Met Police on the verge of outsourcing hundreds of jobs to SSCL

Finance, procurement and HR departments to be outsourced imminently

The Met Police is set to outsource three back-office departments to private firm Shared Services Connected Limited (SSCL) imminently.

The organisation's finance, procurement and human resources departments will be outsourced in a deal that is on the verge of being confirmed.

A Met Police spokesperson said: "As part of our commitment to deliver a service that is value for money, the Met has been undergoing a formal process of market testing a number of its support services against external suppliers."

The spokesperson explained that a "market testing programme" for finance, procurement and HR services had now been completed.

"The programme explored the benefits of keeping these services in-house as well as outsourcing them to a new supplier or suppliers.

"The analysis found that in order to match the financial and performance benefits of a market solution, our existing in-house business support services could not make the changes required," the spokesperson said.

According to the Met Police, a business case was submitted to the organisation's management board on 7 July making a recommendation to transfer services within finance, procurement and HR to Shared Services Connected Limited (SSCL).

The recommendation was agreed and will be considered by the Mayor's Office for Policing And Crime (MOPAC) at a meeting on 29 July.

SSCL is majority owned by outsourcing firm Sopra Steria. It has previously won several huge contracts in central and local government including a £1bn shared services contract with the Cabinet Office back in 2013 and a £37m deal with Harrow Council.