Q&A: YPO
shed light on an increasingly challenging landscape.
6. How is YPO helping schools to navigate procurement reform? YPO provides comprehensive guidance to schools to help them in navigating procurement reform. We have a dedicated webpage about this that offers resources to support those using its services, alongside key announcements, manuals and guides to allow staff at schools to understand the challenges and opportunities in the procurement landscape.
We offer webinars involving experts from both YPO and the public sector, providing an interactive way for staff in schools to understand how procurement affects them. YPO also conducts its own research, most recently producing a study on the Procurement Act and how this impacts teams and services across the country.
survey of people from 35 organisations revealed that 71% are grappling with rising costs of key supplies and services and 81% stated that there is not enough funding to purchase them.
The financial strain is also affecting staff wellbeing, with 63% of respondents highlighting a need for further support. This poses concern around pressures on staff potentially spilling over into the classroom and having an affect on the overall quality of education.
Compliance with safeguarding
requirements is another significant challenge, particularly for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Rising costs are making it harder to meet these requirements, and 86% of those surveyed said that this area was a particular challenge in addition to other pressures. Furthermore, the data reveals that procurement teams are often unequipped to deal with the complex environment, with 72% of early years providers not having a fully resourced procurement team. This indicates that it is common for procurement to be managed by a small admin team or even one person, and procurement processes are not conducted regularly. Even if financial pressures were alleviated, teams would still be under-resourced and may not be able to dedicate time to procurement.
Public sector procurement is changing, and this adjustment is likely to affect schools as they transition. As the UK begins to detach from EU law, the new Procurement Act is set to come into action in February 2025 and it will aim to replace current regulations under one collective act.
5. How can YPO support schools with the above challenges?
At a time when organisations face financial and administrative challenges, being able
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to tap into effective procurement services is vital. Organisations like ours add value to - and strategically support - these areas, helping to ensure costs are reasonable and recognising social value in the supply chain, allowing for more time and resource availability. We continue to consistently aim to offer the right products at the right price, just as we have ever since our creation in 1974, demonstrating our dedication to supporting schools through changing times. We also act as an extension of procurement teams, providing a solution to a lack of both time and resources. We offer not only frameworks, but a wealth of guidance and support. Schools can access high-quality training and resources, and can redeem loyalty card schemes, manage costs, and clarify how to allocate funding and resources to the right areas. Without these essential services, educators would not be able to nurture their pupils. Effective procurement and support services can
7. What makes YPO unique? YPO is a 100% public sector entity, owned by 13 local authorities, meaning that profits made are returned to public sector customers - including schools - ensuring maximum financial value. Since 2010, we have operated a Customer Loyalty Rewards scheme, contributing £19.2 million in loyalty vouchers, providing additional support to schools and public organisations. YPO also has a unique range of products and services, including around 30,000 products and 100 public sector framework contracts, from stationery, to furniture, computers and electricity, food and insurance.
8. How can we find out more about YPO and its services?
You can find out more about the expansive range of products and services YPO has to offer on our website: https://www.ypo.
co.uk/
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