Growing through change: Delt’s 12-year TUPE journey
Delt was born from the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations, “TUPE”, and has grown significantly through numerous TUPE transitions over its 12-year life. Why is this important? Well, it sets the scene for our future growth, what we’ve learnt along the way and, from first-hand experience, describes how it felt being on the journey of moving from one organisation to another.
My own journey started at the very beginning of Delt, way back in 2014, and, on reflection, was probably the most challenging transition we have undertaken for a number of reasons. We were the first and had no organisational experience of the process. We couldn’t describe the culture and vision, as Delt didn’t exist at the time; it was a vision shared by the Local Authority and NHS Devon. That vision was to deliver great services (no mention of just IT) to the public sector whilst valuing and developing our staff. What was critical to the success of that vision was the buy-in and commitment from everyone, from the most senior Board member to every staff member, even stretching beyond the boundaries of Delt. Our customers committed to helping us succeed and grow. We all worked together to create something I believe is quite special, bringing together the dedication of the public sector, both health and local authority, coupled with commercial acumen, encouraging challenges to the norm, being bold in the marketplace and holding suppliers to account.
Did we get everything right on day one? No, of course we didn’t. But what we did inadvertently recognise was that it was okay not to get it right all the time, but to own those failures, learn from them and move forward together as a team.
Fast forward twelve years and many service transitions later, and we have a well-refined process that commits to three things:
- We care about and look after the people. It’s a time of significant change and, if it’s not handled carefully, with open and honest communication, then those people who are great at what they do will up and leave the public sector. We truly value the shared experiences of our whole workforce and what we learn from every single person who transfers into the organisation.
- We maintain the quality of the service. If we don’t look after the people as committed to above, then the service quality will fall. We are all here to do a great job for clients, residents, patients and other consumers of our services, both directly and indirectly.
- Learn from each transition and new service to make it better for the next one.
Delt looks for services that it feels can complement its existing services, although at times this link can seem a little tenuous and the link is not always obvious at first. For instance, Delt has a large IT service offering, but we know that our customers’ data sets could be so much more powerful for decision-making if we can support them in sharing that data appropriately and securely. We don’t have a sales function; most of our growth has been through public sector organisations coming to Delt because of our values, how we look after our people and the fact that we are a trusted partner to the NHS and local authorities.
One of the key things we have learnt over the many transfers is that you can’t communicate too much, and this starts from the very first conversations. It is critical that staff are kept informed, given the opportunity to ask questions, meet the teams, talk to others who have been through the TUPE process and be able to articulate what it feels like to work for Delt: what’s the same and what’s different. TUPE sets out some clear steps on what must be carried out and the process, if followed step by step, moves staff from employer A to B. That’s not enough for how Delt acts, as it doesn’t align with our values and falls short of our guiding principle of “looking after the people”.
Even before the formal TUPE process starts, we like to introduce Delt and share information about the organisation, the people and what staff can expect as a member of the Delt team. We give staff time to ask questions, meet future colleagues and address concerns, however minor, to try and alleviate their worries about the future. This is a two-way process, as existing Delt staff are just as curious about any new people, teams and services. We actively encourage cross-team collaboration and career development.
Hopefully, by the time transfer day comes, all staff, new and old, are well informed and know what to expect, but we do reinforce this on the first day, first week and beyond with more information on the “how” of Delt, as well as induction activities and changes to IT systems (where appropriate). Typically, this includes more information on accessing the benefits and support that Delt can offer, as well as working within our policies for leaders. We have Delt champions available to help support staff, as it’s often the more mundane tasks that can trip us up, such as how to book leave.
If you get the people transfer right, then the service element is straightforward, although access to technology can at times be difficult, but not insurmountable. No one comes to work to do a bad job, and if staff feel valued and cared for, they will ensure the service delivers.
Damean Miller, Chief Services Officer