What we do

Soft services consultancy designed entirely around your specific needs

We provide soft services procurement and management consultancy for schools. Everything from cleaning and catering services, facilities management, ICT provision, from procurement through to on-going contract management.

Our approach is always bespoke. Every school is different, and by assessing the dynamics in each school we work with – including opportunities and challenges, resources, equipment and budgets – we can design and deliver tailor-made solutions that work brilliantly.

Strategic Procurement and contract management

We procure critical support services, including Catering, Cleaning, ICT Management, Waste and Recycling, Planned Maintenance, Agency Staff Supply, Internal and External Audit, Uniforms and Catering Equipment.

We also support clients that are using frameworks to manage the process and administration from the planning phase through to contract award and mobilisation.

Our bespoke cloud-based procurement and auditing platforms deliver quick, cost-effective solutions designed around individual client needs and budgets.

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Catering Services

We help clients review their catering services, develop a focused catering policy and manage costs and performance.

We provide bespoke, best value strategic catering procurement solutions for schools. Our client support includes auditing and managing catering services, advice on compliance and managing kitchen equipment purchases and kitchen design.

For schools that run their own catering services, we work alongside our clients and their catering team to drive innovation, control costs, improve food standards and promote a “Whole School Approach” to great food.

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Cleaning Services

Whether schools outsource or insource their cleaning services, we support schools achieve a sustainable, compliant and high quality cleaning solution.

We support BICSc standards in operation and work with partners to provide equipment, materials, training and auditing support for clients and operatives to control costs and improve standards.

Many schools and trusts are facing budget challenges and we work with them to change specifications and safely manage cost reduction processes.

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Facilities management

Our facilities management expertise will help keep your school operating efficiently, lowering running costs and improving the quality of the school environment.

We procure planned preventative maintenance services and FM contracts, working with all parties to monitor and manage the ‘whole life’ costs and performance of the service.

Asset maintenance schedules, capital planning reviews, IoT telemetry for prompt repair and equipment replacement strategies are a key focus for our client support packages.

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We offer expertise in the following areas:

benchmarking
in-depth purchasing analysis
in-depth financial analysis
KPIs and contract management
health check audits
strategic contract reviews
design and planning
compliance auditing
service innovation planning

Outsourcing and insourcing

Whether you want to hire a third-party or outsourcing company to provide a service, or you want to bring the service in-house and do it yourself, we can help you find the best solution for your school.

We operate highly effectively as a specialist part of your school team, taking full responsibility for managing procurement and service development projects, and delivering them successfully, on time and on budget.

Alternatively, we’ll help you take your service provision back in house, guiding you through the process at every stage and making sure nothing is left to chance. We’ll also keep your team up to speed with market trends, modern processes, and technology and industry innovation, so they are confident and able to provide an efficient, effective and fully compliant service.

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Our impact

Tendered

£57m

of contract turnover in 2023

Saved clients valuable time and money

Supported Tower Hamlets and Southwark Councils Free School Meals Projects, feeding thousands of students every day

Supporting

Trusts and many single site schools

Managing contract performance and positive change for our clients

What others say

Preparing to deliver UFSM to all Secondary School pupils was a unique and challenging project and Cohesion Consulting were a major player in its successful delivery. Throughout the project they were totally committed to the task, delivering a survey report on all 20 schools within a very short timescale which formed the basis of a Cabinet report that was approved. At every stage of the project, they offered practical and best value solutions that were achievable to ensure that schools could be ready to deliver UFSM. Their expertise in project management, contract negotiations, commissioning and mobilisation was essential and throughout they were honest and approachable with the ability to engage at all levels with schools and the whole project team which made working with them a pleasure during this challenging but exciting project.

Tower Hamlets, London

Head of Contract Services

Glenn is professional, knowledgeable and fair, he has been totally invaluable to us with regards to our outsourced catering provision. Services covered to date include tender support, on boarding, implementation and monitoring. Colleagues see Glenn as an extension to our internal resource, which is a reflection on how approaches his work, he views each £ we spend as his own. We see him as a trusted critical friend to ensure we are constantly challenging our suppliers and ourselves!

Large Multi-Academy Trust

Head of Procurement

Glenn has supported us with cleaning and catering tenders. We were extremely impressed with the level of professionalism and integrity that he provided during our catering tender a few years ago and therefore had no hesitation in asking him to support us with our more recent cleaning one. He supported us all the way through the tender and made the whole process very straightforward and simple for us. I thoroughly appreciate the way in which he continues with his level of support once the contract has started and that he makes himself available for advice. His knowledge of both sectors is impressive and he is always mindful of achieving best value and a good fit for the school.

Large Secondary School, Finchley, London

School Business Manager

Our school has benefited from Glenn’s expertise and knowledge over a number of years to support our tendered catering and cleaning contracts. Throughout that time, we have found his advice and support invaluable. He is always happy to make himself available to help with any queries and I think he stands out as his service continues to be provided well into the contracts life cycle and not just at the start where the fees are made. I would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending his services.

Large Secondary School, Barnet, London

School Business Manager

Glenn works with you rather than for you, always going the extra mile to ensure we get the best possible service. His knowledge and experience are second to none.

School Business Manager

Large Tower Hamlets Secondary School and Sixth Form