In 2022, Opus was selected as the strategic partner for West Midlands Employers (WME) to implement and deliver WMTemps, an innovative regional solution aimed at addressing critical workforce challenges for West Midlands Councils regarding the provision of temporary workers.
Despite not having previously operated in the region, Opus has successfully rolled out the WMTemps service to over 25% of councils in the West Midlands within 2 years and achieved many successes.
The Challenge:
Introducing a new temporary recruitment model in an already competitive market
Launched in 2022, WMTemps was designed to offer a unique regional resourcing solution for local authorities in the West Midlands. The objective was to revolutionise their approach to recruiting and managing temporary staff, with a particular focus on:
Stabilising the permanent workforce
Transitioning more temporary positions to permanent status
Enhancing access to high-quality temporary workers when required.
Reducing the reliance on multiple suppliers to simplify the temporary recruitment process both for councils and temporary workers themselves.
Despite Opus being a newcomer to the West Midlands region, WME selected us as their partner based on our proven track record of delivering successful solutions for public sector clients across various counties and our shared commitment to improve quality and reduce reliance on agency workers.
Building a robust supply chain was key. We take a collaborative, partnership approach with our suppliers. We also share WME’s commitment to invest back into the public sector to create positive change and support local communities.
Our primary objective involved raising awareness of the WMTemps framework and Opus as a recruitment provider in the region and reassuring councils of its benefits as a new service in order to effectively attract and implement with new councils.
The Solution:
Following the WMTemps launch, our leadership team invested significant time to allow for in-person visits to the West Midlands as well as virtual discussions with WME and key figures from councils across the region. This included sharing information about the service and its objectives through WME's local channels, participation at events, and garnering national coverage through articles in The MJ and LGA First. We also exhibited at key conferences such as the PPMA and LGA to amplify awareness.
Our robust implementation process, featuring a dedicated Programme Manager and project team, facilitated the swift launch of WMTemps, with seven councils joining to date - Wyre Forest, Bromsgrove & Redditch, Walsall, Telford & Wrekin, Rugby, Newcastle Under Lyme and Shropshire.
Since launch, we have actively engaged with candidates in the region through various channels, including our website, job boards, council clients' channels, WMJobs mailouts, and participation at local career fairs.
We felt it was incredibly important for Opus to have a physical presence in the region and in 2023 we introduced our West Midlands-based recruitment team. Led by our Head of West Midlands, Ben Dixon, this team works closely with councils and candidates in the region to understand their unique requirements.
The Results:
Within the first 2 years of WMTemps being launched, seven West Midlands councils joined, representing 25% of the total market share. Our efficient team and streamlined process enabled us to handle implementations seamlessly, even managing two simultaneous launches.
Our clients across the West Midlands have already witnessed tangible improvements, with one council reporting savings of £250,000 in the first three months. This success owes much to our strategic focus on fostering strong partnerships with our supply chain agencies and prioritising collaboration over competition with a focus on reducing off-contract spend from implementation. In another council, 60% of agencies they previously used off contract were already on our supply chain and by launch our team had successfully ensured all agency suppliers had been brought on contract, ensuring savings from day one due to our effective supply chain management.
In addition to financial benefits, by collaborating with over 30 local partners, we have generated roughly £200,000 in social value this year alone, measured through the TOMs framework. This includes engaging with approximately 2,000 individuals across more than 30 career events and delivering career talks to over 1000 students across the region, supporting our commitment to help build a sustainable future workforce and help place local people into local jobs. 96% of the workers we have placed in jobs within the West Midlands are from the region itself, reinforcing our commitment to local employment and community development.
By collaborating closely with the councils, our teams in the West Midlands have comprehensively understood workforce priorities, contributing to the stabilisation of their workforce. One quarter (25%) of placements made in the region in the past year have been converted to permanent positions by the councils, aligning with broader workforce goals.
The anticipated savings from these seven councils alone, utilising the WMTemps service, are expected to reach £11 million over the next four years. This figure will only continue to increase as more authorities join over the coming years, with a potential for the region to save up to £75million which can be reinvested into the region if all councils were to join.
For more information on WMTemps and how it is helping West Midlands Local Authorities tackle key workforce challenges, click here.
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