Mintivo signs IT support deal with Prospect Hospice

Prospect Hospice has signed an IT support partnership with Mintivo, covering the charity's core systems and network support.

The Wroughton-based hospice provides end-of-life care for more than 2,000 people each year across Swindon and north Wiltshire, including Marlborough and Royal Wootton Bassett. Its 230 staff rely on those systems in their day-to-day work.

Under the deal, Chippenham-based Mintivo will support the hospice's server and networking infrastructure, advise on the use of existing technology and future investment, and make its help desk available for holiday cover and busy periods.

Kate Fry, Head of Information Management and Technology at Prospect Hospice, said the partnership would add external support to the organisation's internal expertise. In a demanding care environment, she said, reliability across core systems is essential.

"Having a really solid backup in terms of our infrastructure and management of our core systems is really important to us," Fry said. "We are fortunate in that we have our own expertise in house but it is reassuring to have Mintivo there if things go wrong, but also to help us plan for the future."

The hospice had been looking for a provider that could offer both technical advice and a pricing structure suited to a charity. Fry said Mintivo's approach matched those needs.

"What we were looking for was a really trusted provider that we could turn to for expert advice and obviously the price had to be good as well," she said. "Mintivo were flexible in finding the right sort of solution for us so it was an easy decision."

Charity work

For Mintivo, the agreement adds to a growing book of third-sector clients. Charity work now accounts for more than 20 per cent of its customer base, following contracts with Dorothy House Hospice and Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance over the past two years.

Alex Jukes, managing director of Mintivo, said the new contract followed a recommendation from Dorothy House Hospice in Winsley, near Bradford on Avon. He added that the company wants to expand its work in Swindon and Wiltshire.

"It's really nice that Dorothy House feels it can be a sponsor for us in this way," Jukes said. "I'm very pleased to be working with Prospect because we want to more work in Swindon and Wiltshire. Prospect is an excellent charity that, like Dorothy House, helps so many people at such a difficult time in their lives."

Mintivo said its role would focus on maintaining stability in Prospect Hospice's infrastructure while allowing the charity's own IT staff to spend more time supporting colleagues across the organisation. It also plans to advise on how the hospice can make better use of technology already in place.

Jukes said that was especially relevant for charities facing pressure on budgets while demand for services continues to rise.

"We enjoy working with charities," he said. "They are increasingly being asked to do more with less funding, while demands on their services are rising. For that reason they are more engaged to work with partners on how they do that collaboratively, because they appreciate they can't do it on their own."

Technology use

Part of the work will focus on the hospice's use of Microsoft tools and broader changes in working practices. Mintivo is developing a strategy with the charity aimed at getting more from previous technology spending and guiding future decisions.

"Like many charities, Prospect want to make the most of the investment they've made in Microsoft and moving into more modern ways of working," Jukes said. "So a lot of the strategy we're developing at the moment is helping them maximise that investment.

"Everyone at Prospect is working in a fairly high-demand environment and pretty much everything they are doing is running through IT. What they're delivering is very sensitive and their staff are really committed to doing a good job.

"We want to make sure the technology is an enabler for them and in those areas where it isn't, we can focus on improving it - and we can see opportunities to improve further."

Fry said the hospice also valued Mintivo's experience of working with similar organisations and its proximity to the charity's base. That combination of sector knowledge and local presence was an important factor in the selection process.

"They've got that industry experience, as they work with lots of different clients and we can pick up on that expert knowledge," she said.

"They have good experience of working with hospices and they understand the background and the practicalities. Them being local is really nice as well and having someone that can come in to see us in person will be really helpful."