Support Services for Education (SSE) is a traded unit within Somerset County Council that offers a wide variety of support services and training to all education providers, including schools, academies, further education colleges, early years providers and local authorities.
As a public sector trading organisation, we provide the right balance between public sector ethos and commercial practice.
SSE not only supports education providers in Somerset but also delivers services across the UK, and currently looks after over 500 schools and academies, and more than 1000 early years providers
We provide a one stop shop of support services, training, and resources for schools, early years, colleges, and other organisations This includes educational improvement packages, bespoke professional support and development, business and management services, and many more
At SSE we make it easy for all customers to procure their services and ensure they get services tailored to their exact needs As a not for profit organisation, any surplus that we generate is reinvested to improve outcomes for children and young people. Ensuring that we deliver great value services that are continually improving. We are committed to making a difference for children and young people.
Providing educational settings with access to high quality services that support them in delivering educational excellence.
We aim to improve the outcomes for all children and young people by working in partnership with other service providers, to deliver high quality services that provide outstanding value for money.
We put children and young people at the heart of everything we do, and we utilise the expertise and experience of those working in our organisation and other external agencies.
In line with Somerset County Council, we feel that the 4Cs best describes our values across all of our services Central to everything we do is finding the best way to ensure the best outcomes.
Providing outstanding customer service at a cost effective price is at the heart of everything we do.
We respond to our customer's needs promptly and efficiently always aiming to have a clear view of how our services impact customers
Communication with customers is key to SSE and with excellent two way communication channels in place, customers are encouraged to feedback on services so we can continuously improve our support services
Our aim is to provide a 'One Stop Shop' to our customers and we continue to seek new partners to maximise the range of services available to our customers
We draw on the expertise of third parties where necessary to enable customers to access everything they need.
SSE regularly quality assure the services that we and our partners provide to ensure that all those who work for us can demonstrate the highest standards.
Our aim is to get the job done and to do it well!
We foster a culture of teamwork and continual improvement within SSE and expect staff to be committed to this.
Going above and beyond to ensure customer satisfaction is what we pride ourselves on
We understand the importance of treating people as we would like to be treated ourselves, this not only includes our customers but our staff as well
We are fully committed to equality and diversity within the workplace and ensuring that staff get maximum opportunities for continual professional development where possible
We encourage staff to be supportive of colleagues whilst being confident enough to challenge them and the ways of working to achieve the best outcomes.
We are a highly qualified team specialising in independent assessments of school catering provisions
Our aim is to support and encourage our customers to meet industry best practices while remaining cost effective This incorporates an audit service with full written reports and practical advice available to help schools address any resulting issues
We provide an independent and professional assessment of your catering service for you to use as a platform for continuous improvement. This includes:
Annual audits of your production kitchen and service. Legal paperwork review (HACCP review).
Assessment of compliance with School Food Standards. Full assessment of menus for allergen compliance and Food Based Standards.
Bespoke advice and support to improve catering services. Assessment of catering premises, facilities and equipment.
We also provide a catering management service that is tailored to your specific needs Effective kitchen management, staffing levels, development of new products and marketing can all be included in a package that is tailored to your needs
We help you provide ‘Due Diligence’ for your catering services.
We offer a professional and independent assessment of your catering services.
We provide support and advice on your catering issues. We are customer focused with many years of experience.
We are a highly qualified team specialising in independent assessments of school cleaning services We provide professional advice and support to educational customers across the South West through specific and tailored packages. Our aim is to support our customers to meet industry best practices while remaining cost effective. This incorporates an audit service with full written reports to confirm the findings and advice on how schools can improve
Comprehensive bi annual assessments of your cleaning service against best practices
An assessment which allows you to track improvements to performance
Analysis of staffing levels and advice on management, recruitment and selection
Expert advice on compliance with relevant legislation and best practice
Timely advice on the purchase and maintenance of equipment. Bespoke training for new staff and equipment.
We help you provide ‘Due Diligence’ for your cleaning services
We offer a professional and independent assessment of your cleaning services. We provide support and advice on cleaning issues. Customer focused with many years ’ experience.
We support schools to make sense of their statutory duties under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
We have experienced Data Protection advisors and understand the complexities of legislation and how it affects education settings. We help you comply with data protection legislation, avoid reputational damage and minimise the management time required for dealing with incidents. The Data Protection Officer works closely with the SSE Human Resources team and the Somerset Information Governance team
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Telephone and email advice to schools and MAT leaders. Annual online GDPR compliance check with a report for governors (in school visit also available)
Management of Subject Access Requests and requests under the Freedom of Information Act, working with your staff and providing all documentation, advice on redaction and correspondence with data subjects
Crisis support to manage data breaches includes assessing the risk to the data subject, completing records, and communicating with affected individuals and the Information Commissioner's Office if required Support to create and maintain data records including data mapping and data asset audit.
Template policies and expert advice on systems, security and procedures
Training materials for employees (in school training is also available).
Acting as the first point of contact for parents, legal representatives and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)
We also offer a consultancy package for schools with their own DPO.
The Data Protection Officer service understands the unique requirements of schools in relation to data protection legislation. We take the three 'R's' approach to compliance:
Rights: we will support you to uphold the rights of your pupils, parents and staff under GDPR including the right to be informed, the right of access, and the overall right to have their data kept safe
Responsibilities: we will support you to ensure compliance, monitor your compliance and provide evidence of accountability Risks: we will support you to assess risks to data protection compliance in your school and consider how the risk of data loss and mishandling can be minimised
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award is a real adventure from beginning to end This voluntary programme is full of practical, cultural, and adventurous activities for young people aged 13 to 25.
Completing a DofE programme provides social, educational, and employability outcomes for all young people It builds character and adds value to formal qualifications
The DofE team provides hands on support, advice, and guidance to enable schools, colleges, and community organisations to provide DofE programmes. Regular training is available to support new groups, and new leaders and to keep skills and knowledge up to date, as well as to ensure the DofE provision adds the maximum value to the wider education offer
All completed DofE programmes are verified by the DofE team as we understand the county, its schools and colleges, its economy and landscape, and its voluntary sector. This makes us well placed to advise on how you can benefit from new opportunities, improve the outcomes for young people and get the maximum benefit from your investment in DofE activity
An opportunity to see students develop their personal and social skills, whilst challenge themselves and achieve at something outside of the academic curriculum
A DofE programme is offered at three progressive levels including Bronze, Silver and Gold, with each building on the one before
Bronze is for young people in Year 9 and above and takes six to nine months to complete Silver is for young people in Years 10 and above and takes about a year Gold is for young people aged 16+ and takes about 18 months
The sections in a DofE programme are:
Volunteering: undertaking service to individuals or the community.
Physical: improving fitness through sport, dance or other activity.
Skills: developing practical and social skills and personal interests. Expedition: planning, training for and completing an adventurous journey in the UK or abroad
At Gold, there is an additional Residential section which involves staying away from home working on a shared activity
wanted to just say a final thank you for all the hard work you and your team put in to organise the B&W residential. There is always so much organisation that goes on in the background to make these run smoothly and it really paid off and is much appreciated by us
We provide high quality accounting and financial services that can be delivered at strategic, managerial and operational levels to suit individual requirements.
Our success has been achieved by building a strong relationship with our customers We offer a flexible and responsive service delivered by highly motivated and fully trained professionals with extensive knowledge of financial requirements in the education sector
Provide support with key financial operations including budget modelling and forward planning, reporting and management accounting, attendance at governance board meetings, independent financial scrutiny, and preparation of statutory financial returns.
Our 'Base Package' includes access to experienced finance professionals via our helpline and to a range of comprehensive written support materials and tools to assist with financial management and compliance.
We deliver bespoke training courses for governance boards and school staff on a range of financial subjects
Offer a practical solution to cover short and/or long term absences ensuring continuity of financial management
We also offer a 'Finance Bursar Package' that can be a cost effective alternative to employing your own staff
Our services are designed to offer a wide range of financial support and training options to meet your individual needs.
We are a well established team with a proven record of providing quality service at a competitive price.
Our staff have extensive experience working with schools & academies at both an operational and strategic level
We pride ourselves on offering a professional, personable and customer centred service
You can be confident that financial advice is accurate, current and compliant with the most recent guidance from regulatory bodies
The Somerset Educational Psychology Service provides a statutory EP service to Somerset Council and a service to schools and settings in Somerset We trade with most schools and settings in Somerset and work with various partners to support the inclusion, development and wellbeing of children and young people.
Educational Psychologists have extensive training and experience in working with children, young people and their families. EPs have undertaken a minimum of seven years of training, including a first degree in Psychology, and post graduate study for either a Master’s Degree or a Doctorate in Educational Psychology.
Educational Psychologists are experts in facilitating change to find a way forward when things feel ‘stuck’. We will work with key adults to tackle challenges such as complex cognition and learning difficulties; language, communication and interaction difficulties; social, emotional and mental health difficulties; issues around disability as well as more complex developmental difficulties. Educational Psychologists can provide support for individual children and young people, as well as provide support at a whole school, systemic level.
We work in a variety of ways and offer problem solving consultation, advice, and support to key adults (i.e. teachers, parents, SENCOs), the wider community, as well as the children and young people concerned. We are committed to working in a ‘ person centred’ way, to support the inclusion, participation and achievement of children and young people; this may include meeting with children and young people to elicit their views, observations, and/or assessment activities, to complement the information already available.
Every school and college in Somerset has a linked Educational Psychologist (EP) EPs have a broad approach to service delivery that includes strategic support and training to schools, supervision for staff, a consultation approach using Assess Plan Do Review (APRD) model as well as specialist assessment and advice for individual children and young people. There are three main routes into EP involvement:
The Educational Psychology Service (EPS) provides a statutory and high needs service for Somerset. EPs carry out a psychological assessment for all children and young people as part of the Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA) process The EPS also provide a service to some children and young people who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) in agreement with the Somerset Statutory SEND Team and where EP support needs to be prioritised to achieve a positive outcome
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The EPS also supports schools and settings via different structured meetings across the year. This includes annual planning meetings with all schools, and in the early years, EPs are involved through MAISEY and support school entry where this is required.
From Schools via Traded Services. Most Schools in Somerset purchase EP hours that can be used flexibly and as agreed between the setting and EP, e.g. for staff training, consultation or assessment and support around individual children and young people To purchase EP time please log in and buy from the SSE Store More information can be accessed via the EPS directory of services
Also accessible on the SSE website are our e learning video courses created by our educational psychologist and available at a low price Purchase subscription credits from the store and book users (with log in rights) to participate in go at your own pace online training Courses include Executive Function Training, Bereavement and loss, Supporting children with ADHD, Lego Therapy Pyramid, and more Further information can be found at www supportservicesforeducation co uk/EPS
The e Learning and Information Management (eLIM) Service is an Education Technology Service that supports schools to develop innovative, engaging, effective and safe use of technology in order that young people can access the digital world positively and make the most of all the opportunities it provides
We ensure you have opportunities for training, formal CPD, peer networking, and discussion We research, explore and decipher the latest statutory guidance
We provide our customers with the most up to date information upon which to build the foundations of the computing curriculum and online safety practice
Our expert team of accredited trainers have years of classroom experience and strongly believe in the power of technology to make a difference to learners
We provide education, technology, online safety, and computing support. Including:
Online Safety Training for staff, pupils, parents, and governors, as well as access to ActiveBYTES online safety curriculum, policies, and documentation.
Computing planning Access to up to date teaching and learning materials including New Wessex planning, practical support, and guidance for subject leaders. Computing development Training to build skills, knowledge, and development of computational thinking.
Teaching with Technology This includes expert advice, support, and training for effective and enriching use of technology in the classroom
Teaching and Learning in the Cloud Support for effective use of Office 365 and Google for education
Social Media Guidance and support for developing a social media strategy and responding to incidents
Half-day support visit for staff training, pupil workshops, assemblies, and working with parents
Dedicated website www somersetelim org
We have many years of experience supporting and training educational establishments in accessing grant funding to enhance budgets and achieve all kinds of exciting projects.
This is fantastic! Thanks so much, just what was needed and well worth the investment
As budgets are likely to continue to be pressured for the foreseeable future, we can find and help access a variety of grants that can make a real difference to your staff, pupils and your wider community We assist educational establishments to access funding to achieve all kinds of curriculum enhancing projects such as new playgrounds, sensory gardens, science and music projects, purchase of equipment and much more
We can:
Provide funding information updates on grants available to schools and academies
Provide bespoke support to help you access grant funding, this might be:
Completing bespoke research into funding opportunities for your specific projects
Producing a funding plan for all your school projects
Support you in writing or reviewing your funding bid
Provide vital expertise to meet your funding needs
Provide training in how to access additional grant funding
We have years of experience supporting educational establishments to find additional funding through grants.
Customer focused.
Provide a bespoke service which has the flexibility to meet your specific needs.
We can help save you time in researching appropriate funding opportunities for your projects
SSE Governance provides an award winning comprehensive range of advice, support, and training to those volunteering in governance within all educational settings
Through the vital services we provide for professional clerks, governors, and trustees, we support the delivery of educational excellence to all children and young people
The service is extraordinarily efficient. Staff are easily available to respond to queries and response times to issues they cannot immediately resolve over the phone is unfailingly swift and reliable
We produce a diverse range of resources to support the work of governance boards
Phone and email guidance to assist with the responsibilities of governance boards and best practices. Our training and development programme offers continued professional development, reflecting current national initiatives
We help you review the effectiveness of your board and support you in implementing recommendations arising from a facilitated self review or governance review
All subscribing boards are kept informed via half termly electronic news bulletins.
We support subscribing boards with the recruitment of governors/trustees and professional clerks
We advise on the process of appointments and elections and support in amending your Instruments of Government/Articles of Association.
Access for clerks to our Governor Module for managing their board information
Our subscribers will also gain access to an exclusive discount with one of our partner organisations: The Key for School Governors, ‘GovernorHub’ or ‘TheSchoolBus’
Our team members have many years of experience and can keep those volunteering in governance up to date with national and local trends & initiatives. Our helpline, via phone and email, is run by real people, not bots.
Winner of the Chartered Governance Institute (ICSA) award for Service Provider of the Year 2019
We get vital information out to subscribers quickly through our website, half termly bulletin, and social media platforms
Our training is always current, relevant, and led by experienced facilitators who are knowledgeable in their specialised topics
We are part of a non profit organisation whose aim is to support young people in their education.
We are flexible in meeting individual specific needs for boards.
EThanks to you for your support over the past year... a few of us have attended some of the online training and we commented as to how impressed we have been with it and for your consistently efficient and thorough responses to any queries we have sent your way. It has been hugely appreciated.
We are fully qualified health and safety advisers who have extensive experience working with educational establishments to enable them to maintain a safe environment for pupils and staff
We can help you develop a proportionate and sensible approach to managing health and safety and demonstrate compliance with relevant standards and legal requirements.
We offer educational providers a service that will give you peace of mind that your measures for managing health and safety are appropriate and cost effective
We provide:
Electrical portable appliance inspection and testing (Primary and Special Schools only) Management support pack including phone support Supporting staff working at computers use of training and assessment online package Water temperature monitoring (for Legionella) Risk assessment MOT health check Fire risk assessment advisory visit Annual asbestos condition check
We can represent the 'Competent Person' role required under Regulation 7 of the Management of Health and Safety Work Regulations 1999, to assist you in complying with Health and Safety legislation.
We can provide you with up to date guidance and advice to keep you compliant.
Why choose us?
HEALTH & SAFETY SERVICE HELPING SCHOOLS DO THINGS SAFELY
A big thank you to the health and safety team for going the extra mile when we needed it the most, can't thank you enough!
We are an experienced local authority provider who has been providing an HR Admin & Payroll service to schools, academies and colleges both within the LA and beyond for many years
When we became an academy we moved away from our Local Authority’s HR Admin & Payroll provider but we quickly realised the wide range of tasks and employer responsibilities that they performed, that our new provider did not cover. We have returned to HRAP and are delighted with the service they provide and support and peace of mind they give to us
We provide a tailored service which can include:
Fully managed statutorily compliant payroll service
Fully compliant pensions administration including TP/LGPS and other pension provider regulations
Full pensions auto enrolment service to include production and dispatch of all correspondence and triannual review
Production of contractual paperwork
Production of employee letters in respect of family/sickness absence entitlement
Creation of costing files, both balanced and employer costs, to meet your costing structure
Pre pay day reporting with the ability to amend data before payroll is released
We have developed a service offering that meets all your HR Admin and Payroll statutory requirements with customer service at the heart of everything that we do. In a survey of our education clients 98.92% rated us as good or outstanding.
With over 50 years of combined school experience, we are a highly experienced team of professional HR Advisors who support Head Teachers, School Leaders, Governors and Trustees by providing an effective HR Service that meets the day to day and strategic needs of your school
As always you and your team deliver not only great information and advice, but do it in such a realistic, professional and friendly manner
Provide HR advice and support by telephone, letter, email or face to face Publish model HR policies and procedures for you to access via an online portal, many of which have been consulted on and agreed upon with the recognised Trade Union Representatives Publish a termly HR newsletter
Publish updates and alerts in relation to specific HR topics impacting schools
Provide access to an HR Advisory Telephone Duty Line in the event your designated HR Advisor is not available via 01823 356076
Provide bespoke support to suit your school's individual needs Provide additional Consultancy Hours as required
Develop and deliver bespoke training packages to reflect the needs of your school Provide a mediation service delivered by qualified ILM accredited mediators
We provide a responsive solution focused service from our qualified and experienced HR Advisory team.
We provide a dedicated HR Advisor for your school. We advise on best practices in HR matters for teaching and supporting staff. We enable good standards of performance to be maintained by supporting leaders and managers to challenge unsatisfactory performance or conduct.
Somerset County Council’s School’s ICT service has been providing support to schools and academies for over 20 years We work closely with our supported schools to help them get the most from their IT, offering unbiased advice to enable schools to effectively supplement existing equipment and software with the right future technologies for both staff and students We are a service led and not profit driven team who always has a school’s best interests at the forefront of our delivery
Commercial Services With our wealth of IT knowledge and solution expertise to help you to make and implement the right choice with your IT equipment purchases every time. We can supply a variety of hardware products from desktop computers and laptops to the very latest in Interactive Boards and next level technologies Infrastructure Support We can manage your school network and provide support for the school server and local area network (LAN) to provide peace of mind that you will always be fully supported and where required we will replace the hardware like for like as part of this service in the event of a major failure
Online Data Backup Backing up your school’s critical data is essential and we can provide an online backup service to suit your data backup requirements, using UK data centres, ensuring all your critical data is backed up daily and held securely using the latest encryption to protect this.
Onsite ICT Support A dedicated and experienced ICT engineer will carry out onsite visits to suit your school’s needs As part of this service, we also provide remote support to you (where needed) to ensure your faults and requests are dealt with more efficiently and the impact of any IT issues is minimised
Customer Focus Our priority is always to provide excellent customer service and develop strong working relationships with our schools so that you have peace of mind you are always going to be well supported, particularly when you need it most.
Dedicated Service Desk Our ICT service desk is available from 08:00 17:00, Monday to Friday and we also have an online system to raise fault tickets and requests from any computer or mobile device
ICT Specialists Our ICT department has several specialists who can assist you with any scale of IT project you may wish to undertake We can provide the expert advice and support to help those projects run smoothly on time and on budget
Value Added Services We are always looking at ways to provide value added services which matter to schools and integrating them into our existing service packages with no additional charge.
The MIS Support Service are fully accredited Support Partners for Arbor, Bromcom and ESS SIMS.
A well established and respected team with MIS expertise in all areas of the software and related ICT of MIS suppliers. We have built strong relationships with the MIS providers that we support, providing opportunities for feedback and development.
The team have a wealth of experience working with schools, academies, federations and multi academy trusts.
I cannot fault the help and support the team have given us. No problem too big or small, and every detail of their help is always fully explained, leaving the user confident in whichever area of SIMS was problematic. The team is always professional, polite and friendly.
We are a dedicated and experienced support team that has successfully delivered services to educational settings for more than 25 years.
We are a modern and forward thinking service and will present MIS choice for your school.
We can reduce the burden on schools by providing effective tailored guidance and support to enable you to fulfil your statutory duties.
You can have confidence in us to equip, train and maintain system functionality so that you can employ your MIS data to its full extent with the minimum effort.
We react swiftly to new DfE initiatives and work closely with educational colleagues to monitor and apply recommendations from current Ofsted thinking.
As part of SSE, we work closely with many experts including HR, Data Protection, Governance, Education Finance, School Improvement, Safeguarding, Looked After and Missing Children, Young Carers, SEN, Entitlements, Admissions, Early Years, Exclusions, School Census and Data Teams to ensure you get the maximum value and benefit from your MIS system that meets your individual school needs.
The SSE MIS Support Service Invest in securing the most up to date knowledge and skills for our team in order to support all education settings with their choice of MIS We offer a range of cost effective and professional services and solutions for all your MIS requirements including:
A base level package to enable operational use across all areas of your MIS including:
Support through our helpline System administration
Access to third line support direct from the supplier
Termly update sessions
Significantly reduced training rates
Priority support for system failures
In addition, for SIMS users:
Full management of technical upgrades
Support for all school staff
Advice, direction and training covering statutory and LA requirements
Bespoke guidance and reports
Consultation on MIS and training needs across a setting Webinars
User groups and update sessions
3. Ofsted Support Package
Deliver FMS technical support including transfer of finance files (SIMS Only)
Develop new tools
Integrated software solutions e g the Somerset Tracking Package in Assessment Manager and access to a low cost texting package (SIMS Only)
new MIS products
Consolidated Reporting with Power BI (SIMS Only)
Parent App and Teacher App (SIMS Only)
Bromcom Vision X (Integration across all MIS)
SSE Outdoors have four stunning locations on the Mendip and Quantock Hills delivering exceptional and engaging outdoor activities to young people for over 70 years in some of Somerset’s most beautiful locations. Every student’s personal growth is very important to us and our individually tailored outdoor education programmes allow students to safely challenge and explore their unique abilities whilst having a LOT of fun.
We offer bespoke outdoor learning experiences to challenge learners, improve school attainments and support classroom learning. For more information about the types of residential and courses we can provide to meet your specific needs, please visit sseoutdoors.co.uk or call 01278 741270.
The fantastic residential school and group trips are linked to the curriculum and exam specifications
Outdoor learning experiences, qualified and highly trained instructors, and holiday programmes (from astronomy and creative writing to climbing and mountain biking)
Choice of four centres Kilve Court, Charterhouse, The Outdoor Centre, and Great Wood, some of which you can have sole use
Our goal is to give all our customers enriching and engaging outdoor experiences creating memories that will last a lifetime
Embracing Somerset’s unique ‘call of the wild’ our exciting and inspirational outdoor residentials are available during the week or weekends throughout the year. There is no such thing as ‘the wrong weather’ just the wrong clothes! Each centre offers tailor made programmes to suit your school’s requirements offering a wide range of activities. A full listing of these can be discovered on our website www.sseoutdoors.co.uk/school residentials/
We can provide tailor made geography or environmental fieldwork programmes, or you can run your own self taught field study programme in the very best locations the South West has to offer The possibilities are almost endless including site specific fieldwork around ecosystems and geographical environments including coastal, woodland and limestone landscapes
Throughout the school holidays, we host various themed and adventure camps aimed at 8 14 year olds These camps over the years have been popular and predominately booked by full time working parents, who often need support throughout the school holidays with their childcare arrangements
Once again the centre has provided a superb experience for our pupils
We are a professional and qualified team that has a diverse range of skills and specialisms with vast experience in all aspects of maintaining and developing educational sites.
We can help you comply with your statutory responsibilities, ensure your environment is a safe and secure place to work and that it promotes learning We can also assess your property and design and manage projects to enhance both your buildings and external spaces
The services we are able to offer have been designed to meet the diverse range of requirements that you may have and to ensure both your buildings and grounds meet the needs of your students, staff and other users.
We provide a responsive cost effective service from our team of highly experienced professionals. Support you to achieve your objectives and get the best out of your establishment.
The best project contractors we have had on-site. A regular crew that were accommodating of noise during GCSEs, they were polite and just got on with the job in hand thank you!
Our Building Surveyors and Area Engineers provide a comprehensive property management service, which includes:
Property Management Core Service using schools chosen suppliers
24/7 emergency response
Facilitate servicing contracts
Meetings and advice on all property matters
Feasibility studies
CIF bids for academy funding
Condition surveys and detailed component surveys
Statutory compliance safeguards
Electrical load testing
Safety glazing audit
Procurement & management of maintenance and improvement projects
Salix bids for funding for Energy Efficiency Projects
We are a team of landscape professionals who cover all aspects of landscape design and management with competitive contracts and bespoke services available. Our services include:
Landscape architectural design
Play and sports area design and development
Sensory gardens
Wildlife and environmental areas
Planting design
Early Years play and learning areas
Fencing projects (safeguarding and security)
Grounds maintenance contract
Grounds advice package
Play safety package
Tree risk and safety package
Tree surveys for planning applications
Car parks and hard landscaping
team
other waste material from schools
recycling, food,
educational
We work closely with SWP and Suez to deliver an effective service
We have a focus on recycling and through our work with SWP can provide recycling support
We offer competitive rates for schools and educational establishments
We work closely with Somerset Waste Partnership (SWP) and their service provider
Suez This service is dedicated to improving service value, reducing costs and significantly increasing the recycling performance of schools
To support these objectives, SWP now provides additional support for schools using their own dedicated technical support team The 'My Waste Services' portal for schools enables missed collections and requests for replacement bins to be processed quickly and efficiently
SSE will continue to work closely with SWP to help market and deliver the service, manage payments and invoicing on behalf of schools, and continue to act as the school’s quality assurance champion
We will review the bin types available and if necessary, new bins will be supplied free of charge when the recycling service changes take effect
We have improved communication with the collection crews so many issues or problems can be managed much more easily, if not averted completely
The Insurance Service is part of the Finance Legal and Governance Unit within Financial Services and has corporate responsibility for arranging and administering the County Council’s Insurance requirements This provision includes arranging insurance for Somerset Maintained Schools
Services Automatically Provided:
To ensure, in conjunction with insurers, claims against the schools are dealt with fairly and within prescribed timescales
To handle ‘in house’ school claims including property and personal Injury claims
We arrange an insurance programme that provides the school with protection against catastrophic risks
We analyse claims and provide reports to schools when requested
To provide operational risk control information to the schools. We advise schools of any trends in claims such as theft of computers or lead flashings.
To provide advice related to insurance.
Attend meetings with the school’s staff and governors to resolve insurance related issues and engage in regular communication between meetings.
What do we do?
What do we do?
We provide the following Insurance Covers for Somerset County Council Maintained Schools:
Public Liability
Employers Liability
Official Indemnity Insurance
Professional Indemnity
Libel and Slander
Material Damage Cover Buildings and Contents Business Interruption Cover (Additional expenses following a catastrophic claim such as a Fire or Flood) Computer Equipment Cover Crime and Money Insurance
Contract Works Insurance
Motor Insurance (including vehicle hire insurance) Vehicle notification required School Journey and Travel Insurance School Lettings (Hirers Liability Insurance)
The Insurance team also administer the staff absence Somerset and South West Mutual Fund, which more details can be found separately within this booklet.
For further information on the insurance provider for SCC Maintained Schools please see the SCC Insurance Service Level Agreement or contact the Insurance Team by email: insurancemailbox1@somerset.gov.uk
Insurance documents including Employers Liability certificates, School Journey Insurance Schedules and Motor Insurance Certificates are available on request or here: www.supportservicesforeducation.co.uk/Services/3401
Our dedicated and experienced team of teachers and librarians works with schools to provide a high quality and cost effective range of library resources and services to support the wider curriculum
Research shows that reading can help to raise standards, promote higher academic achievement, enhance well being and develop positive attitudes toward learning
Our resources and services offer...
Your pupils will have access to more resources than any one school can afford to buy We have over 175,000 books to help foster a love of reading and research The expertise to assist in the development of exciting library spaces
Support raising standards in reading by giving access to a wide range of materials to be read for information and for pleasure. More than the Internet by providing a single gateway to a myriad of resources. Digital information to help develop information handling skills. Plus a variety of resources such as:
Book Buddies
Dyslexia friendly books
Big Books
Non English fiction
Zone Gazebos
SACRE
Books
Books
boxes
We provide bespoke packages to suit all settings and have the following packages to choose from:
Borrow an unlimited number of fiction and information books for use in the library and classroom These can include project/topic boxes, book buddies, class sets, and more
Access to additional resources such as technology boxes, story boxes, and SACRE boxes
Books to buy at discounted prices.
Library health checks include information, advice, and support on the development of exciting library spaces including the management and promotion of the resources held within them.
Access to 'Curriculum Visions Online' for the entire school, which includes interactive books, images, lesson plans, and worksheets
A range of support and information that will assist with literacy planning and delivery is provided by The Somerset Literacy Network
With 3 silver packages available you can cap the number of books you wish to borrow at either 350, 650, or 1000 This includes project/topic boxes, book buddies, class sets, and big books.
Other resources can be accessed but are charged for at a separate pay as you go rate.
If it’s just the one or two items you need, this is perfect as books can be borrowed at the cost of £3 01 per item Technology, Story, Resource, and SACRE boxes can also be borrowed at a pay as you go charge.
SLS offers delivery and collection throughout the term on a fortnightly rota for Somerset schools and termly for out of the county.
A professionally administrated service that maintains great value for money.
By taking advantage of our service, school administrators are able to continue their usual workload whilst we take on the additional pressure of recruitment administration. The school will be communicated with in order to ensure a smooth process and the school office will receive copies of necessary recruitment documents for their files once the recruitment has been finalised.
We will assist in your recruitment by providing a complete administrative service including; Proofreading recruitment packs. Assisting with adverts, collating applications and references as well as maintaining communication between the candidates, Chair of Governors, and school.
We are also able to connect you to our advertising colleagues who offer discounts on various advertising platforms such as TES, other local authorities, and newspapers.
Great value for money at £190 Plus 10% off each additional Teacher Recruitment during that same academic year
We work alongside Dillington Advertising Service (DAS) to make sure that your advert is seen by as many prospective candidates as possible Advertising on the DAS website is free to LA Maintained Schools for more details view https://dasjobs co uk/about/
Our award winning service provides training and continued professional development to local authority staff and volunteers in schools, early years settings, childminders, voluntary organisations, and those wishing to enter the children and young people’s workforce. We offer a wide range of training including Apprenticeships, CPD and Accredited courses through to Masters.
We are committed to a culture of lifelong learning and career development. Whatever your role, we aim to ensure you have the skills and knowledge necessary to help you develop and succeed. We teach from experience, not just theory Our training staff are highly knowledgeable, qualified and are all occupationally competent to deliver their courses Our SCITT tutors, for example, are all current or former teaching professionals All our staff will support and challenge you, helping you become the best practitioner you can be
SCIL work with many teams across Somerset Council and also works and supports schools across the South West.
SCIL offers qualifications accredited with NCFE which are comprised of specialist business units such as CACHE and EPA Plus, dedicated to providing high quality innovative products, services, and solutions to specific areas of learning. Some of the qualifications available through SCIL are:
Level 2 diploma for the early year practitioner
Level 3 diploma early years educator
Level 3 diploma for the children and young peoples workforce
Level 3 diploma for residential childcare
Level 3 award in assessing competence in a work environment
Level 4 award in the internal quality assurance of assessment processes and practice.
LILM is the UK’s leading provider of leadership, management, and coaching qualifications, and a City & Guilds Group Business Achieving a regulated professional qualification makes a statement about an individual’s personal and professional development approach. SCIL has offered ILM qualifications for many years and holds direct claim status for the qualifications we offer. These include leadership and management and coaching and mentoring
UOW is a close knit and high achieving community where students are supported to succeed at every level In the 2020 National Student Survey, 85% of Worcester final year students said they were satisfied overall, above the national average of 83.2%, and putting the University as one of the top scoring universities in the Midlands. Fourteen courses at Worcester received 100% satisfaction SCIL’s degree programmes have been run through the University of Worcester for many years and maintain a successful partnership with them
The Asbestos Team of Somerset Scientific Services provides expert asbestos testing and surveying to local authorities, schools, businesses and the general public We have extensive experience in working with schools and other education providers to enable them to meet their statutory requirements, improve the learning environment and ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of staff and pupils
Excellent local laboratory with knowledgeable staff
We provide all aspects of UKAS accredited asbestos surveying, testing, monitoring and project management. We will enable you to fulfil the legal requirement to manage asbestos in properties built prior to 2000. We can advise on compliance with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. Our support encompasses:
Asbestos advice.
Asbestos awareness training.
Asbestos management, refurbishment and demolition surveys. Annual asbestos condition checking and reporting.
We provide packages to independent schools, academies and MATs across the South West. All our prices are bespoke, and we offer discounts for schools grouped geographically, or for multiple services. Get in touch to discuss your school’s needs.
We are UKAS accredited for Asbestos Testing to IOS/IEC17025 and for Surveying to ISO 17020 quality standards.
We are experienced in working with schools and education settings
Our sampling officers have enhanced DBS clearance
We provide a cost effective, fast and reliable service
We are independent and impartial
We don’t sell additional products or remedial work
We offer free advice as a public service
Somerset Music is the Local Authority’s music service, we have a team of qualified music teachers who offer tuition and support to schools across the whole county. We are also the lead delivery partner for Sound Foundation Somerset (SFS), the music hub for Somerset.
Our service aims to inspire young people from all over Somerset to make music together, unlocking the musician within. We deliver music lessons to all group sizes and ensembles and arrange events, conferences, workshops and bespoke training for all your musical tuition needs.
Subsidised whole class ensemble tuition for one, two, or three terms. Progression tuition for the whole class, group, or individual lessons. CPD and singing projects with the opportunity for schools to participate in county wide singing festivals. Bespoke instrumental, singing and drumming workshops. Conferences and CPD for all key stages. Performance opportunities through the County Youth Orchestra, Bands and Choirs plus Cheddar Valley Music Club and Taunton Youth Brass Band. Instrument hire for individuals & schools
High quality teaching delivered by qualified tutors. All tutors are DBS checked and safeguarding trained which is inspected annually.
A wide choice of musical instruments is available for hire including, woodwind, brass, guitar, samba, ukulele, djembe, strings, and more.
We work hard to keep the cost of tuition for schools and parents/young people low, as we are passionate about making music as accessible as possible. The opportunity to take part in lots of exciting events. The opportunity for pupils to continue their learning further following on from whole class tuition with individual or group lessons
Somerset and South West Mutual Fund (SSWM) is a staff absence scheme run solely for the benefit of its member schools and academies The fund is administered by the Somerset County Council Insurance Section The mutual fund is owned by its members All members pay a contribution to the mutual fund which is used to pay claims for staff absence Payments and Benefits afforded to Member Schools are at the discretion of the Board and dependent on the respective Fund's financial positions.
The scheme is owned by its members.
Great flexibility of cover with a choice of excess days between 0 30 days.
A choice of hourly/daily benefit rates to suit your school’s budget and needs. No exclusion for stress and pre existing medical conditions.
A bespoke claims portal which provides a paperless and efficient claims management system. Contribution levels would appear to be higher than those available from commercial insurance products available, but this should be considered with more favourable cover terms, no exclusions or policy terms for specific staff and the possibility of low claims bonus on the SSWM.
Non teaching staff option with the choice of cover for term time or year round cover
Add new members of staff mid term at no extra cost The cover is provided automatically, and you will only need to notify us should you need to claim for that member of staff No refunds for removing staff members mid term
We issue refunds to members of any surplus (Low Claims Bonus subject to qualification and renewal of cover)
Local authority maintained primary schools, special schools and academies located within and outside the Somerset County Council geographic area will be eligible to join the SSWM as Member Schools
The Board will consist of co opted SCC officers with the remaining members being drawn from the Member Schools The Board will be chaired by the SCC Insurance Service Manager The Board will meet as required during the year to conduct the business of the Mutual Scheme
The Board are responsible for:
Administration of the Funds, acting on the advice of the co opted SCC officers including any pro rata reductions or increases in contributions required in the year as a result of claims experience during that period Risk management issues and arranging training events Determining the distribution of any surplus funds Make recommendations to the Member Schools regarding changes to cover and annual contribution levels for the coming year
An Annual General Meeting will be held within 3 months of the expiry of the Fund Year
This is a pooled arrangement whereby the cost of paid release time (facilities time) for staff who are elected by union members to undertake accredited Trade Union roles in Somerset Trade Union branches/divisions is shared amongst all participating Somerset schools
Academy Trusts as employers have a legal obligation to ensure they have in place arrangements to negotiate and consult with accredited Trade Union representatives and to afford their employees Trade Union representation, in compliance with employment and Trade Union legislation These arrangements should include paid time off (facilities time) for accredited trade union representatives to undertake trade union duties
By buying into this service academies can be confident they are fulfilling their legal obligations and in turn, ensure their staff has access to employee representation from local union representatives from across the county without the operational disruption and cost of having to release their own staff to be trained to fulfil this role and other functions linked to trade union facilities time
Comply with the relevant employment and Trade Union legislation which entitles accredited Trade Union officials to receive reasonable paid time off to undertake Trade Union duties
Avoid the need for fully funding release time for any of their own staff who undertake accredited Trade Union duties
Have access to Somerset County Division/Branch Trade Union lay officials for academy trust level negotiation and consultation on employment matters arising from Academy Trust developments and proposals for change Provide their staff with access to trained Trade Union representatives for support and advice on employment matters as required under legislation and formal employment procedures
Academies that buy this service will:
Why choose us?
Email: sse@somerset gov uk
Tel: 0300 123 7365
Website: www.supportservicesforeducation.co.uk
For the latest news and updates follow us on Twitter @SSESomerset
Email: kate edwards@somerset gov uk
Tel: 07977 401918
If you would like to discuss any of our services in more detail, then please do not hesitate to get in touch.
