Agenda item

 Mr Steve Sherry (Chief Executive) and Mr David Jessop (Director of Operations and Human Resources) Royal British Legion Industrieshave been invited to give a brief presentation.

The report of the Cabinet Member for Corporate Support Services & Performance Management and the Director of Strategic Development & Public Access is attached.

Presentation by Mr S Sherry (Chief Executive) and Mr D Jessop (Royal British Legion Industries) 

(1)       The Chairman welcomed Mr Sherry and Mr Jessop to the meeting and invited them to give a brief presentation on the work of the Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI).   

(2)       Mr Sherry set out the background and context of the work of RBLI. Their core business was the welfare and rehabilitation of service personnel and their dependants.  They had affordable homes for 600 residents on their site and their social enterprise employed 104 disabled service personnel at Aylesford.  RBLI valued the support and good will of the County Council and he would welcome discussions on how we could work together on various programs.  He also referred to the national offender’s management program and the army recovery capacity project. The RBLI had been chosen as a temporary recovery centre while the center at Colchester was being completed. 

(3)       Mr Sherry identified 3 key factors for the future, these were firstly the changing welfare to work programs and secondly the impact of the budget cuts for example Network Rail was a major customer for signage but the reduction in their maintenance budget would have an impact, and thirdly the need to responding to the increasing need from young service people and key to this was looking at how to identify and satisfy their needs.  

(4)       Mr Sherry referred to the pilot work that the County Council were undertaking on the Welfare Pathway and stated that the RBLI could help with delivery. 

(5)       A Member referred to the signage produced by the RBLI and commended the quality of the produce, competitive price and quick delivery.  In response to a question on how much capacity they had to expand this business, Mr Sherry confirmed that they were currently at 45% capacity.  He also stated that they produced different shaped pallets for the construction industry and had an area where they produced things such as toy displays for shop windows. A Member suggested that the Highways department should explore the possibility of obtaining some of its signage from RBLI         

(6)       In response to a question on what he saw as the RBLI greatest challenges over the next 18 months, Mr Sherry stated that the first was financial, 60% of their revenue came from the Department of Works and Pensions, they had not been successful in obtaining work change contracts and they did not know what would happen with the pathways contract, they would loose 40% of their revenue next April if they did not get any new business.  Their second challenge was identifying need, this was complicated with a lot of young ex-service personnel with severe injuries, many of whom came from dysfunctional backgrounds. It was often difficult to trace them when they left the service and they sometimes ended up in the prison population or homeless.  It was important to contact these young ex-service men as quickly as possible in order to support them back into society and help them to gain their independence.

(7)       A Member referred to the need to ensure that there was fairness in competition between RBLI and small and medium enterprises if the need to tender was removed.   Mr Sherry stated that the RBLI only worked on a commercial basis, and competed on price and quality.  Their employees would only have job satisfaction if they know that they were working on a commercial basis. 

(8)       Regarding the number of organisations supporting ex-service personnel, Mr. Sherry stated that he had recently attended the Annual General Meeting of British Ex- service organisations; they were looking at the way as a group of organisations they could make best use the resources that were available.  A successful big lottery bid was going to be used to analyse the need and how best to meet it.

(9)       The Leader thanked Mr. Sherry and Mr Jessop for their presentation and stated that he would be taking up their offer to visit Preston Hall.  He referred to the agenda in Bold Steps for Kent to grow Small and Medium Enterprises and social enterprises in Kent and supporting them via the new procurement process, as long as value for money was achieved. 

The Ministry of Defence Welfare Pathway Pilot in Kent

(10)     Mr Gough and Mrs Oliver introduce a report which set out the background to the Defence Welfare Pathway in Kent.  The pilot had been extended until 2011and the aim was to integrate the Welfare Pathway into the Gateway. RBLI had been identified as a key organisation to work with. 

(11)     A Member mentioned the Supporting People grant that was coming to an end and the impact that the financial situation would have on the support from District Councils.  A Member referred to the need to ensure that service personnel and their families were not disadvantaged by being deployed to different parts of the country at short notice and that this should be recognised as far as possible in school admissions policies.

(12)     RESOLVED that the presentation be noted and the Committee records its support for proposed actions to take the Defence Welfare Pathway initiative forward in Kent.