Longcross’s partnership with the DWP began in 2003. The £50m contract involved an extensive refurbishment programme spanning over seventy projects across six regions of the UK. The brief was to completely revamp the old Job Centres and Social Security offices to make them more open and welcoming with a retail style atmosphere.
Projects varied in complexity lasting from two weeks to as long as eight months with values between £35,000 and £2.5m. Many of the sites remained staffed and open to the public throughout.
Longcross worked in close partnership with the DWP, its suppliers and sub-contractors and was assessed against a rigorous system of KPIs. Through its policy of open communication and cooperation Longcross was able to fully assess the DWP’s requirements and table ideas to reduce costs, speed up construction and improve quality, demonstrating how to work as a true partner. At the final assessment of the programme Longcross was delighted to be positioned at the top of the KPI score ranking table.