Ted Wragg Trust
The Ted Wragg Trust comprises 18 schools in Devon, with a small procurement team that required building from the ground up. The finance director managed procurement with support from a local legal practice after the contracts officer retired.
The school trust oversees all procurement activities outside of the direct recruitment of teaching staff, which requires differing expertise. Recruitment efforts had difficulty attracting skilled procurement professionals.
Slater Austin was brought in to design a new procurement structure and recruit suitable candidates. The main challenge was finding experienced public sector procurement professionals with the ability to manage upcoming changes in UK procurement legislation and meet the trust’s sector requirements. Three roles were agreed: a senior procurement and contracts officer, plus two direct reports.
Slater Austin added immediate value via targeted search campaigns and vacancy advertisements, as well as direct networking and headhunting. Prioritising the lead role, they filled it through network search and selection, with the remaining positions being appointed shortly afterwards.
