"Di Van Ruitenbeek was a real asset to us.  She came to work with us during a period of significant change as we were exploring shared services across two councils (Hambleton & Richmondshire).  Di led on developing business cases for a shared procurement service and HR services.  In doing so Di had to work with two other councils who were also keen to explore the shared services opportunity. 

 

Di did a magnificent job in supporting our staff to understand and engage with the process.  She carried out thorough reviews and following extensive analysis, presented a range of options to us.  Di was able to articulate the best way forward and enabled us to reach robust decisions quickly.  She did all of this professionally and comprehensively.  Di went beyond our initial project requirements.  She was able to work with the senior management team in both councils, supporting us through the changes and identifying ways we could strengthen our approach.  This was, and is, very much appreciated and we now look forward to working with Di on a further project around the senior team. I would not hesitate in working with Di again."
Liz Smith
Deputy Chief Executive (Policy, Strategy and Transformation)
Hambleton & Richmondshire District Councils

Swale House, Frenchgate, Richmond, North Yorkshire

Telephone: 01748 827003

 

“Hambleton and Richmondshire District Councils have been pursuing shared services and shared Chief Executive and management arrangements.  I wanted external, objective challenge on our Project Board and hence invited Yvonne in to fulfil that role – which she did exceptionally well.  Although working well with the team, it was clear that Yvonne asked the challenging questions required and identified those areas of risks we needed to tackle.  Her 6P model for excellence was used as the Business Appraisal model to ensure that we looked holistically at how we may share services which we found extremely useful.  This focused our attention at vital aspects to the whole project such as communications, performance and clear measurable outcomes.”

"Lynne Burns from the YCChange team worked with our Tadcaster Community Engagement Board, which is made up of councillors, partners and members of the community. Her knowledge and practical application of the Open Space process allowed the Board to work together and develop a number of ideas which will be instrumental in the future development of the Community Development Forum (CEF), a Forum working to create better links with the community. As with any externally facilitated event there was a sense of trepidation but Lynne managed to put delegates at their ease and to create an environment which enabled all who took part to make a valid contribution. The report produced as a result of the event provided a record of all the discussions, the recommendations and prioritised actions which will form a solid basis for the development of the Board and ultimately the CEF."

Civic Centre, Portholme Road, Selby, North Yorkshire, YO8 4SB

Telephone: 01757 705101

 

“YCChange have carried out the final household survey of our Strong Safer Communities Funded Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder.  This entailed designing and mailing out the survey, going door to door in the snow over the Christmas holidays (to make sure that the sample size was big enough and the demographic mix representative enough), analysis of the data on SPSS and comparing it with previous years and then writing the final report.  The team was lovely to work with and the finished product very professional. I would not hesitate to use YCChange again.”

Bennerley Avenue, Ilkeston,DE7 8PF

Telephone: 01159442073

 

"In my experience, an all too common approach consultants use when dealing with local government is to sell what has been done for someone else with the name changed and little else. This "generic consulting" provides little help to local government because we all have our own local issues that need to be considered.

I have been very pleased that the approach of YC Change has been just the opposite. It is apparent the work done for us has not been just an "off the shelf" piece of work, already done for someone else . . . YC Change’s approach to neighbourhood working has been an excellent one. They have continued to be flexible, offering us several options on most issues instead of only one recommended outcome. An example of this is the variety of community involvement and survey options that have been provided. YC Change’s understanding of community cohesion/ empowerment, the targets of the Local Strategic Partnership, and providing Local Community Action Plan options, has been very helpful as we continue to discuss what steps our Local Strategic Partnership may wish to take in the implementation of this study."

Swale House, Frenchgate, Richmond, North Yorkshire, DL10 4JE

Telephone: 01748 828760

 

"A big thank you to YC Change Consultants Ltd for their invaluable help in training our residents on how to carry out mystery shopping.  The training was relaxed, fun and interactive and enabled our residents to feel more confident in becoming involved in helping us to tailor our services more effectively.  In addition to the training they advised on the most effective way of carrying out the process leaving everyone really clear about how to proceed."

“Yvonne designed and led a superb team-building awayday event that got everyone involved. The feedback was really positive and has given me some solid foundations to take further initiatives forward. Yvonne's style was perfect for this, very focused, excellent timekeeping and great fun. Everyone worked really hard but I don't think they really noticed. I would definitely recommend Yvonne to lead such an event.” 

Barnsley MBC

Westgate Plaza One, PO Box 599, Barnsley, S70 9EY

Telephone : 01226 773241

 

"Hambleton District Council wished to update its performance appraisal scheme to ensure its corporate plan goals were supported by every member of staff through the appraisal mechanism. In addition we wanted a reinvigorated scheme that supported the development of individuals yet offered robust challenge to the achievement of targets. To help us with this we engaged YC Change to complete the work. The final product is exemplary, exceeding our expectations. It has now been implemented throughout the organisation and we are confident of the improved outcomes."

Civic Centre, Stone Cross, Hambleton, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL6 2UU

Telephone: 01609 767022 (direct line)

 

“MVMP engaged YCChange to undertake a staffing review during a transitional phase of the company. Through a process of desk top study, one-to-one interviews and focus group sessions, staff skills and experiences were matched to future work activities and a sound basis established for a company re-launch, expected during the next financial year. The approach was interactive, fully inclusive and resulted in a better understanding of strengths and gaps in the skill base which will help the company move forward in an ever changing operating environment. YCChange undertook this work in a thoroughly professional manner and I would recommend them.”

34 Sherwood Street, Warsop, Mansfield, NG20 0JW

Telephone : 01623 848318

The brief was a wide one; covering human resource management to performance management. They needed the ability to work well with people, identify and improve systems and processes and gain trust quickly. YCChange did all of this with great skill and supported me exceptionally well."

Hambleton District Council

 

"Yvonne and her team have been helping South Lakeland to maximise our performance through developing and implementing a more robust approach to corporate and service planning and performance management. I found the 6P model an extremely helpful framework for identifying the key priorities for the organisation. Yvonne and Gillian are first class consultants. They blend their approach of being supportive yet challenging in a most effective way. The combination of their intellect, insight and emotional intelligence has helped to make a real difference to this organisation and meet our needs. I would commend their approach and style to any organisation."

South Lakeland House, Lowther St, Kendal, LA9 4UF
Telephone: 01539 733333

 

 

"We chose YC Change as our provider for Data Quality training because of the personal touch that they offer with their training.  It was all centred on the needs of our business and the specific needs of our colleagues.  Susan worked closely with me to develop a specification for the training programme.  She was very professional, enthusiastic and dedicated.  The programme content was very informative and interactive and it was well received by all participants.

I have enjoyed working with YC Change and would definitely recommend them to others."

The Copeland Centre, Catherine Street, Whitehaven Cumbria CA28 7SJ

Telephone: 0845 054 8600

 

“YCChange supported us in developing and finalising our action plan in response to our Short Notice Inspection, from the Audit Commission. We wanted to make sure the action plan and statement would stand up to the Audit Commission’s scrutiny and clearly evidence our  track record, how residents influenced the plan  and prospects for improvement; YCChange advised us and acted as a critical friend. We really appreciated their objectivity and openness.  Karen, from the YCChange who worked with us  was really flexible too, which meant we were able to meet all our milestones. We then went on to achieve our overall objective to achieve promising prospects for improvement.  We’d be pleased to recommend them to other people, too.”

 

"We have just completed a full mock inspection with YC Change and it has been one of the best investments we have ever made. Whether we get inspected in the near future or not, this was money well spent.  The inspection team were experienced professionals who were thorough and challenging and clearly knew their areas of expertise. It was conducted as a real inspection and certainly felt like the real thing for all involved! The results were a balanced, fair and honest assessment of our current performance. This was a great external reality check for us. It highlighted weaker areas of service, practice and policies which we certainly would not have identified so quickly and in such detail, if at all, through other means. The inspection process was a learning experience for the staff involved and we welcomed the positive feedback in areas of good practice as well as the feedback on where we need to do better. We now have a detailed improvement plan which we know will drive us towards excellence for ourselves and our customers as well as a motivated workforce who are up for the challenge."

 

"Yvonne supported myself and my colleagues through inspection - and not only did she provide excellent skills, capacity and approach in the areas of work specifically appointed for, but supported the inspection through her general challenge, planning and organisation, evidence collection, preparing and motivating the staff being interviewed to help them put their best foot forward.  Yvonne has range and depth of skills that we could draw upon-cross cutting services such as equalities and diversity, value for money and access and customer focus - as well as front line service skills around income, asset management and repairs.  Yvonne has great people skills and has worked very well with our Board, our managers and staff and our partners.  I would have no hesitation in recommending her for a wide range of housing improvement support assignments."

Chippenham Road, Harold Hill, Essex, RM3 8YQ

Telephone: 01708 434015

 

“We have worked with YC Change during our first year as a housing association.  This work involved undertaking a series of short notice inspections so that the organisation could get used to the process and to help gauge where our improvement resources need to be focused going forward.  Having completed that work YC Change are now assisting us by running service improvement planning master classes for managers.  We have found all the consultants used by YC Change to be absolutely first class with a wider range of expertise in the field. On top of that they are a very warm and friendly organisation to work with. YC Change has added significant value to our propriety planning processes.”

Bowes Offices, Lambton Park, Chester-le-Street, County Durham, DH3 4AN

Telephone: 0191 3851902

 

“Yvonne Castle and YC Change have carried out a number of projects with Wandle HA to help us on our journey towards Service Excellence and getting “inspection ready”. Recently this has included a series of coaching sessions for staff and board members to help them prepare for inspection. Yvonne has developed trust and rapport with everyone she has worked with. She brought to the sessions excellent coaching   skills, an eye for detail and hands on experience of inspection. This made a real difference to everyone’s confidence  in getting inspection ready. Staff particularly valued the feedback from their sessions which was provided verbally and sent on to them after.”

15 Abbeville Road, London, SW4 9LA

Telephone: 020 682 7472

 

“Wandle Housing Association worked with YC Change Consultants in December 2008 on three service assessments in preparing us for housing inspection within our service excellence framework.  This was the second occasion that we have employed YC Change.  We feel that YC Change has understood our business position very quickly and has been fair in recognising our strengths but also has offered constructive points about our areas for development and improvement. Yvonne and her team have a strong knowledge of service excellence and standards for housing organisations and this clearly comes across in their work.  This has been a very good working relationship and we are sure that we will emerge much stronger as a housing service in our key areas through this assignment.”

15 Abbeville Road, London, SW4 9LA

Telephone: 020 8682 7435

 

"YC Change Consultants carried out a full service Mock Inspection for the Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust in November 2006 and have recently carried out a series of Health Checks on specific housing services.  Yvonne and her team were comprehensive in their approach bringing a degree of rigour to the process that would be expected from external inspection.  They remained approachable and informative throughout and both our employees on an individual basis and the trust collectively have gained much from the process.  Deadlines were always met and the comprehensive reports produced afterwards have greatly helped develop our service improvement planning.  In particular their best practice advice has helped us learn from others and achieve the quick wins they identified."

Fairfax House, 69 Buckingham Street, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP20 2NJ

Telephone: 01296 732635

 

“Just a note to say thank you for the excellent work you carried out for Corby Borough Council as part of our preparation for our Housing Inspection.  Your comments on the self assessment and key documentation for the inspection process were first rate.  Your external expertise was clear and focused and has helped us in our preparation.  I have attached the final version of the self assessment for your information, once again thank you for your expertise, regards.” 

Corby Borough Council

Grosvenor House, George Street, Corby, Northants, NN17 1QB

Telephone: 01536 464003

"I employed Yvonne as our Equality and Diversity Lead.  She has not only provided us with a gap analysis and a direction for going forward in the future, but has been hands on in building the long term capacity of the organisation.  Yvonne has revamped our training programme, supported our staff and managers in understanding and using Equality Impact Assessments, improved our performance reporting to maximise the impact our customer profiling data has on access and service delivery and also worked with the Council on strengthening the strategic links between the Local Strategic Partnership aims and objectives, our own Business Plan and the context of our population going forward into the future.  Yvonne was an excellent colleague and I would have not hesitation in recommending her again for any E&D projects." 

Chippenham Road, Harold Hill, Essex, RM3 8YQ

Telephone: 01708 434015

"Gillian from the YC Change team supported and guided us through our CPA re-categorisation inspection.  She developed our project and risk planning processes and supported, encouraged and cajoled us through the project meetings.  As "poacher turned gamekeeper" she provided us with an insight into the process and made us aware of Audit Commission expectations and methodology.  As a result there were no surprises when it came to the real thing.  Her input ensured we were fully prepared and with her support we were able to demonstrate our progress and achievements to the best of our ability.  I feel we may not have been able to do this as comprehensively without her support and commitment.  On a personal note Gill worked well with our team and brought a focused and professional approach to the project.  I would have no hesitation in employing her again and would hope we can work together again at some time in the future."

Civic Centre, Portholme Road, Selby, North Yorkshire, YO8 4SB

Telephone: 01757 210741

 

"We are over the moon that we've finally got the recognition we deserved. Four years ago we were classified as "weak" and now we're "excellent". The YC Change team were absolutely fantastic – they stretched us and challenged us every step of the way. They helped us see how the things that we were doing were not every day run of the mill. I think we'd been that used to being 'labelled' negatively, but Yvonne and Gill helped us get out of that mindset and really celebrate and promote our successes. They were very easy to work with and integrated well with our project team. They "held our hand" throughout the whole process and encouraged and cajoled us along the way. They were an excellent team, very professional and always delivered on time. I would have no hesitation in working with them again and am happy to recommend them to any of my public sector colleagues."

Civic Centre, Portholme Road, Selby, North Yorkshire, YO8 4SB

Telephone: 01757 210741

 

 "Yvonne Castle worked to support the Council's Comprehensive Performance Assessment in May 2008.  Having been highly recommended by a previous client, another local authority, we already had an idea of the sort of support that she would offer.  We agreed a number of ways we would like Yvonne to work with us that included reviewing our self-assessment, assessing our proposed evidence list and undertaking mock interviews with officers and members selected for interview by the Audit Commission.  She was very well prepared and undertook supportive yet challenging interviews designed to get the best out of attendees and to help them to better prepare for the 'real thing'.  A really positive detail was Yvonne gave each person a list of potential questions and areas for further investigation.  Finally Yvonne presented a well researched and informative overview of her findings to our Executive members and senior officers after completion of interviews.  She knew her subject area well and her past experience of having undertaken CPA inspections was evident in the attention to detail and knowledge of potential inspection questions.  Yvonne's work definitely helped us to better prepare for our inspection and I would highly recommend her to any other local authority or similar organisation going, or planning to go, through an external assessment."

Wharncliffe Road, Ilkeston, Derbyshire, DE7 5RP

Telephone: 0115 907 2241

 

"Yvonne, I would like to offer my personal thanks for helping us to prepare for this inspection.   Your desktop review of the self assessment was pivotal in getting our submission right and the mock inspection was invaluable as a dry run through a safe environment.   Both of these elements have been key to our success."

Hambleton District Council (scored excellent through CPA)

Civic Centre, Stonecross, Northallerton, North Yorkshire , DL6 2UU

Telephone: 0845 1211 555 

"Gillian from the YC Change team provided us with organisational support over a four month period, working directly to me as Deputy Chief Executive. In this time she completed a difficult staffing review, making sensible suggestions for moves that will create greater efficiencies as well as enhance the services we provide. She recruited a new team and supported existing senior staff through a difficult period. She also developed a new performance management framework and reporting arrangements for us. Our ability to challenge both under and over performance will assist us to adjust our services and medium-term financial planning to deliver what we have promised. I believe that these new arrangements are simple but thorough and will give us exceptional clarity about the delivery of our Corporate Plan. Her brief was a wide one; covering human resource management to performance management. She needed the ability to work well with people, identify and improve systems and processes and gain trust quickly. She did all of this with great skill and supported me exceptionally well. I would commend her to you."

Phillip Morton 

Civic Centre, Stone Cross, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL6 2UU

Telephone: 0845 1211 555

 

“During her time with Allerdale Borough Council Yvonne has been a highly regarded colleague to us, wider portfolio holders and elected members and the rest of the Management Team. She is a highly motivated individual who is delivery orientated and certainly a colleague that can be relied upon to take forward sound decisions, and deliver tangible results in an inclusive and measured way. Throughout this period at Allerdale, Yvonne has tackled complex management issues providing professional evidence based solutions and has used her expertise in local government and performance management to address a number of service based and corporate performance challenges. This has raised awareness of the importance of evidence based solutions performance information to officers and elected members to support our improvement and development agenda. Yvonne was a valued member of the Corporate Team and the knowledge and expertise she has provided will have a lasting affect within the organisation”.   

Allerdale House, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 3YJ

Telephone: 01900 702702

 

“Yvonne worked as an interim Head of Policy and Performance for us for 4 months.  I was amazed at how quickly Yvonne fitted into our organisation and with our culture.  She adapted immediately and has worked extremely well with colleagues at all levels.  I've felt that Yvonne's been working with us a long time!   She has managed our corporate policy and performance team and has supported all colleagues through our Corporate Assessment.  I would have no hesitation in recommending Yvonne to anyone.  Her help has been much appreciated.” 

Municipal Buildings,  PO Box 11, Church Road, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 1LD

Telephone: 01642 527000

 

"I can't heap enough praise for Yvonne's interpersonal and management skills.  She managed the Policy and Performance team through the Comprehensive Performance Assessment, providing excellent guidance and support for those that were lucky enough to work with her.  A big thank you once again."  

Municipal Buildings,  PO Box 11, Church Road, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 1LD

Telephone: 01642 393939

 

"I know I didn't have a lot of direct contact with you while you worked here Yvonne, but I appreciated having such a positive person around when lots of people were feeling the pressure.  You are obviously very knowledgeable about what you do and your motivational approach to work and management was really refreshing.  There was also a member of staff from another section who made similar comments to me.  She felt your approach was really inspiring and motivated her to want to provide what was needed, rather than feeling as though it was an extra demand during an already busy and stressful time.  I think for someone from a different area of the council to make this comment really is a testament to your style of working.”
Kirsty McNally

 

"Working with Yvonne was a great experience. she is both inspiring and motivating. Yvonne's professionalism is always evident but she also takes the time to get to know the people she's working with and make it enjoyable. It's rare to find someone who works as hard but still manages to have a sense of humour. At Allerdale, more than 12 months later, we're still reaping the rewards. I'd jump at the chance to work with her again, she's a true gem!"
Hazel Cushin

www.allerdale.gov.uk

 

"Yvonne carried out an Emergency Planning health check for us, along with a prioritised action plan for implementation of the same in relation to tenants' homes and also our office's (business continuity).  The quality of work and timescales within which it was completed were excellent and I would have no hesitation in recommending Yvonne for this work. This area is one that can be overlooked by RSL's until an incident happens - I would urge other RSL's to address this before any major incidents arise. Yvonne is very flexible in her approach to work and will carry out as little or as much of the process depending on the amount of resources you have to spend. " 

Green Vale Court, New Hall Hey Road, Rawtenstall, Rossendale, BB4 6HR

Tel: 01706 836323