LONDON & QUADRANT CASE STUDYPhoenix Software and London & Quadrant – a partnership delivering tangible social value

For more than half a century, London & Quadrant (L&Q) has been creating homes and neighbourhoods to be proud of. Today, with more than 90,000 homes across London and the South East, L&Q is the largest landlord in the capital and one of the largest residential property developers.

As part of its mission to combine social purpose and commercial drive, each year L&Q aims to increase the amount of social value created by its supply chain. To this end, as a Category ‘A’ supplier to L&Q, Phoenix Software wanted to ensure it included a range of off erings in its partnership plan which would provide real social value. Indeed, Phoenix Software took Board-level interest in what L&Q was trying to achieve for its tenants and the community at large, as there was a specifi c desire to make an impact at a personal level to an individual’s life.

A plan was therefore drawn up to provide relevant training skills to L&Q tenants, with the aim of helping improve their employment chances. After considerable consultation between Phoenix Software and L&Q, a set of courses, both IT and Project Management-related, was presented as a starting point to this plan – with a view to providing the crucial skills required by the chosen candidate.

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Phoenix Software has a Board-approved Corporate Social Responsibility Policy Statement and, more than a year ago, appointed a Social Return on Investment (SROI) Offi cer to measure and help manage and account for our social value and social impact.

At the heart of the Phoenix Software Social Responsibility Policy is the commitment to create training opportunities via its strategic relationship with training partner Q&A. By working collaboratively with key strategic customers, Phoenix Software has also considered:

• the relevance of content and the desired outcome and target audience

• that the courses selected could be eff ectively tailored down and delivered where required in various locations across the country

Phoenix Software has expertise across a wide range of hardware and software technology solutions with access to product roadmaps, which it shares as soon as it can with as many organisations as possible - including schools, charities, housing associations and public sector departments – thereby increasing awareness of the ICT world.

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“I STILL CAN’T BELIEVE I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT THIS COURSE AND PASSED THE

EXAMS. THANKS TO MAXINE, SHE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN PLANNING THE PATH INTO

CONSTRUCTION, AN INDUSTRY THAT I DID NOT EVEN CONSIDER. ALL I SAID WAS THAT I

WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE PATH AND DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT - SOMETHING PRACTICAL.

HER PERCEPTION, ENCOURAGEMENT, AND THE OPPORTUNITY, WAS ALL I NEEDED TO SPUR

ME INTO THINKING THAT I COULD DO THE PRINCE2 COURSE AFTER ALL.”

Lavina Arthurs

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Our Mailing Address - Blenheim House, York Road, Pocklington, York, United Kingdom, YO42 1NSOur Registered Offi ce Address - Bytes House, Randalls Way, Leatherhead, KT22 7TW

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THE TRAININGLiaising with the L&Q Social Value Business Lead, Aurelia Ciseran, and the L&Q Employment Support Offi cer, Maxine Whyte-Rhoden, Phoenix Software identifi ed a suitable candidate for the training.

Lavina Arthurs, the chosen candidate, was engaged and consulted as to the most desirable courses that would be of use and interest to her. The outcome of that was that Phoenix Software provided PRINCE2 course details. PRINCE2 (an acronym for PRojects IN Controlled Environments) is a de facto process-based method for eff ective project management. Used extensively by the UK Government, PRINCE2 is also widely recognised and used in the private sector, both in the UK and internationally.

Sam Mudd, Phoenix Software Managing Director, said: “We are delighted that Levina has chosen such a highly-regarded and versatile course, one which can be used to establish the start of a new career path. This is exactly the kind of social value we hoped to be able to deliver – something which will make a real diff erence to Levina’s life and provide long-term benefi t.”

Ahead of the course, Levina undertook 10 hours of pre-requisite reading to get ready, ensuring she was well-versed in the subject matter at large.

“I still can’t believe I had the opportunity to sit this course and passed the exams. Thanks to Maxine, she was instrumental in planning the path into construction, an industry that I did not even consider. All I said was that I would like to change path and do something diff erent - something practical. Her perception, encouragement, and the opportunity, was all I needed to spur me into thinking that I could do the PRINCE2 course after all.

Not only does it look good on my CV, but I also believe that having it makes me more competitive especially in this male dominated fi eld. It gives me an edge and supports my other recently gained certifi cates in construction and health and safety. I would encourage others, if given the opportunity, to become practitioners in project management as I fi nd it very useful in planning and managing my own personal life as well. It’s a resounding ‘yes’ from me to off ering this course to others.”

LET’S MAKE A DIFFERENCE TOGETHERAs part of our Social Responsibility Policy, we are always looking at ways that we can provide social value back to our customers.

If your organisation would like to explore ways that we can work in partnership to make a real diff erence to people’s lives, then please contact a member of our team on

01904 562200info@phoenixs.co.uk