Wholly-Owned Company Review
Client Context
Suffolk County Council owns a group of companies under VertasGroup, with a combined turnover of c.£205m, the majority of which is generated from external clients. Following significant growth and the recent formation of a group structure, the council commissioned an external review to assess the performance, governance and strategic alignment of its wholly owned companies. The review was required to inform the future role and direction of the companies, particularly in the context of the Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) and devolution agenda and to ensure the council was maximising value from its commercial activities.
Our Approach
Working closely with council officers and company leadership, we undertook a structured, evidence-based review of the council’s wholly owned companies.
Key elements of our approach included:
Diagnostic Review and Data Analysis:Assessing financial performance, service delivery, governance arrangements and contractual structures across the group.
Stakeholder Engagement: Engaging with c.40 stakeholders including Members, senior officers, Non-Executive Directors and company leadership teams.
Benchmarking and Good Practice Assessment: Applying the CIPFA Good Practice Guide to assess governance, assurance and shareholder arrangements.
Strategic Options Development: Identifying opportunities and developing options for the future role, structure and operating model of the companies.
Co-Design and Validation: Testing findings and recommendations with stakeholders to ensure alignment and practicality.
Recommendations and Implementation Planning: Producing a prioritised set of recommendations and a roadmap to support delivery.
Outputs and Outcomes
This work provided the council with a clear, evidence-based view of the performance and future role of its wholly owned companies.
Key outputs and outcomes included:
Comprehensive health check of wholly owned companies, covering performance, governance and strategic alignment.
25 prioritised recommendations aligned to the CIPFA framework to strengthen governance, assurance and shareholder arrangements.
Implementation plan to support delivery of improvements across the council and companies.
Good practice guidance to support ongoing development of policies, frameworks and oversight.
Clear strategic direction for the future role and evolution of the companies in the context of LGR and devolution.
Foundation for an improvement programme to enhance governance, relationships and service delivery.
About Us
Human Engine is a leading management consultancy with specialisms in strategy, transformation, digital, commercial, procurement and projects.
Founded in 2018, we have partnered with more than 50 local authorities, central government, NHS organisations and national charities to help transform their strategies, operations and cultures.
Our mission is to help individuals and organisations to do the best work of their lives. We do this by blending first-hand, practical experience of the problems we help our clients solve with award-winning consulting expertise and an approach based on trust, collaboration and partnership.