The UK Value for Money Steering Group

Catering management in higher education

National Report

Contents

Foreword

Executive summary

1. Action points for best practice
    1.1    Leadership
    1.2    People
    1.3    Policy and strategy
    1.4    Partnerships and resources
    1.5    Processes
    1.6    Key performance results
    1.7    People results
    1.8    Society results
    1.9    Customer results

2. Catering services in the HE sector
    2.1    Leadership and people
    2.2    Policy and strategy
    2.3    Partnerships and resources
    2.4    Processes
    2.5    Key performance results
    2.6    People results and society results
    2.7    Customer results
    2.8    Additional resources

3. Background to the study

4. Working groups and contributors
    4.1    UK Value for Money Steering Group
    4.2    Project Management Committee
    4.3    Expert Working Group
    4.4    Consultation Group
    4.5    Contributing institutions

Foreword

The quality of the ‘total student experience’ is an important consideration and a measure of success for all higher education institutions. Effective catering services can make a significant contribution to this experience. Maintaining this success requires senior managers to facilitate better integration and collaboration between core activities, catering and other support services to support continuous improvement.

The findings of this study of catering services indicate that institutions need to adopt a clearer strategic approach in order to secure greater value for money. Arrangements will need to be supported by, among other things, increased business investment, negotiated service level agreements, more flexible working arrangements, structured training and development opportunities for catering staff, and the documentation of operational processes for catering services.

The study used the EFQM Excellence Model as a framework to identify the management issues for catering services. Components of the Excellence Model are also reflected in other quality approaches, such as Hospitality Assured and Investors in People (IiP). Some institutions will already be using some or many of the management techniques, tools, ideas and solutions included in the guidance; others will be able to select the approaches that will work in their institution.

Our thanks go to members of the Expert Working Group, and to the institutions that participated in this study and allowed their experiences to be included in this report.

We commend the report and the web-based resources provided by this study. We hope that they will help managers to develop the catering services offered by their institutions.

Professor David Wallace
Vice-Chancellor, Loughborough University
Chair, UK Value for Money Steering Group

Professor Peter Townsend
Pro Vice-Chancellor, University of Wales Swansea
Chair, Catering & Cleaning Project Management Committee

Malcolm Brown
Director, Residential and Commercial Services, Loughborough University
Chair, Catering Expert Working Group