ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT
2023-2024 (APR)
A B L E
Thank you for taking the time read our Annual Performance Report. This report summarises the work undertaken across all Tayside Contracts’ activities during 2023/24, to deliver the best possible services, and achieve the best possible outcomes, for the communities of Tayside
We are proud of what we do, and this report presents us with an opportunity to celebrate our successes, and highlights our strengths, whilst also reflecting on the challenges we have faced, and those areas where we need to make further improvements.
The period covered in this report represents one of the most volatile times in the organisation's history. We had to respond to the extremely challenging financial operating environment, compounded by the cost-of-living crisis, and record levels of inflation - with the cost of many of the essential items we require to deliver our services, rising between 30-150%.
Record levels of inflation translated into unprecedented pay costs. Local authority pay awards were weighted to lower paid workers With three quarters of our workforce on the lowest local authority grade, this was especially expensive for Tayside Contracts, with the pay award in 2023/24 placing an additional £2m cost pressure on the organisation, and our constituent Councils
Despite these challenges, we achieved a range of successes. For example: The success of our School Meals Action Plan has delivered an increase of 10% in average daily meal uptake over the year; We increased our overall turnover to £89 million, which is a £6 2m or 7 5% increase on the previous year Our drive to deliver savings, efficiencies and additional income realised cost reductions of just under £1.7m in 2023/24 (see Appendix 2)
Our response to supporting local communities during the extreme weather events, storms and flooding of winter 2023 were widely praised by communities, partners, and elected representatives The launch of our new Community Fund, enabled us to support over 60 groups in delivering local community empowerment, by the end of 2023/24.
Despite the ongoing challenges of recruitment difficulties and higher than normal sickness levels (reflecting similar national trends across the public sector), we continued to deliver services across all Council areas, with no service failure.
The greatest challenge we continue to face will be the significant financial pressures arising from government budgetary restrictions, the unpredictable global situation, instability in supply chains, and consequential uncertainty in costs such as pay
More positively, we have a clear strategy in place, and strong and determined corporate leadership to ensure Tayside Contracts continues to build on its past accomplishments, to ensure a successful and sustainable future in the years to come.
To achieve our aims, teamwork is essential, and we would like to thank members of the Tayside Contracts Joint Committee, colleagues from our three constituent Councils, our affiliated Trade Unions, and our selfless and hardworking people within Tayside Contracts, for their contribution to working together, to deliver the impressive performance highlights in this report Without their commitment and dedication, many of the core services that our communities rely on, would not have been possible
Keith McNamara Managing Director
We have set out our 2023/24 Annual Performance Report under the ‘5C themes’ of our 2021/24 Business Plan.
These themes are:
Confidence, Trust and Relationships Commercial Approach
Collaboration and Sharing Continuous Improvement and Performance
Communities, Councils and Customers
We hope you enjoy reading about our performance.
Councillor Steven Rome Convener of Tayside Contracts
Who We Are and What We Do
Who We Are
For the past 28 years, Tayside Contracts has been the collaborative and commercial operating arm for the three Councils in Tayside (our constituent Councils):
Angus Council
Dundee City Council
Perth & Kinross Council
We are not a private company. We are governed by a Joint Committee of 18 Elected Members from the three Councils.
What We Do
We are very proud of what we do in Tayside Contracts;
We are the largest-employing civil engineering construction organisation in Tayside – in 2023/24, we carried out £44million of road repairs, maintenance and construction and Street Lighting improvements. We provide severe weather responses to winter, flooding, storms and other emergencies.
2,559
Our annual Our annual Turnover is Turnover is around around around
We provide essential public services to the 420,000 residents in Tayside on behalf of the three Councils. is how many is how many people we people we employ employ
£89m
We are also Tayside’s largest catering organisation – serving over 5 million meals every year to schools and community customers – that’s 30,000 meals each day.
Our 170 School Crossing Patrollers help to keep the children of Tayside safe when travelling to and from school. During the winter we treat over 355,000 kilometres of roads, to protect the travelling public
Our Facilities Management team keep over 400 buildings clean and well maintained and help ensure all the occupants are safe
All of these activities are supported by our highly professional Human Resources, Safety and Training, IT, Finance, Communications, Equalities and Business Support teams – who are invaluable to our success.
We operate as a business and carry out work for other public bodies, private firms and the wider public Every pound we make through our commercial activities is reinvested in our public services and local communities. We have generated over £33 million in surpluses during our existence, which have been distributed to the three Councils in Tayside.
By doing what we do and making sure we provide high quality and cost-effective services, we are enhancing the communities of Tayside.
To view a short video on who we are and what we do, click here.
Our Corporate Leadership Team
Keith McNamara Managing Director
Dougie McKay Head of Operations
Diane Kidd Strategic LeadFinance & Governance
Leanne Reilly
Strategic Lead HR, IT & Business Support
John Curran Strategic Lead Construction
Strategic Lead Facilities
Ibukun Strachan
Confidence, Trust and Relationships
‘Proud of what we do, chosen for how we do it’
Introduction
Tayside Contracts can only survive and thrive if we have the strongest possible Tayside Contracts can only survive and thrive if we have the strongest possible relationship of transparency, mutual respect and trust with the Elected relationship of transparency, mutual respect and trust with the Elected Members and officers of our constituent Councils, and our other customers - Members and officers of our constituent Councils, and our other customersbased on their confidence in our ability to deliver excellent services based on their confidence in our ability to deliver excellent services.
Here are some of our highlights during 2023/24
The financial stability of Tayside Contracts is essential to maintain the confidence of our constituent Councils. For the year 2023/24, despite the unprecedented trading conditions, we achieved an overall distributable surplus of £1.064m, (£314,000 higher than the budgeted figure of £750,000), and an increase from the previous year’s surplus of £978,000.
This surplus was split between £759k for the Construction Division, and £305k for the Facilities Services Division. The surplus was achieved through the positive contribution by all parts of the organisation, as well as close working with our constituent Councils, which had to incur additional costs, as we passed on increased charges, to cover the impact of record levels of both pay awards, and inflationary increases
The financial objective set by the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 is that Trading Accounts should achieve a break-even position over a rolling three-year period The three-year cumulative Trading Account position (2021-24) for the Construction Division shows a surplus of £2.9m, therefore comfortably achieving the statutory financial objective. The three-year cumulative position for the Facilities Services Division shows a break-even position, therefore also achieving the statutory financial objective
Over the past 28 years, Tayside Contracts has performed well in terms of operational and financial performance, returning over £33m to the constituent Councils in surpluses, with this funding being reinvested in local public services
During 2023/24, overall income generated by Tayside Contracts activities amounted to £89m - a substantial increase of £6.2m (7.5%) compared with 2022/23 (£83m).
Income from the constituent Councils increased significantly by £7m (9%) to £84m. This major increase in income and work from constituent Council customers meant that our workload capacity had to be focussed on meeting that demand, which reduced the organisation’s availability to carry out works for other customers.
Tayside Contracts’ income generated from work for the constituent Councils in 2023/24, amounted to 94% of the total income
The Construction Division has had a successful year with a diverse range of work being delivered, combined with savings in various overheads, contributing to the level of surplus return. Construction Division turnover, at £43.7m in 2023/24, shows an increase of £1.5m (4%) compared to 2022/23 (£42.2m). Income from the constituent Councils increased by £26k to £40.1m. This significant increase in turnover related mainly to assisting the councils in responding to, and recovering from the numerous storm events experienced in 2023/24, particularly storm Babet.
Facilities Services Trading Account for 2023/24 shows income of £45.7m, an increase of £4.7m (11.5%) compared with 2022/23 (£41m)
With the increased financial challenges facing Scottish Councils it is more vital than ever to be focussed on to ensuring efficiencies, transformation, and income generation, to mitigate against reductions in public service delivery,as well as maximising the advantages
of Tayside Contracts collaborative model We have worked with our Council colleagues on the Governance and Strategy Group on a shared development of transformational actions – known as our ‘Change Plan’ which realised just under £1.7m in cost reductions and increased income in 2023/24. Please see the Continuous Improvement Section and Appendix 2 for further details on our Change Plan
We build confidence and trust in our services through our participation in national benchmarking exercise such as APSE (Association of Public Service Excellence) performance networks, the largest voluntary public sector benchmarking service across the UK, which is used by over 200 local authorities. We also benchmark with other organisations to learn about areas we can improve, and we celebrate our successes through the award nominations we receive
2023/24 was another successful year for Tayside Contracts, where we were proud to be nominated for the following UKwide APSE Performance Networks awards:
Street Lighting Partnership (Dundee) - nominated for Street Lighting ‘Best Performer’ and ‘Most Improved” finalist’ Transport Services – nominated for Transport Operations and Vehicle Maintenance- ‘Best Performer finalist’.
We were also finalists for two national ASSIST FM Awards (Assist FM is the professional body for Facilities Management):
Community Focus Award – Pitlochry High School (for providing shelter and refreshments to stranded motorists, including 82 coach passengers, due to closure of the A9 in severe weather conditions during the festive period in 2023)
Outstanding Contribution to Cleaning –Alyth Primary School. This entry went to be awarded the overall national winner for this category
The fact that we were nominated for these UKwide awards, is evidence of the quality of services we provided during the year.
The effectiveness of our governance framework is reviewed annually by the Corporate Leadership Team, through use of a self-assessment scoring mechanism as part our Annual Governance Statement. This assessment showed that Tayside Contracts had 71 items (93%) fully compliant with the existing guidelines (exceeding our 80% target); This objective evaluation provides positive reassurance over Tayside Contracts’ governance arrangements
Confidence in our activities can also be gained by the independent assurance on our performance, provided by our Internal Auditors. For their 2023/24 annual report, Internal Audit concluded that other than one item related to premises security (see Challenges section below), “Tayside Contracts has adequate and effective arrangements for risk management, control and governance. Proper
Auditors concluded that good progress has been made in implementing the previous internal audit recommendations. All recommendations had reached their agreed completion dates, and no recommendations have been classified as ‘little or no progress made’ or ‘considered but not implemented.’
Auditors were able to provide Tayside Contracts with a ‘Satisfactory’ level of assurance, in relation to our stock management systems, with 5 areas of good practice highlighted by auditors Similarly, a ‘Satisfactory’ level of assurance was given in relation to our Recruitment, Retention and Succession Planning, activities, with 8 areas of good practice identified, within the organisation
The confidence of our constituent Councils has been demonstrated by their commitment in extending the shared Tayside-wide Street Lighting Partnership to March 2028, and also the Roads Maintenance Partnerships in Dundee City (also to March 2028) with the Roads Maintenance Partnership in Perth and Kinross extended to March 2026, with the option to extend to March 2028.
The strong working relationship between Angus Council colleagues and our vehicle workshop maintenance team in keeping Angus Council staff on the move, has been rewarded by Angus Council extending our provision of their fleet services to March 2026 This was achieved, following an independent assessment of the service by APSE, to help inform the Council’s decision
Independent Review of Tayside Contracts
In 2023, we commissioned (jointly with Council Chief Executives) an independent review of Tayside Contracts, to assess whether we are as cost-efficient as we can possibly be, and whether our future plans to maximise sharing services and expand our business to other customers, are effective The summarised findings of the review are:
‘There are many strengths in the Tayside Contracts model as it currently exists, which is consistent with a contracting led organisation model.’
Tayside Contracts’ structure and shape ‘are not unexpected and appear generally appropriate for the nature and scale of the organisation’.
‘There were no significant issues with the quality of services provided.’
Overall, the report concluded that ‘The Tayside Contracts model, based on the review undertaken, is a valid model for going forward’, and ‘currently there is no benefit to any or all the Councils stepping away from the Tayside Contracts model.’
The review did identify several areas for improvement which require the collective input of both Tayside Contracts and the constituent Councils. These were reported to the Joint Committee in November 2023, and improvements are underway. This will help strengthen our approach to the challenges ahead
Response to Storms and Flooding – Autumn/Winter 2023
In October 2023 to January 2024, multiple storms hit Tayside, with rainfall and river levels greatly exceeding records, causing widespread flooding, disruption, displaced people, and travel chaos across Tayside - with Angus and Dundee hardest hit, but also several significantly affected areas in Perth and Kinross.
Despite Red Weather Warnings (dangerous conditions; avoid travel), Tayside Contracts employees responded where communities needed them most Here are a few examples of the incredible response of people in Tayside Contracts to protecting people, and minimising disruption
Construction teams were out in all weathers, filling and distributing sandbags, managing flood defences, clearing blockages in drains and watercourses, and managing road closures - often wading through the flood waters for hours, in the worst of the weather Colleagues responding when needed, to ensure we had enough people available, to do whatever was asked of us. As part of the wider team, colleagues from the Street Lighting Partnership and other parts of Tayside Contracts - who couldn't do their normal jobs because of the weather – also joined in this response. Transport and Stores colleagues who continued working during the worst of the weather - including during red weather warnings - to ensure much needed vehicles, plant and materials were always available when needed.
Facilities teams at Sidlaw View and Tay Cuisine struggled through the weather to make sure that vulnerable people who rely on our community meals service did not go hungry Other Facilities colleagues volunteered to turn out during the height of the storms, to provide much needed meals, and other support, at several Emergency Rest Centres, which were set up to provide a safe haven for people displaced from their flooded houses.
Facilities Assistants endured the storm and flood conditions to visit all nurseries and schools throughout Tayside to identify any storm-related faults and damage, and make sure the buildings were as safe as possible, for pupils returning to these buildings once the severe weather abated
Managers and supervisors led the response during ever-changing and complicated circumstances, making sure we had the right resources where they were needed, and ensuring our people were kept informed of the continually evolving developments - and also working closely with the Councils and emergency services, as part of the multiagency response to the storms and flooding.
The dedication, teamwork, selflessness, and desire to help people in need, was greatly appreciated by the Chief Executives of the Councils in Tayside, other colleagues, and our Joint Committee members. Here are some comments:
Well done on all your hard work, it’s been a hard few days/nights for you all. Can I say a big thank you from myself and the Angus Community Resilience Forum for all your support over the past few days, your quick response and actions has been greatly received by the community and has benefited them massively.
Community Officer, Angus Council
I would take the opportunity to pay thanks to the contribution and efforts of Tayside Contracts staff who have worked in very challenging circumstances and made a significant contribution to our response. We are entering the recovery phase and thank you for your offer of additional support.
Graeme Dailly, Director of Infrastructure and Environment, Angus Council
There was a huge response from the authorities, Perth and Kinross Council staff were there in force along with Tayside Contracts, Police Scotland, Tayside Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. It was a very professional and welcome response from all authorities and emergency services and I am grateful to the people who work for the Council and other authorities who spend the day (and night) wet, cold and away from their families to assist others. Thank you.
Challenges
Record levels of inflation affected Tayside Contracts in two main ways. Firstly, the spiralling price of goods and services for certain items greatly exceeded inflation (in many cases over 30% and sometimes up to 150%) - this has impacted on the organisation's costs and profitability, as we attempted to absorb these costs wherever we could, rather than charge these to our constituent Councils.
Secondly, record inflation also greatly impacted on costs through the local authority pay award. As 73% of Tayside Contracts employees are on the Scottish Government Living Wage level (compared to less than 1% in our constituent Councils), these costs have disproportionately affected Tayside Contracts. The costs of the 2023/24 pay award added an extra £2m cost to the organisation. This created both a pressure for Tayside Contracts and the constituent Councils during 2023/24, but these cost increases also add to the baseline of costs for 2024/25 budget and beyond.
Although the underlying operational and financial performance of the Facilities Management Unit remains sound, for the Catering Unit, 2023/24 saw substantially higher than budgeted food costs, with the average uplift in the price of high-volume products, from April 23 to August 23 rising between 45-50%. This required increased charges to the three constituent Councils, in payment for the additional costs of delivering these services
The Internal Audit investigation of our Security arrangements identified several areas for improvement, which resulted in a ‘Requires Improvement’ level of assurance The improvements identified are well on their way to be being actioned.
Next Steps
The following is a summary - more detailed information on next steps is contained in the new Business Plan 2024/27, approved by the Joint Committee in August 2024
Demonstrating that Tayside contracts is a sustainable model for the financial future is essential to maintaining the confidence of elected members and colleagues in constituent Councils. We have developed a Medium-Term Financial Plan (approved by the Joint Committee in August 2024), and will continue to review and update this Plan, so we are continually preparing for different financial scenarios.
We will continue to work with Elected Members, both within the Joint Committee, and across the three Councils, to identify the key areas of our activities, where they are seeking further, detailed reassurance of our effectiveness.
We will continue to improve the ways we demonstrate transparency in our financial and operational performance to our Council customer colleagues, building on the performance dashboard we have set in place for the Governance & Strategy group, and also the improved links between the senior Finance officers in Tayside Contracts and the three constituent Councils.
We will work closely with our officer colleagues within the constituent Councils to develop a programme of areas for shared development (such as greater collaborative efficiencies through standardised approaches).
We will make customer relationship feedback more consistent and t ti T id C t cts.
COMMERCIAL APPROACH
‘Business head, community heart’
Introduction
The need for Tayside Contracts to extend our commercial approach is more vital
The need for Tayside Contracts to extend our commercial approach is more vital than ever. We recognise that increasing our commercial income protects us from than ever. We recognise that increasing our commercial income protects us from making savings in jobs and services. Expanding on our commercial portfolio is an making savings in jobs and services Expanding on our commercial portfolio is an essential part of our vision for the growth of the organisation essential part of our vision for the growth of the organisation.
Here are some of our highlights during 2023/24
Over 55% of our income comes from commercial activities, representing over £5m per annum generated from external customers
Between 2022 and 2024 we increased our external commercial income by 8% (£430k). The majority of this increase occurred during 2022/23, as in 2023/24 we had to prioritise our resources to supporting Councils in responding to, and recovery from the significant storms and flooding (see Case Study in previous section)
In the last 10 years we have achieved a surplus of £15.6 million, with that surplus being distributed between our constituent Councils, to reinvest in public services
We have successfully won several competitive tenders to undertake construction contract works for numerous local authorities and private bodies, including Falkirk, Stirling, Fife, and Aberdeen City Councils. In 2023/34 our Construction Division turnover increased by £13 million (a 25.8 % increase)
We continued to expand our commercial operations in 2023/24, generating additional income, and delivering more efficient services Examples include:
Provision of depot and winter maintenance services to the North East Scotland Trunk Road operator (Amey) as part of our ongoing partnering arrangements
Providing Fleet Management services for Dundee & Angus College
Inclusion on the framework contract to carry out roads surfacing and civil engineering works for Scottish Universities and Colleges (see case study below)
Provision of coated and uncoated road stone material from Collace Quarry to the major Cross Tay Link Road Project. Between 2022/23 and 2023/24 these works have contributed £1.8 million to the turnover at the Quarry and the Construction Division
Securing Long Term Framework Agreement for Universities and Colleges in Scotland
In late 2023 following a competitive process, Tayside Contracts successfully secured our place as a supplier for the Framework Agreement for Advanced Procurement for Universities and Colleges (APUC) in Scotland The Framework Agreement commenced in January 2024 and spans a two-year period, with the option to extend for an additional 24 months
The agreement covers various aspects of road surfacing and minor civil engineering works, providing essential services to support the infrastructure needs of educational campuses. From routine maintenance to major renovations, our team is poised to deliver high-quality solutions to meet the diverse requirements of these institutions.
This agreement encompasses a wide range of universities and colleges across Scotland. Among the institutions included are the University of Dundee, University of Abertay, Perth UHI, and many more Additionally, the framework extends to Further Education (FE) institutions, ensuring a comprehensive coverage of educational establishments in the area
Securing access to this framework creates an opportunity for new work streams, with a potential value reaching into the several millions of pounds over the period of the framework. The framework provides a steady stream of projects and opportunities for growth
This aligns perfectly with our commercial agenda, allowing us to diversify our resources and mitigate against the significant challenges our Councils are facing over the coming years, whilst being able to maintain the resource levels necessary to deliver the essential services of winter maintenance, flood response, and day to day road maintenance activities
By securing this framework agreement, we are well-positioned to continue providing exceptional service to educational institutions, while driving our growth and success
University of Dundee D&A College
As part of a Roads Maintenance Framework commissioned by Stirling Council, Falkirk Council, and Clackmannanshire Council in March 2020, an annual tendering exercise was undertaken through Public Contract Scotland (PCS) to deliver surface dressing for two of the authorities. In March 2024, we were successful in winning work through this procurement exercise, being awarded the works to deliver £600K of preventative road improvement works through the surface dressing process.
Thi d hi hli ht it t to delivering high-quality infrastructure solutions r drive and ability to follow our Business Plan ro
Demonstrating Best Value in Councils’ Tendering Exercises Challenges
Our external income reduced in 2023/24 due to the operational need to divert resources and capacity to supporting our Councils respond to and recover from the intense storm damage caused during Autumn and Winter 2023/24.
Record levels of inflationary increases on pay, materials and products, also impacted on the commercial opportunities available. Existing customer spending was adversely impacted by these increases, as was the private sector with many choosing to hold back on investment waiting for markets to settle.
Mirroring national trends following the pandemic, we experienced historically higher than average sickness absence rates and vacancy levels - with both these factors reaching the highest level in Tayside Contracts for several years This challenged our ability to pursue external income in some cases, because with shortages in employees across the organisation, we did not have the confidence to deliver additional work, when staffing shortages were already impacting on our existing core services for our constituent Councils.
Next Steps
The following is a summary - more detailed information on next steps is contained in the new Business Plan 2024/27, approved by the Joint Committee in August 2024.
Our priority is to expand our commercial business - focussing in on making best use of our expertise, experience and strengths in our core competency areas (Construction, Catering and Facilities Management). Our focus will be on penetration of existing markets, and developing markets for our existing services, rather than embarking on higher risk activities of expanding into new products and services and diversifying into unknown markets.
We will assess our current approach to customer engagement, and develop a new customer marketing plan, to analyse the market, and promote our brand, showcase the services we can provide, and attract more business
We will carry out a commercial skills analysis for the organisation, and develop an action plan, including cascading training through the organisation.
COLLABORATION AND SHARING
‘Sharing
the gain’
Introduction
Greater collaboration between our constituent Councils offers a proven route to Greater collaboration between our constituent Councils offers a proven route to reducing costs, whilst maintaining service quality. If savings are not found reducing costs, whilst maintaining service quality. If savings are not found through innovations such as sharing services, then our Councils will need to find through innovations such as sharing services, then our Councils will need to find these savings by other means, including service reductions these savings by other means, including service reductions.
Here are some of our highlights during
2023/24
We have continued to expand the services we provide to our constituent Councils, generating additional income, and delivering more efficient services Examples include:
Provision of depot and winter maintenance services to the North East Scotland Trunk Road operator (Amey), bring in several hundred thousands of pounds of income in 2023/24
School window cleaning service are now delivered in house for all three Councils, rather than outsourced to a private provider.
We are now providing a Gutter Cleaning service for Perth & Kinross Council schools.
Bus Shelter cleaning for Dundee City Council (see Case Study)
Transfer of Dundee City Council Community Centre Resource Assistants to Tayside Contracts (see Case Study)
Ensuring Security of supply for Roadstone Materials for next 30 years
In January 2024 the Planning consent for the extension to Collace Quarry was approved by the Perth & Kinross Council Development Management Committee This follows our extensive technical study and Planning submissions, as well as our thorough engagements with the local communities around Collace
Initial works to allow the extension plans to progress commenced in March 2024 allowing the first “rock blast” and extraction of material to take place in September 2024
In line with the longer term strategy for Collace Quarry, the planning consent and the recently completed decommissioning of the fixed crushing facility provides long term security for future development opportunities, to safeguard Collace working, well into the future This means the three Councils have an effective secure, reasonably priced source of materials to keep their roads maintained, for the next three decades – as well as a commercial income stream from other customers.
Shared Learning to Reduce Winter Maintenance Costs
Each winter Tayside Contracts procures road salt for the constituent Councils. There are two types of salt, marine and rock, with marine coming mainly from Spain and rock from England.
There has always been a price differential between rock and marine salt with marine salt historically being more expensive - at current rates, almost double the cost of rock salt. Rock salt can potentially deteriorate when stored outside for prolonged periods and therefore Councils have traditionally purchased the more expensive marine salt for areas which had no storage cover.
The Tri Council Roads Maintenance Group undertook a ‘Test of Change’ which challenged traditional methods of salt storage for Winter Maintenance. This allowed the Councils to switch from marine salt to rock salt Learning from each Council’s experience allowed the delivery of winter maintenance services, at no detriment to service, whilst reducing costs of salt supplies to Angus Council and Perth & Kinross Council by a combined £426,000 in 2023/24.
Demonstrating Best Value Through Successful Tendering for Council Customers
Evidence of Tayside Contracts clearly delivering best value can be demonstrated through the Tayside Procurement Consortium tendering exercise on behalf of the three Councils in Tayside, to procure a Roads Maintenance Framework contract. This tender was open to any organisation to place a bid With this arrangement in place, it allows Councils to select contractors from its Framework for its construction works. Tayside Contracts were the only tenderer to submit prices for all Lots in the framework, that met the best value criteria set out for each Council
Partnership to Promote Healthy, Active Travel
The official opening of significant improvements to two sections of National Cycle Network (NCN) Route 1 in Angus took place in August 2024. These works were completed successfully in 2023/24, by Tayside Contracts’ Angus Operations, with one project in Monifieth and the other in Carnoustie The projects are part of Sustrans’ wider work to improve and expand the National Cycle Network across Scotland making it easier, and safer, for more people to walk, wheel and cycle for their everyday journeys
Both projects were backed by funding from the Scottish Government and developed and delivered through partnership between Angus Council and Sustrans
Collaboration was at the heart of the projects. Firstly, with Angus Council as the detailed design was developed; and secondly, within Tayside Contracts, with the Streetlighting Partnership assisting with 80 new lighting columns, Collace quarry supplying 2,822 tonnes of recycled stone and 1,550 tonnes of asphalt; and our Sign Shop team manufacturing the extensive signage for the route
The main elements of the work involved the construction of 2,410m of footway/cycleway along with 1,045m of Road. The projects were completed on budget, with the ‘high levels of workmanship’ noted by both Angus Council, and Sustrans officers who funded the projects
The Monifieth Path project has transformed a previously narrow, partially lit and sandy road into a new, segregated route for residents and visitors to walk, wheel and cycle along The new path runs parallel to the road and connects seamlessly with the Broughty Ferry to Monifieth path at Marine Drive, making it easier and safer than ever to travel actively in the area.
In Carnoustie, the project has created a new traffic-free path, replacing a former on-road section of the route, as well as improving 12km of surfacing between the East Coast Railway Line and Carnoustie Golf Course
In a UK first, the new traffic signals over the Barry Burn work with Lidar technology Here, people walking, wheeling and cycling are detected 25 metres in advance of the crossing point where the signals are triggered to turn red, stopping vehicles and improving safety for those travelling actively
Convener of Communities for Angus Council, Cllr Mark McDonald, said:
These improvements are a significant step forward for active travel in Angus. The new paths in Monifieth and Carnoustie not only enhance safety for cyclists and pedestrians but also promote a healthier and more sustainable way of travel in Angus.
The improvements to the Monifieth path also bring better connectivity as people can travel to Dundee and onwards, opening up fantastic opportunities for both commuting and leisure, making it easier for everyone to enjoy the beautiful routes we have in Angus and beyond.
I am proud of the collaborate efforts that have made these projects a reality.
Expanding collaboration: Bus Shelter Cleaning
In another expansion of Tayside Contracts’ portfolio, the Facilites Management Team in Dundee worked in Partnership with Dundee City Council’s Sustainable Transport Team, to deliver a bus shelter cleaning service, replacing a previous private sector provider of this service. Across the City of Dundee there are 330 Bus Shelters with a further 18 Super Shelters within the City Centre Under this new arrangement, each shelter will be cleaned 6 times per annum as part of a bimonthly schedule.
Achieving and maintaining an acceptable cleaning standard (removal of stickers, posters, graffiti, food etc from glass and information panels) requires the right methodology, cleaning products, equipment and physical effort
The transfer of this service to Tayside Contracts has created 2 new employment opportunities within our local community
For the regular cleaning of the 300+ bus shelters across Dundee, the Council had been seeking to identify a reliable delivery partner. Since the start of 2024 we have been working in partnership with Tayside Contracts who are providing a good standard of service and providing regular updates to the team. Knowing that the work of the cleaning team is being monitored by supervisors on our behalf is an important element of the partnership agreement.
Team Leader, Parking & Sustainable Transport – City Development
Successful Service Transfer – Dundee City Council Resources Assistants
Following an extensive engagement, planning and consultation process, the Resources Assistant service transferred to Tayside Contracts, from Dundee City Council Neighbourhood Services on April 1st 2023.
The service provides Facilities Management support within 6 Community Centres across the city and is delivered in accordance the Partnering Agreement that was developed as part of the robust planning process for the transfer
At the point of service transfer, a total of 15 Resources Assistant posts were added to the workforce of Tayside Contracts’ Dundee Facilities team The transfer was seamless from a service recipient perspective and the post holders that transferred with the service settled in quickly with their new employer, developing positive working relationships with the new management team.
This service transfer is testament to the benefits derived from expanding shared service delivery and effective partnership working.
Dundee City Council Communities service have an effective partnership with Tayside Contracts which allows us to operate our community centres - providing support to communities which face the most challenges.
Tayside Contracts are able to respond quickly and effectively to need when it arises and strong relationships with the management team mean challenges can be worked through together in a timely manner”.
Community Learning & Development Manager, Dundee City Council
Roads Maintenance Partnerships - Collaborating to Deliver Improvements
Dundee Road Maintenance Partnership (DRMP) and Perth Road Maintenance Partnership (PRMP) have been delivering services to through a formal partnership mechanism for over 10 years, under similar governance and reporting arrangements. The performance is monitored and reported to a Partnership Board Quarterly, with an annual report summarising the overall performance in June each year. The key highlights relating to core service provision for 2023/24 are detailed below:
Dundee Road Maintenance Partnership (DRMP)
Safety Inspection performing above target at 100%, (target of 95%)
Defect repair compliance was positive for Category 1, 2 & 3 road repairs, with all meeting the set targets (Total number of defect repairs 15,380).
First Time Permanent (FTP) repairs missed the target marginally, achieving 36.2% against a target of 40% Total number of defect repairs 5,567
Gully cleansing - Cleaned 17,934: this exceeds the target of 16,600 Projects requiring rework/remedials - The percentage of remedial works required as a % of turnover was 053%, better than the the target of 1%
Perth Road Maintenance Partnership (PRMP)
Safety Inspection performing of 100%, above set target of 95%
Defect repair compliance was positive for Category 1, 2 & 3 road repairs, although not meeting all the set targets, each performed better compared to the 2022/23 performance. Category 1, 2 & 3 road repairs response (Total number of defect repairs 11,479)
First Time Permanent (FTP) repairs missed the target marginally, achieving 79% against a target of 80%. Total number of defect repairs 7,981.
Gully cleansing - Cleaned 22,208, below the target of 25,000, however, above the previous year’s figure of 18,922
Projects requiring rework/remedials - The percentage of remedial works required as a % of turnover was 043% - better than the target of 1%
Note: - The Partnership Boards recognised that the exceptional weather events experienced between October and December 2023 impacted on the service standards and outcomes set for the year, with the demand focused on a reactive recovery response across the network, impacting on the ability to deliver the services as they would normally have.
Angus Operations – Collaborative Roads Maintenance Service Delivery
Tayside Contracts core infrastructure service for Angus Council is reviewed at an Angus Headquarters meeting, quarterly. The key areas monitored for 2023/24 are;
Percentage of jobs with works information received from Angus Council prior to works starting (2 weeks baseline), Target 60%, Actual 44%. This was below the target and previous year’s performance of 67% The receipt of this information is crucial in the planning and programming of works. The dip in performance related to significant staff changes within Angus Council This has improved significantly, and the first quarter performance for 2024/25 is 73%
Percentage of jobs started on (agreed) time, Target 90%, Actual 88%. This is marginally below the target however, an improvement on the previous year’s actual value of 77%
Percentage of jobs completed in (agreed) duration, Target 80%, Actual 83%, this exceeds the target set and an improvement of the 2022/23 actual value of 74%.
Gully cleansing - Cleaned 29,589: below the target of 32,000, and below the previous year of 32,596. This performance was affected by the weather and storm events between October and December 2023, where the focus was on incident response. Projects requiring rework/remedials - The percentage of remedial works required as a % of turnover was 0.94%, this is better than the target of 1%.
Tayside-wide Collaboration in PracticeStreet Lighting Partnership
Street Lighting is a core service delivered by Tayside Contracts, maintaining a large scale illuminated asset to keep people safe – this includes 72,000 illuminated columns, 4,560 illuminated signs and 1,380 illuminated bollards The Partnership also undertakes a variety of electrical and lighting commissioned for private sector clients and developers.
The Street Lighting Partnership is an excellent example of collaborative success in practice, and this can be evidenced through Performance information, which is monitored through the Tri Street Lighting Partnership Board which meet on a quarterly basis as part of the formal governance arrangements
A summary of some of our highlights are detailed below.
Angus
514 95.6%
Is the total number of faults repaired over the year
Is the percentage of faults completed within 7 days for the year (target 95%)
Dundee
Is the average time to repair over the year (target of 7 days) 2.5days
234
Is the total number of faults repaired over the year
Is the total number of faults repaired over the year 1886
96.4%
Is the percentage of faults completed within 7 days for the year (target 95%)
Perth & Kinross
98.3%
Is the percentage of faults completed within 7 days for the year (target 95%)
Is the average time to repair over the year (target of 7 days) 4.6days
Is the average time to repair over the year (target of 7 days) 1.7days
All three areas have delivered a strong level of performance over the year both internally and compared to other Councils. This was against a backdrop of challenging recruitment issues and higher than normal level of absence.
Challenges
The 2023 independent review of Tayside Contracts highlighted that - at certain levels - Council colleagues do not see Tayside Contracts as a partner organisation of the three Councils It may be that over time, colleagues who had previously a strong working relationship with Tayside Contracts have moved on, and with the significant turnover of employees, the perception of Tayside Contracts as being an affiliated part of the Council has diminished.
Analysis has shown that there is a considerable variation between each of the constituent Councils over the services they use Tayside Contracts for. Approximate estimates indicate that if all our constituent Councils used Tayside Contracts services to the same extent, this could represent up to £10 million in increased turnover for Tayside Contracts.
The three Councils would also benefit through the opportunity for standardisation across Tayside, economies of scale, sharing best practice, and potential cost savings
The past year has been a challenge for the Street Lighting Partnership in retaining and recruiting staff Like most businesses, it has been difficult to recruit qualified staff leading to shortages in some areas. The strength in the Partnership arrangement has been evident in the ability to flexibly deploy staff, between Council areas, where resources have been required - rather than have gaps in service provision, as would have been the case if these services were ‘standalone’ functions within Councils.
Next Steps
The following is a summary - more detailed information on next steps is contained in the new Business Plan 2024/27, approved by the Joint Committee in August 2024.
With the risk identified in our MediumTerm Financial Plan, of a potential funding deficit position in later years, we will address this risk, by focussing on the opportunities for our constituent Councils to consistently take up the services provided by Tayside Contracts, as the approved Shared Service of the three Councils.
We will re-connect with Council colleagues, to re-affirm the role of Tayside Contracts, with functions delegated to it by the three Councils, as well as evidencing the benefits offered by our shared services. We will capture views of Council colleagues as to why certain activities are not awarded or offered to Tayside Contracts, especially if this is due to a concern that Tayside Contracts is not delivering a quality service or best value
We will assess our skills and capabilities, and train and develop our people to hold the skills and mindset needed to work successfully in partnership with our Councils; develop robust business cases; implement initiatives successfully and maintain strong customer relationship management. Before After
Continuous Improvement and Performance
‘Think like a customer, act like a taxpayer’
The future sustainability of public services requires us all to demonstrate Best
The future sustainability of public services requires us all to demonstrate Best Value, be more innovative and open to change, in order to make the optimum Value, be more innovative and open to change, in order to make the optimum use of the limited resources that we have to provide the best service to our use of the limited resources that we have to provide the best service to our customers and communities. The more efficient and effective we are, the more customers and communities The more efficient and effective we are, the more competitive we will be competitive we will be
Here are some of our highlights during 2023/24
Recognising the financial pressures on Tayside Contracts and our constituent Councils we developed a Change Plan, which rigorously reviews and sets out our key areas for transformation, efficiencies, increased income and service reductions. As part of our Change Plan activities, we have realised financial savings efficiencies and increased income, to the value of just under £1.7m in 2023/24 (see Appendix 2 for further details).
Following a robust review, we reduced the number of funded posts on our Facilities Services Division (FSD)
Establishment by 193 posts over 202224, reducing labour costs by £1.35m. We were able to achieve these reductions through robust vacancy management, thereby ensuring our existing employee’s jobs were not at risk as we reduced the posts
Our Business Plan commitment to “Make Best Use of Our Assets” resulting in this targeting our property portfolio, and through working with Councils and other partners, we have extended our sharing of facilities (and sharing costs) in our offices and depots across Tayside. The net effect of reducing our building footprint, and sharing accommodation and costs with partners, has reduced our annual costs for property by £500k per annum.
We have reviewed our organisational structure as per of our ‘Future Thinking’ programme which will significantly reshape our management and support services costs. This review was approved by the Joint Committee in March 2024 When implemented, this initiative will realise financial savings of £500,000 per annum This will not only reduce costs, but also ensure that we are fit for purpose for the future, and that we have experienced, dynamic individuals in key posts, having benefitted from our succession planning preparatory work
Supporting Learning Through School Meals
Following a review of our school meals service, an Action Plan was developed in partnership with our constituent Councils, to increase the uptake of school meals to support the Scottish Government’s agenda to tackle poverty, reduce childhood obesity and support learning. Here are some of our initiatives, which have contributed to school meal uptake numbers increasing across Tayside by nearly 10% in the last year.
Menu
Sampling Menu
Consultation
Free samples of forthcoming school lunch menu items were made available in all primary schools to encourage young people to try new dishes and to encourage those who don’t already, to use the school catering service.
Schools from across Tayside were invited to take part in our Pupil Consultation Process to gather feedback about our lunch menu, and to seek suggestions for future menus. It is essential to listen to the views of young people so that we can continuously improve our school lunch offering by serving nutritious dishes that young people want to eat, which will not only increase meal uptake, it will also help reduce plate waste. We include as many suggestions which meet the Scottish Government’s nutritional legislation as possible in our menus
School M e a sl Experience Video
The Food and Nutrition Team developed a school meals video, which allows parents and carers an insight into the school meals experience through the eyes of primary school pupils, showing what’s available and why. The video was filmed at Rosebank Primary School in Dundee, and has increased the profile of school meals, contributing to the increase in meal uptake since the previous year
Our popular school meals newsletter continues to receive positive feedback from parents and carers:
It is absolutely first class. Well done to all involved.
This is a quick email before the school run. I loved the craft idea and staff profile. Thank you for informing me of what goes on. Well done to whoever involved.
Great newsletter and video well done for the team who put this together.
I just wanted to write to say how much I enjoyed reading your newsletter! Newsletter was very informative and useful, thank you.
Thank you for a lovely newsletter that’s been forwarded on by our school.
Here is a selection of feedback relating to our meals service:
I am so glad I accepted the opportunity to sample school lunches at Claypotts. The food was delicious. Everything looked so inviting, and beautifully laid out by kind and hard working staff. Such a good selection and variety for the children to choose from.
Please thank the staff for their kindness. I’ll certainly be spreading the word about how good school lunches are.
I would just like to thank the meals service department on my lovely, delicious meals.
Also the council and my support worker for arranging this for me. I really appreciate the nutritional meals which I can no longer make for myself. Thank you again it’s going to make such a difference to my overall health.
(Comment on Community Meals)
My son attends Inch View Nursery and has a vegan menu. I just wanted to pass on how happy I am (and he will be) with the new menu! He's not yet a fan of things with sauces (except tomato pasta and beans) so it's great that there's a non-saucy option every day! I was glad to have decent options when he started last summer, and the new menu is definitely an improvement. A big thank you to all those involved.
Overall, there was a 9.2% increase in average daily meal numbers across Tayside during 2023/24 compared to the previous financial year
Improving through Investors in People (IIP)
Since we were last accredited as an IIP organisation in 2021, we continue to implement a culture that promotes high performance working, and we are a great place to work.
In October 2023 we carried out an internal leadership survey to explore all employees’ views and experiences. We achieved a return rate of 34%, which was a 4% higher return than the previous survey in 2021
The chart below identifies in blue the positive responses to each section, which shows the overall favourable responses by employees.
The table below highlights the top 3 areas where we appear to be getting it right and conversely, where we need to improve as identified by participants:
Although the overall results were positive, a number of areas for improvement have been identified and are being worked on in the various areas For example In March 2024 our Investors in People Assessor interviewed teams where there was a “below 34% return rate”, to explore peoples’ views more closely. We also gave our Trade Union representatives the opportunity to meet with the assessor Our Senior Managers reviewed the results of these follow up interviews, and developed action plans based on the feedback received.
We have prepared a corporate IIP action plan which takes account of the feedback received from employees both from the survey and the employee focus groups held in March 2024, which summarises where the organisation believes it currently sits, and where it aspires to be to achieve its organisational ambitions.
A further Investors in People Leadership Survey is planned for October 2024 in preparation for our forthcoming reaccreditation visit in November 2024.
Investing In People Through Training
All that we are in Tayside Contracts, and all that we can be, is achieved through our people, who work hard every day to deliver excellent services to our communities. We place great value on our people and recognise that their knowledge, expertise, and performance have a direct impact on the success of the organisation.
During 2023/24 we made the following investments in training:
investedintoemployeedevelopment
trainingoccasionsheld(25%highernumberthaninpreviousyear)
school/careereventsattendedtodelivertalkstoyounglearners
localschoolstargetedworkinginpartnershipwithEducationServicesofthe threeCouncils
ofourdriverscompletedtheMentalHealthandWellbeingforDriversa25-hour moduledeliveredaspartoftheDriverCertificateofProfessionalCompetence.
managersattendedEquity,DiversityandInclusionAwarenessTrainingdelivered byEnableWorks
FacilitiesAssistantattendedtrainingtoequipthemwiththeknowledgeand skillsonAsbestosAwareness.
ConstructionemployeesattendedSafetyandHealthAwarenessDaysinAngus, DundeeandPerth
managersattendedRecruitmentandSelectionManagementGuideTraining
managersattendedDisciplinaryManagementGuideTraining
managersattendedSicknessAbsenceManagementGuideTraining
Focus on Minimising Accidents
Tayside Contracts takes its responsibilities very seriously as an employer to provide a healthy and safe environment for all employees. Health and Safety arrangements and assessments are managed through our Safety Management System, underpinned by continual training and awareness sessions.
The total number of accidents during 2023/2024 was 124, a decrease from 133 compared to 2022/23. The long-term improvement trend is as shown in the graph below:
During 2023/24, the number of statutory reportable accidents also decreased compared to 2022/23, from 18 to 17:
Our annual Health and Safety report to the Joint Committee can be found here.
Extending our Social Media Reach
Having a strong social media profile is an essential part of Tayside Contracts’ communications and marketing approach, especially for recruitment, and maintaining contact with our customers
Our social media analytics overview provides valuable insights that will guide our decisionmaking and help to optimise our future social media strategies The analytics show a very positive upward trend in our social media uptake across all platforms.
Jobs
3,039
Followers as of March 2024
The highest reaching recruitment posts were for Angus based Roadworkers in March, with a reach of 15,300, followed by a CPU Kitchen Porter post, with a reach of 14,200k which was in October 2023
50% increase from 2022/23 increase in reach from 2022/23
Followers as of March 2024 1,016
The highest reaching post of 2023/24 was the Dish of the Day post in January with the return of schools following the festive break with a reach of 7,800 people. The second highest reach was in March and was the School Meals Parent Information Newsletter for primary and nursery pupils with a reach of 3,600.
We also showed positive increase in followers for the other social media platforms we use:
Challenges
During 2023/24, the percentage of days lost due to sickness absence for the organisation as a whole was 63%, a decrease of 0.1% compared to 2022/23. Whilst this is a welcome decrease, it is 0.3% higher than the Business Plan Key Performance Indicator of 6.0%. Although this is disappointing, it is reflective of national trends. However, more positively, during 2023/2024, 943 employees, (378% of the workforce), achieved full attendance, which is a remarkable increase of 515 employees when compared to 2022/23.
The employee turnover Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for 2023/24 was set at 11% Employee turnover for the organisation as a whole during 2023/24 was 149%, an increase of 0.4% on the previous year and 3.9% higher than the KPI target. This is typical of public sector trends, as reported by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), which highlights that due to the gap between public and private sector pay awards, is more difficult to retain public sector staff.
Food sampling at Glebelands Primary School, Dundee
Next Steps
The following is a summary - more detailed information on next steps is contained in the new Business Plan 2024/27, approved by the Joint Committee in August 2024.
Making the Best Use of our AssetsWorking with our Council colleagues we will build on our recent successes and extend this approach to investigate sharing other facilities such as depots and offices across Tayside.
Evidence Based Performance Prioritisation - focussing on evidence gathering and review will inform us on what needs to improve. Measuring our performance and sharing this with partners means we will know whether we are driving continuous improvement in service delivery and achieving best value for public resources.
Supporting Councils to Increase School and Community Meal Uptake - although school meal uptake is encouragingly increasing, we are still some way from maximising uptake levels Improving School meal uptake requires a partnership approach, and we will work our Council colleagues to build on the joint School Meal Review and Action Plan.
We are carrying out a pay and conditions review to minimise the risk of service failure due to inability to recruit and retain essential posts.
We are implementing the actions in our Investors in People Action Plan, to achieve re-accreditation of this standard
We continue to tackle recruitment and sickness absence through implementation of our Wellbeing Strategy and Recruitment and Retention Strategy and their action plans, to ensure we have the workforce in place to meet the commercial opportunities which arise. We are also reviewing our recruitment process including a review of the candidate experience.
find out more about our Wellbeing Strategy by watching this video
Communities, Councils and Customers
‘Creating community wealth’
As one of the largest employers in the area with a firm commitment to corporate
As one of the largest employers in the area with a firm commitment to corporate social, ethical and environmental responsibility, we are in a strong position to social, ethical and environmental responsibility, we are in a strong position to support the wider ambitions of our constituent Councils and our communities - support the wider ambitions of our constituent Councils and our communitiesto enhance the lives of everyone in Tayside, andshare in delivering the Councils’ to enhance the lives of everyone in Tayside, andshare in delivering the Councils’ strategic aims around community empowerment; equality and fairness; economy strategic aims around community empowerment; equality and fairness; economy and education; employability; tackling climate change and building community and education; employability; tackling climate change and building community wellbeing. wellbeing
Here are some of our highlights during 2023/24
Community Empowerment
A Successful year for the Community Fund
In support of local community empowerment, Tayside Contracts’ Community Fund has been introduced successfully, where we support local community and charity groups, by carrying out works for them, such as signage provision, meal services or minor construction works The costs are paid by the Community Fund, with the income for the Fund provided by Brakes, (one of our major national food suppliers) as part of their community benefit procurement commitment.
60 local community groups have been supported by Tayside Contracts by the end of 2023/24, with the equivalent of over £100,000 in value being delivered to these groups.
Here are some comments from grateful recipients:
‘As you will know the work was completed a couple of weeks ago. My committee colleague who has mobility challenges is really pleased with the path up to the hall front door and the square is so much better than it was. 22 tons later! Many many thanks we all really appreciate it.’
Chapelhill Hall
‘Just a wee email to say a huge thank you for helping us obtain the Community Fund and for organising the soup and traybakes. The soup was delicious and frequently complimented and the traybakes were a great addition to our cake and candy stall.The snow fell just as we were setting up in the morning, so it was extremely festive and perfectly timed.’
Eastern Primary School Parent Council
Equality, diversity and inclusion Training
In October 2023, we committed to roll out equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) training across the organisation We commissioned EDI UK to carry out a survey to establish the level of understanding of EDI with our managers and supervisors. This provided us with a clearer awareness of the current level of understanding of EDI and with the help of EDI UK, we planned out our training programme Funding for the initial EDI training was secured through Enable Works. A saving of around £6,650.
This consisted of 6 sessions over a period of six weeks with a variety of in-person and hybrid sessions. An informative video was created as a reminder to supervisors and managers of all the EDI arrangements we currently have in place
The initial research proved beneficial as the training was received very favourably by recipients
Feedback from the Enable EDI session:
I just wanted to send a quick bit of feedback on the back of the EDI training session we had with Elaine this morning. This really was an excellent session and very informative. I learned more from that session than I did from a degree in nursing! It was really interactive and I took so much from it, it's given me things to think about in the workplace and in my day-today life.
Supporting Dundee Bairns
Children who receive, and indeed rely on, free school meals during school term time, often have no such provision during school holiday periods. We have had the privilege of working in partnership with Dundee Bairns, providing nourishing packed lunches to attendees of the Fun & Food Programme across a variety of settings at the Easter, Summer and October holiday periods.
Our food provision has extended to include hot meals for Tea Club which is an after-school homework club that runs between 330 and 500pm and includes a 2-course hot evening meal provided by the hard-working Tayside Contract catering teams These were initially provided at 3 school locations across the city. This service has expanded and now provides Teatime meals to 9 school locations, between October and March each year
This initiative has been able to evidence that, even within a short time frame, a homework and hot meal after school activity can have a positive impact on attainment, pupil perceptions of health and happiness, and teachers’ perceptions of pupil confidence and engagement with learning
In the year 2023/24 our charity Dundee Bairns delivered 28,000 lunches to children during the school holidays, as well as 2 course hot evening meals for children during the autumn and winter months. All of these meals were provided by Tayside Contracts kitchen staff, and without their commitment we would not have been able to do this. The kitchen staff are simply the kindest and most generous people, and they prepare the meals for the bairns as though it were for their own children.
David Dorward, Chair, Dundee Bairns
Economy & Education
Nearly three quarters of our employees are paid at the Scottish Living Wage minimum level, therefore, their physical, emotional and financial wellbeing is high on our priorities during the cost-of-living crisis. We introduced an Employee Benefits Platform in April 2023 which helps improve employees’ physical, financial and mental wellbeing, by giving employees access to lifestyle savings, an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), Cycle to Work Scheme, discounted Home and Electronics and confidential external support via the 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme and Your Care (a dynamic wellbeing platform offering a range of personal, emotional, and financial wellbeing tools).
We teamed up with Council employability teams and Skills Development Scotland to create pathways to give job seekers guidance, training and employment opportunities with Tayside Contracts
During 2023/24, we expanded our work in partnership with Council Employability Teams, Job Centre Plus and Remploy, which has included running Job Academies and ‘Meet the Employer’ sessions, and attending recruitment fairs in the Angus, Dundee and Perth and Kinross areas, to attract new employees to the organisation.
We continue to work with Council Education colleagues and offer activities such as work placements, school talks, mock interviews, site/school visits, career fayres and tailored presentations/talks around the curriculum subjects, to engage with the next generation of employees.
During 2023/24 we worked in partnership with Dundee and Angus Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) team to support young people to prepare for work and the transition needed with support from schools, colleges, and our managers. We continue to be recognised as an approved official Young Person’s Guarantee Employer which is a commitment to connect every 16- to 24-year-old in Scotland to an employment opportunity
During the year, we also participated in the Developing the Young Workforce’s social media campaign ‘#NoWrongPath’ which provides inspiration and reassurance to young people receiving their exam results. The campaign aims to demonstrate that many people in interesting job roles may not have taken a straight, obvious, or traditional path to get there - that there is #NoWrongPath.
We also attended careers events at Barnardos: Employability4All, Remploy and Jobcentres in Angus, Dundee and Perth, Skills Development Scotland, Tayside Pace Team and Street Soccer Dundee
Job Academy Partnership with Discover Work - Adult Employability Service
Working with Tay Cities Deal and local Council employability colleagues, we have participated in a range of Job Academies, to encourage people back into employment. 70% of those who completed the job academies applied for jobs with us, and of those who did apply, 28% secured a job with Tayside Contracts. Here are two examples of our partnership work
We were delighted to once again partner with Discover Work - Adult Employability Service to run a Job Academy for the third and fourth time in October 2023 and February 2024 The Academies focussed on recruiting for our Catering, Cleaning and School Crossing Patroller roles.
An information session was held prior to each Job Academy, with presentations explaining who Tayside Contracts are, the type of roles we have to offer and why we are an employer of choice The October session was well attended and resulted in 17 participants signing up for the two-week Academy. The February 2024 sessions were also well attended and resulted in 30 participants signing up for the Academy, with 24 completing the full two weeks.
During the Academy, we provided information on our various roles in Facilities and Catering. The Academy included training on customer service, employability skills, food hygiene, Health & Safety, application support and interview skills.
We were delighted that from the 17 participants who attended in October 2023, 15 have gone onto apply for vacancies with Tayside Contracts. For the February 2024 event, from the 24 participants who attended, to date, 14 have gone onto apply for vacancies with Tayside Contracts.
Here is an example of the response from participants:
I loved the Job Academy, and it was one of the best academies I have been on. I felt like it was well informed and well run and it was definitely worth going on for the two weeks. It helped with confidence and building me more skills to feel more confident in going into a new work environment and even meeting new people in the academy was a good thing.
I have been working as a School Cleaner for three months and I work with good people and enjoy my new job. It is more accessible and suitable to my needs. I feel well supported and trained to do my job. I can call my supervisor and ask for help or just advice. If I need a bit more help or more training I can just ask.
Job Academy in action
Supporting Young People into Employment Through Apprenticeships
We remain committed to developing and growing our own people through the Modern, Technical and Professional apprenticeship work-based learning programmes An Apprenticeship webpage is available on our website, highlighting our successful Apprentice Roadworker and Apprentice Mechanic programmes
Our two-year Apprentice Roadworker programme was implemented in August 2017 and up to 31 March 2024, resulted in the appointment of twenty-two Apprentice Roadworkers, aged 16-24 Upon successful completion of the apprenticeship, most employees are offered permanent employment with the organisation.
Of the apprenticeships which commenced in 2023, five individuals are on course to successfully complete the apprenticeship programme in August 2025 and be offered permanent employment
Our longstanding and successful four-year Apprentice Mechanic programme continues. We currently have eight apprentice mechanics and three are on course to successfully complete their apprenticeship in September 2024 and be offered permanent employment
We also welcomed a new Apprentice Sign Manufacturing Operative to our Signshop in Blairgowrie Depot The apprenticeship will run for the period of 2 years, with achievement of an SVQ Level 3 Signmaking (SCQF Level 6).
Our annual Training and Development report to the Joint Committee can be found here
Supporting Local Employers
We are committed to using as much locally sourced goods and services as possible, and our actions to attract local companies to become suppliers for Tayside Contracts, has resulted in us reaching our target level for 2023/24 for spend with locally based organisations (55%, compared to a target of 50%) To promote this:
We established a dedicated webpage to help local producers become suppliers to Tayside Contracts – click here
We conduct market research prior to any procurement exercise to engage with local suppliers. We hold a database which records all supplier enquiries to maximise opportunities to local enterprises where possible.
Health & Wellbeing
We hold our annual Meet the Buyer event in conjunction with the Supplier Development Programme to network with local suppliers.
We also worked with Perth & Kinross Councils Good Food Project, Eat and Drink Dundee to share and collaborate with groups such as Nourish Scotland, GrowBiz Scotland, to attract local suppliers
Working with Partners to Promote Healthy Eating
Health data shows that over one third of pupils in Primary 1 in the most deprived areas of Scotland, are overweight and at risk of obesity We have worked closely with Councils with initiatives to tackle obesity, through positive healthy eating choices. For example:
Dundee is one of the Scottish Government’s Early Adopter areas for its ‘Whole Systems Approach to Diet and Healthy Weight’. Tayside Contracts was part of a Multi-Agency Health Weight Partnership, including Dundee City Council Children and Families Service, NHS Tayside’s Public Health Directorate, working together to tackle this issue
Rosebank Best Foot Forward Project - our Food and Nutrition Team continue to work with Rosebank Primary School in Dundee with its Best Foot Forward project again this year Our Menu Development Chef provided a Family Cooking workshop which parents found very helpful. The Food and Nutrition Analysts also delivered a presentation on Healthy Snacks and Lunches and gave parents some hints and tips for grocery shopping and hosted a session with helpful hints and tips around healthy snacking and food labelling This initiative was nominated for a Dundee City Council's Outstanding Service and Commitment Award in June 2023 for ‘Improving Services through Partnership Working’.
Partnership Working with NHS/DCC -Teacher meetings and training sessions with Dundee City Council and NHS Tayside have provided support to nursery and primary teachers in Dundee, with input from our Food and Nutrition team. They also highlighted the different ways the team can help support learning, including the use of our school meal recipe book for classroom activities, and visits to schools to deliver Healthy Eating presentations to pupils.
School Visits - The Food and Nutrition Team have visited various schools across Tayside to deliver presentations on healthy eating and the Eat Well Guide to support health and wellbeing topics on the curriculum, offering fruit platters prepared by our catering teams.
Here is an example of pupil feedback:
I am writing to you to say thank you for coming to our school to talk to us about healthy eating.
I enjoyed looking at the Eatwell – plate and learning how much you should eat a day. The most interesting thing I learnt was learning about how many cups of water you should have a day.
Our Food and Nutrition team also works hard to keep up with developments in supporting people with different needs including:
DDSI (International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative) trainingdelivered by NHS Speech and Language Therapists to our Food and Nutrition Team and catering team members, which will ensure we provide adapted menus which are best suited to the needs of our service users with chewing and swallowing difficulties
Cystic Fibrosis training - delivered by Children and Young Persons Cystic Fibrosis Nurse Specialist to the Food and Nutrition team, to help us better meet the needs of young people with the condition, due to the high calorie and high fat diet required to meet their high energy needs.
Food Allergen Management training - for our Food and Nutrition Team members, delivered by Campden BRI, which is an organisation that provides the food and drink industry with practical, scientific, technical and advisory services to ensure product safety and quality.
Climate Change and Sustainability
Transport is the biggest contributor to greenhouse gases in Scotland and reductions in emissions can only be achieved through significant changes to our reliance on fossil fuel powered vehicles and plant. We are delivering on the actions in our Climate Change Plan, for example, 33 % of our small vans fleet is now provided by electric vehicles.
We closely manage and monitor fuel use (including vehicle idling), and this is showing year on year improvements in emissions and consumption:
We are also increasing the number of more fuel-efficient vehicles (Euro 6), replacing less effective engine types
ECO Stars is a national scheme that helps fleet operators improve efficiency, lower emissions, reduce fuel consumption, and make immediate cost savings.
Our main food production facility, Tay Cuisine, won the 2023 Tayside Contracts Climate Change Excellence Award, for its focus on reducing waste, including:
changing to use a fresh butcher meat product, which reduced packaging by over 13,000 plastic trays per year; and changing from ready- made burgers to buying the same burger mix and producing/shaping our own burgers
This not only saved money (as it reduced the unit cost of a burger), it also avoided 182,000 sheets of wax coated paper which previously went into landfill
Through our Street Lighting Partnership replacing traditional lighting with low energy LED lamps, energy consumption has decreased by 63% in Angus, 68% in Dundee and 47% in Perth & Kinross, since 2012.
Challenges
Tayside Contracts continued to fulfil its statutory equalities duties and specific equalities duties by carrying out an Equalities Mainstreaming Review during early 2024, which was reported to the Joint Committee This incorporated the outcome of a comprehensive Equal Pay Analysis carried out by independent experts. The Equalities Mainstreaming Report also featured extensive Equalities Employee Monitoring data, which although largely positive, does highlight a few areas requiring further investigation. These will be progressed as a matter of priority. This shows the value of carrying out these types of assessments
Although our actions to attract local producers to become suppliers for Tayside Contracts, has reached our target level for 2023/24 (55%, compared to a target of 50%), we know that further engagement is needed to understand the barriers to local producers, and how these can be overcome, to increase local spend with Tayside Contracts.
Next Steps
The following is a summary - more detailed information on next steps is contained in the new Business Plan 2024/27, approved by the Joint Committee in August 2024.
Equality, Diversity and Community Empowerment - we will extend the promotion of our ‘Tayside Contracts Community Fund’ to as many groups as possible, to support community empowerment, by offering local community groups our services at no cost to the community groups up to agreed limits.
Economy and Education - we will engage local businesses further, to understand the barriers, and how we can support them becoming part of the supply chain to Tayside Contracts, thereby promoting local economic benefit and employment.
We will continue our work with Councils’ Education Services, as well as local schools and Universities to make connections with Tayside Contracts, so we add value to the education experience, support career paths and positive destinations, and attract a new generation of local talented people to work with us.
Environment - we will continue our progress on the transition to zero carbon through our Climate Change Plan, to meet our constituent Councils’ clear ambition to respond to the Climate Emergency.
Summary of Key Performance Indicators and Targets
1,670,540
