How Hertfordshire Community Meals provides social valueChange managementArguably there are six key aspects of HCM’s model which differentiate it from other community meals providers across the UK: (1) its structure and type of business model; (2) its emphasis on relationship management; (3) its strong focus on a ‘community’ culture and staff engagement; (4) its commitment to reducing costs for the ‘public purse’; (5) the desire to diversify and improve its service offerings; and (6) forward-thinking leadership with an outward-looking approach. Business modelThe corporate structure of HCM as an IPS with two clear aims (the provision of services to older people and the relief of local unemployment) combined with the benefits of having ‘charitable status’ with the FSA provides the organisation with both a strong sense of purpose and practical advantages (e.g. tax relief) in order to achieve its charitable and social ambitions. Furthermore, arguably the actual business model helps the organisation overcome a barrier that often puts people off of MoWs services: a poor reputation. For example, the phrase ‘Meals on Wheels’ is frequently associated with negative connotations: the 1950s welfare state, tasteless food, and personal decline and dependence. HCM’s delivery model is unique in that in broad terms it is separated into two components – the provision of food and the provision of ‘services’. The former is handled by apetito while the latter is dealt with by HCM staff. apetito (which provides millions of meals to care settings around the UK) has extremely strict standards of food quality, safety, and hygiene. This is particularly useful for HCM in terms of advertising the service because having such a reputable supplier of food is reassuring for prospective clients. Conversely, this means that the rest of the organisation is ‘freed up’ to focus its efforts on providing a caring, high-quality, and personalised service to its clients. Relationship managementThe management and leadership of HCM is acutely aware that relationship management is absolutely vital: because the delivery of MoWs is a statutory responsibility for Local Authorities, a degree of political awareness is required, be this in terms of understanding fiscal pressures on Local Authorities, understanding the key political actors in the local area, or navigating often complicated and protracted political processes - having an awareness of how Local Authorities operate is arguably a key component of HCM’s success. Furthermore, HCM prides itself on having an ‘open book’ approach with HCC commissioners, meaning that there is a very high level of trust between all parties which facilitates an extremely collaborative environment. ‘Community’ cultureHCM has six values which underline the expectations of all of its members of staff: caring, community, conscientiousness, creativity, communication, and cost-efficiency.1 The purpose of these values is to help reinforce HCM’s community-focussed culture both internally and externally. Arguably this is an important part of HCM’s success, particularly in terms of recruiting other caring like-minded individuals, advertising the service to lonely clients, building relationships with stakeholders, and establishing an attractive ‘brand’. For example, in HCM’s 2011 Annual Survey, 58% of clients agreed that because of HCM’s service they now ‘feel part of a community’. Cutting costs As a publicly-subsidised service, HCM is absolutely committed to reducing costs in order to realise savings for HCC. For example, to name a few, last year HCM re-negotiated all of its utilities contracts, changed its I.T. provider, and transformed its vehicle fleet, all of which will realise considerable savings which will in turn be passed on to HCC. HCM is very aware of the financial pressures faced by Local Authorities, and as such often pre-empts rounds of funding cuts by seeking savings through challenging and transforming its own operation. DiversificationHCM is constantly looking to improve its service offerings, often through working in partnership with other organisations. For example, Operation Sponge Pudding is a safety project which involves police, fire, and trading standards officers accompanying drivers on their rounds in order to carry out safety checks of vulnerable clients’ homes. Not only does this make clients feel more secure, but also allows Hertfordshire Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Service to prevent certain crimes against older people, such as distraction burglaries, and to install equipment that will help to prevent fires. HCM is far from being just a meals provider, and provides a range of welfare checks to all of its clients: meals are not just delivered to the door – drivers often have to plate meals, prepare a drink, or speak to relatives on behalf of clients. This means that HCM can provide a much more holistic service which has a hugely positive impact not just on the clients, but also their carers and family members too. More interestingly, as HCM has grown so quickly (in 2007 it had 7 staff and 2 vehicles, in 2014 it has 185 staff and 62 vehicles), it now has a considerable resource base that can be used for a wide range of other purposes: pilots are currently being run in day services for clients with early-onset dementia, non-personal homecare, and telecare installations. Forward-thinking leadership HCM is fortunate in the sense that it has an extremely dedicated Chief Executive and a committed, qualified, and well-rounded Board of Members that collectively contribute to the effective governance, management, and leadership of the organisation. This cannot be underestimated, particularly in times of difficulty, such as organisational restructures, when strong leadership is absolutely essential to organisational success. |
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Sam Tappenden Business Development Manager  Sam Tappenden wrote this case study for Governance International in January 2014. |
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