In-house Bikeability delivery surgery notes

12 May 2015

Pros

  • Cost effective
  • Integration with wider programme
  • Local knowledge
  • Certainty about training figures
  • Control and manageability – esp. speed of decision-making
  • Relationships with schools – trust
  • Quality and consistency
  • Bespoke solutions possible
  • Long-term strategies easier
  • No procurement process needed

Challenges and solutions

  1. Team retention can be a problem. We like to keep our talent and build around it. Proposed solutions:
    - Best pay and working conditions possible
    - Regular engagement (eg regular team meeting, email updates)
    - Giving extra responsibility to experienced members

- Offer CPD where possible

  1. How do we employ NSIs: F/T, contract and contractors/freelance.This really is a question of choosing the best solution from the possible one for your LA. Be aware that giving CPD training to some of your team and not others (ie non-mandatory training), can have tax consequences for team and management if you employ freelance NSIs.
  2. Can have a shortage (or a a surplus) of instructors, especially at peak and troughs times of the year. Proposed solutions:
    - Smooth the peaks by working with schools to book throughout the year
    - If the scheme manager is an NSI, they can pitch in in peaks
    - Get instructors to do bike checks ahead of time for future courses in troughs
  3. Balancing deliver and strategy makes for a bigger workload. This goes with the territory!
    Proposed solution:
    - Get a strategy or delivery-minded colleague from another team to meet with you on a regular basis as a sounding board.
    - There are various web and IT solution. Use the best you can afford.
  4. Managing costs:
    - Train NSIs or pay to get them trained (some will work for nothing, eg PCSOs, Heads of PE)
    - Run four-day courses rather than five
    - Use pool bikes to get better attendance (and lower cost per place)
    - Consider charging schools for low attendance
    - Share delivery of some courses with other authorities
    - Approach public health for funding, eg for exercise on referral
  5. Need to create an income.
    Proposed solutions:
    - Hire services of team out, eg for Dr Bikes, led rides and workplace maintenance classes.
  6. How do we achieve an uplift in adult training numbers (perhaps a wider than in-house delivery issue).

Proposed solutions:
- Offer workplace training
- Run adult group sessions for beginners/L1
- Run adult groups for specific target audiences: women/ethnic groups/over 55s
- Offer family training sessions, getting parents to train alongside their children