Management Information Sheet

You will be aware of the government initiative to introduce a scheme that provides free school meals to all infant children (years R-2) with effect from September 2014. In order to ensure that kitchens and dining centres have the correct equipment and space to deliver the anticipated increase in meals, a capital allocation of £1.939M has been made available to the Local Authority. In order to avoid a school-led bidding process and ensure proposals put forward are necessary and appropriate to the operational delivery of meals to Key Stage 1, the Local Authority has commissioned Norse to undertake the assessment of ALL Norfolk Schools. This will assist Norfolk County Council in establishing what equipment and adjustments need to be made to cooking kitchens and dining centres prior to September 2014.

90% of schools required to meet the UIFSM requirement in Norfolk are part of the Norse Group Contract. The Norse Group can, outside of this contract, provide consultancy advice to NCC and on a local basis can do this through their Account Managers.

There are four structural considerations critical for delivery success:

1. The responsibility for delivery of UIFSM sits with the schools' headteachers/governing bodies. NCC has a responsibility to use allocated capital funding effectively and for its intended purpose of supporting the national policy.
2. School organisation and management of lunchtimes
3. Kitchen, servery and dining infrastructures
4. The schools catering supplier and their contract with them

There are four practical categories arising from the above:

1. Physical alterations - increase in space, power etc
2. Large equipment - purchase or upgrade
3. Small equipment - tables, chairs, consumables etc
4. Transport equipment - hot boxes

Norse Account Managers will be visiting 175 Norse Cooking Kitchens, 115 Norse Dining Centres and 79 Non-Norse Schools (mixture of Cooking Kitchens and Dining Centres).

Norse Account Managers will be using a UIFSM Needs Assessment Sheet for all appointments which will be used to note recommended action as well as referrals for further investigation. In those schools where a referral for further investigation is required, a second assessment sheet which will be used by a different Norse team for items such as power supply, canopies and heavy equipment.

Once a Needs Assessment has been completed by the Norse Account Manager, a copy will be left with the school to which it refers, and any referrals are passed to the second team. The original form will be forwarded to NCC.

A further briefing note will be issued shortly advising schools of the processes to be followed during the next phase of this project. If schools have any queries in the meantime, please direct them to your Finance Support Officer in the first instance.