Association for Public Service Excellence

2020

CAT0263 - Charging for pupil meals served in schools - 241220

"A Member Authority are seeking information regarding how council charge for pupil meals served in schools, Specifically the Member Authority would like to know does your council charge the following:

One price across the estate
One price across the estate plus a management fee
Individual meal price per school
Other"

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CAT0262 - Job descriptions for Catering Manager and Janitor & Cleaning Manager - 301120

A Member Authority is currently seeking examples of the job descriptions for a Catering Manager and Janitor/Cleaning Manager.

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CAT0261 - Social media platforms to recruit catering and cleaning staff - 301120

"A member authority are keen to understand if other councils use social media platforms to recruit their cleaning and catering staff. The member authority would specifically like to know the following:-

Do you provide the following services
- School Catering yes / no
- School Cleaning yes / no
What social media platforms do you utilise for staff recruitment?
Do you use the same social media platforms for frontline staff, managers and area managers?
What social media platform do you find most successful?"

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CAT0259 - Allocation of Primary and Secondary school contracts to Area Catering Managers – 141020

"This APSE member authority would like to know how member authorities assign primary and secondary school contracts to Area Catering Managers.

Do you allocate all the secondary contracts to a single Area Manager and the primary contracts to other Area Managers or do you split both secondary and primary contracts amongst your Area Catering Managers?

Whatever model is adopted, they would like to understand the commercial rationale behind that approach."

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CAT0258-Food parcels for classes / year groups self-isolating

"A Member Authority are currenting providing food parcels to schools with either classes or year groups self-isolating due to Covid-19 in accordance with the guidance on the link below:

https://laca.co.uk/laca-view/free-school-meals-guidance-producing-food-parcels

The Member Authority has been providing the provision to the schools affected in a box and uptake has been variable and the costs using our supply chain are potentially an issue going forwards. The Member Authority is keen to understand what other councils have put in place. Specifically they are seeking the following information:-

1, Have other catering providers been able to supply the list of products within their existing provisions budget per pupil per day?

2, If you haven’t have schools been open to help manage the financial pressure?

3, Where provided what has the average uptake been?

4, Have you been approached about arranging potential delivery?

5, Aside from food parcels have you considered other approaches for providing food to FSM pupils who are unable to be in school, if so what are they?"

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CAT0257 - Changes in the number of children eligible for Free School Meals

With the increase in claimants of Universal Credit, a member authority is seeking information regarding the number of children eligible for Free School Meals. The member authority is specifically wanting to know if other councils have been able to establish if there has been a change and if so what is the percentage of the change.

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CAT0256 - Furlough and financial support for schools in relation to lost catering income

"A member authority would like to get the information below from Local Authorities who provide catering to schools from an in-house service.

Have you opted to put catering staff onto the furlough scheme?
If yes what date did this start from?
Have you opted to pay 100% or 80% of salary to the staff on furlough?
If you opted not to furlough or had a delay in putting staff on furlough are you planning to compensate schools financially for this?
Are you financially supporting schools due to lost income as a result of CV19?"

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CAT0255 - School catering employees terms and conditions

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Is a level of retainer pay still factored into school catering employees terms and conditions?
- If it is, how is the retainer calculated and applied to employees ?
Does your council pay the National Living Wage, the Living Wage calculated by the Living Wage Foundation or a different ‘local’ living wage calculation, if you use a ‘local’ living wage what is it at the current time?"

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CAT0254 - Charging for meals served during the pandemic - 180520

A Member Authority charge for meals served and a fixed fee for the year.

This is the approach that the authority are looking at taking during this pandemic, however new government guidance suggest that a % is charged to the school from the last 3 month average. The Member authority is seeking information regarding what councils are doing with their charging others doing, and do you interpret the guidance to be for private for contractors only ?"

CAT0253 - Primary Authority scheme - Allergen advice - 290420

Under the legislation-backed Primary Authority scheme, which allows businesses to set up a partnership with a local authority to receive advice on certain topics such as food safety including allergen control. Councils throughout England must then follow this advice.

A Member Authorities partner which is from the private sector and have asked for some advice regarding the provision of special dietary meals provided as part of their school meals contract on:

‘XX Company have suitable procedures for the preparation, cooking and service of individual special dietary meals which complies with all relevant food safety and FIR regulations.’

The Member Authority is seeking details from other councils regarding the procedures they have in place and how they ensure that the partner company is exercising ‘due diligence’ in the procedures."

CAT0252 - Percentage of central / corporate charges - 080420

A Member Authority are seeking information regarding the percentage of central/corporate charges that are passed onto the catering service based upon your gross expenditure.

CAT0251 - Removal of bottled drinks from high schools - 130320

A Member Authority is seeking information from other local authority caterers who have removed bottled drinks from High Schools

The authority would also like to know what has your authority replaced them with."

CAT0250 - Inclement weather policy for catering staff within the school meal service - 130320

A Member Authority are in the process of reviewing their inclement weather policy for catering staff within the school meal service.

The Member Authority is seeking information regarding what policy other council have in place and if authorities would be willing to share details of their policy."

CAT0248 - Incentivising pupils and parents to take school meals as an option - 110220

A Member Authority are seeking information regarding what other authorities have tried or have in place to incentivise pupils/parents to take school meals as an option. The Member Authority would specially like to know the following:-

1. What incentives have you tried that worked well?

2. What was the impact on the school meal uptake?

3. Where there any issues with implementing the incentive?

4. What have you tried that did not work well?

5. Why did the incentive not work?"

CAT0247 - Mobile Catering Units - 200120

This authority would like to know:

1. Does your authority operate mobile catering units to provide school meals / grab and go food in either Primary or Secondary school playgrounds?

2. If so, would you be able to provide an outline of provision?

3. Would you be willing to either share your business case and/or operating, income and staffing details? If so, could you please provide your contact details: