CASE STUDY: REED IN PARTNERSHIP
Mutual Respect and Prompt Payment
Reed in Partnership’s mission is to positively transform people and their communities. The services we deliver are all brought together under this mission and the providers we work with are critical to its success.
Our EOIs are promoted widely across Contracts Finder, our website and partner network of 1,400 UK providers, which is free to join. Our scoring criteria is fair and open, and an explainer is made available. We provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants to help them improve their future applications. Our due diligence process interrogates the financial and operational resilience of shortlisted partners. We ensure ongoing engagement with our supply chain throughout the supplier engagement stage, to ensure they are supported with expectations, delivery model and financial requirements.
We have developed a Provider Management Framework that is shared with providers at the start of any contract. It clearly sets out our values, commitments to and expectations of providers and the activities we undertake with them during the contract term. We recognise the essential role providers play in the success of our programmes, and the wide range of experience they have. When we win a new contract, providers are included from the beginning of the implementation phase, helping to shape our service design, processes, products and systems.
We place an emphasis on supporting the development of providers before and after go live. This includes helping to upskill individual members of staff, shadowing sessions with our team members, joint team meetings, sharing resources and providing targeted, practical support such as a member of our team helping to develop a supplier action plan for improving an area of their business.
We recognise the importance of Prompt Payment. We pay 99% of invoices within 60 days, exceeding the target of 95% set by the Prompt Payment Code. We have supported SMEs with upfront payments where necessary.
Case study: Restart Scheme – Encouraging a Diverse Supply Chain
For our delivery of the Restart Scheme, our procurement strategy included the desire to explore high performing, local/regional SMEs who, with our support, had high potential to grow whilst still maintaining excellent delivery. This enabled an SME supplier to deliver a contract that might otherwise have been out of its reach. We accepted the risk and ensured that supply chain management was tailored to support the selected SME supplier.
Increasing VCSE/SME Capacity and Knowledge
We have placed a particular focus on how we can support VCSE and SME suppliers increase their capacity and knowledge. In 2023 we started our VCSE masterclass initiative where subject matter experts in central support teams across our business create workshops to share insights and best practice in their field. Examples of masterclasses include ‘Continuous Improvement & Lean Six Sigma methodologies’, ‘Financial Planning Principles’ and, as a Disability Confident Leader, taking organisations through the Disability Confident Level 1 and Level 2 certification process to help businesses to understand and commit to the scheme. We have ensured all masterclasses are accessible to all sizes and types of organisations and we ask for evaluations to be completed after each session.
