Workplace Experience
Turning strategic insight into optimized experiences
Why day one matters: Mobilizing critical FM services in healthcare
Case Study: A transformative partnership with East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
The Challenge
In December 2024, Sodexo formed a transformative partnership with East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) to deliver soft facilities management services across 20 sites, including Colchester and Ipswich hospitals and 18 community facilities.
Following a Trust Board decision to move to a single external provider, Sodexo was appointed to deliver a consistent service covering patient dining, cleaning, portering, security and more.
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The Solutions
Mobilization and stakeholder engagement began immediately, with phased roll-out across sites from April to July 2025. The transition was seamless, ensuring service continuity while welcoming over 1,000 colleagues, half of whom transferred from the NHS and half from the incumbent provider.
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Robust governance was embedded from day one, with jointly developed mobilization tools, risk registers and readiness plans. Rigorous reporting ensured alignment was maintained.
Crucially, executive team support played a vital role through peer-to-peer leadership meetings, site visits and regular briefings that fostered momentum and trust. This deep engagement helped lay the foundations for long-term success.
Supporting people through change
In the UK, when a contract of this scale occurs, employees and their employment rights are transferred to the new operator under a law known as TUPE - Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment). Transitioning over 1,000 colleagues under TUPE required broad stakeholder engagement managed with empathy and transparency.
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We combined structured communication with personal engagement, bespoke welcome letters, over 70 group events, and dedicated one-to-one conversations to help ease concerns and build trust. Bespoke uniforms were created for the team and all communications utilized this to create a sense of identity and belonging.
Our co-created, values-led culture – bolstered by the invaluable support of our suppliers Apetito and Vileda in delivering targeted training – helped maintain morale and resilience through high-pressure deadlines, leading to smooth service go-lives across all sites.
