SBM Services Ltd

A Message from Lord Pickles and Lord Blunkett, followed by SBM Services Ltd's best practice article

The ability to listen and learn from one another has always been vital in parliament, in business and in most aspects of daily life. But at this particular moment in time, as national and global events continue to reiterate, it is uncommonly crucial that we forge new channels of communication and reinforce existing ones. The following article from SBM Services Ltd is an attempt to do just that. We would welcome your thoughts on this or any other Parliamentary Review article.

Rt Hon The Lord David Blunkett

Rt Hon The Lord Eric Pickles

www.sbmservices.co.uk

1SBM SERVICES LTD |

BEST PRACTICE REPRESENTATIVE

Managing Director

JustineBerkeley

The enthusiastic and hard-

working SBM Services team

Not every school has the time and expertise to handle all

of their business and accountancy tasks as effectively as

they would like. While working as a business manager in a

secondary school, Justine Berkeley realised this and saw a gap in

the market to provide high-quality business services beyond those

traditionally provided by local authorities. Feeling entrepreneurial,

she decided to found SBM Services Ltd, a company that performs

business and accountancy services for schools and academies

up and down the country. With a committed and experienced

team of business management experts and accountants, the

company allows schools to operate more cost-effectively and to

spend more time on the thing that matters: educating the next

generation. Managing Director Justine Berkeley says more about

the company and their manner of operating.

Schools are not just centres of learning; they are organisations with many of the

same business requirements that commercial organisations have. Unlike other

businesses, though, the bottom line is not money; instead, the job of a school is

to educate and inspire children to the best of their ability. Given this situation, the

best headteachers and chief executive officers are not necessarily the best business

leaders, and this is entirely understandable.

Helping schools fulfil their potential

This is why SBM Services Ltd exists. We can handle a school’s business and accountancy

functions for them or work alongside school staff to develop and train them to deliver

FACTS ABOUT

SBM SERVICES LTD

»Managing Director:

JustineBerkeley

»Founded in 2013

»Located in Essex

»Services: Business and

accountancy services for

schools

»No. of employees: 12

»Net profit margin has

increased from 13 per cent to

20 per cent in just 5 years

»www.sbmservices.co.uk and

www.sbmtoolkit.co.uk

SBM Services Ltd

THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW

Highlighting best practice

2| SBM SERVICES LTD

these effectively. Our management

services can be divided into seven

mainparts:

»Finance: Effective accounting,

budget management and helping

schools meet their statutory

obligations

»Efficiency reviews and income

generation: Achieving value for

money and raising enough funds to

deliver a quality education

»Personnel: Supporting schools

to have a high-performing, well-

motivated workforce

»Data protection: Keeping schools

compliant with regulations

»Academy conversion: Assisting a

smooth and efficient transition

and embedding a robust business

infrastructure for single and multi-

academy trusts

»Auditing: Demonstrating compliance

and effective governance

»School business management

toolkit: Online resources and remote

helpdesk to support with the delivery

of quality business functions.

Carrying out these services not

only saves schools time and keeps

them compliant with their statutory

responsibilities but also prevents them

from spending more money than

they have to. Saving schools money

through our cost-effective solutions

and taking away the burden of

meeting business regulations allows

schools to focus their resources on

where it matters most: improving

outcomes for children.

Core values

One of the aspects of the business

that I’m most proud of is my team of

committed employees. Competitors

can easily copy your systems and

processes, but staffing is unique to

every business and is pivotal to its

success. Behind the company is a team

of wonderful, dedicated and highly

competent staff. One of the reasons

they are so good is because they are

happy – and they are happy, at least

in part, because I have allowed them

to work on flexible terms that suit

their lifestyle. I’m particularly proud of

having among my staff working mums

who still want a fulfilling career with

prospects but also need to juggle the

demands of their young families. I am

committed to offering flexible working

hours to ensure they have a good

balance between work and home life.

There is a real sense of togetherness

in the company, which among

other things leads me to treat the

company’s profit not as my own but as

something that should be reinvested

into the business for its continued

development and to share in the

future for everyone’s benefit. I am

also committed to ensuring the part

that everyone plays in the business’s

success is recognised and rewarded,

and developing staff to reach their full

potential is a high priority.

At our core are five main values

which keep us on track and underpin

The company offers

a range of business

services to schools

Our clients

regularly

comment on

our high levels

of customer

service and

the obvious

excitement

and energy we

have for the

work we do

“

3SBM SERVICES LTD |

BEST PRACTICE REPRESENTATIVE

our success. First of all, there’s

“excellence” – this represents our

willingness to meet all challenges and

to be the best we can; being just good

is not good enough. Then there’s

“passion”, which communicates to us

and others that we love what we do.

Our clients regularly comment on our

high levels of customer service and the

obvious excitement and energy we

have for the work we do. Our ability

to deliver creative solutions and our

understanding that no two schools

are the same comprises our third

value: “innovation”. “Collaboration”

stands for our constant readiness

to share experiences, resources and

opportunities. Last but not least,

“caring” reminds us who we are

fundamentally catering for – namely,

young people and schools. Ultimately,

we love working in the sector that

we’re in.

Challenges facing the

company

One of the difficulties we experience

as a company is that many schools are

unaware of the need to have quality

business functions underpinning

teaching and learning or the potential

benefits of using a service like ours

to develop these. Many are steeped

in tradition, renewing contracts with

suppliers they have bought into

for years without challenging their

quality or value for money and are

not yet willing to think innovatively

to create the best solutions for their

organisation. With a large number

of schools experiencing challenging

financial circumstances, not being

creative and innovative is no longer

anoption.

One of the reasons underlying this is

that many schools are reluctant to see

their operations in business terms. One

might think this would be less the case

for academies, but quite often even

they think in these terms too.

Working from a strong

foundation

Our business model is successful

enough that, even from day one,

the company was making a profit

without the need for extra funding

or borrowing. Since then, we have

continued to move from strength to

strength, both in terms of turnover

and our geographic presence. Starting

locally, we have since become a

nationwide service provider. Because of

this strong foundation, I am confident

that we have a healthy and exciting

future in store for us.

However, a business model is only as

good as the people who serve it. In this

regard, SBM Services Ltd is incredibly

lucky to have a passionate team who

really care about delivering the best

possible results for schools across

the country. Our hope is that, as we

approach the future, we will be able to

convince schools on tight budgets – of

which there is no shortage – that our

services offer excellent value and are

actually an investment that saves them

money and supports the delivery of

high-quality teaching.

Since then, we

have continued

to move from

strength to

strength, both

in terms of

turnover and

our geographic

presence

“

The company’s head

office, located in Essex

www.sbmservices.co.uk

This article was sponsored by SBM Services Ltd. The Parliamentary Review is wholly funded by the representatives who write for it. The publication in which this article originally appeared contained the following foreword from Rt Hon Michael Gove.

Rt Hon Michael Gove's Foreword For The Parliamentary Review

By Rt Hon Michael Gove

This year's Parliamentary Review comes at a momentous time for parliament, as we collectively determine the destiny of the United Kingdom.

On October 31, the UK will leave the European Union. The successful implementation of this process is this government's number-one priority.

Three years after a historic referendum vote, we will deliver on the decisive mandate from the British people. Trust in our democracy depends on it. Until that final hour, we will work determinedly and diligently to negotiate a deal, one that abolishes the backstop and upholds the warm and close relationship we share with our friends, allies and neighbours in the EU. But in the event that the EU refuses to meet us at the table, we must be prepared to leave without a deal.

As the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, it is my job to lead on this government's approach, should that scenario happen. Preparing for Brexit is my department's driving mission. But while I am leading this turbocharged effort, the whole of government is committed to this endeavour.

Ministers across Whitehall are working together to ensure that every possibility is considered, every plan is scrutinised and every provision is made. A daily drumbeat of meetings means that we are holding departments accountable, so that preparations are completed on time.

The chancellor has confirmed that all necessary funding will be made available. And we have mobilised thecivil service, assigning 15,000 of our most talented civil servants to manage our exit from the EU.

We will make sure that on November 1, there is as little disruption to national life as possible. Our trade relationships will continue to thrive, thanks to agreements with countries around the world worth £70 billion. Our country will remain secure, thanks to nearly 1,000 new officers posted at our borders. And the 3.2 million EU nationals now living and working among us can remain confident, with absolute certainty, of their right to remain in the UK.

Above all, our goal is to be transparent. Soon, we will launch a public information campaign so that citizens, communities and businesses are ready and reassured about what will happen in the event of “no deal”.

In my first few weeks in this role, I have travelled to ports and tarmacs, borders and bridges, all across the UK –from the seaside of Dover to the rolling green hills of County Armagh. I have heard from business owners and border officials, farmers and hauliers. They are ready to put an end to uncertainty. And they are ready to embrace the opportunities ahead.

Our departure from the EU will be a once in a lifetime chance to chart a new course for the United Kingdom. Preparing for that new course will be a herculean effort. But this country has made astounding efforts before. We can do it again.

Rt Hon Michael Gove
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster