of customers, NMail allows organisations to benefit from mass-mailing prices, even if they themselves have low volumes.

Northgate estimates that authorities, dependent on their size, can save up to £150,000 a year through this kind of action.

Iain McLachlan, Managing Director, Northgate Public Services, said today: "The scale of the challenges facing the public sector cannot be underestimated. Now, more than ever, it is essential to look at new ways of working that can deliver better for less.

Small-scale actions are the perfect place to start. NMail is just one example of how local authorities can begin to make immediate savings. There is no minimum volume for NMail so even the smallest authority can start to make big savings through this kind of action.”

Northgate Managed Services and Carefx join forces to provide clinical portal for consortium of NHS Boards across Edinburgh and southern Scotland

2011-02-25T00:00:00+01:00

Northgate Managed Services has been appointed as the preferred bidder to deliver, implement and manage a clinical portal service for an NHS consortium covering NHS Lothian, NHS Fife, NHS Borders and NHS Dumfries and Galloway. As part of the five year deal, the portal solution will be based on technology from Carefx who will work in partnership with Northgate to deploy and support the system. The initiative is part of an NHS drive in which Scottish health boards have formed three regional consortia, each looking at the best way to use clinical portals in their areas. The NHS in Scotland has carried out detailed research into the use of clinical portals as a cost-effective and highly efficient way to reduce costs and administration while simultaneously speeding up patient services. Part of the research included a survey in 2009 of more than 3,240 clinicians – many in senior posts – to identify their requirements from a clinical portal programme, most of which will now be included within the new contract. Once deployed the clinical portal will provide healthcare professionals with streamlined access to critical patient information from a single browser view. This will replace the current, time consuming process of retrieval of information through disparate systems and paper records. The clinical portal is seen as the key to realising the vision in the Scottish Government’s strategy and action plan Better Health Better Care (2008), to “...ensure that the right information is available at the right time, in the right place, to enable staff to provide the best possible care”. Graham Gault, Head of Information Management & Technology, NHS Dumfries and Galloway, who led the consortium, said: “The clinical portal initiative is widely supported by clinicians. Northgate Managed Services and Carefx have provided a prototype for the consortium which has proved that it can integrate with the different systems used across the four health boards and provide clinicians with a single view of the patient across each of the regions and real-time patient information, with the utmost accuracy. We look forward to working with Northgate and Carefx, to introduce the new system across all four boards in the consortium over the year, which will allow them to reduce their dependence on paper records.” “The aim for all healthcare organisations today is to improve the quality of patient care, while reducing the costs to the NHS of providing its services, and this initiative strengthens our position in being able to do just this,” adds Gault. “By deploying the portal we know that our consortia of trusts will be able to deliver secure, real-time access to relevant patient data, at that precise point in the care pathway. This is about meeting the needs of healthcare staff, the organisation and most importantly the patient.” Northgate has over 40 years experience in providing and managing ICT services and solutions which improve business process and efficiencies whilst reducing costs. Currently working with over 60 health sector organisations, including every health board in Scotland, Northgate has delivered smarter, more efficient ways for them to operate. James Turnbull, Managing Director, Infrastructure Solutions, Northgate Managed Services, said: “We are very pleased to be selected as the preferred bidder to provide a clinical portal for the NHS across such a large area of Scotland. Working in partnership with Carefx, we are providing a technology that offers the health service an ideal opportunity to meet its present and future needs.” “Clinical portals can significantly speed up patient services and cut down on bureaucracy as the technology will pick up data from wherever it is stored and display it instantly,” Turnbull added. “But more than that, for healthcare providers it eliminates the expense of having to replace their existing IT systems. As the portal is affordable and easy to deploy, it also offers a swift return on investment, which is more important than ever at a time when budgets are very tight.” The Carefx portal technology, built on its Fusionfx platform, has been designed to improve the quality and safety of patient care. Wayne Parslow, European Vice President and General Manager, EMEA, Carefx, said: “There are clear advantages in opting for a solution which brings together the information from existing systems rather than scrapping them and undertaking huge projects to install new ones. This is all the more true when a system like ours can achieve what healthcare workers want by delivering dynamic and personalised patient data in an instant, wherever they are. Giving healthcare staff the fullest possible picture will improve continuity of care, patient safety and clinical productivity while reducing fragmentation to give the patient a better experience. Working on this project we have formed a strong partnership with Northgate Managed Services. It has also provided us with a strategic platform for future collaboration to develop further leadership and innovative thinking for the healthcare sector.” End Notes for editors · For details of the survey see: NHS Scotland eHealth Programme, Clinical portal survey, Catherine Kelly, eHealth Clinical Lead, Scottish Government, August 2009.· Key findings showed that clinicians wanted a portal to provide information on:o Past medical historyo Current problem listo Current medicationso Allergies and alertso Treatment plano Events and procedureso Social history o Clinical letters (in particular, outpatient clinic letters, hospital discharge letters and referral letters)o Diagnostic test resultso Clinical observationso Local and national clinical guidelines and access to eBNFo Some types of clinical notes. · Northgate Managed Services signed a deal with Carefx in 2010 to distribute its Fusionfx suite of products into the UK health and social care market.

Hugh Christie Technology College chosen as the training provider for Northgate Managed Services IT apprenticeship scheme in Kent

2011-02-17T00:00:00+01:00

Ten new IT apprentices from Kent will be starting their 18-month training programme with Hugh Christie Technology College, Tonbridge, as part of a new apprenticeship scheme from Northgate Managed Services.

The apprentices will be attending the college one day per week to study for their NVQ Level 3 IT systems and support. As part of the Northgate’s ‘earn as you learn’ apprenticeship, this will be combined with hands-on training, with each Apprentice working as a trainee IT engineer in some of the schools in Kent that Northgate currently provides services to.

As with every Northgate employee, each apprentice is given their own personal development plan with a mixture of online and classroom training which develops core skills and competencies such as communication, time management, customer service, problem solving and many more.

Andy Ross, Chief Executive of Northgate Managed Services, commented: “As a successful and growing IT services company we are committed to working with young people in the communities where we are based. By offering an IT Apprenticeship Scheme to school leavers, we are developing a qualified and talented workforce that will help us grow our business and provide Kent with an influx of new IT talent. Hugh Christie is an exemplar school at the forefront of educational technology to drive teaching and learning. We are proud to be working with such an inspirational team of people to help deliver vital on-the-job training as part of our new apprenticeship scheme.”

Jon Barker, Principal of Hugh Christie Technology College, commented: “We are delighted to be involved with the IT apprenticeship scheme. Our partnership with Northgate has been a great success and has facilitated the continuing development of technology at the school. The apprenticeship scheme is an exciting further extension of this partnership. Together with Northgate, we will provide outstanding training for the apprentices which will enable them to develop a career in an important area. I hope that some will enjoy their return to school so much that they may consider the valuable role of supporting IT within the school environment in the future.”

Sarah Hohler, Kent County Council Cabinet Member for Education, Learning and Skills, said: “Kent has championed apprenticeships for a number of years. The Northgate Managed Services scheme offers young people a fantastic opportunity to gain practical skills and work experience while working towards a nationally-recognised qualification. These modern apprenticeships are exactly the type of initiative we need to deliver to make sure that students are equipped to meet the needs of a 21st century workforce.”

Each apprentice is allocated a mentor and ‘buddy’ to support and advise them throughout the programme. On completion of the scheme, every successful apprentice will hold a formal NVQ qualification, possess 18 months of work experience and the potential for them to move into permanent positions in Northgate.

Northgate’s Apprenticeship Scheme marks an important extension to its two-year partnership with Hugh Christie, which has seen the school maximise its ICT efficiency and offer students the best education using technology. Helping to convert young people’s enthusiasm for technology into a profession they can excel in Hugh Christie, as the chosen training provider, is helping to train the area’s next generation of IT talent as part of the 18-month programme.

Apprenticeships are still available in the Kent area. To apply, candidates must hold a GCSE in Maths and English and most importantly have an interest and passion for ICT. For further information or to apply, please visit the web site at www.northgate-is.com/managedservices or alternatively email info@northgate-is.com

Ends

Notes to editor:

The Kent-based apprenticeships will be based in the following schools:
• Thamesview School, Gravesend; Northfleet Technology College, Gravesend; St John’s Catholic Comprehensive School, Gravesend; Ifield School, Gravesend; Northfleet School for Girls, Gravesend; The Community College Whitstable; Dane Court Grammar School, Broadstairs; St Georges Church of England Foundation School, Broadstairs

About Northgate Managed Services:
Northgate Managed Services provides a wide range of IT services to private sector, public sector and third sector organisations across the UK. The company supports over 2,000 customers with 420,000 end-users responding to over 100,000 service desk calls annually.

Northgate calls for focus on prevention

2011-02-09T00:00:00+01:00

A radical shift in resources and priorities is needed if the adult social care system is to meet the fiscal and demographic pressures it faces, says Northgate Public Services in a submission to the government today.

Responding to the Department of Health’s Transparency in outcomes consultation, Northgate argues that adult social care needs to adopt a firm focus on prevention and early support. This, it says, will be key to helping individuals stay healthier for longer, assisting them to live independently in their own communities and achieving better outcomes overall.

The organisation suggests that this change in focus should also be supported by a wider decentralisation of information. This would involve collating data from disparate systems and sources and transforming this into information which can be used to target the delivery of early support and personalised services.

As part of its response, Northgate makes a number of recommendations to government to support the vision of adult social care, these include:

local social care accounts which can be challenged by the local community to support transparency and accountability

closer alignment of information across adult social care, the NHS and public health to ensure a focus on low level care and prevention

a greater focus on service-user generated information to measure satisfaction .

Iain McLachlan, Managing Director Northgate Public Services said today: "Adult social care currently faces a range of difficult challenges. It is essential that the quality of social care is improved to ensure better outcomes for individuals. If we are to enable individuals to have care built around their needs, it is essential that we break down information silos to ensure we can get a holistic view of well-being.”

NHS reforms must encourage active citizens

2011-01-17T00:00:00+01:00

The government must go further if it is to create an information revolution which empowers individuals, achieves better outcomes and reduces health inequalities in our society, says Northgate Public Services today.

In a response to the government’s consultation Liberating the NHS: an information revolution, Northgate welcomes the overall direction of the consultation, but argues that the government should put active citizens at the heart of its strategy. The active citizen approach, where individuals are fully informed and engaged in their own healthcare, was shown in the Wanless Report to be key in achieving better outcomes and longterm cost savings for the health system.

To support active citizens, Northgate says that the government must take steps to ensure that data standards are improved and maintained. This will be key if citizens are to trust the system. The organisation says that the NHS brand could be licensed to high quality information providers and that an NHS Health Information Kite Mark could be used to develop a responsible information market.

Northgate also express concern at the presumption of online access contained within the document. The company calls on the government to provide a multi-channel approach and suggests that a levy is placed on the NHS license which goes towards funding digital inclusion programmes.

Iain McLachlan, Managing Director, Northgate Public Services, said today: "Information is key to achieving better outcomes in the health service. Whilst we support the government's overall approach, we are concerned that it does not go far enough to achieve better services for less. It is imperative that citizens are empowered to take responsibility for their own healthcare through open access to high quality information."

Innovation number one priority for Northgate

2011-01-12T00:00:00+01:00

Innovation is the number one priority for Northgate Public Services, says the company as it makes the first of a series of new year statements about its response to the fiscal deficit following a strategic review that ended last year.

The company announces today that it has streamlined its organisation and enhanced its top management team as part of its commitment to further strengthen its growing reputation as a partner in problem solving for public services.

Four Managing Directors have been appointed to spearhead the drive to improve public services at a time when they are under considerable social and financial pressure to reform.

The company is committed to delivering outcomes-based services for the public which promote citizen satisfaction and well-being. It believes that citizens must be involved and engaged in designing, shaping and delivering services and taking an active role in promoting their own well-being to deliver public value in the long term.

Ian Blackhurst is appointed Managing Director for Sales. He is responsible for developing new and innovative forms of partnership with clients. The company has pioneered an innovative risk-reward scheme where fees are only paid if service improvements and cashable savings are delivered to clients. The company is committed to ensuring that far more organisations will benefit from this and other joint ventures over future years. Ian was formerly Managing Director of Public Safety.

Iain McLachlan is appointed Managing Director for Portfolio Management. He is directing a new team of more than a hundred people who will be responsible for horizon scanning, creating new ideas and working in partnership with clients to deliver forward-looking services which work with the public and not-for-profit organisations to build services that put individuals at the heart of their design. Prior to his appointment, Iain was Chief Operating Officer for Public Safety.

Joe Bradley is appointed Managing Director for Services Delivery. He is responsible for ensuring excellence in service delivery as the company increasingly takes on larger public services programmes. The company is establishing a national network of centres of excellence providing transformation services for public and not-for-profit organisations as part of its strategy to promote collaborative working between the public, private and not for profit sector. Joe was formerly Managing Director of Citizens Services.

Russell Osborne, formerly Managing Director for Citizen Solutions. has been appointed Managing Director for Product Delivery. He is responsible for delivering state of the art technology which promotes effective and efficient communications between service users, service commissioners and service providers. The company is poised to make further announcements this month about a new suite of solutions.

Dave Meaden, Chief Executive of Northgate Public Services, said today: “All of us who believe that stronger services are not only necessary but desirable have to make change work. Innovation is at the heart of our response. We have created a stronger, unified organisation that will work as one team - one Northgate Public Services - with our clients and the wider public to deliver new ideas, new ways of working and new products that will respond to the challenges of the time.”

Northgate Managed Services Launches New Customer Engagement Facility

2011-01-11T00:00:00+01:00

Investment brings company-wide capabilities to Glasgow to strengthen Scottish offering

A new Customer Engagement Facility has been unveiled in Glasgow by Northgate Managed Services following a five-figure investment in its Scottish base.

Unveiled today, Northgate’s Insight Suite means the ICT services and solutions provider can strengthen relationships with key customers by bringing all its company-wide expertise to a Glasgow audience – at the touch of a button.

Set in a relaxed and informal environment, the new Insight Suite provides Northgate with the opportunity to work in close partnership with clients to deliver tailored IT services and solutions based around individual needs. Customers can experience how new IT services and solutions will contribute to achieving key business goals through real-time and real-life demonstrations.

James Turnbull, Managing Director, Infrastructure Solutions, Northgate Managed Services added: “We are delighted to officially launch and open for business our new Insight Suite which offers another facility to engage with private and public sector organisations in Scotland .

“The investment is another demonstration of our commitment to growing Northgate Managed Services in Glasgow and across the country, and will help us share company-wide knowledge and expertise, whilst building on existing customer relationships.

“It’s an asset we already have and are benefitting from in our head office in Belfast and it made sense to replicate that facility here. The goal is to ensure customers receive the correct tailored solution, at the right time, which will meet their immediate and long-term business objectives.”

Once a clear strategy has been outlined, Northgate’s specialist client teams will be able to demonstrate services, including dedicated helpdesks, remote support, system hosting and the facilitation of home-working, and technologies from key partners such as, Microsoft, Citrix, HP, VMWare and Symantec.

As the first customer to try out the new customer engagement facility, Gavin Cox, Head of IT Infrastructure for NHS Lanarkshire, said: “I was delighted to be the first of Northgate’s customers to access its new “Insight Suite” and test out its state-of-the-art real-time and real-life demonstrations.

“We have an excellent relationship with Northgate Managed Services in Scotland and while we have already benefitted from access to its company-wide expertise this latest investment only creates even more potential to do that.

“NHS Lanarkshire is committed to investing in new technology to help deliver efficiencies and savings and we look forward to utilising Northgate’s “Insight Suite” in the future, working with them for the benefit of our staff, patients and the general public.”

Leicester Teacher recognised for his innovative use of technology

2011-01-05T00:00:00+01:00

An inspiring Leicester teacher has been recognised for his innovative use of technology with a speaking opportunity at the Learning Without Frontiers Conference in London next week (9-11 January 2011). Supported by leading ICT services and solutions provider, Northgate Managed Services (www.northgate-is.com/managedservices) Mark Sutton, Assistant Curriculum Leader for Design & Technology from Soar Valley College, has beaten stiff competition to speak alongside some of the country’s most inspirational teachers.

Soar Valley College opened its brand new doors in June 2009 as part of the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme’, providing technology to engage and educate students. The school works closely with Northgate to ensure its learners have access to the latest technology solutions and services. As part of the partnership, Northgate has invested in teachers’ development by supporting their attendance at some of the UK’s leading events which promote industry best practice.

Mark Sutton joined Soar Valley College five years ago and has spent his teaching career at the school researching and integrating some of the latest technologies into the classroom. Passionate about transforming learning into a truly interactive experience, Mark will present to up to 100 delegates at the international festival of learning and technology about his use of handheld technology such as Sony PSPs (PlayStation Portable) and iPhones, as a way of engaging students in their learning.
A delegate at the 2010 conference, Mark was inspired to push the boundaries of traditional teaching and is now using augmented reality gaming technology called ‘Second Sight’ through the Sony PSPs to literally bring subjects to life. As students walk around a virtual environment, the PSPs ‘read’ special printed codes, called 2D bar codes or markers, on the walls, and automatically display information to students that includes text, audio, video and 3D images. The process involves adding a layer of virtual information over the physical world. In English lessons for example, students explore the layout of rooms that Sherlock Holmes investigates in the novel, viewing virtual 3D models such as a fireplace or armchair as they run their Sony PSP over a code on the wall or floor. In science, Mark is also using this ‘Second Sight’ technology to teach students about the solar system, enabling them to study large 3D models of the planets. To enable students to use the Sony PSPs anytime, anywhere on site, Mark connects to the school’s wireless internet solution supplied and managed by Northgate.

Use of handheld technology is helping to excite students in their learning, however, Mark is keen to emphasise that the Sony PSPs are used as part of an overall teaching strategy. He believes technology plays a vital role in helping students understand complex subjects and should be used alongside textbooks to help them engage with different topics.

Next term, Mark is hoping to use the Second Sight augmented reality technology to create a virtual walk through of the evolutionary timeline – enabling students to walk up the tree of life and along the different branches to view 3D models of the different creatures through time. He is also due to receive a set of iPhones from Leicester City Learning Centre which he plans to integrate into the classroom.

Mark Sutton, Assistant Curriculum Leader for Design & Technology, comments: “I am honoured to be speaking at the Learning Without Frontiers Conference. Without the support of Northgate Managed Services, I wouldn’t have been able to make this a reality. I am passionate about delivering information to students in a format that excites them. Augmented reality technology through the Sony PSPs certainly has the ‘wow factor’ for students and if that is what it takes to engage them in their learning and achieve their potential, then I believe every school should try it out. Students use mobile phones and handheld consoles for enjoyment every day, so as teachers, it is vital that we move with the times and teach students in the way they like to learn.”

Committed to supporting the schools on a day-to-day basis through its managed service, Northgate’s team of ICT experts are on hand to fix any ICT-related problems quickly and efficiently and work remotely to ensure the schools receives an optimum service at all times.

Chris Wiseman, Sales Director at Northgate Managed Services, comments: “We have supported the school helping them to make the concept of anytime, anywhere learning a reality whilst motivating learners of all abilities. Mark is a truly inspirational teacher and has a remarkable vision for learning through technology. We are delighted that he has been recognised for his work at the forthcoming Learning Without Frontiers Conference and believe his speech will both inspire and instil confidence in many educationalists to implement handheld technologies in the classroom.”

For further information, please visit: www.northgate-is.com/managedservices, contact tel: +44 (0) 28 90859085 or e-mail info@northgate-is.com.

Senior Audit Commission Manager joins Northgate

2010-12-22T00:00:00+01:00

Kieran Colgan, the Audit Commission’s Lead Housing Inspector for the South West since 2006, has joined Northgate Public Services as Principal Services Director the company announces today.

Kieran will be responsible for leading and developing Northgate’s housing transformation partnership work with local authorities and housing associations as part of the company’s response to the fiscal challenge.

The company has developed an innovative risk-reward approach, hugely popular with public services, focused on performance enhancement and delivering efficiencies. All fees come out of guaranteed cashable savings. The model is increasingly being used by public services as a means of delivering better services for less.

The appointment of a senior Audit Commission manager follows the recent move of Gary Headland, former Director of Performance and Modernisation from Norfolk Constabulary, to head up the Northgate’s police transformation work.

Ian Blackhurst, Managing Director, Northgate Public Services, said today: “I am delighted that Kieran has decided to come on board. He is a confident, creative and highly motivated leader with a passion that matches ours for public service excellence. He has a long track record of working with local government and housing organisations to deliver positive outcomes in a challenging environment.”

“Over the next few years, the pressures on housing services will be intensified. We are confident that our problem-solving, proactive approach to working in partnership with our clients can bring rapid service enhancement and deliver efficiencies at a time when the pressures on social housing have never been greater.”

Northgate makes new appointment in Social Care

2010-12-21T00:00:00+01:00

Northgate Public Services today announces the appointment of Charles Clark as Sales Director for Social Care as the company gears up its response to the growing need for personalised and integrated health and social care services in a challenging economic environment.

Charles, a highly seasoned professional in social care and local government, with 25 years of experience in the public services market, joins Northgate from SAP. Prior to this he was one of three founding Directors who set up Sheridan Systems, a leading provider of social care solutions that was eventually acquired by Anite in 2000. Anite Public Sector was subsequently bought by Northgate in 2008 as part of its strategy to support public service innovation through entering the social care market.

Charles will use his knowledge and experience to support the growth of Northgate’s combined health and social care business as new patterns of care emerge over future years. The company is committed to ensuring that patients and users voices are heard and acted upon within health and social care, and that they are involved in the design and delivery of services, including preventative services.

The appointment builds on the success of Northgate’s work running national programmes such as the Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES) service, Patient Reported Outcomes Measures (PROMs) and world class child and adult screening programmes such as the Newborn Hearing Screening Programme (NHSP), while working at a local level with local authorities through its adult and children’s social care services.

Ian Blackhurst, Managing Director, Northgate Public Services, said today: “We wholeheartedly support radical measures to transform the way that health and social care is delivered. It must be wrapped around the needs of users and wherever possible designed and delivered in the community. With local authorities taking on new responsibilities for public health, it is essential that these are integrated with health and social care to create positive outcomes that put the citizen at their heart.”

“We are delighted that Charles has joined us. We are ambitious for our health and social care business. This senior appointment will help us develop innovative responses to health and social care needs – working in new ways with our clients and their partners and reaching out to those who are most disadvantaged in our communities.”

Better use of technology could save billions

2010-12-20T00:00:00+01:00

The Government could save billions of pounds by making the most of its employees and getting the best out of existing technology, asserts a leading public services company today.

Northgate Public Services, which is the first organisation to be accredited by the Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation (IRRV) as a training provider, recently launched an innovative training programme for users of its Revenues and Benefits software. The programme is geared towards ensuring council employees are gaining the maximum benefit from the technology and achieving best practice.

The first employees are already enrolled on the course and Northgate anticipate that 100 people will be signed up by the end of the year. The training focuses on people, process and costs and aims to drive up standards, improve service delivery, and get better for less at a time of unprecedented demand.

The course, which is based online, allows students to practice and test themselves and to gain a certificate from Northgate following a moderated examination. It has been designed and developed in conjunction with West Oxfordshire District Council, the winner of the Excellence in Education, Training & Development title at the 2009 IRRV Performance Awards.

In an investigation, as part of its response to the fiscal challenge, Northgate found that there was widely differing performance in the use of software between the best performers and the worst. It argues that this experience is not isolated within public services and calculates that billions could be saved by better collaboration between government, their employees and software providers.

Joe Bradley, Managing Director, Northgate Public Services, said today: “At a time of economic constraint, it is essential that no stone is left unturned in examining the way we can deliver better services for less. Our investigations show that not all of our customers are making the best use of our technology. Our training course has been set up to overcome this. We also want to involve end users more closely in the design and development of future software. By working together collaboratively we will not only deliver better systems but more effective services that reach out to all those who need them, especially the most disadvantaged in our communities.”

Unitary Councils opt for Northgate

2010-12-17T00:00:00+01:00

More than half of the recently formed unitary authorities in England have chosen Northgate Public Services as their partner to supply revenues and benefits software and help deliver better services for less to their citizens.

In April 2009, nine unitary authorities were created in Bedfordshire, Cheshire, Cornwall, County Durham, Wiltshire, Northumberland, and Shropshire. One of the challenges these new authorities faced was how best to consolidate the 37 different revenues and benefits applications used under the previous structures to the nine required as unitaries.

Five of the unitary councils have now chosen Northgate as their supplier, including the three authorities that went out for fully open procurement. Most recently Wiltshire Council and Northgate have joined forces to improve customer service by offering greater access and availability to citizens and streamlining service processes to drive efficiencies that will deliver cost savings to the council.

The news further consolidates Northgate’s position as the market leader for revenues and benefits software and the first choice for unitary councils. Northgate is committed to working in partnership with local authorities to make change work and deliver better for less.

Ian Blackhurst, Managing Director, Northgate Public Services, said today: “We are delighted that so many authorities recognise Northgate as a safe pair of hands and have chosen us as their partner. We are committed to making change work and have a strong track record of working with unitaries and other larger authorities. Our expertise in this area will help to deliver much needed service improvements and cost savings to the council and their citizens.”

Northgate Managed Services wins �15m contract providing ICT services to Oldham schools

2010-12-17T00:00:00+01:00

Northgate Managed Services (www.northgate-is.com/managedservices) has been appointed by Balfour Beatty to deliver ICT services and solutions to schools in Oldham borough. Schools will benefit from £15 million invested in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) over the next seven and a half years.

Northgate will provide flexible, attractive and media-rich learning environments that will support learning to the new-build Oldham Roman Catholic School, the partial rebuild and remodelling of North Chadderton School, the new Waterhead Academy and Oldham North Academy sponsored by E-ACT.

Northgate will provide and manage a range of technologies tailored to the needs of each establishment. The overall service is built from a number of key components including; infrastructure design and installation to device and software procurement. Committed to supporting the schools on a day-to-day basis through its managed service, the schools and academies network and infrastructure is supported and continuously monitored by Northgate’s dedicated Service Desk.

Each school and academy will utilise ‘thin client’ technologies* which helps them save energy, utilise computer equipment more efficiently and ultimately enable students to access learning materials from a wide range of devices such as desktop PCs, laptops and a wide-range of personal user devices. Every student will also have access to an online learning platform, providing true anytime, anywhere learning for the entire school community. Accessible through the internet from any location, Northgate’s Learning Platform allows learners, teachers and administrative staff to create their own personliased portal providing single sign on to school applications and resources via the internet. Students will have access to their own personalised learning area where they can work on assignments, store their work and access emails, enabling them to communicate with teachers and fellow students.

In addition, Northgate will be providing an interim managed service from 1st April 2011 where school technicians will transfer to work directly for the ICT specialist in the lead up to the full ICT Managed service. This interim service will aid the improvement of standards, ensure a smooth transition for ICT and ultimately transfer risk, helping to establish confidence across the school community. From September 2011, schools will have access to core services including the online learning platform. This will help the 4 sites to benefit from BSF investment and allow early access to BSF ICT services.

Andy Ross, Chief Executive, Northgate Managed Services, comments: “We are delighted to be working alongside the schools and academies, Oldham Council and Balfour Beatty to deliver their vision for secondary school ICT. By working in partnership with the schools, we will be offering integrated information and communication technology to help deliver personalised learning tailored to the needs, interests and aptitudes of their learners.”

Carefx and Northgate Managed Services collaborate to offer patient focused health services

2010-12-16T00:00:00+01:00

Carefx, a leading provider of interoperable workflow solutions, today announced Northgate Managed Services as a key distribution partner for its range of products and solutions for delivery into the Health and social care marketplace in the UK.

Carefx is committed to helping healthcare organisations advance the quality and safety of patient care delivery through Fusionfx – the Carefx solution suite. Fusionfx streamlines and simplifies clinical and business workflow, and connects care providers to the information they need – where and when they need it.

Northgate Managed Services, known for its work with leading technology organisations, has developed strategic partnerships with e-docs UK, G2 Speech, Fairwarning and Lumension and now Carefx to support their vision of patient focused health services.

Northgate Managed Services has 1,300 staff across the UK and is a leading provider of ICT services and solutions to the Health sector. Working in partnership with a range of organisations from hospitals to National Agencies across the UK to develop and deliver smarter, more efficient ways of working, the company currently provides services to over 60 health sector organisations across the UK and 11 NHS boards in Scotland.

“We are delighted to be working with Carefx, to bring added versatility to our product and service portfolio so that we can continue to offer the Health market solutions which improve business processes and efficiencies.” says James Turnbull, Managing Director, Infrastructure Solutions, Northgate Managed Services.

“There is an increasing realisation across Health and Social Care organisations that the way forward for innovative thinking in IT will be through bringing together information from existing systems without having to create new ones. Delivering dynamic and personalised patient data to care workers when, where and how they need to see it is proven to both improve patient safety and lower operational cost. Our collaboration with Northgate introduces further leadership and innovative thinking into the Care Sector and we are therefore delighted to announce this partnership with them,” commented Wayne Parslow, EVP and General Manager, EMEA for Carefx.

The Richard Rose Federation Launches a �3.19 million ICT Contract with partner Northgate Managed Services

2010-12-09T00:00:00+01:00

Carlisle’s two new academies are set to launch a groundbreaking approach to learning with a £3.19 million, anytime, anywhere ICT system that allows students to tap into the Federation’s Virtual Learning Environment whenever they choose thereby capitalising on each individual student’s capacity for retention and their optimum learning environment.

The system is a collaborative system, shared across the two academy sites enabling staff, students, parents and members of the community to tap into it at anytime. The Federation has appointed leading ICT services and solutions provider Northgate Managed Services to embed and support ICT throughout both academies. The contract will see Northgate design, supply, install and manage a robust, flexible ICT solution.

The Federation have chosen the very latest high speed virtualised wireless solution from Meru Networks. The system is designed to support very high numbers of staff and students using phones, laptops, netbooks and in fact any wireless enabled device. The Academies wireless networks allows staff and students to quickly and securely access any files, software and the internet in the comfort of their new buildings.

Commenting on the ICT solution, Katie Robinson, Headteacher of Richard Rose Morton Academy, said:

“Both of our academies are about to move into state of the art buildings and it is appropriate that we have a 21st century ICT solution for our students to match their fantastic new surroundings. This will open up a brand new approach to learning enabling students to take in information when and where it is most enjoyable for them. Their parents will also have access so that they can check on their child’s progress, tap into community information or develop their own skills and qualifications by taking part in adult education classes that will be available on the Academy’s Virtual Learning Environment”.

Chris Wiseman, Sales Director, Education at Northgate Managed Services, comments:

“We are extremely proud of our partnership with the Richard Rose Federation. Northgate’s extensive experience of operating shared services across multiple sites allows us to meet this vision efficiently. It is truly admirable that this provision has been extended to the wider community and we look forward to support teaching and learning using ICT”.

Northgate already supplies ICT services and solutions to over 1,200 school, college and academy networks across the UK working with a plethora of exceptional centres of learning, including Trent Valley Academy in Gainsborough, Bristol Cathedral Choir School in Bristol, Havelock Academy in Grimsby, Litherland High School in Sefton and Abraham Guest High School in Wigan.

Northgate Managed Services confirmed as ICT provider to every secondary school in Blackpool

2010-12-09T00:00:00+01:00

Blackpool Council has appointed Northgate Managed Services (www.northgate-is.com/managedservices) to deliver ICT services and solutions to every secondary school in the borough as part of a Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme continuing under the new coalition Government. The £3.5million five year contract will see Northgate embed core technology and ICT infrastructure, including connectivity, storage and communication tools, tailored to the individual needs of the area’s secondary schools.

Blackpool Council’s BSF funding was reduced to cover three sample schools in the changes to BSF funding announced earlier in the year. The Council chose to reallocate the funding across all schools to help meet the individual needs of all schools and raise the standard of ICT provision across Blackpool.

Committed to providing robust, cost-effective ICT, Northgate Managed Services will work closely with the schools and the Local Education Partnership (LEP) consisting of Blackpool Council and Eric Wright Group to deliver its vision to provide all its 9,000 secondary students with access to ICT. Highly regarded for its flexible approach the leading provider of ICT services and solutions will begin work in January 2011 to tailor and deliver technology which suits each school’s requirements. As part of this process, Northgate will conduct a thorough evaluation of existing ICT resources in use by each school and work with schools to identify the areas of greatest need.

The schools set to benefit include a new build at Highfield Humanities College, a significant remodelled school at St Mary’s Catholic College and a refurbished pupil referral unit at the Mountford Centre; as well asUnity College, Bispham High School, Palatine Community Sports College, Collegiate High School, , Montgomery High School and St George’s C of E High School.

Andy Ross, Chief Executive, Northgate Managed Services comments: “We are proud to be working alongside the schools, Blackpool Council and Eric Wright Group to deliver their vision for secondary school ICT through BSF funding that has been granted under the new coalition Government. We believe this significant partnership is testament to our personalised approach which enables our organisation to provide tailored solutions to meet the exact needs and budget of every school.”

Northgate is an accredited supplier on the Government’s new ICT Services Framework and already works with a wide range of educational institutions from Local Authorities to individual schools and academies. These include Trent Valley Academy in Gainsborough, Colston Girls School in Bristol, Richard Rose Morton Academy and Richard Rose Central Academy in Carlisle, Havelock Academy in Grimsby and Litherland High School and Abraham Guest High School, one school BSF Pathfinder projects school in Sefton and Wigan.

For further information about Northgate Managed Services, please visit the website at: www.northgate-is.com/managedservices.

BETT Preview - Schools are looking to the clouds to reduce ICT costs

2010-12-09T00:00:00+01:00

Northgate Managed Services launches new modular managed cloud services to reduce ICT costs

New Schoolzone research* commissioned by Northgate Managed Services (www.northgate-is.com/managedservices) reveals that whilst the majority of schools are open to cloud services as a way of cutting ICT costs, many are still unaware of the flexibility and scalability offered by this new technology. Keen to help schools reduce the cost of running their ICT, Northgate’s team will be on hand at BETT 2011 (stand D70) to talk about ways cloud services can complement existing ICT infrastructure and form part of school’s ICT strategy. Tried and tested in the business world, the cloud helps remove the reliance on capital expenditure as organisations simply pay their provider for what they use.

As the Government hands purchasing power back to schools and more than ever school budgets are being squeezed, Northgate is offering Cloud based services that allow schools to select specific elements of their ICT to move to the cloud. Infinitely scalable with transparent costs, schools can choose from a range of services tailored to their individual needs and budget. This enables schools to step into the cloud at their own pace whilst being able to reap the associated long term cost savings.

An accredited supplier on the Government’s new ICT Services Framework in recognition of its high quality cost effectives services to education, Northgate is launching cloud services covering infrastructure, email, collaboration, security, archiving, backup, storage, cloud systems management and consulting services.

During the research, schools welcomed the potential cost-savings offered by cloud technology but questioned the security of data and the reliance on dependable internet connectivity – concerns that have already been resolved through extensive testing and usage in the business world. Since its adoption in the commercial sector, huge advances in cloud technology have been made, driven by the expansion of broadband bandwidths, improved network quality and stability and the availability of cost-effective and robust e-security solutions.

Chris Wiseman, Sales Director, Education at Northgate Managed Services, comments: “Education’s move to the cloud marks an important step towards the delivery of agile, high-quality ICT services at an affordable cost and will play a vital role in the future of educational ICT in schools. We recognise that it is early days for the cloud in education, so Northgate’s modular approach enables schools to migrate services gradually, helping to maximise existing ICT infrastructure and ensure schools are confident about their move to the cloud.”

In addition, teachers from around the UK will be joining experts on Northgate’s stand D70 at BETT to share best practice for ICT to enhance learning. Each day teachers will be promoting how they use ICT to engage students and enhance the learning experience. For example, using Apple iPads with Special Education Needs students and developing immersive learning environments to create interesting and engaging lessons. For further information about Northgate Managed Services, please visit stand D70 at BETT 2011, visit the web site at: www.northgate-is.com/managedservices or contact its Schools and Academies team via email: info@northgate-is.com.

South Derbyshire shows the way

2010-12-06T00:00:00+01:00

An innovative partnership set up to improve services in South Derbyshire has got off to a flying start.

The contract between South Derbyshire District Council and Northgate Public Services, which began in August, is designed to provide added value for money for residents and create economic opportunities.

A Corporate Services Strategic Board, made up of representatives from the Council and Northgate, met to discuss progress after the first three months.

The message was clear: South Derbyshire is showing the way.

Northgate has been looking at a variety of ways of making additional savings and helping the Council to become even more efficient.

Progress has already been made to further develop areas such as customer services.

To make it easier for residents to contact the Council, technology has been implemented to modernise the telephone switchboard. In addition, figures show just 2.6 per cent of calls made to the Customer Services telephone number were unanswered in October, compared to 9.7 per cent at the same time last year.

Efficiency measures have also been put in place to ensure staff make contact with visitors to the Civic Offices within three minutes.

Improvements are reflected in customer satisfaction surveys showing that 93 per cent of telephone callers and 92 per cent of visitors to the District Council are happy with the service they have received.

Cllr Bob Wheeler, Chairman of the Corporate Services Strategic Board, said: “The partnership is a pioneering response to the age of austerity and will allow the Council to build on the high levels of service already provided.

“It is clear that we are developing a strong partnership with Northgate that will help us to continue to deliver top quality, good value services to our residents and partners, while driving down the cost of delivering services in the future.”

Northgate is also carrying out efficiency reviews. This includes looking at how the authority can tap into the company’s expertise for efficient purchasing. In addition, new finance and human resource systems will be in place by May 2011.

Using the Civic Centre, in Swadlincote, as a base, Northgate’s regional centre of excellence provides business transformation services for both public and not for profit organisations throughout the East Midlands and nationally.

Joe Bradley, Managing Director for Northgate Public Services, said: “While the challenges facing the public sector are greater now than at any time in recent history, so too are the opportunities for new ideas, exciting possibilities of working differently and inspirational leadership.

“This is all about delivering better for less. We have fostered an extremely positive relationship with South Derbyshire District Council in which a culture of collaboration, quality and genuine value for money can flourish and grow.”

As part of the partnership, Northgate has taken on responsibility for managing the District Council’s Corporate Services.

This includes Finance, Organisational Development, Revenues, Benefits and Customer Services, IT and Business Improvement. In total 84 staff members have been successfully transferred.

The contract, worth £22 million, is guaranteed to make savings to the Council of £2.1 million over seven years. As part of the contract, Northgate also plans to bring at least 100 jobs into the District.

Wokingham Transformation

2010-12-01T00:00:00+01:00

Wokingham Borough Council has entered into an innovative partnership designed to transform services for residents and respond to the fiscal challenge by delivering much needed efficiencies.

The Council has joined forces with Northgate Public Services which will strategically manage their ICT in a five year partnership worth £8.5 million. Under the agreement there will be an option to extend the arrangement for a further two years.

The partnership moves beyond the traditional ICT outsourced approach to focus on using ICT as a strategic asset for the Council. It will focus on improving customer access and service, reducing cost, making processes more efficient and effective, and improving ICT governance.

Shifting the focus of ICT will support the Council in its drive for change. Northgate solutions are already used by the Council, and Northgate will combine its strategic knowledge with its practical experience in local government to bring about rapid improvement while managing risk through a phased approach to transformation.

Graham Ebers, General Manager of Business Services said today: “Transformation is integral to delivering the efficiencies that the Council has pledged to make. We believe that our partnership with Northgate will not only provide us with a stable and secure platform on which to operate, but will also be pivotal in enabling our residents to get wider access to improved service delivery by maximising our use of new technologies. Northgate has worked with us for many years. I am confident we can make this a successful partnership for the benefit of our community’
Ian Blackhurst, Managing Director at Northgate Public Services said today: “These are challenging times for local authorities and public services in general. Now more than ever, we need to focus on delivering better services for less. How organisations manage their people, processes and cost to provide this is an essential part of any forward looking strategy. We are delighted that our relationship with Wokingham Council has now entered this exciting new phase and we look forward to working with it in serving the residents of Wokingham with efficient and effective services.”

Northgate Managed Services Appointed to the Governments ICT Services Framework for Education

2010-11-25T00:00:00+01:00

Leading educational ICT service and solution provider Northgate Managed Services (www.northgate-is.com/managedservices) wins a place on the new Becta ICT Services Framework. The framework, which runs until November 2014, allows all types of schools from academies and free schools to local authorities, schools and colleges to procure cost effective, industry leading ICT services and solutions.

To qualify for the framework, Northgate demonstrated its ability to meet strict technical and service requirements and its deep understanding of the needs of the education sector. A named supplier for both Lot 1 (ICT Infrastructure and Mobile/Bundled Connectivity Services) and Lot 2 (ICT Service Integrators), Northgate is offering its complete range of services and solutions under the framework.
Recently named a finalist for the

forthcoming BETT Awards 2011, Northgate already works with a wide range of educational institutions from Local Authorities to individual schools and academies including; Trent Valley Academy in Gainsborough, Colston Girls School in Bristol, Richard Rose Morton Academy and Richard Rose Central Academy in Carlisle, Havelock Academy in Grimsby and Litherland High School and Abraham Guest High School, one school BSF Pathfinder projects school in Sefton and Wigan.

Chris Wiseman, Sales Director at Northgate Managed Services, comments: “We are delighted to be appointed to the Government’s ICT Services Framework and believe it is testament to the flexible and personalised service we deliver to our customers. This important framework will help to drive the very highest standards in the industry to ensure that schools and academies benefit from the best ICT services at an affordable price.”

Running until November 2014, the Becta ICT Services Framework will provide education customers with a quick and easier route to procure from approved, high quality, trusted suppliers in a fully EU-compliant manner.

E.ON and Northgate campaign to increase energy efficiency

2010-11-16T00:00:00+01:00

E.ON, one of the UK’s leading electricity and gas companies, and Northgate Public Services have joined forces as part of E.ON’s major Energy Fit campaign focused on improving energy efficiency and combating climate change.

The E.ON Energy Fit website uses Northgate’s energy calculator which allows users to access vital information about how they use energy in their homes and receive a tailored report with suggestions on how to reduce that energy waste.

Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) are currently mandatory for people who are thinking of selling or renting a home. They rate a property on a scale of A to G, with A being the most energy efficient property. The energy survey will provide information which is complimentary to an EPC.

E.ON believes that in helping households identify where they are wasting energy, consumers will be able to reduce their energy demand and save themselves money.

Over 25 per cent of the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions are calculated to come from domestic homes.

Kevin Bryant, E.ON’s Energy Fit instructor, said: “We’re determined to help our customers get energy fit, saving both carbon and money on their energy bills. By answering some simple questions on our energy fit website we can give customers a personal energy saving plan and even an idea of how much they can expect to save.”
Russell Osborne, Managing Director of Citizen Solutions for Northgate Public Services, added: “Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time. It requires us all to take action on an individual basis, at a company level and within our communities. Our work with E.ON is all about making the difference that counts. We want people to act on the recommendations wherever they can.”

Visit www.eonenergyfit.com to get your home energy survey.

Housing New Zealand

2010-11-10T00:00:00+01:00

Housing New Zealand Corporation (“Housing New Zealand”) and Northgate Public Services (“Northgate”) announce today that they have formed an innovative transformation partnership designed to put tenants at the heart of service improvement.

Under a seven year partnership, Housing New Zealand will use Northgate’s innovative housing products and associated services to help improve the services it provides to tenants and manage its entire housing stock.

Housing New Zealand currently supports over 200,000 people and oversees housing assets worth over $15 billion (NZD) equivalent to over £7.1 billion (GBP). The Corporation is embarking on a radical transformation programme designed to eradicate waste and unnecessary process, improve services and deliver efficiencies.

The partnership will bring many benefits over time to social housing in New Zealand including:

improved tenant relationships – a single source of accurate information on tenants will ensure that they have their queries and issues dealt with in the right way at the right time

enhanced access to services, including self-service – through a wide variety of channels, including text messaging, online services, email, voice and face to face interactions

better ways of working – employees will benefit from more flexible and mobile working, and the eradication of unnecessary processes and repetitive tasks

strategic and proactive management of housing assets – enabling the corporation to manage risk effectively, use resources efficiently, and maximise its asset base.

Stephen McArthur, Housing New Zealand’s Chief Operating Officer said today: “Our current systems are preventing us from making improvements to our business that will drive value for money. The need for those improvements is becoming increasingly urgent. The pressures on social housing are severe and set to increase.

We need to work more proactively with tenants, and we need to redistribute, reconfigure or upgrade about 27,000 houses to meet demand. To achieve it, we need our staff to be more mobile, to spend more time in communities and at the front door of our houses. We need to automate, eliminate or centralise cumbersome manual processes. We need better information to base our investment decisions on, and we need to develop a more efficient and flexible way of delivering our services.”

Joe Bradley, Managing Director, Northgate Public Services, said today: “We are delighted to have joined forces with Housing New Zealand. This agreement represents a significant expansion of the Northgate social housing community in the Asia-Pacific region. We are committed to helping our partners deliver a wide range of quality services to their tenants and to reach out to those most vulnerable in our communities. Our partnership will ensure that Housing New Zealand delivers high quality services and sustainable housing fit for the future through the effective and efficient use of resources.”

Staffordshire and Derbyshire Public Services Collaboration

2010-11-05T00:00:00+01:00

Public services organisations in Staffordshire and Derbyshire have entered into an innovative transformation partnership designed to deliver better services for less and respond to the economic challenges of the day.

Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, High Peak Borough Council, High Peak Community Housing (HPCH) and Lichfield District Council joined forces this month with Northgate Public Services who will manage their ICT.

These organisations have enabled significant efficiencies through their joint procurement for a seven-year partnership worth £5.945 million. Northgate will manage the organisations’ ICT, providing each with a sustainable platform for innovation and delivering much-needed economies of scale to them all.

With Northgate, the organisations will work collaboratively together to develop a unified ICT service that accounts for local variation and helps to transform service delivery for the benefit of residents.

Chris Elliot, Head of Transformation for High Peak Borough Council and Staffordshire Moorlands District Council said today: “We have looked at how we can respond to the economic challenges that we face. Unifying our ICT services is integral to changing the way we deliver transformed services to our residents. We are delighted to be working with Northgate which shares our vision and has the track record to deliver.”
Rita Wilson, Strategic Director of Organisational Development at Lichfield District Council, said today: “IT systems underpin everything we do – from helping people on lower incomes get the benefits they need, through to booking squash courts at our leisure centres, and making sure people with disabilities get the help they need to put their bins out. Joining forces with three other organisations will allow us to make significant savings, and we’re looking forward to developing a strong partnership with Northgate that will help us to continue to deliver top quality, good value services to our residents and partners, as well as drive down the cost of delivering services in the future.”
Mark Ford, Chief Executive at High Peak Community Housing said today: "HPCH are pleased to be a partner in the shared services arrangement between High Peak, Staffordshire Moorlands, Lichfield and ourselves as this demonstrates value for money and will allow us to continue to deliver the professional services that we provide for our customers."
Joe Bradley, Managing Director at Northgate Public Services said today: “Now more than ever, public services have to develop innovative models of work such as this programme. Our Staffordshire and Derbyshire partners will benefit from performance improvement and economies of scale. These will help them to continue to reach out to the most disadvantaged of our communities in these most difficult of times.”

Northgate Managed Service named Specialist Reseller of the Year

2010-10-28T23:00:00+01:00

Northgate Managed Services has picked up the award for “Specialist Reseller of the Year” at the Ingram Micro Showcase Event held in London, October, 2010.

Ingram Micro is the world's largest global business-to-business wholesale provider of technology products and supply chain management services. Ingram Micro works with multiple manufacturers and software company's and only sells to and through professional resellers. This award was voted for by the Manufacturing partners of Ingram, the Ingram senior management board and online category voting. This award recognises Northgate's technical abilities to incorporate the manufacturers offerings in innovative solutions for their customers, and is a further acknowledgement of it's position as a market leader, providing IT services.

Northgate CSR Campaign is 'Good as Gold'

2010-10-28T23:00:00+01:00

Business of the Year Northgate Managed Services continued its 2010 run of success after being awarded gold for its Corporate Social Responsibility campaign ‘Act Now’, in partnership with PR company Morrow Communications at the annual CIPR awards.

‘Act Now’ is a programme that encourages each employee to believe they can do something now, however small, to help deliver value and build sustainable and healthy communities and focuses on two core areas; community and people.

Over the year, Northgate employees have embarked on a range of activities involving local partners such as schools or organisations on a cross community basis. This has included naming St Mary’s Star of the Sea as its ‘adopted’ school and volunteering at NI’s Children’s Hospice, all of which have formed the basis of a targeted media relations campaign led by Morrow Communications.

Speaking after the awards, Eleanor Lee, head of marketing, Northgate Managed Services said:
“We are absolutely delighted that the ‘Act Now’ campaign has been recognised by industry experts and awarded gold at tonight’s event. At Northgate, we pride ourselves on our commitment to CSR and encourage our employees to give something back to the local communities in which we work.

“Much of the success of this campaign is down to our employees, who have given their time and effort to various activities throughout the year, and so, it is with pleasure that I accept the award on their behalf. Thanks must also go to the team at Morrow Communications, who consistently strive to promote our successes and ensure widespread recognition of our CSR strategy. This is a fantastic accolade for our company, our policies and our people.”

Glasgow City Ladies recieve sponsorship boost on eve of league decider

2010-10-24T23:00:00+01:00

- UK ICT firm Northgate Managed Services sponsor SWF Premier League champions

Glasgow City Ladies FC have received a major boost ahead of their championship decider with Celtic Ladies on Sunday (October 31) after ICT firm Northgate Managed Services agreed to sponsor the SWF Premier League champions.

Tied at the top of this season’s league table, Glasgow City and rivals Celtic have each won all but one of their league games so far this season – the only exception being a draw between the two sides back in May. Glasgow City lead the table by three points (with superior goal difference) having played a game more and if they win the league it will be their fourth consecutive title, setting a new Scottish record.

Therefore the destination of the 2010 SWF Premier League trophy hinges on Sunday’s decider and Glasgow City will take to the field with new sponsors Northgate proudly emblazoned on the sleeves of the team’s home shirts.

ICT firm Northgate has a Scottish base in Glasgow and is headquartered in Belfast, with more than 1,000 staff providing infrastructure services and ICT specialist managed services to public, private and third sector organisations across the UK.

James Turnbull, managing director of Northgate Managed Services, said: “We are absolutely delighted to become a sponsor for Glasgow City LFC. Glasgow City has grown over the years to become a hugely professionally-run club with ambitions to compete at the very top of the game at home and in Europe.

“Similarly, Northgate has ambitions to grow its presence both in Scotland and across the UK through making IT work harder for our customers, delivering efficiencies and unlocking the potential of IT to transform organisations. This sponsorship complements our company strategy.

“We wish everyone at Glasgow City LFC all the very best for Sunday’s game and look forward to a successful partnership with the club.”

Northgate’s sponsorship complements Glasgow City’s current agreements with main club sponsor Greaves Sports and a host of associate sponsors including McCrea Financial Services.

City captain Laura Montgomery said: “We’re delighted to welcome Northgate Managed Services as our latest sponsor.

“Northgate is a massive, reputable and national company and it is great to be associated with an organisation which is elite in its discipline – we also feel we are elite in our discipline so the partnership marries well.

“It goes without saying that we are all looking forward to Sunday’s game when we know we will have to be at our very best against a strong Celtic team if we wish to retain the league title.”

Industry and Educational Institutes Collaborate at e-skills UK Qualification Conference

2010-10-19T23:00:00+01:00

Northern Ireland’s IT employers and educators descended on Belfast Metropolitan College this week to attend an e-skills UK Qualification Awareness event aimed at providing educators with an insight into new qualification arrangements within ICT in Northern Ireland.

Designed to support actions described in e-skills UK’s SQS Action Plan for Northern Ireland, the event aims to increase awareness of the NI Vocation Qualification Reform Programme and the role of e-skills UK as driving the development of Vocational Qualifications that meet employers’ needs, through the process of creating and implementing Sector Skills Strategies.

The event places employers at the heart of the development of vocational qualifications to meet the needs of Northern Ireland’s burgeoning IT sector. Speaking from an employer perspective, Andy Ross, chief executive at Northgate Managed Services presented to the delegates focusing on the need for demand driven skill:

“It’s a pleasure to welcome key stakeholders to the event and have the opportunity to discuss the exciting new developments in vocational qualifications. Northern Ireland’s IT sector is one to be proud of and it’s vital we continue to increase awareness - both amongst industry and educational institutes in order to maintain its excellence and generate a sustained footfall of skilled workers.

“The roles offered in the IT sector can be extremely diverse and it’s important we have that same diversity in our employees. At Northgate we aim to look beyond qualifications and place as much importance on application and personality. We are confident that we place our employees in the right roles – resulting in better service for our customers.”

Karen Price, Chief Executive of e-skills UK, commented:

“There is no question that employers should be at the heart of developing vocational qualifications. They are best placed to know which skills are needed to meet the demands of the sector and how best to apply these. This event is a fantastic opportunity to further encourage collaboration between educational institutes and industry, which we see as essential to ensuring Northern Ireland’s IT sector continues to flourish.”

Northgate calls for focus on health inequalities

2010-10-05T23:00:00+01:00

Tackling health inequalities should be made a key focus of the coalition government’s plans for NHS reform if better services are to be delivered for less, says Northgate Public Services today.

Responding to the NHS white paper Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS, Northgate welcomes the government’s overall approach, but argues that not enough is being done to tackle inequalities in health. The organisation says that without addressing these issues, many of the government’s wider health objectives could be blunted in implementation.

Sir Michael Marmot found in his recent review that health inequalities place an additional cost on the NHS of around £5.5 billion a year. He also estimated a further cost to the wider economy of over £60 billion through loss of productivity, reduced tax receipts, and higher welfare payments.

Northgate is urging the government to improve public health and achieve significant cost savings by ensuring a strategy for tackling health inequalities is fully embedded in the plans for NHS reform.

Ian Blackhurst, Managing Director of Public Safety for Northgate Public Services, added: “While we welcome many of the government’s plans for reform, if we are to make change work we have to tackle persistent health inequalities which are prevalent in our communities. The NHS has to be about fairness to everyone. Government must work with its partners to take preventative action and tackle the root causes of poor health.“

Northgate calls for Big Debate on policing

2010-09-16T23:00:00+01:00

A radical service revolution is required if UK policing is to meet the economic, political and social challenges of today, according to a wide-ranging response to the Home Office’s policing consultation Policing in the 21st Century: Reconnecting police and the people.

In its submission, Northgate Public Services argues that while the consultation has gone some way, government needs to do more to build public trust.

In spite of the excellent developments in neighbourhood policing, too many targets and too much bureaucracy have left police forces hampered by processes and red tape. If public trust - so essential for preventing crime – is to be rebuilt, those involved in supporting its delivery have to work together to innovate, to improve performance and to deliver public value, the response says.

The response argues that the fiscal pressures on policing require a revolution which not only delivers better, but better for less. There is an opportunity for a radical overhaul of the processes which have tied up the police service for too long. Strong national direction is needed to ensure that collaboration between forces increases at the right speed to get the right results at the right time

Northgate suggests that in rebalancing the relationship governing policing, there must be clear roles and that the ‘golden thread’ of British policing – from the national and international to the very local – must be renewed and strengthened. As a first step, it calls for a Big Debate on the role of policing to involve, educate and engage the public.

The response argues that if the proposed Police and Crime Commissioners are to be successful, such a debate is necessary in the context of reduced resources. It also recommends that the Commissioners’ remit be widened to:

• promote understanding of crime and policing in local communities

• support improvement and innovation in delivering police services to the public and to identify and support best practice

• promote collaboration between forces

Northgate also calls on the government to consider the use of justice reinvestment - where budgets are devolved locally - to shift resources away from the costs of penal custody to a greater focus on community safety and crime prevention, more aligned to local needs.

Ian Blackhurst, Managing Director of Public Safety for Northgate Public Services, added: “The service delivery revolution in policing will require a systematic analysis of the processes, people and cost involved in delivering policing and criminal justice. We have to recognise, and get the public to realise that it is not just the criminal justice system that must work to combat crime. Preventing and reducing crime requires a collaborative and multi-agency approach that includes the public, private and not-forprofit sectors, the community and individuals themselves. Only by working together will we ensure that better services are delivered for less.”

-Ends

For more information

Fellows’ Associates

Kathy Sutton +44(0)20 7324 6221; +44(0)7966 890401

Danny Calogero +44(0)20 7324 6223; +44(0)7534 189235

Hannah Smith +44(0)20 7324 6222; +44(0)7949 421356

Notes to editors

1. Northgate Public Services is an innovative provider of transformation and improvement services to the public sector. It is committed to high quality public services that place individuals and their communities at their heart. Its knowledge and understanding of people’s needs are core to its business, as too, is its depth and breadth across public services.

3. In the UK, Northgate works with ninety five per cent of local authorities, every police force, and a large number of health organisations, housing associations, utilities and transport companies. Founded in 1969, the company has more than 12,000 employees.

Northgate Managed Services uses Aeromark Technology to Deliver better Customer Service

2010-09-09T23:00:00+01:00

New mobile workforce management system results in a 12:1 return on investment through faster customer fixes and greater efficiencies

As part of a companywide transformation project which sought to deliver better value to customers, both in terms of innovative high quality IT services and lower costs, leading ICT services company, Northgate Managed Services (Northgate MS) has successfully deployed the next generation of mobile workforce management systems from Aeromark; to manage it’s 180 IT field engineers, throughout the UK.

Aeromark’s Service Link is a unified paperless planning, job-despatch, PDA workflow, vehicle tracking and turn-by-turn navigation system, and was selected by Northgate MS after a period of extensive research to optimise business processes. The system allows complete visibility of the workforce (where they are, what jobs they are working on and their job status) as well as a complete overview of the client jobs logged. A team of resource planners monitor jobs that have been captured by the main IT service desk and then, using accurate live work data, allocate the job to the most appropriate engineer, based on location and expertise. The job will then be accepted by the engineer via their PDA, and using the integrated navigation technology, the engineer will attend the job.

The system has been introduced in phases, with the first phase implemented in January and since being introduced the team has responded to an increased number of jobs. From a company stand point the new technology has helped to enhance Northgate’s overall efficiencies, which ultimately benefit the customer.

Commenting on the success of the mobile workforce project James Turnbull, Managing Director, Infrastructure Solutions, Northgate Managed Services said “The mobile workforce project has enabled us to drive change in our business, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of our field engineering team. We have improved the management of our engineers through better planning based on increased visibility and better communication. Already the functionality of the system has enabled us to increase our average jobs per week per engineer.”

He continued, “We are extremely pleased with the results which have exceeded our expectations. Our Engineers have embraced the technology and our customers are noticing the benefits. We look forward to continuing to work closely with Aeromark and further developing the system to meet the ever changing demands of our customers and the industry.”

Roger Marks, Aeromark’s Managing Director remarked “The improvements Northgate Managed Services have achieved have been a record result in terms of instant ROI for Service Link, especially as they were already an experienced user of PDAs. This demonstrates the effectiveness of our technology combined with a highly focused and well managed team at Northgate.”
Service Link combines all the technologies available from Aeromark, including Optimatics, Vehicle Tracking and Workflow DynMX, Aeromark’s bespoke PDA application on one single platform. New jobs are passed to Service Link which enables Geographic Optimisation based on Engineer workload and skill set; Northgate Managed Services get instant feedback, independently from both the Engineers vehicle and the PDA. The System also manages Parts Logistics, Collections and Van Stock.

Northgate Managed Services named finalist in two categories in the 2010 UK IT Industry Awards

2010-09-09T23:00:00+01:00

Northgate Managed Services (Northgate), a leading IT services provider and previous IT Services Supplier winner has been announced as a finalist in two categories in the 2010 UK IT Industry Awards which will take place on Thursday 11th November at Battersea Park Events Arena in London.

Northgate has been shortlisted for IT Employer of the Year and Best IT Supplier of the Year and will compete alongside nine other finalists in each category to claim the overall titles.

The UK IT Industry Awards are a platform for the entire profession to celebrate best practice, innovation and excellence.

Northgate, employs over 1,300 people and continues to achieve significant business success and growth. The company carefully balances measures to manage costs alongside investments in; training and development of staff, development of internal processes and implementation of new tools and technologies to improve service offerings to its 2,000 customers across the UK.

David Clarke, Chief Executive Officer, BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, says:

“Congratulations to all the finalists. They can be proud of their achievements. Their projects and work showcase the professionalism that exists among IT professionals and also highlights the value of IT today and the way it touches so many areas of society.”

Robin Booth, Publishing Director of Computing comments:

“I would like to add my congratulations to the finalists. The UK IT Industry Awards are rigorously judged and to be announced as a finalist is a great achievement. I don’t envy the judges who now have to decide the winners; it’s going to be very tough.”

South Derbyshire partnership shows the way

2010-08-01T23:00:00+01:00

An innovative partnership which guarantees to further improve public services, deliver extra value for money for residents and create economic opportunities for the region has started today in South Derbyshire.

Aimed at delivering better for less while maintaining investment in services, the partnership between South Derbyshire District Council and Northgate Public Services is a pioneering response to the age of austerity.

The contract, worth £22 million, is guaranteed to make savings to the Council of £2.1 million over seven-years. This includes an innovative risk-reward scheme where the cost of introducing new initiatives to transform council services will only be paid out of cashable savings. Northgate will also invest £1.9 million in upgrading IT systems and services.

Northgate has taken on responsibility for managing the District Council’s Corporate Services. This includes Finance, Organisational Development, Revenues, Benefits and Customer Services along with IT and Business Improvement as part of its regional centre of excellence.

Using the Civic Centre, in Swadlincote, Derbyshire, as a base, Northgate’s regional centre of excellence provides business transformation services for both public and private organisations throughout the East Midlands and nationally.

Cllr Bob Wheeler, the Leader of South Derbyshire District Council, said: “This partnership is all about ensuring that the Council and its residents emerge even stronger through these challenging economic times. Our innovative approach will provide even better value for money to our communities, continue to improve services and create more jobs.

“South Derbyshire is leading the way. We are showing how the public sector must respond. This pioneering partnership will be used as an example of good practice and forward thinking across the country.”

Dave Meaden, Chief Executive, Northgate Public Services said: “We are committed to developing new ways of working to beat the age of austerity. We are delighted that South Derbyshire shares this ethos. “Our partnership is focused on creating better public services for the people of South Derbyshire now and in the future, while making savings, and providing economic opportunities for the region as a whole through our centre of excellence. We believe it is the right response at the right time.” Responsibility for service delivery will stay with the Council. Elected Members will continue to set priorities and scrutinise the partnership.

Under the deal, 84 Council staff members, who have been kept fully informed throughout the process, have been transferred over to Northgate.

As well as protecting jobs at the Council, Northgate will bring in 100 jobs into the

District as part of the contract over the next 18 months.

For further information
Fellows’ Associates

Kathy Sutton +44(0)20 7324 6221; +44(0)7966 890401

Hannah Smith +44(0)20 7324 6222; +44(0)7949 421356

Danny Calogero +44(0)20 7324 6223; +44(0)7534 189235

South Derbyshire District Council

Keith Bull +44(0)1283 228761;

Carole Warburton +44(0)1283 595741;

Northgate partners are top for benefits processing

2010-07-29T23:00:00+01:00

The top five performing local authorities for benefit processing are all partners of Northgate Public Services, according to research based on statistics published by the Department of Work and Pensions.

West Oxfordshire District Council, North Hertfordshire District Council, Mid Devon District Council, Rushmoor Borough Council and Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council have all achieved an average processing time of four days. This compares with the national average of 11 days. All five authorities use the Northgate Benefits application.

The research also shows that 10 of the 14 authorities which managed to process claims in an average of five days and 11 of the 20 authorities who processed claims in six days were also Northgate partners. The research is based on Right Time Indicator (RTI) statistics for the third quarter of 2009/10 published earlier this month by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Northgate is committed to delivering innovation and improvement in processing benefit claims. Last year its user-focused revenue and benefits training programme became the first of its kind to be accredited by the IRRV. The programme focuses on achieving best practice by working with and assessing staff on the systems that they use in their workplaces. Northgate is now calling on all local authorities to raise standards in benefit processing by focussing on staff development and training which in turn will deliver increased customer satisfaction and efficiencies.

Howard Crompton, Head of Revenues and Benefits at North Hertfordshire District Council said: “We are delighted that the investment in Northgate’s eBenefits New Claims, Change in Circumstances, eMobile and Self-Serve has allowed us to improve performance and make efficiencies. We are also working with our Registered Social Landlords to enable them to capture data on our behalf, thereby providing more efficiencies and giving customers a more joined up service”.
Jon Dearing, Head of Revenues and Benefits for West Oxfordshire and Cotswold District Councils said: “West Oxfordshire District Council has seen continuous improvement against all of its Revenues and Benefits performance indicators over the last 3 years. While this is the result of several factors, not least the hard work and dedication of the team members, we are confident that our closer working relationship with Northgate has made a significant contribution to our success. We have used Northgate’s processing, document imaging and workflow systems for several years and have more recently worked closely with Northgate on the development of their User Accreditation Scheme. This recent collaboration has enabled our teams to use the Northgate systems in much more effective and efficient ways - to the benefit of the customer”.
Joe Bradley, Managing Director of Citizen Services for Northgate Public Services, said today: “We are delighted that our partners have achieved such great results. However, we recognise that there are still further improvements which need to be made. With the level of claimants expected to rise over coming years, it is essential that councils are dealing with claims in the most efficient way possible. We are committed to working with local authorities to deliver better for less and to continue improving standards and delivering improvements for both the council and the claimant.”

Acquisition of CARM Police Duty Management System

2010-07-22T23:00:00+01:00

Northgate Public Services today announces the acquisition of CARM Police Duty Management System from Concorde Informatics in a move designed to further boost Northgate’s demand management services for hard-pressed police forces across the country.

CARM is the market leading resource management system used by more forces than any other in the country, including the Metropolitan Police and West Yorkshire Police.

CARM enables forces to manage their complex shift patterns, allowing them to ensure the right staff coverage to deliver responsive policing to the public at the right time. It allows forces to search for available officers with a specific set of skills at any time. It equips them to better plan their human resources through daily, weekly, monthly and annual rosters. They can also analyse the use of overtime budgets and quickly record and monitor absence.

The acquisition of CARM significantly strengthens Northgate’s ability to assist forces in providing more effective policing at a time when the service is under unprecedented pressure to make efficiency savings. Northgate currently is the exclusive supplier and integrator of Leicestershire Constabulary’s award-winning iR3 initiative aimed at building public confidence, improving performance and creating efficiencies.

In his Independent Review of Policing 2008, Sir Ronnie Flanagan noted that the initiative has resulted in: “A dramatic reduction in self-deployment, substantially reducing multiple deployments and improving response times through automatic identification and deployment of the nearest available unit. Officer time spent in priority areas has significantly increased.”

Commenting on the acquisition, Ian Blackhurst, Managing Director of Public Safety, Northgate Public Services said today: “This is yet another exciting acquisition for Northgate Public Services. We are significantly growing our public safety business through selective acquisitions which allow us to work effectively with police services at a time of unprecedented challenge. We are committed to working with the public sector in new ways that involve sharing risk and reward so that we can create cashable savings while improving performance. We firmly believe that the addition of CARM will strengthen our ability to deliver this to every police force in the country.”

For more information

Kathy Sutton +44 (0)20 7324 6221; +44 (0)7966 890401

Hannah Smith +44 (0)20 7324 6222; +44 (0)7949 421356

Danny Calogero +44 (0)20 7324 6223; +44 (0)7534 189235

Wigan High School, in Partnership with Northgate Managed Services, transforms into centre of excellence for eLearning

2010-07-18T23:00:00+01:00

Engaging today’s students with technology - Abraham Guest High School delivers its vision for personalised interactive learning

Opening brand new doors to over 900 students, Abraham Guest High School in Wigan is delivering its inspiring vision for personalised, anytime, anywhere learning as part of the One School Pathfinder programme.

Keen to engage students through a truly interactive learning experience, staff at the new multi-million pound school are working in partnership with ICT specialist Northgate Managed Services to embed the latest technologies into teaching practice. From an interactive pod utilising the latest Immersive technology in the science lab and a biometric locker system for laptops, to Nintendo Wiis sunk into the gym walls, staff and students are immersed in a technology-rich environment the moment they step foot inside the school.
Appreciating the individuality of every school and the concept that one size does not fit all, Northgate has worked closely with Abraham Guest’s leadership team from the outset to foster a flexible, dynamic partnership to support their vision and ultimately help to transform learning.

Entering the school’s bright and airy atrium, a high-powered projector and large LCD screens adorn the walls, showcasing students’ work and important announcements of the day. A large LED display is also to be installed to display the school’s innovative 60-year clock which will broadcast key changes at the school, from student opinion on a range of topics and issues, to the dinner menu and uniform. Students are currently designing the clock’s interface to be selected by a panel of judges and implemented by Northgate in the next academic year. Promoting student voice, implementation of biometric technology is also planned to capture students’ opinions on a range of topics as they enter and leave the building.

Providing a learning environment which caters for every learning style and enables students to collaborate is imperative at Abraham Guest. One exceptional example of this is a new interactive pod situated in the large 1600sqm open-plan science area. Inspired by installations at Salford University’s Innovation Unit, the pod has been developed and produced by Northgate. High-resolution projectors display content on to the specially commissioned screen which doubles as the pods external wall, this has been designed to capture students’ attention and engage them in science topics. Designed to submerse students in multi-sensory learning, the interior combines the latest flight simulation technology and surround sound , enabling students to gain an immersive experience with the subject matter without outside distractions. For example, when studying the solar system students can immerse themselves in a journey through the planets .In chemistry they can watch molecules in 3D as they rotate to show their structure.Up to six students can enter the pod at one time, facilitating group work. The software for the pod will be continually developed by Northgate and the school’s e-learning content developer to help facilitate different learning outcomes and experiences.

Helping students to understand how science can have major influence on their daily lives, the school is working with Project Faraday to incorporate science into the building and grounds. Currently, Northgate is integrating technology to take readings from the school’s 60-year clock and Knowledge Garden which sees waste products from the science blocks filtered into a tank and pumped through reed beds to create recyclable water. All of this data will be available on the school’s intranet for staff and students to interpret in class.

Helping students to become independent learners, the school is now fully wireless-enabled allowing students to access their work via a range of fixed, mobile and handheld devices wherever they are in the building. To complement this, Northgate has implemented its Virtual Desktop solution which allows students to log-on to any computer, anywhere and anytime to access the school’s full range of applications. A biometric locker system for laptops has also been installed to provide access to laptops whenever a student requires one. This innovative solution releases to the student whichever laptop has the most charge and records who, when and for how long a student signs a laptop out for. In addition to enhancing the security of school equipment, the system helps teachers analyse the time students spend working independently.
Understanding that students are surrounded daily by the latest consumer technologies, staff at Abraham Guest now provide the interactive learning experience they have come to expect, in the classroom. For example, Nintendo Wiis have been installed in the gym and changing rooms to provide flexibility in how students exercise. This is proving particularly popular with female students who may not engage with traditional sports. Dartfish, video technology is used to record and analyse movement in a variety of sporting situations as students strive for success.

Roy Caslake, Headteacher, Abraham Guest High School, comments: “Our school’s entire school improvement plan has been centred on the learning needs of our students. They use technology every day so have come to expect this as part of their learning. From the outset, Northgate Managed Services has been incredibly flexible and adaptable in its approach and as a result, the company has helped shape our school’s vision. Technology moves fast so it has been crucial to work with a partner that can be flexible when interpreting our needs and is always ahead of the game.”

David Hyland, Managing Director, Education at Northgate Managed Services, comments: “We are delighted to be working with such a forward-thinking school that is putting the learning needs of today’s students at the heart of its vision. We are employed to challenge as well as support the school’s ICT provision so it has been vital to have constant two-way dialogue. Both parties have been continuously engaged and have challenged each other every step of the way to improve ICT provision, resulting in an exceptional learning environment which will stand the test of time.”

School to Benefit from Northgate Managed Services Business Expertise

2010-06-27T23:00:00+01:00

North Belfast primary school, St Mary’s Star of the Sea, is set to benefit from invaluable business expertise in 2010/2011 after being ‘adopted’ by Northgate Managed Services.

Created by Business in the Community, the ‘Adopt a School’ program, seeks to build stronger links between businesses and local schools, utilising the expertise of the business community to help enrich the education sector.

Since becoming one of the first businesses to sign up to the pilot scheme, Northgate has been on hand to advise the school on all aspects of business; from ensuring the school is able to make the most of ICT through to marketing the school to its local community. Northgate has donated IT equipment and software which will be used by both teachers and pupils to make the classroom more interactive, and has also been involved in a fundraising drive to stock the school’s library in preparation for the new school year. Northgate staff will continue to take part in several activities from September onwards - from supporting students with reading and computing to providing additional training for teachers on how to get more out of ICT in the classroom.

Eleanor Lee, Head of Marketing, Northgate Managed Services commented:
“Northgate has enjoyed a good relationship with St Mary’s Star of the Sea for over ten years. We are delighted to strengthen this partnership further by signing up to Business in the Community’s ‘Adopt a School’ scheme. The benefits of the scheme are two-fold – we are able to give something back to a school in our local community while St Mary’s can avail of pro bono support on a range of issues and activities. Our employees are really enthusiastic about the initiative and look forward to progressing their adoptive role over the next year.”

Kieran McGarry, Principal, St Mary’s Star of the Sea Primary School said:
“Since we have been adopted by Northgate, the employees have given 100% to every initiative they have been involved in. Their commitment and enthusiasm is commendable and I’d like to thank them for all the great work they have done to date and look forward to progressing this further still from September onwards.”

Jill Crawford, Community Director, Business in the Community said:
“Northgate is to be commended for demonstrating responsible leadership in Corporate Social Responsibility. The Adopt a School initiative enables the strengthening of links between business and education, providing vital connections for the future. Business in the Community is delighted to have one of our member companies leading on this in the Newtownabbey area.”

Kent Innovation Showcase 2010

2010-06-09T23:00:00+01:00

Kent schools to share best practice for educational transformation through technology

Event: Kent Innovation Showcase 2010 – Sharing Innovation & Success – free two-day event organised by Kent schools

Who should attend: Senior leaders, teachers, trainee teachers, bursars and ICT leads at Kent primary and secondary schools

Date/Time: Tuesday 22nd June 2010 - School Tours – 10:00 – 13:00
Wednesday 23rd June 2010 - Kent Innovation Conference – 08:30 – 16:00

Venue: Ashford International Hotel, Ashford, Kent, TN24 8UX

Catering: Refreshments and lunch will be provided at the conference

Kent primary and secondary school leaders and teaching staff are joining together this June at the Kent Innovation Showcase 2010 to share their experiences, challenges and success stories in driving innovation in ICT, personalised learning and change management.

Organised by Kent schools, in association with Kent County Council and supported by leading provider of ICT services and solutions, Northgate Managed Services (www.northgate-is.com/managedservices), this free two-day event kicks off with a guided tour around three exemplary institutions: Dane Court Grammar School in Broadstairs, Ifield School in Gravesend and the host school, Hugh Christie Technology College in Tonbridge. Attendees will select their preferred institution to be taken on a half-day tour and showcase of the school’s technology and learning initiatives. For example, visitors to Hugh Christie will learn about the school’s ‘Real Learning Programme’ and how the school uses Northgate’s expertise to maximise its ICT efficiency and offer students the best education using technology. At District Special School, Ifield, visitors will see how the latest technologies are helping to transform teaching and learning for students with physical, sensory and learning needs.

On day two, a full-day conference and exhibition will be opened by Professor Stephen Heppell of Bournemouth University, attributed as ‘the most influential academic of recent years in the field of technology and education.’* Covering the themes of innovation with ICT, personalised learning and change management, the conference will encompass an exciting range of school presentations from primary, secondary and academy leaders, providing deep insight into the strategies Kent schools are using to achieve educational excellence. Attendees will also get hands-on ICT experience in the exhibition area where they will have the opportunity to meet a selection of technology partners.

For further information or to book a place at the conference, please register at www.northgate-is.com/managedservices or contact Northgate Managed Services on tel: 02890 857159 / e-mail: lynsey.irwin@northgate-is.com.

Northgate Managed Services team does a bloomin' marvelous job at NI Childrens Hospice

2010-06-09T23:00:00+01:00

A team from Newtownabbey-based Northgate Managed Services traded the office for the great outdoors this week to tend to the garden at the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice.

The 18 staff members visited the Hospice as part of Business in the Community’s Cares Challenge; a campaign set up to encourage employee volunteering in the local community.

Donning gardening gloves, the ‘green-fingered’ team tackled some heavy-duty weeding as well as freshening up the paintwork on the many benches placed around the garden – used and enjoyed by the children, family members and staff all year round.

Commenting on the challenge, Eleanor Lee, Head of Marketing, Northgate Managed Services said:
“Northgate is delighted to take on the Cares Challenge for the 2nd year as part of our ongoing CSR activities. The Children’s’ Hospice is a neighbour of ours in Newtownabbey and at Northgate we place a huge importance on giving something back to the local community; especially to those organisations who themselves give so much. The staff at the Hospice work extremely hard and it’s fantastic to be able to help out where we can.”

Caroline Greer, head of fundraising, NI Children’s Hospice said:
“On behalf of everyone, I’d like to extend our thanks to the team from Northgate Managed Services. They give it 100% on every visit and definitely aren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves and get their hands (and clothes!) dirty. The garden is an integral part of the Hospice and allows us to give the children and their families a ‘Home from Home’ experience in a comfortable and safe environment. Well done to the Northgate team.”

Northgate Managed Services becomes Hartlepool Tall Ships Sponsor

2010-06-03T23:00:00+01:00

THE Tall Ships Races 2010 organisers in Hartlepool have announced Northgate Managed Services as the latest organisation to sign up as a sponsor.

The company, Hartlepool Borough Council’s strategic Information and Communications Technology (ICT) provider, is backing the town’s plans to host the finale of the international event from August 7-10 when up to one million visitors are expected.

Vessels will arrive in Hartlepool – the only UK host port - after sailing from Kristiansand in Norway and they will depart after taking part in an impressive Parade of Sail.

Hartlepool Borough Council has teamed up with PD Ports and Hartlepool Marina to stage the event and, so far, 67 ships have registered, 21 of them the largest square-rigged Class A vessels.

Michelle Daurat, Hartlepool Borough Council’s Tall Ships Project Manager, said: “We’re delighted to have Northgate Managed Services on board as a diamond sponsor.

“Northgate will be involved in installing technology and communication links for the Tall Ships events, and we’re pleased to be forging even closer links with the company through this sponsorship.”

Northgate Managed Services has over 30 years of experience within the ICT industry and employs over 1,300 people across the UK.

As part of the sponsorship deal, Northgate will be supporting six young people from Owton/Rossmere-based ORCEL Sea Training who will be sailing in The Tall Ships Races aboard Black Diamond.

Andy Ross, Chief Executive of Northgate Managed Services, said: “Over the past ten years, we have developed a strong and successful working relationship delivering ICT services in partnership with Hartlepool Borough Council.

“We are delighted to be able to support the Council by sponsoring the Hartlepool Tall ships event. Northgate Managed Services is committed to making a positive impact in the local communities in which we operate and we are excited to be able to give young people from ORCEL Sea Training the opportunity to compete in The Tall Ships Races. We wish them luck and hope they enjoy the experience, gaining key life skills on the way.”

For further information about the event log onto www.hartlepooltallships2010.com, telephone 01429 523636 or email tallships@hartlepool.gov.uk

Northgate Managed Services gets involved in an Inspirational Big Conversation

2010-05-25T23:00:00+01:00

Tuesday 25 May 2010 sees the national Work Inspiration campaign launched in Northern Ireland. It is delivered by Business in the Community in conjunction with the CBI and supported by Northern Bank and UTV Media plc.

Since Spring 2008, Business in the Community has been surveying senior business leaders for ideas on how to tackle the skills deficit in the UK and one of the key issues identified was the gap between the idea a young person has of the world of work and what business expects from new recruits.

In Northern Ireland, 22,000 young people are eligible for work experience each year. To be effective, it must be meaningful, relevant and above all inspiring.

Andy Ross, Chief Executive at Northgate Managed Services attended a Big Conversation, an event hosted by UTV. He joined over 50 Chief Executives and business leaders, meeting with 15 and 16 year old students to raise awareness among the corporate sector of how businesses can be used as a catalyst for positive change in the way work experience is provided for young people.

Liz Lemon, Programme Manager for Work Inspiration explains: “Businesses of all sizes and types, public and private, need to commit to making changes and to reviewing and improving the work experience they offer. We need to show young people that there are many routes to success.”

“Work Inspiration will bring three-fold benefits: we have tools to help employers provide inspirational placements, guidance for schools to help prepare students before embarking on their placement and the results should be inspirational, informative and fun placements for students.”

Northgate Managed Services Appointed to Provide ICT Services to Hartlepool BSF Programme

2010-05-24T23:00:00+01:00

Hartlepool secondary schools are set to achieve their vision for personalised learning through technology as part of the Government’s Building Schools for the Future programme. Contracted to deliver the £12.98million ICT initiative, Northgate Managed Services - a leading provider of ICT services and solutions - will provide every student and teacher with access to a personal learning device* as just one of a number of strategies to enhance learning.
Northgate Managed Services will deliver its first ICT-only BSF contract to seven schools in Hartlepool. These include: Dyke House Sports and Technology College, Manor College of Technology, St. Hilds C of E School, English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College, Catcote Business and Enterprise College, High Tunstall College of Science and the Council’s Pupil Referral Unit. The investment allows for the provision and management of the very latest learning and teaching tools creating technology-rich learning spaces which are responsive, inclusive and supportive of attainment by all.

Committed to providing quality, cost-effective ICT, Northgate Managed Services has worked closely with the local authority and schools to factor existing technology and funding streams into BSF. For example, to give every student and teacher access to a personal learning device without impacting heavily on the Local Choice Fund, Northgate has analysed the percentage of children eligible for a device through the Home Access initiative as well as those who already owned a device at home. This strategy also supports the authority’s personalisation approach, as it not only enables students to work anytime, anywhere, but also allows them to work on a device they prefer to use.
Further supporting the individuality of every school and the concept that one size doesn’t fit all, Hartlepool will benefit from Northgate’s latest development N-able School, an easy-to-use, flexible web portal. This will provide students with their own personalised learning area where they can work on assignments, store their work and access emails, enabling them to communicate with teachers and fellow students.
The portal will provide Hartlepool’s schools with access to core applications and the ability to add customise with additional applications, allowing each school to tailor their web-portal to their individual needs. Schools can integrate key educational and administrative systems they currently use and access them securely through single sign-on from school, home or anywhere else with an internet connection. Northgate will also provide an extended offering to support anytime, anywhere learning for students, with the latest 'Thin Client' solutions which will enable them to access all their school software on the move.
Northgate Managed Services will also be supporting Hartlepool’s ‘Space to Learn’ project - a nationally recognised project which will provide a testbed environment to develop and enhance the best teaching and learning practices in the 21st century. It will consist of flexible learning spaces and innovative technologies which will be used by all schools within Hartlepool supported by Hartlepool’s City Learning Centre and in partnership with Northgate Managed Services. This project also represents the potential for greater collaboration between primary and secondary schools to help prepare younger students for their transition to secondary school.

Councillor Cath Hill, Hartlepool Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said: “Technology has made massive strides in recent years and in our hi-tech generation young people are used to accessing information instantly – learning anywhere and any time. This contract with Northgate will enable Hartlepool’s secondary schools to meet that challenge and create a new and uniquely flexible teaching and learning environment. It will complement traditional face-to-face teaching and will create a learning revolution which will set the standard for many years to come.”

David Hyland, Managing Director, Education, Northgate Managed Services, comments: “As our first ICT-only BSF contract, we are proud to be in partnership with Hartlepool Borough Council. We now look forward to working closely with the schools and council to achieve their vision for anytime, anywhere learning. By working in partnership with the council and the individual schools, we will be offering innovative, high quality facilities and integrated information and communication technology to help deliver personalised learning tailored to the needs, interests and aptitudes of their learners. Northgate has factored existing technology and funding streams into BSF to create a sizeable Local Choice Fund, giving considerable spending power back to the schools, demonstrating Northgate’s commitment to flexible solutions.”
Northgate already supplies managed services to over 1,200 school and college networks across the UK and is responsible for 20 schools currently benefitting from BSF investment as well as providing interim managed services to an additional 27 BSF schools. This is Northgate’s fifth BSF contract win, in addition to recent success in the single schools and academies market.
For further information about Northgate Managed Services, please visit the website at: www.northgate-is.com/managedservices
*Personalised learning devices include: Desktop PCs, Apple Macs, laptops and netbooks.

Extend the use of EPC data to combat climate change

2010-05-24T23:00:00+01:00

Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) have a key role to play in raising the awareness of our building’s carbon footprints and promoting energy efficiency measures, says Northgate Public Services today.

Responding to the Department of Communities and Local Government consultation Making better use of Energy Performance Certificates, Northgate say that the recent abolition of Home Information Packs (HIPs) will make EPCs more visible and give them a greater role in tackling climate change.

The organisation says that information from EPCs must be used to promote energy efficiency measures and not simply be an academic resource. Therefore, they suggest, EPC information should be more accessible to promote energy efficiency measures. In particular they cite the way in which Local Authorities could use this information to target energy efficiency measures at those areas most in need.

Northgate also say that the 10 year validity period for EPCs is too long and should be reduced to a period of three to five years. This would ensure that information is kept up to date and would reflect any energy efficiency measures taken during this period.

Russell Osborne, Managing Director of Citizen Solutions for Northgate Public Services, said today: “Climate change is one of the most pressing issues we currently face. Given that buildings account for almost half of the UK’s carbon emissions, EPCs are central to the vision of creating a zero carbon nation. On an individual level the information can be used to improve the state of a property. However, opening up access to the data would allow it to be used on a larger scale by Local Authorities to target measures and combat fuel poverty.

-Ends-

For more information

Fellows’ Associates
Kathy Sutton
020 7324 6221; 07966 890401
Hannah Smith
020 7324 6222; 07949 421356

South Derbyshire partnership to create stronger public services and growing economy

2010-05-18T23:00:00+01:00

It is announced today that South Derbyshire District Council has selected Northgate Public Services as its preferred bidder in a ground-breaking partnership programme designed to create stability and improvement in local services and boost jobs in the area.

The innovative risk-reward agreement, the first of its kind in the country, brings together a guaranteed package of service improvement, skills enhancement and jobs creation while delivering cashable savings to the Council through improved business processes. In total, it is anticipated that over 100 jobs will be brought into the district, with additional jobs created over future years.

Under a seven year contract worth £22 million, set to start on August 1st 2010, Northgate will take on direct responsibility for managing and improving the Council’s Corporate Services - Finance, Organisational Development, IT and Business Improvement, Revenues, Benefits and Customer Services. It will also develop a regional centre of excellence - a market-facing business – to support regional growth and develop employment opportunities across South Derbyshire.

Under Northgate’s leadership, citizen services will be transformed with better access and greater personalisation. Employees will have their jobs protected. They will benefit from improved investment and support as their skills and capabilities are developed to meet changing demand.

The regional Business Centre - to be set up in Swadlincote - will provide much-needed business services for the private and public sector across the East Midlands. It forms an integral part of a national network of regional centres currently being set up by Northgate.

The centres are aimed at providing public and private bodies with new opportunities to radically overhaul business processes, improve services, and generate cost efficiencies through economies of scale and shared resources.

The partnership will guarantee continued investment in services to secure further improvements and savings through the lifetime of the contract.

A total investment of £1.9 million has been pledged to upgrade IT systems and services. Northgate is also guaranteeing cashable savings to the council of more than £2 million pounds, inclusive of fees, over the lifetime of the project.

John Harrison, the Acting Leader for South Derbyshire District Council, said: “South Derbyshire is a great place to live and work. It is one of the fastest, if the not the fastest, growing districts in the East Midlands. We aim to keep it that way. We are committed to providing value for money for our community and this contract will enable us to save money while continuing to improve services.

“Northgate is a partner that we trust. It shares our high ambition for the future. We have a genuine commitment to one another and to making this partnership a success. We are confident that Northgate’s expertise in this area of work will allow us to deliver high quality, efficient services while creating job opportunities and enhanced skills. This really is a win-win situation for all concerned. Working together will improve services for our residents, while realising much needed savings."

Dave Meaden, Chief Executive of Northgate Public Services, said: “In these hard economic times councils must not only deliver stronger public services, they have to lead their communities back to economic growth. Our innovative approach is based on combining people development with process development to create better public services outcomes and wider improvements to South Derbyshire.”

“We are delighted to have been selected as preferred bidder. This is an exciting opportunity to build upon our transformation experience - to deliver the twin package of local service improvement and economic growth. We aim to deliver better for less while maintaining investment in services to create new opportunities for local people. We look forward to working with the Council and our new employees to ensure that the local community as a whole truly benefits from this partnership.”

-Ends-

For further information

Northgate contact
Fellows’ Associates
Kathy Sutton     +44(0)20 7324 6221; +44(0)7966 890401
Hannah Smith    +44(0)20 7324 6222; +44(0)7949 421356
Danny Calogero  +44(0)20 7324 6223; +44(0)7534 189235

NSPCC APPOINTS NORTHGATE MANAGED SERVICES TO ENHANCE IT SERVICES AND REDUCE COSTS

2010-05-16T23:00:00+01:00

The NSPCC has awarded a five year ICT contract to Northgate Managed Services (Northgate) for the provision of an ICT managed service. Under this contract, Northgate will be responsible for designing, implementing and managing a state of the art, resilient IT infrastructure supporting more than 2000 users in 130 locations across the UK, enhancing the quality of service to NSPCC staff and reducing costs.

Renowned as the UK’s leading child protection charity the NSPCC’s aim has remained steadfast – to protect children from cruelty and to increase awareness of the issues that surround such abuse. Today’s NSPCC continues to fight for the rights of children and works hard to promote its vision of ending child cruelty through a combined approach of services, policy and campaigning.

Thanks to a focus on the benefits delivered through new technologies the NSPCC has partnered with Northgate to implement a full ICT managed service based on the concept of ‘pay as you use’ utility based computing To achieve this, Northgate will build, own and manage the ICT infrastructure on behalf of the NSPCC. This service will be delivered from Northgate’s ITIL certified centre of excellence in Belfast and using Northgate’s national engineering team to provide local support at NSPCC offices throughout the UK.

Commenting on the new support contract Ian Chivers, Director of Finance and Corporate Services, NSPCC said, “As a third sector organisation, , the need to ensure value for money when selecting external suppliers is paramount. I am confident that by appointing Northgate, we have aligned ourselves with a provider that can not only deliver cost effective and reliable IT services across our organisation but also has the ability to grow with us as we continue to enhance our ability to engage with young people in an increasingly broad and fast changing digital world.

Mr. Chivers continued, “Northgate is providing a utility computing model. In essence we have in place a ‘pay as we use’ system which allows the NSPCC to accurately predict usage and to control costs. I am confident that over the next five years the NSPCC partnership with Northgate will allow us to optimise our use of technology and in doing so help us to work towards our main aim – ending child cruelty.”

Andy Ross, Chief Executive, Northgate Managed Services stated, “We are delighted to have been awarded the NSPCC contract. The Third sector is an important marketplace for Northgate and the award of this contract is clear evidence of our ability to provide the best, most effective solution overall. The NSPCC’s decision speaks volumes and clearly demonstrates its confidence in our company and our staff. We are committed to working hand-in-hand with the NSPCC team and over the next five years we will be introducing a number of new services that I am confident will allow the NSPCC to achieve clear return on its ICT investment.”

Northgate Managed Services supports Mini Rugby Festival as focus shifts from competition to taking part.

2010-05-16T23:00:00+01:00

New Rules Will Encourage Primary School Pupils to Give it a ‘Try’

Ravenhill Rugby ground will play home to a game with a difference this month as organisers of Ulster Primary Schools’ Mini Rugby make an affirmative ‘conversion’ in a bid to encourage all primary school children to take part.

Proudly sponsored by Northgate Managed Services (Northgate) for the 5th year, the Mini Rugby festival will now place a sole emphasis on participation, with the IRFU omitting the competition element for the first time in over 35 years.

The festival will take place over four days where 40 teams will play against each other in a series of four round robin matches. Scores will not be kept and no team will be crowned winner.

Commenting on the decision to change the festival’s focus, Simon Wallace, Commercial Manager at Ulster Rugby said:
“Despite its success over the years, we were keen to shift the emphasis away from winning and instead focus on encouraging widespread participation across all school groups, irrespective of their ability. Mini Rugby continues to be a fantastic way for children to become more active and develop their team skills and sense of ‘fair play’. We’d like to ensure this is true for all children and that no one is discouraged from future participation should their team not ‘win’, and so we’ve taken the decision to eliminate the competition element and rebrand the event as a festival as opposed to a tournament.”

Stuart Gunning, Northgate Managed Services added:
“Northgate Managed Services is committed to investing in the communities in which we work and as we continue to play a pivotal role in education through our work with Classroom 2000 (C2K), it is important for us to continue to foster links with the schools we work with. This more inclusive approach focuses much more on participation which develops key skills outside of the classroom such as teamwork. We are delighted to support the Primary Schools’ Mini Rugby festival this year and we hope all the participants enjoy playing at Ravenhill.”

The Mini Rugby festival will take place at Ulster Rugby’s home pitch, Ravenhill 11th-14th May.

Review funding to maximise value from resources

2010-05-11T23:00:00+01:00

The Scottish Government should conduct a review into public funding arrangements to ensure the sustainability of long-term care and to maximise value from resources, says Northgate Public Services today.

In a response to the Scottish Government’s consultation on self-directed support, Northgate says that the medium term recommendations of the Sutherland Report, which calls for a review of public funding, should be fully implemented. This, the organisation says, would address current funding gaps in social care and provide a more sustainable long term approach.

Northgate welcomes the moves to create services built around personalised need, but argues that these should be refocused if better services are to be delivered for less. Long term value from resources could be maximised, Northgate says, by ensuring low risk as well as high risk needs are met. Social care should also focus on addressing health inequalities. Key to this is eradicating the postcode lottery which currently effects the provision of care for those with low risk needs.

Russell Osborne, Managing Director of Citizen Solutions for Northgate Public Services, added: “The Scottish Government has a proud record in the provision of social care services. It must now take action to ensure the sustainability of its services in the future. Embedding prevention and the reduction of inequality will make services more responsive while also delivering financial benefits. Our concern is that the most disadvantaged in the poorest communities could face increasing inequality if a review is not conducted.

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For more information
Fellows’ Associates
Kathy Sutton
+44(0)20 7324 6221; +44(0)7966 890401

Danny Calogero
+44(0)20 7324 6223; +44(0)7534 189235

Northgate calls for integrated partnership to increase public confidence

2010-05-11T23:00:00+01:00

An integrated partnership which focuses on the prevention of crime could promote public trust and release valuable resources for frontline policing, claims Northgate Public Services today.

Responding to the Northern Ireland Office’s consultation Local Partnership Working on Policing and Community Safety, Northgate welcomes the plan to integrate two separate local partnerships – Community Safety Partnerships and District Policing Partnerships – into a single partnership, the Crime Reduction Partnership.

Northgate argues that local authorities working in conjunction with the police services are key to the new partnership’s success. They will identify local issues of concern for the Crime Reduction Partnership. Northgate says that this will help to promote neighbourhood policing, making services more responsive and enhancing public trust in policing. The company also says that new powers from 2011 will mean that local authorities can ensure the partnerships’ actions link effectively into community planning.

Northgate argues that the integration of the partnership will open up new opportunities for services to be redesigned around the needs of citizens and their local communities. The organisation says that by joining up back office functions, and reducing an overlap in services, the partnerships can ensure that more resources can be diverted to frontline services.

Ian Blackhurst, Managing Director of Public Safety at Northgate Public Services, said today: “Promoting public confidence is key to delivering continually improving neighbourhood policing in Northern Ireland. By integrating the two partnerships, citizens will gain from better services with less resources. At a time when public services are so hard pressed, these proposals are all about providing more effective and efficient policing that is truly accountable and responsive to the needs of the people of Northern Ireland.”

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For more information
Fellows’ Associates
Kathy Sutton +44(0)20 7324 6221; +44(0)7966 890401
Danny Calogero +44(0)20 7324 6223; +44(0)7534 189235

DVA Telephone Booking Service Celebrates 2 Millionth Caller

2010-05-11T23:00:00+01:00

21 April 2010

DVA Telephone Booking Service Celebrates 2 Millionth Caller

- - Northgate Managed Services continues to provide an effective telephone booking service for local drivers with 99.5% of Callers totally satisfied*- 412,000 Northern Ireland Drivers Opt for Phone Booking ServiceThe Driver Vehicle Agency (DVA) has proven to be a leader in the delivery of effective and efficient public services after receiving its two millionth phonecall booking. The positive uptake of the telephone and online booking system, which has been implemented and managed by Northgate Managed Services since 2004, highlights how the DVA has responded to the ‘Modernising Government’ agenda. Responsible for licensing and testing vehicles and drivers in NI, and operating 15 test centres province-wide, the DVA conducts over 500,000 MOT checks and 40,000 driving tests each year. Key outcomes of the booking system are a streamlined, paperless, time efficient service which provides a seamless transition from booking stage to test lane. All appointments are centrally managed by Northgate allowing customers to select or change appointment dates and pay fees by credit/debit cards, before the information is transferred to the 15 test centres.Carole Hill from Greyabbey was delighted to discover she was the DVA’s 2millionth telephone booking customer, and was presented with a £250 petrol voucher to spend at her local forecourt by Northgate: “I was very impressed with the convenience and efficiency of the telephone booking service and would highly recommend it to other car owners. At a time when fuel prices are increasing, I’m delighted that thanks to Northgate, one very simple, straightforward phone call has resulted in my MOT being arranged – and my tank being filled for a considerable time. ”Commenting on the success of the new booking system, Lee Dodds, contract manager of the DVA booking service said: “Over the last few years the uptake of the telephone and on-line booking service has been exceptional which reflects how our customers favour time efficient options. This is further reflected in the fact that 99.5% of all callers over the last year were totally satisfied with the service they received, which is an outstanding result.”James Turnbull, Managing Director, Infrastructure Solutions, Northgate Managed Services added: “The technology we’re using is entirely customer focused enabling bookings, payments, cancellations, and rescheduling of appointments in a matter of minutes. We’re delighted to be working in partnership with the DVA to deliver this important public service, and we congratulate our 2millionth caller for marking this great milestone.”* Based on the annual average of a monthly survey in which 1% of customers who book through test centre and call centre are surveyed. EndsFor further information contact Claire Bonner, Morrow Communications Tel: 028 9039 3837

Foster announces investment by Northgate Managed Services

2010-05-11T23:00:00+01:00

Foster announces investment by Northgate Managed Services Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster announced an investment by Northgate Managed Services, supported by Invest Northern Ireland. The investment, which aims to create 88 new jobs and safeguard 241 others, will help Northgate achieve £62million of new business in external sales over the next three years and deliver over £8million in salaries annually into the local economy. Northgate Managed Services provides infrastructure and specialist ICT managed services to public and private sector organisations throughout the UK and Ireland from its head office in Newtownabbey. Making the announcement, the Minister said: “This major investment demonstrates Northgate’s focus on ensuring that it is competitively positioned to win further new business. “Generating £8.2million annually in salaries through the creation of 88 new jobs and the safeguarding of a further 241, this investment is a significant commitment by one of the UK’s leading IT services firms. Maintaining such skilled jobs paying above average salaries in a key industry sector, particularly in the current economic climate, is a very welcome boost for the Northern Ireland economy.” The wider project will see the company centralise a number of back office functions, make a number of efficiency improvements and engage in a major training and development programme. Invest NI has offered £2.64 million of support which includes £1.12 million of training assistance part funded by the European Regional Development Fund. Arlene Foster continued: “By 2011, over 530 people will be employed by Northgate in Northern Ireland, that’s almost half of its total UK workforce. This is a strong endorsement of the local skills base which will be further enhanced as the training element of the project is implemented.” Andy Ross, Chief Executive of Northgate Managed Services said: “Last year we worked to reduce the impact of the global downturn and focused on increasing sales, fulfilling customer needs and protecting jobs. We were extremely successful in achieving these objectives and the investment announced today will allow us to build upon those achievements and prepare to take advantage of the upturn. “We have identified new external sales opportunities potentially worth up to £62 million over the next three years and plan to implement a number of efficiency and capability development activities to ensure we achieve the targets set. Our highly talented employees are a key part of our continued growth and the investment in training and the recruitment of a further 88 staff will be a crucial to our future success.”

NI Business of the Year Awarded to Northgate Managed Services

2010-05-11T23:00:00+01:00

29^th March 2010NI Business of the Year Awarded to Northgate Managed ServicesNI’s leading IT services provider, Northgate Managed Services, has scored a double whammy after winning two major accolades at the 2010 Belfast Telegraph Business Awards in association with BMI. The Newtownabbey-based business was named ‘Business of the Year’ in addition to scooping the award for ‘Excellence in Service to Business’. Northgate Managed Services provides IT services to a broad range of over 2,000 private and public sector organisations across the UK and is Northern Ireland’s largest indigenous IT services company. The judging panel, chaired by leading Ulster economist John Simpson, was impressed by the company’s consistent growth, innovation and commitment to people development, crowning it overall ‘Business of the Year’.The Service to Business category recognises business to business relationships and services offered which have enhanced the business efficiency and productivity. Northgate was awarded for its successful journey through the recession which it achieved by investing in its people, processes and technologies to deliver added value to its widespread customer base. Throughout 2009 the company doubled its order intake to £176m, won over 60 contracts with a value of more than £250,000, retained its 15 key clients and added 10 new major customers to its client list, not only protecting its existing workforce but supplementing it by the creation of 100 new jobs.Andy Ross, Chief Executive of Northgate Managed Services said: “Our success at these awards is a fantastic accolade for our business and our people. This achievement demonstrates Northgate’s commitment to developing excellence in our employees and delivering excellence in customer service.

“Amid the current economic climate, we understand the importance of reinvesting in our business to deliver value and results for our customers. This was particularly relevant over the past twelve months when we have focused on our technology, processes and people development – resulting in enhanced productivity, heightened customer satisfaction, an increased rate of employee and customer retention and growth. Business performance is extremely encouraging, which is not only good news for us, but also for the wider economy.” Alastair Hamilton, Chief Executive of Invest NI and member of this year’s judging panel said: “Northern Ireland business has traditionally punched above its weight on the world stage. Much of this success has been achieved by individual companies focusing strongly on their unique selling proposition and relying on the expertise of others to deliver essential support services. In many instances, it is these providers of services to other businesses that underpin end to end excellence in customer service delivery, with this year’s winner being a worthy recipient.”In addition, Northgate was commended in the ‘Excellence for People Development’ category for its commitment to creating a sustainable learning and development culture, equipping staff with the appropriate skills, knowledge and processes to deliver innovative, industry-leading IT services.The Belfast Telegraph Business Awards were announced at a gala ceremony in Belfast’s Ramada Hotel, attended by representatives from leading local businesses, shortlisted across nine categories. Ends

For further information please contact Claire Bonner, Morrow Communications Tel: 028 90 393837

Northgate calls for Citizen First Approach

2010-04-21T23:00:00+01:00

Commitment both to the citizen and users should be placed at the heart of local government services, according to Northgate Public Services, one of the country’s leading providers of citizen relationship management services to the public sector.

The company, which has recently gained a gold award from Investors in People for its people management practice, is calling on the public sector to further engage and involve citizens in the design and delivery of services. A Citizen First strategic approach involves leadership from the top, employee training and development, citizen and user input, and measurement and assessment.

Russell Osborne, Managing Director of Citizen Solutions, Northgate Public Services said today: “In these hard economic times, the public sector has to innovate and engage with its citizens to deliver improved services. Increasingly, our clients in the public sector are focusing on the need of citizens and delivering services built around their needs. It is time that this best practice became common practice.”

The company highlights the practice of two of its clients who have recently won customer service awards as examples of best practice.

Broxtowe Borough Council has recently been awarded the prestigious ServiceMark by the Institute of Customer Service, the professional body for customer service performance and professionalism. It is one of only a handful of local authorities to gain the award. The award measures what citizens think of the council’s service and includes an independent assessment by a third party. The Institute report highlighted excellent leadership, the commitment to training of staff and service to their customers that was led from the top, and the fact that the management team had set themselves targets for improvement.

Lisburn City Council has been awarded the Customer Services Excellence Award by the Cabinet Office for its building control service. The assessors were particularly impressed by the development of a customer facing management information system which has evolved from an assessment of changing customer needs, including how the service reaches, interacts and creates business efficiencies for its customers. E-enabled services commenced with putting property certificates online. It has now evolved so that architectural plans can be submitted online, along with an enhanced and integrated email facility for customer interaction.

This development programme is soon to be added to, with the ability to track an applications progress from external PCs, employ remote access working abilities for surveyors and integrate with a corporate GIS facility permitting a 24/7 access to all of integrated services. Customer services will be enhanced further throughout NI local authorities, with the sharing of this technology and subsequent adoption by Belfast, N.Down, Cookstown, and Dungannon Councils.

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For more information
Fellows’ Associates
Kathy Sutton +44 (0)20 7324 6221; +44 (0)7966 890401

Further appointment to Northgate's transformation team

2010-04-18T23:00:00+01:00

Northgate Public Services today announces the appointment of Amit Dhawan to its specialist transformation division as Regional Operations Director for the Southern Region.

Amit joins Northgate after five highly successful years with DHL (Global Mail) where, from April 2008, he was Divisional Managing Director for UK National Mail.

Following positions at the Post Office and Royal Mail, Amit pioneered the development of DHL’s domestic mail business in the UK from its start-up to becoming one of the country’s leading brands.

Amit’s appointment signifies the further expansion of Northgate’s specialist transformation services at a time when the public sector is under intense pressure to deliver better services for less. It follows the recent announcement of Giles Piercy who leads the work of the division as Head of Performance Partnerships.

Amit will focus on strengthening and intensifying the growth of corporate-wide transformation services across the public sector in the Southern region, while continuing to build up specialist services in areas such as transport, social care, customer services and housing.

The company offers the public sector an innovative risk and reward business model that links its fees directly to its performance. As a result, it only gets paid when it meets its agreed financial and improvement targets, and fees come directly from the cashable savings delivered to the public authority.

Joe Bradley, Managing Director Citizen Services, Northgate Public Services said today: “Amit’s appointment is a crucial one for us. We are doing great work for citizens and public services in the South. But we can do so much more. Amit is a strategic thinker with a flare for developing new operations in highly competitive markets. He will help us build upon our track record in delivering better for less to the public sector.

“In these difficult economic times, our message to the public sector is simple, if you do not innovate, you are unlikely to improve the services that you deliver and which people have a right to expect. If we do not help you deliver that improvement you do not pay. It’s a win - win situation for the public sector and citizens alike. The public sector can ill afford to lose out.”

For more information:
Fellows’ Associates
Kathy Sutton +44(0)20 7324 6221; +44(0)7966 890401
Hannah Smith +44(0)20 7324 6222; +44(0)7949 421356

Johnson Service Group PLC cleans up payroll and HR with NorthgateArinso

2010-04-06T23:00:00+01:00

Johnson Service Group PLC cleans up payroll and HR with NorthgateArinso
~ flexibility of service, future proofing and accuracy provide key motives for move to ResourceLink Aurora ~

Johnson Service Group PLC (JSG), which provides essential support services to UK businesses and consumers in the areas of workwear, laundry services, dry cleaning and facilities management, has signed a five-year contract with NorthgateArinso. The HR software and services company will supply a fully managed payroll and hosted HR solution to 2,500 of JSG’s employees within its textile services division, which comprises of Johnson’s Apparelmaster, Johnson’s Stalbridge Linen Services, and the JSG Plc division.

The company selected NorthgateArinso after a lengthy period of time investigating the business’ true needs, in terms of service provision and scalability for the future.

“We needed a firm to provide us with an up-to-date and reliable HR, training and payroll service, and give us the business information we require at our fingertips, whenever and wherever we needed it,” said Avi Kar at JSG. “NorthgateArinso had the experience of dealing with large corporate clients and, with 400 customers already using ResourceLink, had the tried-and-tested foundations we were looking for. Additionally, ResourceLink Aurora could integrate with our internal Business Objects reporting tool, which will make reporting processes much more efficient and reduce cost.”

As a solution that’s hosted online, ResourceLink Aurora is accessible via a web browser and does not require any on-premise footprint, which means it is more scalable – a crucial factor for JSG: “JSG is an ambitious company, and the flexibility to grow with the demands of the HR team played an important part in the decision,” said James Ronksley, business development director at NorthgateArinso. “ResourceLink Aurora is a streamlined service, which will improve efficiency and accuracy at JSG, now and in the future.”

(297 words)

NorthgateArinso
www.northgatearinso.co.uk
NorthgateArinso is a leading global Human Resources software & services provider offering innovative HR business solutions to employers of all sizes, including Global Fortune 500 companies and many Public Sector organisations. We help HR executives optimise their HR service delivery through smarter process and more efficient technology, supporting key HR areas like workforce administration, payroll, benefits, recruitment, learning and talent management.
Our 5,000 employees are dedicated to HR excellence through strategic business consulting, outsourcing services, systems integration and best-of-breed software solutions. We are one of the largest HR service providers worldwide and have offices in 31 countries on 5 continents.

NorthgateArinso awarded BSI

2010-04-06T23:00:00+01:00

NorthgateArinso awarded BSI
continuity standard

~ ensures business carries on if the unexpected happens ~

NorthgateArinso, leading HR and Payroll service provider has achieved BS25999 standard. This auditable standard was awarded by BSI Management Systems for NorthgateArinso’s ability to ensure unexpected events will have a minimum business impact, for example, environmental incidents, sickness (pandemic) and terrorist activity.

The standard means customers can be assured that, regardless of any disruption that may occur, their services will continue to be delivered. This represents the high quality and reliability of NorthgateArinso as a Payroll and HR provider.

“More customers are asking for evidence of business continuity credentials and at NorthgateArinso we are committed to satisfying our customers’ needs,” said Graeme Deane, global quality manager at NorthgateArinso. “We have invested in technology and infrastructure to ensure service delivery continues through any disruption. We have also ensured our people understand their roles, for example through scenario and rehearsal exercises, so that they can respond to emergencies in an organised and planned manner.”

Gaining certification has been a two-year process, and the company has demonstrated a commitment to understand its business risks and become resilient in any eventuality. Currently six NorthgateArinso locations are certified. The organisation plans to continue rolling this out further in the UK and globally.

Newport's innovative partnership set to make transport budgets go further

2010-03-28T23:00:00+01:00

Citizens using specialist transport around Newport, Gwent, can expect to see their services benefit from a dramatic transformation after Newport City Council signed an innovative performance partnership contract with Northgate Public Services.

This groundbreaking partnership comes after Northgate completed a comprehensive review of Newport’s specialist transport services last year. The review identified a number of potential ways in which the council could improve the services for citizens and deliver significant financial savings.

Working in close collaboration with Newport’s transport teams, Northgate’s transformation arm will focus on delivering improvements across a range of key areas including:

mainstream schools transport
Special Educational Needs (SEN) home-to-school transport
Adult Social Services transport
community transport
fleet provision, facilities, management

Newport currently spends around £11 million on public transport services annually. Its performance partnership with Northgate will achieve savings totalling £3m over its lifespan.

The performance partnership will focus on making savings in the following ways:

ensuring that transport routes are effective so that disabled users do not have to experience unnecessary travel time
reducing direct costs by helping the Council to introduce more rigorous supply and tendering processes
avoiding expenditure by scrutinising requests for additional service or equipment more thoroughly

Northgate will work alongside Newport City Council staff to transfer the skills and build the capacity and capability they need to sustain savings in all areas well beyond the life of the contract.

All fees paid to Northgate under the partnership agreement will come from cashable savings. The company operates an innovative risk and reward business model that links its fees directly to its performance. As a result, it only gets paid when it meets its agreed financial and improvement targets.
Cont.
Tracey Lee, Managing Director at Newport City Council, said today: “These are exciting times for Newport. The city’s regeneration continues to uplift the lives of everyone who lives and works here. Newport City Council and Northgate Public Services have already established a successful working relationship. Our performance partnership will deliver the change we need to deliver sustainable long-term improvements to people who depend on our public transport system.”

Joe Bradley, Managing Director of Citizen Services at Northgate Public Services, added: “We understand that quality public transport services are vital to the wellbeing and development of communities. Like so many councils across the country, Newport is under increasing pressure to provide better services for less.
We are committed to helping Newport transform itself into the economic and social hub of south-east Wales, a city where people are proud to live and work.”

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For more information:
Fellows’ Associates
Kathy Sutton +44(0)20 7324 6221; +44(0)7966 890401
Konstantinos Makrygiannis +44(0)20 7324 6222; +44(0)7949 421356

Accreditation leads to quality says Northgate Public Services

2010-03-19T00:00:00+01:00

Accreditation by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) should become a condition of authorisation for competent person self-certification scheme operators, states Northgate Public Services today.

Responding to the Department of Communities and Local Government (CLG) consultation on Building Regulations competent person self-certification scheme, Northgate says that accreditation by UKAS will offer consumers and stakeholders greater piece of mind about such schemes.

Under the plans, UKAS would provide the quality assurance that is required of such schemes. Operators who showed low levels of compliance would have to agree to an action plan with CLG. Although Northgate accepts that this may cause additional cost for the schemes, it argues that putting such measures in place would be beneficial to everyone as deficiencies within schemes could be corrected earlier than would otherwise be the case.

Northgate also recommends that customers should be automatically given financial protection for any jobs that are undertaken through an insurance-backed warranty, professional indemnity insurance or bond, provided through the supplier. This would protect them against a situation where work carried out under a competent person scheme does not comply with the requirements of the Building Regulations but the installer is no longer able to bring the work up to standard.

Russell Osborne, Managing Director of Citizen Solutions at Northgate Public Services, said today: “For some schemes, compliance with building regulations is not currently at an acceptable level. Sub-standard work is not only a safety hazard, it can cause devastation to the lives of customers left abandoned to put things right. Poor practice simply will not do. The independence of UKAS is widely recognised. Its involvement will help to promote customer confidence and drive up standards to ensure the very highest quality of work within the schemes.

For more information:
Fellows’ Associates
Kathy Sutton +44(0)20 7324 6221; +44(0)7966 890401
Danny Calogero +44(0)20 7324 6223; +44(0)7534 189235

Notes to editors:
1. Northgate Public Services is an innovative provider of transformation and improvement services to the public sector. It is committed to high quality public services that place individuals and their communities at their heart. Its knowledge and understanding of people’s needs are core to its business, as too, is its depth and breadth across public services.

2. Northgate’s task is to enhance public value through the intelligent use of people and technology; to understand why and what change is necessary; to provide new thinking leading to improved performance; and to link company rewards with positive outcomes for the communities for whom it works. It supports transformation through sustainable performance partnerships. In the UK, Northgate works with ninety five per cent of local authorities, every police force, and a large number of health organisations, housing associations, utilities and transport companies.

Shaping the future of technology in education - Bolton students scoop prestigious Innovation in Action accolade for turning detective at top education technology show

2010-03-18T00:00:00+01:00

Students from Smithills School, Bolton, have won Northgate Managed Services’ prestigious Innovation in Action 2010 competition, demonstrating forward-thinking ways new technology can help transform their school. Created to reward innovation and collaboration using ICT, students from the six schools involved in the first phase of Bolton’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme were invited to turn detective at a major London technology exhibition, investigating new software or equipment they would like implemented at their school.

This January, students from Smithills School and LadyBridge High School, Bolton, visited BETT 2010, the largest education resource event in the world to discover new learning technologies and resources. Supported by teachers at study@bwfc, they were challenged to design an interactive presentation to show how particular technologies could benefit their peers and school.

Students from both schools worked hard to identify resources with real educational value as well as being fun and engaging. Commended by judges for their “excellent understanding and knowledge of technologies in a learning environment”, winning school Smithills students created a cinema-style virtual classroom and streamlined processes such as registration and school meals.

Demonstrating their commercial awareness, students also highlighted that their ‘cinema experience’ could be rented to the local community to help generate the funding.

The competition entries were judged by experts from Northgate Managed Services and members of Bolton Council who looked at how the students addressed issues such as the application of the technology in their school and the overall benefits to the school and students.

David Kilgallon, Bolton’s Transformational Lead, comments: “In Bolton we actively encourage students to get involved and have a say in what resources are implemented in their school and are delighted that the efforts of Smithills students have been recognised by Northgate Managed Services. The students’ research and recommendations have helped provide us and the school with an even deeper understanding of the ways they want to learn.”

David Hyland, Managing Director of Education at Northgate Managed Services comments: “Both schools involved showed a confident approach to planning their presentation and evaluating their choices. Smithills School was chosen as the overall winning school because they demonstrated clearly the reasons for their choice, the applications and value to their education. Their recommendations for a cinema-style virtual classroom won it for them as they gave specific examples on how they would use the resources to aid learning and even a method to help fund this investment.”

Smithills School received a Mac Netbook as a prize with the eight students involved from both schools received an iPod nano each. Northgate Managed Services will also be reviewing all the ICT that each school demonstrated in their presentation to see if it can be offered as part of their solution.

Press enquiries:
Louise Peto at Livewire Public Relations, tel: +44 (0)20 8339 7440 or e-mail louise.peto@livewirepr.com.

Notes to editors:
Northgate Managed Services is Bolton County Council’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) provider as part of the Blackburn with Darwen and Bolton Building Schools for the Future (BSF) Programme. Schools across Blackburn with Darwen and Bolton are set to build on existing progress in achieving excellence in education with the creation of a media-rich learning environment as part of the Government’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. Working closely with ICT services and solutions specialist, Northgate Managed Services, contracted by Balfour Beatty, schools will benefit from an initial £41.3 million invested in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) making them some of the most advanced schools in the country.

The project will see 15 Bolton schools (three phases) rebuilt or re-modelled and upgraded to provide flexible and attractive learning environments that better support learning.

Northgate appoints Giles Piercy to its Citizen Services transformation team

2010-03-17T00:00:00+01:00

Northgate Public Services today announces the appointment of Giles Piercy as Director of Performance Partnerships.

Giles’ appointment signifies the growing success and further expansion of Northgate’s specialist transformation services at a time when the public sector is under intense pressure to deliver better services for less.

Giles will focus on intensifying the growth of corporate-wide transformation services across the public sector, while continuing to build up specialist services in areas such as housing, social care and transport.

The company offers the public sector an innovative risk and reward business model that links its fees directly to its performance. As a result, it only gets paid when it meets its agreed financial and improvement targets and fees come directly from the cashable savings delivered to the public authority.

Giles joins Northgate after ten highly successful years with iMPOWER consulting. Recruited in 2000, to head iMPOWER’s business development into the local government and broader public sector markets, he was appointed Chief Executive in 2004.

At iMPOWER Giles was instrumental in the firm delivering major assignments with the organisations such as the Cabinet Office, the Department of Communities and Local Government and the Department for Children, Schools and Families. He was also closely involved in a series of high-profile local government assignments for Devon County Council, the London Borough of Lewisham, Dorset County Council and the City of London, among other local authorities.

Joe Bradley, Managing Director Citizen Services, Northgate Public Services said today: “Our vision is to support world class public services through transformation. Services must be built around citizen need and reach out to the most disadvantaged in our communities. We are delighted that Giles has chosen to join us. He shares our passion to improve public services. He has the knowledge, skills and expertise to turn this passion into the realisable results that the public sector needs. Our message to the public sector is simple. If we do not deliver improvement, you do not pay. In these hard economic times it is only right that we should take on more of the risk.”

For more information:
Fellows’ Associates
Kathy Sutton +44(0)20 7324 6221; +44(0)7966 890401
Konstantinos Makrygiannis +44(0)20 7324 6222; +44(0)7949 421356

Notes to editors:
1. Prior to working for iMPOWER, Giles worked for Macfarlane TeleSystems Ltd, LCR Telecom and Centaur Publishing. He was educated at Exeter University and Rugby School Giles is a director of ‘Heart of the City’, a charity that links businesses with community activity in London that is run by the City of London.

2. Northgate Public Services is an innovative provider of transformation and improvement services to the public sector. It is committed to high quality public services that place individuals and their communities at their heart. Its knowledge and understanding of people’s needs are core to its business, as too, is its depth and breadth across public services.

3. Northgate’s task is to enhance public value through the intelligent use of people and technology; to understand why and what change is necessary; to provide new thinking leading to improved performance; and to link company rewards with positive outcomes for the communities for whom it works. It supports transformation through sustainable performance partnerships.

4. In the UK, Northgate works with ninety five per cent of local authorities, every police force, and a large number of health organisations, housing associations, utilities and transport companies. Founded in 1969, the company has nearly 8,000 employees.

Ensure that CERT reaches those most in need

2010-03-15T00:00:00+01:00

The Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) must adopt more innovative ways of identifying those households most at risk of fuel poverty, insists Northgate Public Services today.

In a response to the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s consultation, Extending the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target, Northgate welcomes the government’s move to improve targeted support at the poorest households. However, the company believes that the proposals do not go far enough to tackle the growing problem of fuel poverty.

Northgate argues that there are a range of measures which are needed to ensure that those most at risk of fuel poverty receive the support they require. These include:
• partnership working between local authorities and utility companies - to identify the most vulnerable households
• sharing of Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) data to identify the most fuel inefficient households. Registered Social Landlords (RSLs), for example, hold good quality data which could help to target the most vulnerable
• embedding behaviour change measures within the CERT process.- essential if sustainable savings are to be achieved and people are to be permanently lifted out of fuel poverty.

Russell Osborne, Managing Director of Citizen Solutions at Northgate Public Services, said today: “The scale of the climate change challenge means that it is essential to act now. We must reach out to the most vulnerable members of our communities who are at the greatest risk of fuel poverty.

“We need a step change in the way measures are targeted through CERT. It is unacceptable for a household to fall through the gaps within the current system. Collaborative working between the public, not for profit and private sectors will ensure that those most in need receive the help that can permanently lift them out of fuel poverty. If we are to get it right, we must go further, faster and now.”

For more information:

Fellows’ Associates
Kathy Sutton +44(0)20 7324 6221; +44(0)7966 890401
Danny Calogero +44(0)20 7324 6223; +44(0)7534 189235

Notes to editors:
1. Northgate Public Services is an innovative provider of transformation and improvement services to the public sector. It is committed to high quality public services that place individuals and their communities at their heart. Its knowledge and understanding of people’s needs are core to its business, as too, is its depth and breadth across public services.

Mycompanyfleet in new enhanced driver checking solution

2010-03-15T00:00:00+01:00

The increasingly flexible and disparate nature of the employment market in the UK is leading to the need for greater and deeper background checks to be made on company employees and drivers.

Now, fleet software provider Mycompanyfleet is responding to rising fleet demand by launching an enhanced driver checking service which not only checks and validates driver licence status, but also carries out deeper background checking of a driver’s qualifications, references and even criminal record.

Mycompanyfleet, the automotive arm of HR solutions provider, NorthgateArinso, identified the need following approaches from fleet clients who wanted to go further into the backgrounds of their drivers and to carry out deeper checks on their credentials.

The findings feed automatically into Mycompanyfleet software solutions to produce integrated driver records in one place which can be accessed by multiple departments, including fleet and Human Resources.

Andrew Leech, business manager at Mycompanyfleet, said: “The UK employment scene has been increasingly complex, with growing numbers of nationalities and a wide variety of backgrounds.

“But a company still has a duty to show in a transparent and auditable manner that its drivers and vehicles are fit for purpose under legislation such as the Health and Safety at Work Act.

“We have now introduced these deeper background checks as part of an enhanced driver checking service that increasing numbers of our clients are asking for.

“The intention is to provide a one-stop shop of all driver records, improved management of vehicle and driver alike and the creation of a central and readily accessible source of driver information for various departmental managers,” he said.

Notes to Editors:

About mycompanyfleet

Mycompanyfleet is NorthgateArinso's automotive software division, focused on the fleet, leasing and general automotive sector. Mycompanyfleet provides fleet managers with the systems they need to more efficiently and cost-effectively run their vehicle fleets, as well as tackling the latest issues that affect day-to-day fleet operations, such as duty of care and environmental issues.

As part of NorthgateArinso, we have customers from every conceivable marketplace, spread over 46 countries and spanning five continents. We pride ourselves on delivering cost effective solutions that become integral to your business, with technology as an enabler.

NorthgateArinso is the specialist HR division of the Northgate Information Solutions Group. The Northgate Group is owned by private equity company Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) and currently employs over 7,500 staff and operates in 46 countries across 5 continents. For more information please email marketing@mycompanyfleet.co.uk

Contact information:
Andrew Leech,
Business Manager
Mycompanyfleet
Tel: 07939 509273
Email: andrew.leech@mycompanyfleet.co.uk

Press enquiries:
Mike Gunnell
MGMedia Services
Tel: 01832 275060
Email: mike@mgmediaservices.com

Radical change required to improve public confidence in police

2010-03-12T00:00:00+01:00

NEWS RELEASE12^th March 2010 Radical change required to improve public confidence in police Improving public confidence in the police will require a radical overhaul in many areas of police service provision, asserts Northgate Public Services today in a response to the Home Office’s policing white paper. Northgate argues that the measures included in the paper do not go far enough towards achieving the drastic service revolution that will improve public trust, reduce crime, and build more effective services. The white paper builds on the government’s earlier reforms which sought to put the public at the heart of policing through community policing. Police forces now face a diverse set of challenges, says Northgate, and to meet these they need an approach that promotes rapid change and positive outcomes, fosters innovation, and harnesses the expertise of wider society. Forces must build on the progress that they have already made by re-engineering services so that they are focused on achieving key priorities.

Given reduced fiscal resources, Northgate claims that it is essential that the correct balance is achieved between value for money and improvement. It argues that it is essential that the development of services is underpinned by a coherent approach to achieving better for less.

Ian Blackhurst, Managing Director of Public Safety at Northgate Public Services, said today: “Forces across the country are facing the competing demands of having to offer more diverse services with fewer resources. Now is the time to revaluate the business operations of police forces. We have to embed a culture of better for less to meets the needs of the twenty first century. We are confident that the police service has the capacity and the enthusiasm to change. The government has not only to remove the barriers, but provide strong incentives to promote change which will restore public confidence in the police.” -Ends- For more informationFellows’ AssociatesKathy Sutton +44(0)20 7324 6221; +44(0)7966 890401Danny Calogero +44(0)20 7324 6223; +44(0)7534 189235

Notes to editors1. Northgate Public Services is an innovative provider of transformation and improvement services to the public sector. It is committed to high quality public services that place individuals and their communities at their heart. Its knowledge and understanding of people’s needs are core to its business, as too, is its depth and breadth across public services. 2. Northgate’s task is to enhance public value through the intelligent use of people and technology; to understand why and what change is necessary; to provide new thinking leading to improved performance; and to link company rewards with positive outcomes for the communities for whom it works. It supports transformation through sustainable performance partnerships. In the UK, Northgate works with ninety five per cent of local authorities, every police force, and a large number of health organisations, housing associations, utilities and transport companies.

Mycompanyfleet adds alternative travel to grey fleet solution

2010-03-08T00:00:00+01:00

Fleet software provider Mycompanyfleet has responded to Government calls for local authorities to reduce their grey fleet miles by launching a new software solution that allows employees to locate and evaluate the cheapest options for making any necessary business journey.

The Office of Government Commerce recently launched its own campaign to persuade councils to allow employees to use their own cars on council business only as a last resort, saying the drivers should look at all alternative forms of transport, or even consider not making the journey, before using the car.

The OGC estimated that grey fleet miles made up 57% of total public sector road mileage, and by reducing that total by one million miles could unlock an estimated £250,000 in cash savings and reduce carbon output by more than 240 tonnes.

New research from Mycompanyfleet, the automotive arm of HR software supplier NorthgateArinso, now reveals that councils, in some cases, are paying around 70p per mile to drivers who use their own cars on council business, well in excess of the Approved Mileage Allowance Payments of 40p for the first 10,000 miles and 25ppm thereafter.

To help tackle this issue, Mycompanyfleet has added an alternative travel module to its grey fleet solution, Driver Self-Serve, which provides employees with details of different forms of transport for their planned journey, including taking the train, flying or using the bus, and allows comparisons between them and the cost of using a car.

Mycompanyfleet business manager, Andrew Leech, commented: “The OGC recommendations were quite clear; councils should only consider using private cars on company business as a last resort. Any grey fleet vehicles should be effectively managed and their condition and mileages regularly checked.

“We have calculated that simply by reducing grey fleet mileage by two miles per vehicle per month any investment made by a council, or any other business, in our alternative travel module would be self-funding.

“”Our new module allows employees to compare the price of all transport alternatives and make the sensible decision for their employer and the environment. In addition to links to standard transport sites, such as the trainline, the system also has the ability to build up links to your own local passenger networks,” he said.

Mycompanyfleet, launched its Driver Self-Serve grey fleet solution at the end of last year to address the duty of care issues around vehicle condition, mileages driven and driver licence checking, providing a clear audit trail and reducing the amount of administration time, as drivers have to enter their mileage and service history details online themselves.

The system completely automates driver service reminders and advises when the vehicle will need to be booked in for the next service to be carried out.

To get its grey fleet message across, Mycompanyfleet is currently taking to the road in a series of roadshows across the country that are free to fleet decision makers. Every roadshow attendee will also receive a special copy of a definitive Health and Safety policy document for grey fleet drivers.

The roadshow dates are:
Richmond, Surrey                          March 18
Peterborough, Cambs                    March 22
Luton, Beds                                  March 23
Glasgow                                       March 24
Bristol, Avon                                 March 30
Chester                                        March 31

Andrew Leech added: “Grey fleet drivers still present companies with numerous problems, including major duty of care issues. These new roadshows will provide company managers with the solutions they need to effectively tackle the issues surrounding their grey fleet drivers, including alternative travel methods.”

Notes to Editors:

About mycompanyfleet

Contact information:
Andrew Leech,
Business Manager
Mycompanyfleet
Tel: 07939 509273
Email: andrew.leech@mycompanyfleet.co.uk

Press enquiries:
Mike Gunnell
MGMedia Services
Tel: 01832 275060
Email: mike@mgmediaservices.com

Northgate Managed Services sponsors Education Partner Award in the 2010 corporate responsibility Awards

2010-03-05T00:00:00+01:00

Business in the Community has launched the call for entries to its 2010 Regional Recognition Awards for responsible companies in Northern Ireland.

Sponsored by ESB Independent Energy and in association with Ulster Business Magazine, the annual awards, now in its fifth year, will see Northern Ireland firms battle it out for the coveted title of Northern Ireland’s Responsible Company of the Year amongst other, more specific awards.

Northgate Managed Services is sponsoring the Education Partner Award, other awards categories include:
• Northern Ireland Responsible Company of the Year, sponsored by BT
• Local Community Impact, sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers
• Environmental Improvement, sponsored by Phoenix Natural Gas
• Climate Change, sponsored by Bombardier Aerospace
• Workplace Health and Wellbeing, sponsored by Westfield Health
• Employer of Choice, sponsored by Foyle Food Group
• Diversity, sponsored by Invest NI
• Supporting Economic Growth, sponsored by ESB Independent Energy

Applications can be made online at www.bitcni.org.uk by clicking on the awards 2010 logo. Entries close on Wednesday 31 March 2010 with the gala awards ceremony taking place in Belfast's Waterfront Hall on Thursday 10 June.

Speaking at the launch, Paul Rooney, Chair of Business in the Community in Northern Ireland, said; "Every organisation in Northern Ireland is eligible to enter for a Business in the Community award.

“These awards are not about size, jobs or exports, but on how a business conducts itself in the workplace, the environment, the economy and the community.

“Our own research shows that organisations with close ties to communities and stakeholders enjoy higher levels of staff and customer engagement than those who focus solely on commercial gain. But, thanks to their close stakeholder ties, those same organisations also tend to generate more goodwill and profit

“Acting in a socially responsible manner is a win-win for business and these awards are intended to recognise and celebrate organisations that do the right thing by their workers, investors and their communities.

“Every company, regardless of size or location that receives a Business in the Community award should be rightly proud of its achievement.”

Eleanor Lee, Head of Marketing, Northgate Managed Services commented: "We are delighted to sponsor the Education Partner Award. Working with every school in Northern Ireland, we understand the importance of local businesses working in the communities where they are based to help raise the aspirations and achievements of young people through a solid business education partnership. We are delighted to be able to support the great work Business in the Community is doing to assist such companies to act responsibly and make a positive impact on their local communities. I am really looking forward to finding out the great things that local companies are doing to motivate and inspire young people to succeed and I wish all those who enter the awards very best of luck.”

Northern Ireland winners of Business in the Community’s UK Big Tick Awards will also be recognised at the gala event in the Belfast Waterfront Hall on 10th June.