Verto Case Study: working with NHS West Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group

NHS West Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is one of 207 CCGs across England responsible for the planning and commissioning of healthcare services for their local area. Each CCG must assess its local needs, decide on its priorities and buy appropriate services. As local needs change, which they constantly do, CCGs must also adapt and respond to these changes.

 

CCGs have to regularly report on their plans and progress to NHS England, to their local Health and Wellbeing Board and to the public in their area. Their success is measured on how much they improve outcomes.

 

West Cheshire CCG serves a population of about 261,000 and has an annual budget of around £330 million. The CCG is made up of 35 GP practices from three localities each with 3-clusters. Together they work to secure high-quality, high-value healthcare that meets the needs of their local population. Their stated aim is: “Making sure you get the healthcare you need.”

 

What West Cheshire CCG wanted to achieve 

 

West Cheshire CCG wanted to improve their programme management systems. They also had the challenge of needing to deliver a balanced budget in 2016-17 and again in 2017-18.  This meant they had to have a rigorous financial recovery plan in place that detailed how they would find savings of around £10 million in each of the two financial years.  As such it was essential that the CCG could:

 

  • Work to consistent processes
  • Easily and accurately monitor projects
  • Easily and accurately report on outcomes
  • Plan with confidence
  • Make efficiency savings

 

In particular, the PMO team were under pressure. They were managing all the CCG’s projects manually on excel spreadsheets. This was time-consuming and did not allow for robust risk management or confident reporting on milestones.

 

How we’re helping West Cheshire CCG achieve their goals 

 

We started working with West Cheshire CCG in July 2016. By September they were able to start introducing Verto to individual project leads. By March 2017, everyone who needed to be was working on the new system.

 

We configured Verto in line with how the CCG works and to make it easy for them to transfer their project data. This meant that when staff logged on for the first time they could immediately see all their project documentation.

 

“The team from TMI really listen. They’re keen to fix issues and do so in a really short time. They’re open to new ideas and see opportunities for development rather than problems. This makes the whole process of introducing a new system much easier.” 

 

Reza Rahmani-Torkaman, Head of Programme Management Office, West Cheshire CCG 

 

The benefits West Cheshire CCG is seeing

The way Verto is set up makes it easy for people to follow project management best practice. As a result, the PMO team say that since moving to Verto everyone is working in a more calm, controlled and consistent way. This means there is no longer a pressure to find funds to expand the PMO team. And may have helped the CCG deliver their planned savings in 2016-17.

 

Because Verto is based in the cloud, CCG staff and members can now access their data wherever they are and whenever they need. This is supporting more flexible working and is something people have commented they appreciate.

 

CCGs have to measure their progress against national data. Because Verto gives the PMO team reliable and current data they can now measure their progress, project future outcomes and plan with more confidence.

 

As well as the PMO team, Verto also gives individual commissioning managers, the finance team and the business intelligence team easy access to their project data. This means they can manage risk, monitor and report on projects in a much more robust way.

 

We continue to support and work with West Cheshire CCG as they introduce new programmes of work and develop new practices. For example, in the future they intend to work in partnership with other organisations and across boundaries to deliver some major projects. Verto will make this collaborative working much easier for them.

 

To find out more about how Verto can help your CCG please call us on 0118 334 6200 or message us here.

 


How we can help you help your clients

Verto is widely used across both the private and public sectors.

For example, our clients include Capita PLC, Northgate Vehicle Leasing, NHS and councils across the country.

Many of our private sector clients also work with public sector organisations, helping them build shared services, deliver change and realize challenging efficiency savings.

Even when several organisations from different sectors are involved, Verto’s tools make it easy for them to work together. Because with Verto, everyone can work on the same platform and communicate with each other quickly and easily.

Here are some examples of how we’re helping our clients and what they have to say about us.

 

Capita

Capita uses technology to create and deliver smarter process management and professional support services across the public and private sectors.

They say:

“I have been working with the Verto team for the last 18 months and in that time we have built an excellent working relationship. The reason for this is that not only is VERTO an excellent PPM tool, but what makes the product stand out is the team behind it for their responsiveness, help, support and ability to go the extra mile in both promoting and delivering the tool to clients. The VERTO team understand real problems and issues and how to resolve them in a fit for purpose way and do so in a friendly and open manner that is very refreshing.”

 

Onesource

Onesource provides shared back office support services for local government and other public services. They use Verto to support their project and programme management.

They say:

We have found Verto to be very flexible, especially when embedding our corporate methodology and workflow into a cloud-based application. [It] has enabled better collaborative ways of working and greater transparency in all aspects of project management and expenditure. Furthermore, TMI [Verto] has consistently provided an excellent customer service and [been] willing to support us at all times. We’ve enjoyed working with TMI to achieve our corporate PMO application requirements.”

 

Denbighshire Council

The support from TMI Systems from day one has been outstanding, they are always willing to listen to new ideas and respond to all system enquiries almost by return.

 

Wolverhampton City Council

The support provided by TMI Systems has been brilliant to get the system up and running. The system enables us to have a cross directorate view of the projects and programmes currently being managed within the Council.

 

To find out more about how Verto can help you and your clients please call us on 0844 870 8785 or message us here.

 

 


From 1 to £13.2 billion: The Benefits of Verto in Numbers

Verto’s cloud-based software can help you in a number of ways. For example, it can help you cut costs and improve efficiency across all aspects of your project and programme management.

 

It can also help your shared practice become more effective, for example when you’re working with providers or local enterprise partnerships.

 

Our years of experience and understanding of the demands of modern working drive these benefits.

 

The numbers below tell you more.

 

1          Verto’s project management software has 1 clear landing page you can customise for the way you work.

 

2          You can choose which of our 2 systems will suit your organisation best.

 

7          Verto starts from only £7.50 per user per month.

 

10        NHS Blood and Transplant rate us 10/10 for training, configuration, hosting and system development and updates.

 

15        The team at Verto has been providing cloud-based applications for more than 15 years.

 

24        Verto’s instant messaging means you can easily stay in touch 24 hours a day.

 

25        We’ve helped PMOs cut their costs by 25%.

 

30        And helped projects secure savings of 30%.

 

50        We’ve helped more than 50 organisations set up and run their PMO.

 

60        You can trial all Verto’s benefits FREE for 60 days.

 

120      We’ve provided cloud-based services to more than 120 public sector departments and organisations including fire and rescue services, NHS CCGs and local enterprise partnerships.

 

26,000             We support 26,000 registered users.

 

38,000             And track 38,000 tasks and milestones every day.

 

13.2 billion      We’re helping our clients deliver £13.2 billion of planned savings.

 

For more information on how Verto can help you please call us on 0844 870 8785 or message us here.


How Verto Is Helping CCGs Manage Their PMOs And Achieve Effective Collaboration

Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for planning and commissioning health care services for their local area. They are responsible for the entire local population and are measured by how much they improve health outcomes.

In order to meet this broad remit CCGs work with a wide range of partners and deliver a wide range of projects.

 

What is a PMO?

 

A PMO (programme or project management office) serves as a central point for all a CCG’s projects. An effective PMO will help a CCG make sure it delivers its projects on time, on budget and in line with the project’s stated aims.

Because a PMO collates data from all a CCG’s projects, it gives managers the information they need to identify priorities and target resources. This data will also help the CCG show the tangible service and patient care improvements they are delivering.

A PMO will serve as a centre of excellence, providing control and governance as well as advice and guidance to project managers. This is particularly helpful for project managers who are not formally trained in project management.

Overall, a well-run PMO will help CCGs improve efficiency across the board, leading to savings in time and costs – essential for organisations that are under increasing financial pressure.

 

How Does Verto Help?

 

Verto’s project management and collaboration software is specifically designed to:

  • Support partnership working by bringing together, on one secure platform, everyone involved in managing and delivering a project. This includes the project’s wider stakeholders.
  • Make collaboration easier with tools such as instant messaging, file sharing, real-time updates and notifications.
  • Improve practice by linking project outputs with performance outcomes and through best practice templates and controls.
  • Strengthen governance and transparency with accurate data, flexible reporting and a clear view of all projects at any given time.
  • Standardise practice with a range of templates for key activities in the project cycle.

 

“18 months on and with over 350 projects loaded we are reaping the rewards of our Verto application.”

NHS Thurrock CCG and Basildon CCG

 

Comprehensive Support and Training from Verto

 

We provide support and training to help you set up your PMO and get the most from it once it’s up and running.

We provide full onsite training for your PMO staff and Verto administrators. We can run either train-the-trainer or end-user courses, whichever you prefer.

We can create bespoke workflow and reports to suit the way your CCG operates. We can offer useful insights from our own experience of PMOs and put you in touch with other clients who can share with you what they have learned. We can even set up forums for you to receive valuable feedback from the people who use your projects and services.

And if you need any help once your PMO is in use, our helpdesk team are there for you.

To find out more get in touch. And look out for future blogs where we’ll take a more detailed look at how we support an increasing number of CCGs and now STPs.


Northgate Vehicle Hire, Aylesbury Vale CCG and Perth & Kinross Health & Social Care Partnership All Choose Verto

We are delighted to now include Northgate Vehicle Hire, Aylesbury Vale CCG and Perth & Kinross Health & Social Care Partnership to our list of Verto users.

Northgate Vehicle Hire

Northgate vehicle hire provide van hire and leasing options to businesses as an alternative to purchase, contract hire or lease. With a growing network of 75 branches from Aberdeen to Plymouth their business continues to grow. Their fleet is made up of LCVs from the UK's leading manufacturers, including Mercedes Benz, Ford, VW and Peugeot, and a majority of branches have their own workshops which enables maintenance to be planned and scheduled at times that will cause least disruption to customers. Northgate Vehicle Hire also have a partnership in place with the AA to provide breakdown support and recovery. Verto enables them to maintain communication with their suppliers, while supporting their PMO and the management and delivery of their key projects and programmes.

Aylesbury Vale CCG

Verto has proved popular amongst many CCG's and now Aylesbury Vale CCG has been added to our list of users. The clinically led membership organisation is responsible for commissioning local NHS services to meet the needs of local people. Supporting the development of partnerships between patients, healthcare professionals, social care, voluntary services and commissioners in North Buckinghamshire, Verto is also instrumental in helping Aylesbury Vale CCG support collaboration amongst their project teams and with partner organisations, allowing them to build effective working relationships with other CCGs including Oxfordshire and Milton Keynes.

Perth & Kinross Health & Social Care Partnership

An initiative of Perth & Kinross Council, this strategic commissioning plan has been designed to ensure that the needs of the local community and individuals are met. Perth & Kinross Health & Social Care Partnership use Verto to support their coordinated approach to the way in which care services are delivered. This includes working collaboratively with GPs, hospitals, health workers and social care staff forming integrated partnership arrangements.

 

Find out more about which organisations are using Verto here.


Gloucestershire CCG use Verto Project Management Sofware

Gloucestershire CCG Background

The CCG is a clinically led membership organisation responsible for commissioning local NHS services to meet the needs of local people. These services include emergency care services, operations or treatments that can be planned in advance, community services and mental health services.
The organisation is placing greater emphasis on prevention, self-care and joining up services, community support and information across health and social care. Alternatives to hospital care are also being developed, including more care, treatment and support at home and in the local community – all of which are delivered under increasing financial constraints.
To achieve this transformation, the CCG is engaged in a portfolio of programmes and projects, working closely with our Providers. The portfolio is overseen by a central PMO team; with a particular focus on the QIPP agenda (our Providers also operate PMOs).
The CCG expects that by using a standard programme management approach, underpinned by an effective PMS, we are more likely to successfully deliver change by ensuring:
- Sufficient board-level support
- Strong leadership
- Realistic expectations of our capacity and ability to deliver change
- Sufficient focus on benefits
- A robust vision of the future (blueprint), well defined and clearly communicated
- Improved capability to change culture
- Good engagement by stakeholders/Providers

 

Scope

The PMS addresses the management of programmes and projects. It provides the framework for organising and managing resource and investment to deliver all the work required within defined scope, time and cost constraints.

The CCG has established an approach to programme and project management based on industry standard methodologies and terminology (e.g. PRINCE2, MSP).


NHS Herefordshire CCG selects Verto

NHS Herefordshire Clinical Commissioning Group chose Verto to support work collaboration and project management. We asked them why they selected Verto...

“We wanted to find a way that allowed us to have better sight/improved assurance across our whole portfolio of work.

For us as a small NHS CCG we wanted to ensure we were deploying resources more smartly on key priorities, and in particular programmes intended to deliver QIPP savings. Additionally frustrations in organisation that we were spending a lot time reporting to NHS England, joint programme boards and internally and not enough time actually delivering - we wanted things recorded/captured once but used in numerous settings – COUNT principle. We also wanted to improve how individuals managed projects and ensured they undertook robust planning. And finally wanted to improve our: benefits/impact tracking; as well as ensuring remedial action plans in relation to key performance issue were managed and monitored. As a small CCG also we cannot afford a huge PMO function.

We looked at several products. VERTO provided the functionality and flexibility we wanted, and importantly allowed us to adapt it to local processes and governance arrangements.

We have focused on initially using it for those project initiatives that will deliver QIPP savings, but also being a cloud based system we will be using to monitor and manage for example our better care fund and other system wide programmes. VERTO have also worked with us to develop new functionality around benefits tracking that we are deploying, and intending to link with key BI systems.

In the set-up phrase VERTO guys supportive and professional. We have more work to do with colleagues around embedding the system and its use, but this is more of cultural issue that a system issue. So far has been a positive process; and we see huge advantages of how we can use this product going forward from business planning and risk management."

If you would like to talk to us about how Verto can help deliver your programmes please call us on 0844 870 8785