Young Enterprise is a part of Junior Achievement, a global organisation with over 60 years of experience and a presence in 42 countries across Europe and 120 globally. Their goal is to help young people break down barriers to sustainable employment. Their efforts span ages 5 to 25, with a particular focus on children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Young Enterprise is a leading charity in the UK, dedicated to empowering young people through financial and enterprise education. Their mission aligns perfectly with OCS’s commitment to fostering the next generation’s skills and confidence.
The backbone of Young Enterprise’s success is its volunteers, who mentor and guide children through various programs. OCS colleagues have been actively involved, participating in both one-day and digital programs. This past International Women’s Day, at least 10 OCS colleagues volunteered their time to chat and present to the children, showcasing their dedication to making a difference.
We’re so pleased to have entered into a partnership with OCS, enabling us to help more young people across the UK learn to earn and manage their money. It has been wonderful to see the enthusiasm of OCS’s volunteers, who have been supporting our Company Programme, Employability Day Programmes and 10X, all of which are designed to create opportunities for young people to develop confidence, work readiness and teamworking skills, helping them to enter the workforce more fully prepared. We are very appreciative of OCS’s support.
Sharon Davies
Young Enterprise Chief Executive Officer
OCS’s commitment to Young Enterprise is further exemplified by the involvement of its leadership. Jacky So, OCS UK and Ireland ESG Director, traveled to London to serve as a judge, while Daniel Dickson, OCS UK CEO, participated as a judge at the Suffolk and Norfolk County Competition. Their participation highlights the importance OCS places on this partnership and its impact on young people’s lives.
Through this partnership, OCS and Young Enterprise are not only helping young people develop essential skills but also providing them with the confidence and mindset needed to build successful futures. By focusing on those who need it the most, they are making a significant impact on the lives of young people across the UK.
Supporting people from all walks of life into gainful employment is something we are deeply committed to at OCS. Working with Young Enterprise gives us a crucial head start in providing that support from a young age. We’re incredibly inspired by Young Enterprise’s work and are thrilled and honoured to be part of it.
We along with our partner, Skanska Costain STRABAG Joint Venture (SCS JV) have developed MudCam, a revolutionary monitoring, detection and alerting system that continuously monitors areas of mud build-up.
MudCam addresses legislative and safety concerns for construction sites and mitigates the multi-million-pound risks of site shutdowns. It improves safety for the on-site employees and helps to strengthen relations with local communities by preventing potentially unsightly and dangerous build-ups.
It can be used in a number of strategic locations on public highways such as pre-determined construction site traffic routes where awareness of the build-up of mud would be advantageous to enable appropriate monitoring, action and response.
MudCam was shortlisted as a finalist in the highly contested category, ‘Technological Innovation of the Year’ in the London Construction Awards (LCA) 2023.The LCA celebrate major achievements, developments and innovations across the UK’s construction industry and is part of London Build, the UK’s leading construction and design show.
MudCam was developed in direct response to political and legislative requests and to maintain the highest levels of health and safety on the HS2 Project. It’s a totally unique product that demonstrates our commitment to reducing the impact of construction works and ensuring the safety of the surrounding community. We’re currently in initial conversations about a number of future opportunities for MudCam and are working with our supply chain to develop new technologies to benefit the wider industry.
Andrew Campbell
OCS Security Systems Director
It’s often the simple innovations that have the most impact. It is important that a project of this scale constantly reviews its work and develops initiatives to create a step-change improvement for our industry. I am proud that OCS have developed this solution for us, to improve safety and create a better environment for road users and the local community.
Recently, for PFM magazine, our OCS UK and Ireland ESG Director, Jacky So, visited our customer KBR’s UK headquarters in Leatherhead, East Sussex, to chat with their Facilities Manager, Karen Henchy. The headquarters is a 42-acre campus with around 2,300 employees.
OCS has been fostering a partnership with KBR since 2008, starting with a sole catering contract. Today, we provide total facilities management services to the site and have recently secured a five-year extension on the contract.
The strength of our relationship with KBR stems from a shared dedication to sustainability and forward-thinking environmental practices integrated into corporate activities. For example, we partner with Olio to combat food waste by giving unsold food to the local community. Our Food for Life Served Here bronze and silver accreditations, while we work towards Gold, help us ensure we provide a catering service that is not only nourishing but also has a positive social and environmental impact. We are also on a journey to sign up for the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), a framework that will help us and our customers be more precise in our sustainability efforts.
Among other initiatives, we launched No Mow May earlier this year, a campaign that saw the KBR campus letting its lawns grow wild to encourage pollinators to return during peak season. New additions to the campus include a greenhouse to grow fresh fruit and vegetables and a beehive to promote circular food production, with opportunities to sell products from both, where proceeds would go to charity. Members of the team will also be trained in hive management and bee handling.
In conclusion, our ongoing collaboration with KBR exemplifies how shared values and innovative practices can lead to a more sustainable and impactful partnership. We look forward to continuing this journey together, making strides in sustainability and setting new standards for corporate responsibility. For the full story visit PFM magazine here.
In today’s rapidly evolving procurement landscape, ethical and sustainable practices are more crucial than ever. Recently, Kim Russell our Head of Procurement Transformation, wrote a piece for CPOstrategy highlighting the importance of implementing robust supplier codes of conduct to ensure responsible sourcing and sustainability.
These were the key points we took away from Kim’s article:
Ethical Standards: Establishing clear ethical guidelines helps maintain integrity and transparency throughout the supply chain. This includes fair labor practices, anti-corruption measures, and respect for human rights.
Sustainability Goals: Integrating sustainability into procurement processes is essential for long-term success. This involves reducing environmental impact, promoting resource efficiency, and supporting eco-friendly initiatives.
Supplier Collaboration: Building strong relationships with suppliers is key to achieving ethical and sustainable goals. Regular communication and collaboration ensure that suppliers adhere to the established codes of conduct.
Continuous Improvement: Regularly reviewing and updating supplier codes of conduct is necessary to adapt to changing regulations and industry standards. This proactive approach helps organisations stay ahead in the competitive market.
For a more detailed exploration of these topics, visit the full article on CPOstrategy here.
Mark Chapman’s first step toward becoming a guitarist coincided with him receiving his first paycheck as an apprentice with OCS and the NEC Group. As a music-loving young man, working as a steward at popular music venues in Birmingham, he felt awash with inspiration. Having always wanted to pick up the guitar, the moment his first paycheck graced his account, he hopped on Amazon and ordered himself a guitar. Days later, he was teaching himself how to play. Now, a decade on, no longer an apprentice but a valued member of the Contract Support team within OCS, he’ll be performing onstage for the first time with 999 other musicians at the 1000 Lights event in Birmingham in memory of Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington to raise funds for UPRAWR, a mental health charity focusing on the alt music community—a community that has been especially affected by losses from mental health issues. Mark’s story is phenomenal and is a true indicator of his determination and tenacity.
In October 2015, Mark started his professional career as a Live Events and Promotions apprentice, working in the backrooms of Birmingham venues with NEC Group, itching to sink his teeth into the world of events. Towards the end of his apprenticeship, he landed an administrative role within the team. With his background in IT, he picked up the role quickly and revolutionised ways of working, making it more efficient. He worked in the role for years, supporting reporting and scheduling until the pandemic hit in 2020, and he was furloughed as no events could take place during that time.
By January 2021, the team was ready to be reassembled with a new vision. Mark’s manager, Lucy Haddon, opened a new sub-team within the division called Contract Support, dedicated to helping event contract rollouts to the best of their ability. During this time Mark also completed a Level 3 apprenticeship in Business Administration, boosting his business acumen. With the 2022 Commonwealth Games on the horizon at the time, Mark temporarily moved over to recruitment to bolster the efforts to staff the games. By June, he moved back to workforce planning and scheduling for the games. He worked on the ground floor overseeing deployment and making sure all shift slots were filled. He reflects on this time as the most significant event he has ever been a part of, “I don’t think we’d ever done anything on that scale and to be fair, I don’t think we’ve done anything since like that.”
Shortly after the rush and success of the Commonwealth Games, the Birmingham venue hosted The Conservative Party conference. Following the two major events, things quieted down, and then Mark noticed a job role advertised for a Senior Workforce Planner for the wider business—spoiler alert, his current role—and he jumped at the opportunity. Since starting the role in March 2023, he’s enjoyed supporting the business all over the country and reconnecting with the face-to-face aspect of the role, harking back to his days as an apprentice on the ground. But truly dedicated to his consistent development, since completing his last apprenticeship in 2022 he is now in conversation with his team about starting a new apprenticeship.
As for his love of music, it goes all the way back. Growing up in a music-filled home, listening to his parents’ big stereo, which was constantly playing songs by Rod Stewart, Shania Twain, and Westlife, and with his grandparents’ love of country and jazz, he was always enveloped in music. But lightning struck when he first heard “November Rain” by Guns N’ Roses, and he knew he had an affinity for the rock and metal genres. Other bands came into the mix, populating his first iPod shuffle, including Avenged Sevenfold and, of course, Linkin Park.
Working as an events apprentice at 20, connecting his love of music to his professional life, he hadn’t gotten to steward inside a concert hall yet. His first shift inside finally rolled along with the first of a few, but still iconic, farewell tours for Mötley Crüe, opened by a beloved band for Mark, Alice Cooper. He had been listening to both bands since the age of 11. The moment already felt life-altering, then Nikki Sixx, bassist for Mötley Crüe, came out and gave a speech egging the crowd on to pursue their dreams, and that cemented it for Mark. When he got paid the next day, he ordered a guitar on Amazon. Now he owns 15 guitars and has been playing for the past nine years.
On performing at the 1000 Lights event, he reflects on the impact of Chester’s passing on the alternative community, “It shocked the world. I remember the concert they put on to raise money in his memory right after; musicians from all walks of life gathered for him on short notice. There’s been a lot of people within this community affected by mental health issues. Chester’s passing really rocked the boat and brought awareness to the seriousness of mental health because nobody suspected that he had any of those thoughts.”
He hails the UPRAWR mental health foundation as a space for young children with an affinity for rock and metal music to develop their mental well-being, as a lot of mental health concerns begin in childhood. “When you’re a metalhead in school, it can feel a little bit lonely sometimes, and for a lot of people, that experience stays with them through adulthood. This charity helps those people who perhaps wouldn’t necessarily go to just any sort of therapist or group. They want one that’s designed with them in mind. People who are in their situations, people who have been through what they’ve gone through. They can build that trust with them.”
Mark will be performing on Sunday, the 18th of August, at Utilita Arena Birmingham at 1000 Lights, named after Linkin Park’s ‘One More Light’ tour, which concluded with Chester Bennington’s final-ever performance, which took place at Utilita Arena Birmingham back in 2017.
Kirsty Carroll is our dynamic Central Operations Director at OCS, overseeing all helpdesk operations across technical services in both the public and private sectors. She joined OCS three years ago as Head of Customer Operations, managing dedicated helpdesks, and was promoted to her current role a year ago.
Kirsty’s journey in facilities management (FM) began right after school, where she worked as a helpdesk operator for a prominent FM company, logging maintenance jobs on their CAFM system. Initially overwhelmed by the high call and job volumes, she quickly adapted and discovered her knack for the work, solidifying her career in FM.
After 18 years in the company’s retail sector, she felt she had explored every corner of what the business had to offer and sought new opportunities. Inspired by OCS’s business win news, she reached out to the MD and quickly secured a job after an interview. OCS offered Kirsty a chance to step out of her retail comfort zone and engage with a variety of public and private sector contracts.
“Attitude is absolutely everything. You need to have a can-do attitude and be willing to come up with new ideas and push the boundaries.”
Kirsty thrives on the drive and challenge of working in FM. She manages a team of over 200 people and is passionate about people management, having moved through the ranks of the helpdesk herself. She believes in rewarding perseverance within her team by promoting from within and acknowledges the demanding nature of helpdesk work.
One of the significant challenges Kirsty faces is navigating the variety of contracts, especially business-critical P1 jobs. Her team manages these jobs and communicates effectively with technicians and customers. She successfully consolidated dedicated helpdesks from individual customer sites into a centralised Glasgow hub, enhancing resilience and workload distribution.
For Kirsty one of her most cherished career moments was when in 2009, only in her early 20s she mobilised her first contract in Australia. Since then, she has mobilised around 40 contracts. Although this is not a formal part of her role, this achievement is one she takes great pride in.
When we asked Kirsty what advice she’d give to women or anyone considering joining the technical services sector, she emphasised the importance of attitude: “Attitude is absolutely everything. You need to have a can-do attitude and be willing to come up with new ideas and push the boundaries.” She also highlights the value of learning from mistakes: “It’s important to know you can make mistakes. I’ve definitely made a few mistakes in my career, but it’s crucial to understand the rationale behind them and learn from them.”
The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) is a UK government research organisation responsible for the national fusion energy research programme, sponsored by the UK Government’s Department for Energy Security & Net Zero.
The UKAEA were keen to implement an intelligence-led approach to collecting customer feedback on the facilities services and understand how their customers feel about their buildings and the facilities following the pandemic.
In September 2023 the OCS Customer Experience (CX) team worked closely with the UKAEA to build a bespoke system that could enable customers to give feedback and included the following benefits:
Ability to Identify Key Areas. By using QR codes we can pinpoint exact locations to see where we are getting positive/negative feedback so we can see if it’s an isolated issue or what trends are occurring.
Tracking satisfaction over time. This empowers teams to make informed improvements to mitigate future customer dissatisfaction.
Immediate automatic email triggers notifying the team of issues. This means that the team can resolve issues as soon as they arise.
Visual dashboard. The results of the survey feedback link directly into a visual Power BI report which allows the team and customers to view live responses as they come in. It also provides a detailed breakdown of the survey results, so that satisfaction trends can easily be identified.
In October 2023 the Experiences Matter QR code feedback was launched at UKAEA as a pilot.
The pilot ran for 2 months and saw some of the following benefits
Overwhelmingly positive feedback.An impressive Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) of 100% is supported by the many comments highlighting the great work of the team. These operatives received an OCS Star Award. By using CSAT, we can set a benchmark of customer satisfaction for the services delivered, so we can see when customers are less satisfied and track trends across time to ensure we are improving.
Constructive feedback enabled the team to improve the services delivered. Feedback from a customer notified the team that the sensors on some of the waste bins weren’t working. The team were then able to resolve this issue promptly.
Promoted collaboration. The success of this approach has encouraged the customer to engage us in new projects such as feminine hygiene products.
Following the successful pilot the CX team have been rolling out the feedback across the UKAEA’s 60 plus buildings.
UKAEA has implemented various customer feedback systems over a long period of time, however, we have never found a system in which customers fully engage. The Customer Experience (CX) team at OCS took this information and designed a QR Code Touchpoint Feedback Programme with a focus on customer interaction and generating real-time feedback on the cleanliness of facilities at Culham Campus.
The CX team have been on hand for every stage of the feedback pilot and made changes for the benefit of the system and the customers and clients along the way, along with creating marketing material and engaging QR signs specifically designed for Culham Campus.
UKAEA has dashboard access to all the data which is submitted and the QR feedback system and has proven very successful for this contract, we have found that customers are more engaged with submitting feedback this way.
Tamsyn Simpson
UKAEA Service Support Manager
If you would like to find out more about the QR code system please contact the OCS Customer Experience team on ocs.customerexperience@ocs.com.
Jen Bates, Managing Director at OCS, shares her journey and offers valuable advice for women aiming to rise to management positions in the cleaning industry in her latest interview with Cleaning Magazine and these were our key takeaways:
Empathy is Key: Empathy helps in understanding customer needs and fostering open communication, which is crucial for building a good reputation and managing diverse teams effectively.
Right People in Right Roles: Focus on placing the right people in the right roles, regardless of gender. This approach has organically led to a more diverse team.
Role Models and Mentorship: Having role models and mentors can inspire and guide women in their career paths. Sharing experiences and challenges can motivate others to succeed.
Diverse Experiences Matter: A variety of life experiences, customer service skills, and different perspectives contribute to a successful leadership team. It’s important to recognise and leverage these qualities for the benefit of the business.
For the full article and more helpful tips for women aspiring to management in cleaning, please visit Cleaning Mag.
Imperial War Museums (IWM), an iconic group of museums that continues to tell the story of conflict and the people impacted by it from the First World War through to the present day, has extended its hard services contract with the leading facilities management business, OCS.
This extension will maintain the relationship between OCS and IWM for an additional five years, with the option for the customer to extend for another four years, broken down into two two-year commitments. This follows an initial four-year contract for hard services. The scope of the services includes fabric maintenance, grounds maintenance, mechanical and engineering tasks, as well as reactive and planned preventative maintenance across IWM’s five branches: IWM London, Lambeth (including Parkside), Churchill War Rooms, Westminster (CWR), HMS Belfast (moored in the Pool of London), IWM Duxford (Cambridgeshire), and IWM North (Trafford, Manchester).
The extension results from the expertise and knowledge provided by the OCS team working on the sites, along with an efficient pricing model. The team consistently achieves 95% of their targets.
In addition to the successful extension, OCS and IWM are exploring an expanded contract scope, introducing a 20% increase in assets. OCS plans to meet these demands by hiring from local communities around the respective sites and increasing the number of apprentices to support their teams. Furthermore, OCS has introduced a social value practitioner to the contract, facilitating career outreach programmes and connecting with local schools in Lambeth.
“We are proud of the partnership we have built with IWM over the years, and this latest extension is just further proof of the success of our service delivery. We look forward to continuing the good work with IWM over these next five years as we continue to take on the mantle of upholding a significant part of British history.”
Carl Gage
OCS Regional Director Technical Services
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