Service Level Agreement 2024-2025 – The ICT Strategy Team – Arbor Standard Support / AnyComms Plus / ACCESS Budgeting Software

Our service

We pride ourselves on providing an efficient professional service to our school customers. We will pro-actively develop this relationship through regular contact, inviting, listening and responding to your comments and suggestions, by providing cost effective and responsive services giving you suitable choice, and through continuously seeking to improve our services.

We will:

• Use suitably qualified and experienced staff to provide services to schools; the level of qualifications, expertise and training of the staff providing support to schools will be consistent with the work being undertaken.
• We will respect the confidentiality of our relationships and dealings with schools and will operate within relevant legislation and corporate standards.
• Aim to provide best practice advice and guidance to enable you to make optimum use of ICT in your school.

Arbor support

The Arbor SLA service includes:

• Dedicated Service Desk providing first line software support
• Case monitoring and updates within business hours
• Telephone and email support for Arbor throughout the year including school holidays and INSET days
• Arbor expertise across the entire product suite
• Support and advice on Arbor functionality including completing termly and annual statutory returns and End of Year Procedures
• Onboarding basic project coordination included for primary schools
• Training available (chargeable)
• Ensure that B2B data synchronisation between schools and the LA is effectively managed for SCC schools

B2B File Transfer facilities (Southampton Schools Only)

B2B is an automated process that enables schools Arbor systems to update the LA’s central pupil database (Capita ONE) with daily information regarding pupil details, attendance and exclusions data. The information sent to the LA will assist the authority in meeting its statutory duty to safeguard children, will reduce the number of individual requests for data from schools and will assist the LA in providing targeted support services.

Summary of our Complete and Comprehensive Support package

• Service Desk case logging and resolution
• Case monitoring and updates within business hours
• Key guidance and statutory information sent to you
• Regular best practice consultancy webinar sessions in term time
• Consultancy service – supporting school improvement and streamlining business processes
• SIMS updates and release management
• SIMS Integration with Local Authority systems and services
• SIMS expertise across the entire product suite
• *Annual SIMS Half-Day (3 hours) remote SIMS consultancy

* On-site visit will incur a £50 charge

B2B File Transfer facilities

B2B is an automated process that enables schools SIMS systems to update the LA’s central pupil database (Capita ONE) with daily information regarding pupil details, attendance and exclusions data. The information sent to the LA will assist the authority in meeting its statutory duty to safeguard children, will reduce the number of individual requests for data from schools and will assist the LA in providing targeted support services. 

Optional Services (Additional charge)

AnyComms Plus

AnyComms Plus (AA+) will be licensed, supported and maintained by the ICT Strategy Team.

The service includes up to 3 accounts per school. Additional accounts can be added for an additional charge. AA+ is a tool which enables the secure transfer of data between schools, the Local Authority and other approved external organisations. Examples include FFT databases, new intake information, pupil core data, CYP and census files.

ACCESS Budgeting Helpdesk Support

The SLA service includes:

Helpdesk support via telephone and email throughout the year including school holidays.

Call escalation to ACCESS Budget help centre

Pay As You Use Services (on request)

Additional Arbor support is available for purchase at the stated PAYU rate. PAYU work will be scheduled to take place at a time and date that is negotiated and agreed between both parties. The following optional services are available:

Training Services

All schools are able to use this service, although schools subscribing to the SLA are entitled to preferential rates. All training will be delivered either by our staff or approved external trainers.

Please note all PAYU services are dependent on resource being available.

PAYU charges

*All consultancy/training is delivered online, if onsite is required this will incur an additional charge. Please contact csl.ict@southampton.gov.uk or telephone 023 8083 4555

Customer Responsibilities

To enable us to deliver effective services to your school, we require you to take responsibility for the following:

• All computer equipment should be fit for purpose and comply with all prevailing testing requirements for electrical appliances
• All software applications used should be appropriately licensed
• Your staff are appropriately trained, are aware of operational procedures and give due regard to relevant documentation and instructions
• You provide a safe working environment for our staff when they are working at your school which complies with all appropriate Health and Safety regulations
• All replacement, extension or adaptations to systems must not adversely impact the existing environment to the detriment of support arrangements

Restrictions & Exclusions

Third Party activities - The ICT Strategy team reserves the right to limit support where systems are changed or affected by the actions of third parties. Subject to any third party installations, extension or adaptation of the supported system(s), a pre-adoption site visit may be required and additional charges may be applicable.

Malicious actions - The ICT Strategy team reserves the right to limit or cease support where a problem occurs as a result of malicious, mischievous or negligent action or intent. In these circumstances, additional charges may be applicable.

Virus infected systems - The ICT Strategy team reserves the right to suspend support on any virus infected systems.

Supported Hardware and Software

Operating Environments

Schools must ensure that their hardware/software meets the current minimum specifications required for compatibility with systems and software covered in this SLA.

Supported Arbor Applications

Arbor Core MIS including Benchmarking Dashboards

Attendance/Lesson Attendance

Statutory records and reporting for primaries, secondaries, and special schools

• Statutory Returns
• Assessment Summative and Formative
• Progress Tracking: formative tracking and summative reporting against any curriculum
• SEN
• Exams
• Timetable
• Cover
• Staffing
• Parent/Student Portals: real-time views of performance, homework, attendance & more
• SMS, app, letters, and email: personalise templates and automate communications
• Payments: trips, clubs and lunches managed via the parent portal
• Behaviour: record, reward, and report on behaviour
• Interventions: linked to performance, so that impact can be tracked
• Classroom Management: create flexible seating plans, manage behaviour, and more
• Extra-curricular: easily schedule activities & link to consents and payments
• MAT MIS

Other Information Management System related software

• Anycomms Plus
• ACCESS Budgeting Software

Notes

This list will be reviewed at least annually and then updated to reflect changes to thesystems that are supported.

Helpdesk

The ICT Strategy Helpdesk is open during term time between 08:30 and 16:30 Monday to Thursday, and 08:30 to 16:00 on Fridays. Non-term time the Helpdesk will be open between 09:00 and 16:00 Monday to Friday. An out-of-hours email and voice message system will also be in operation; and responded to as appropriate on the next working day.

The Helpdesk will close for up to six half days per year for staff training. At least two weeks’ notice will be given for any closure. During these times the out-of-hours email and voice message system will be in operation.

There is no service provided on UK bank and public holidays; and for the period between, and including, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day.

For all enquiries, please telephone 023 8083 4555 or email: csl.ict@southampton.gov.uk

Providing excellent customer service is our top priority, and we endeavour to resolve all problems to the customer’s satisfaction as quickly as possible. However, in the event that a customer feels they need to escalate an incident, the following procedure should be used:

• 1st Stage - Please call the ICT Strategy Helpdesk on 023 8083 4555, or email csl.ict@southampton.gov.uk
• 2nd Stage - Partnership & Commercial Services Lead – Nik Taylor (023 8083 4595) nik.taylor@southampton.gov.uk
• 3rd Stage - Head of IT – Gavin Muncaster gavin.muncaster@southampton.gov.uk

We utilise an industry standard incident management system (Alemba Cloud) for call logging, performance tracking and escalation.

The ICT Strategy Team adheres to SCC IT Incident Service Levels.

Please note that the service term is 12 months. Once signed up no refund will be issued for cancelling the service during this period