11.2 MANAGEMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF THE SCHOOLS SINCE CONSTRUCTION

11.2.1 In relation to the general management of the schools since opening, the Inquiry was given limited reason to suggest that the day-to-day management was carried out other than largely to the satisfaction of the users.

11.2.2 A level of satisfaction was expressed by several witnesses from the Council including the Head of Finance who said;

"We have been getting the service that we wanted to the standard required at the price set out in the Contract. I believe, until the closures, the Contract had worked well in Edinburgh.

Here in Edinburgh Head Teachers have fed back to us that the standard of service they have been getting has been generally good compared to non-PFI funded schools. In a non-PFI school, if there are problems or repairs required, these need to be considered against budget availability and priorities elsewhere. In a PFI school it is reported to the Helpdesk and the work is undertaken within a timescale set out in the Project Agreement."

11.2.3 The Acting Head of Property and Facilities Management at the Council broadly agreed with this view;

"…in terms of ongoing service and maintenance over the life of the Contract I would say that overall the PFI model does represent value-for-money …"

"…we have service levels agreements in place which appear to work well."

11.2.4 This Inquiry was also keen to hear the views from the perspective of the recipients of the service at first hand, who were best placed to comment on the day-to-day experience. The views expressed by Council representatives were generally supported by representatives of both teaching staff and parents of children at the PPP1 schools. The Head Teacher of Oxgangs stated;

"I have been a Head Teacher both in the PPP school Oxgangs and also previously in non-PPP schools. I would say that overall my PPP experience has been very positive. Things are very well maintained and if there are issues they are fixed relatively quickly. Overall, I would say that a school like Oxgangs is a fantastic environment. I am very happy there."

11.2.5 There was a relative unanimity of opinion on this issue. The Head Teacher of Braidburn said;

"Overall, the maintenance at a PPP school is better than in a traditional set-up. Repairs and damage are attended to very promptly. The janitors at Braidburn take great pride in the school. The catering is also very good as is the landscaping and other facilities."

11.2.6 A Chair of a Parent Council at one of the schools also agreed with this assessment;

"So far as maintenance and cleanliness are concerned the standards are very good. Amey as the facilities management team are very helpful and go out of their way to ensure that things run smoothly.

By way of more general conversation, I have had some contact with Parent Councils at non-PFI schools in the city. I know from speaking to them that they have a constant battle to get improvements at those schools. There are difficulties at both types of schools but for different reasons. I know that there are constant maintenance issues with leaks, flooring and other elements."

11.2.7 Whilst generally positive about the maintenance and repair regimes in the PPP1 schools, there was one aspect of the PPP Contract on which a consistent degree of frustration was expressed by the parent councillors and head teachers, who gave evidence to the Inquiry. This related to the difficulties, in terms of what they considered to be both excessive levels of cost and lengths of time required under the PPP process in seeking to incorporate minor changes or improvements to the schools even in relation to items for which they were prepared to provide the funding.

11.2.8 In response to this issue in evidence to the Inquiry, representatives of ESP explained that they had no option but to include in their estimates the whole life costs of additions and not just the initial capital cost, as they would have to maintain and replace these items as appropriate over the period of the 30-year concession. Due to this factor, some desired requirements had been rendered unaffordable to some of the schools seeking them.

11.2.9 A measurement of the quality of services provided should be broadly related to the amount of deductions made by the Council from otherwise due payments to ESP for any failures by ESP to meet the performance standards as a result of the application of the contract management processes set down in the Project Agreement. The following table provided by the Council shows the level of deductions made over the last five years excluding the current year, 2016, for which the deductions made are not representative.

11.2.10 In the years since 2010, the level of deductions has been very modest, the worst year amounting to only 0.23% when expressed as a percentage of the annual payment of approximately £15 million. If all due deductions are currently being made, this would infer that, prior to the recent major set-back, the service has been consistently provided in line with the requirements of the Project Agreement, only attracting minor deductions.

11.2.11 It is the view of the Inquiry that the level of service provision under the Contract has been largely consistent with the requirements of the Contract and would generally seem to have been to the satisfaction of the staff and members of the Parent Councils of the PPP1 schools.

11.2.12 The Council may wish to investigate what flexibilities there may be in the approach to and management of requests for minor changes within the schools, which was identified as an on-going source of frustration by those members of staff and of Parent Councils who gave evidence to the Inquiry.