Facilities Management News » Latest news

Devon mulls over outsourcing school meals

Devon County Council is looking at outsourcing options for its primary school meal provision, including with its strategic partner Norse Facilities Management.

Ray Beale, head of business strategy at the Devon CC, told FM World that nothing is ‘set in stone’ but the council is looking for best value for money.

‘What we are doing is what any local authority does when it has a high-spending budget area and school meals is one such area. Nothing is signed but we are talking with industry to see what are options are.’

Devon already operates a ‘mixed economy’ with some secondary schools having outsourced meals provided by Carillion.

His comments come after Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw expressed fears that the academic performance of pupils would suffer under plans to privatise school meals.

In an article in the Exeter’s Express and Echo newspaper, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Bradshaw is quoted as saying he is ‘very concerned’ at the proposal by the Tory-led council. ‘When school dinners were privatised in Somerset the quality fell and children with free school dinners were given sandwiches.

‘This is a very important issue as the quality of a school dinner is directly related to pupils' attainment and performance. I am very worried about anything that will lead to a fall in quality or an increase in costs and I am also concerned about the school dinner ladies, who do a fantastic job. We need to know more about the details of the proposal and I will be asking the council for assurances that this is not about cost cutting that will impact on the quality and price.’

He also said that it was a ‘sign of what would come under a Conservative government with wholesale cuts and privatisation of services like this. They are not committed to protecting school spending and this is an unnecessary move.’

The Echo article noted that news of the council considering outsourcing was ‘prompting fears from worried parents that bills may rocket by hundreds of pounds a year’.

The Echo noted that in 2008 it reported how pupils and teachers at St Peter's School had taken part in a mass boycott of school meals in a protest at rising prices. They accused Carillion of trying to increase profits by charging more for smaller portions.

Beale said even if a contract were to be signed with a private firm, each school has the power to use or not use the service, in similar fashion to a framework agreement. An in-house provision of meals is available by the council, he said.

He has been talking with Norse because the firm already provides property and management teams to Devon County Council. As a strategic partner and under EU rules, they Devon CC would not have to go out to tender for the contract but could work with Norse, said Beale.

A written statement from the council said the authority is ‘investigating commercial options as well as engaging strategic partners from other local authorities and continuing to undertake the service in house’.

Staff representatives, managers and service users will be part of the consultation process which will have to satisfy a number of critical objectives including the positive impact the meals service has on the health and wellbeing of children and young people.

Norse Catering Services provides catering and management to 95 per cent of primary and 45 per cent of secondary schools in Norfolk, and makes around 4m school lunches each year.

The Norse Group, a spin off from the Norfolk County Council, is a holding company bringing together FM provider Norse, property consultancy NPS Property Consultant and waste processing and management operator NEWS. Group turnover is more than £150m, providing employment for over 5,000 people, the company website says.

This article was also featured on http://www.fm-world.co.uk/