Local Government Reorganisation: An Opportunity to Rethink Environmental Services Not Just Council Boundaries in Brighton & Hove, East Saltdean, Telscombe and Peacehaven

By Alan Paget, CEO, Integrated Skills Ltd

The decision to expand the Brighton & Hove boundary to include East Saltdean, Telscombe and Peacehaven is far more than a change on a map. It represents another significant milestone in the wider programme of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) that is reshaping how local services are planned and delivered across England.

As a resident of Brighton & Hove (‘Hove, actually’) for over 25 years, I listened intently to the arguments for and against the expansion. Those arguments in favour of the change were compelling. As Council Leader Bella Sankey summarised in one of her video clips, the council's case for expansion centred on existing community connectivity and shared identity rather than administrative convenience. She said the decision reflects the:

"natural and practical connections between the special and unique communities in East Saltdean, Telscombe, Peacehaven and Brighton & Hove."

This appears to be the primary argument for the expansion: that these communities already function as part of a connected urban and economic area. A belief I can attest to as:

• We travel along the same roads
• Our teenagers attend the same colleges
• Local businesses employ from these areas
• We go to the same beauty spots

Much of the public discussion focused on governance, accountability and local identity. However, from an operational perspective - which is what interests me - some of the most complex challenges and greatest opportunities lie within environmental services, waste collection, street cleansing, grounds maintenance and related frontline operations – all of which were pretty much absent from the discussions.

As the new authority prepares for implementation in April 2028 Council leaders will be faced with a series of difficult but important questions.

• Should existing waste collection models be retained or harmonised?
• How can service standards be aligned across different communities?
• Can fleet resources be used more effectively?
• Are existing depot locations still optimal for the enlarged area?
• What opportunities exist to reduce costs, carbon emissions and vehicle mileage without impacting residents?

These are not merely operational or service quality questions. They directly influence financial sustainability (due to the high cost of running these services) and, moreover, public perception of the new authority: bin collection, street sweeping, fly-tip removal, etc are high profile frontline services that help local residents and businesses form a perception of local council effectiveness.

Having worked with local authorities across the UK for more than three decades I have seen that successful service transformation starts with evidence not assumptions.

At Integrated Skills, we have supported over 100 local authority clients with depot relocation & rationalisation, service harmonisation, waste composition analysis and route optimisation projects. Our experience consistently demonstrates that significant operational improvements are typically achieved when authorities use data-driven modelling to understand how an enlarged service area can be served most efficiently and effectively.

Equally important is the strategic perspective. Our partner Frith Resource Management have worked with more than 130 councils, helping authorities understand waste strategy, service design, environmental impacts, operational efficiencies and future policy requirements. Their experience highlights the importance of viewing reorganisation as an opportunity to reimagine services, rather than simply merge existing structures.

The Brighton & Hove expansion decision arrives at a time when councils are already preparing for, or have already experienced, substantial change. Simpler Recycling reforms, food waste collections, Extended Producer Responsibility, decarbonisation targets and ongoing financial pressures are all driving transformation across the municipal sector. The local authorities that benefit most from reorganisation are likely to be those that view these challenges as interconnected rather than separate initiatives.

For Brighton & Hove and neighbouring communities, the next two years provide a valuable opportunity to create environmental services fit for the next two decades rather than the last.

Local Government Reorganisation should not be viewed solely as a governance exercise. It should be seen as an opportunity to redesign services around residents, data, operational efficiency and long-term resilience.

Council boundaries may be changing, but the real prize lies in creating better services for the communities they serve.

Alan Paget
CEO, Integrated Skills Ltd

The post Local Government Reorganisation: An Opportunity to Rethink Environmental Services Not Just Council Boundaries in Brighton & Hove, East Saltdean, Telscombe and Peacehaven appeared first on Integrated Skills.

This month we're focusing on the emerging differentiator in the market - user experience (UX). We've always championed excellent customer support; from enquiry to rollout and well beyond. Now that seamless technological integration is widely expected, it's our UX that really makes us stand out in a crowd.

We're also covering recent events and how we are able to support clients with our GIS capability and experience that goes well beyond route optimisation.

Enjoy the read - and if you need us, you know where we are!

Oadby & Wigston SmartSuite Rollout

It has been our absolute pleasure to assist Oadby & Wigston Borough Council with a highly successful rollout of our SmartSuite software solution.

Oadby & Wigston Borough Council cover part of Leicestershire with a population of around 60,000. Their team approached us in 2025 with a view to utilising several modules of our SmartSuite solution, including Webview, Jobs Management and In-cab Service Verification and Navigation.

Our work with the team at Oadby & Wigston really highlighted our commitment to excellent customer service. The roll out included face to face training, constant contact throughout and "boots on the ground" problem-solving.

Read the full case study here.

“Integrated Skills stand out because of their excellent software, but also their customer service. We felt supported and heard from day one as we were able to speak to Jonathan directly throughout. We can drop him a message and be confident of a response within the working day, with all of our ideas taken on board and put into future plans.

They were flexible in accommodating a few delays on our end, went the extra mile by meeting with us in person to train teams and solve problems, and are just generally great to work with."

Dominique Druce, System Support Officer at Oadby & Wigston

“The team at Oadby & Wigston now have enhanced visibility via real time driver reporting, optimised in cab routes, and clear communication of assisted collections and service updates directly to drivers.”

Implementation Consultant, Jonathan Uttley

SmartSuite: Minimal Touch, Maximum Impact

As integrations become simpler and more accessible, client-focus is shifting. The question is no longer: "Can your systems seamlessly integrate?" Instead, the question is now: "Who can deliver the best experience for the staff handling the tech day-to-day?"

This was the key theme of our 30th April webinar, “SmartSuite – Minimal Touch, Maximum Impact”. Integrations are now expected as standard - the real differentiator is the quality of the user experience. This is exactly where SmartSuite has been designed to stand apart.

As discussed throughout the webinar, SmartSuite is built around the principle of “minimal touch, maximum impact”. The software quietly handles the complexity in the background, allowing drivers, crews, supervisors, and back-office teams to focus on their work rather than wrestling with technology.

Read about the webinar here.

Supporting Customers With Next-Generation UX

At Integrated Skills (an employee-owned company) we take user experience extremely seriously, so this became the focus of our recent blog.

At the heart of our commitment is the ongoing evolution of SmartSuite’s user experience (UX). Working closely with customers, our development and design teams are creating a next-generation interface that is more intuitive, consistent and efficient for operational users.

The focus is on reducing clicks, simplifying workflows and presenting the right information at the right time; helping teams complete tasks quicker and with greater confidence. By combining modern design principles with real-world operational feedback, SmartSuite continues to evolve in ways that support productivity, adoption and long-term customer success.

From implementation and onboarding through to day-to-day support, our focus is always on creating long-term partnerships that genuinely support operational teams. Our clients receive ongoing support, designed to help them continue creating value from their systems long after go-live.

Clients receive as standard:

• Direct access to experienced Implementation Consultants
• In-person onboarding and training
• Responsive support through email and messaging platforms
• Access to our dedicated support desk
• Continued collaboration as operational needs evolve

This approach results in quick resolutions and builds long-term working relationships. Our clients are never left navigating operational challenges alone.

Read the blog here.

Keeping Our Finger on the Pulse

We've attended and sponsored multiple events since our last newsletter did the rounds - here's a what we've been up to:

• Feb 2026: APSE Street Cleansing Seminar
• March 2026: Ordnance Survey Partner Conference
• April 2026: Small Posts and Islands Postal Forum
• May 2026: IFAT
• May 2026: Utility Week Live
• Upcoming: RWM, Parcel & Post Expo and LARAC

Feb 2026: APSE Street Cleansing Seminar

As proud sponsors, we had a fantastic day with APSE - a great way to spend a Thursday in Solihul! One of our clients, Geoffrey Knight (Environment and Design Manager at Durham County Council) gave a great talk entitled "Sweeping Change: How Technology Is Transforming Street Cleansing Services in Durham" and we met with established, new and prospective clients throughout the day.

March 2026: Ordnance Survey Partner Conference

As a long standing Ordnance Survey partner, we attended the annual partner conference at OS HQ near Southampton. A great day full of insightful talks, meetings and even a little fun.

April 2026: Small Posts and Islands Postal Forum

We have supplied route optimisation software to the parcel and postal sector for over 15 years, including well-known names such as DX Group, CTT (Portugal Post), Isle of Man Post and MaltaPost.

For several years, we have proudly sponsored the Forum, led by Derek Osborn (a long-respected figure within the global small posts and islands community). The forum brings together CEOs, COOs and other senior executives to collaborate on shared operational challenges, exchange practical insights, and advance common strategic goals.

May 2026: IFAT

This was well worth the flight to Munich! We had a brilliant response from attendees as they visited our stand to find out more about ISL. We came away with strengthened relationships and plenty of inspiration.

Did you know we work with the cities of Leipzig and Chemnitz amongst others to optimise their street cleansing, waste and recycling operations?

May: Utility Week Live

We settled into the Birmingham NEC to joined the Ordnance Survey team on their stand, showcasing our software portfolio: RouteSmart Route Optimisation, Trafficworx, Highwayworx and Emergencyworx.

Upcoming Events.

Deposit Return Scheme & GIS Services

As the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) continues to develop across the UK, the scheme administrator, “Exchange for Change”, are considering the operational and logistical challenges it may bring.

Integrated Skills are well-versed in this space already.

We supported Zero Waste Scotland with planning the (now defunct) Deposit Return Scheme, delivering drive time analysis, detailed route plans and infrastructure analysis to help determine the most efficient logistics network and minimise operational costs.

Our team can support organisations with a range of GIS services including location analytics, heat mapping and drivetime analysis - not just route optimisation.

Whether you need support identifying the best locations for facilities, understanding catchment areas, planning collection infrastructure, or creating efficient routes for non-waste services, we can help turn complex data into practical operational decisions.

How Are You Using SmartSuite?

Newcastle - From Cab to Quad

Hot off the press: After deploying SmartSuite for their waste and street cleansing services, our innovative customers at Newcastle City Council are taking an innovative approach to weed control...

The team are trialling the use of SmartSuite with their fleet of quad bikes! The same in-cab system that has transformed day-to-day operations for the waste management team will now optimise routes for their weed spraying team.

We are impressed!

The post June 2026 Newsletter: UX, Recent Events and SmartSuite Mobile on Quad Bikes appeared first on Integrated Skills.

Spring Has Sprung!

Hello and welcome to our first newsletter of 2026!

We haven't hit your inboxes since December last year but for good reason - things have been busy...

We've been sponsoring and speaking at APSE, working through our RouteSmart partner's re-brand, planning our march webinar on Simpler Recycling and writing about the Local Government reorganisation we're sure is top of mind for you all.

Throw in some new integrations from Fleetclear and updates to our PowerBI connector and we've been kept nicely busy throughout Q1. Read on for the details and get in touch if we can support you at all.

APSE Street Cleansing Seminar

For our second year, Integrated Skills were delighted to act as lead sponsors for the APSE (The Association for Public Service Excellence) Street Cleansing & Street Scene Seminar 2026.

We gathered at the National Conference Centre (Motorcycle Museum) in Solihull on the 5th February and really enjoyed manning our stand and meeting everyone who came to chat with us.

One of our clients, Geoffrey Knight (Environment and Design Manager, Durham County Council) gave a presentation "Sweeping Change: How Technology Is Transforming Street Cleansing Services in Durham"

In this fantastic talk, Geoffrey covered the many areas in which Durham County Council have seen positive changes thanks to integrating technology, including:

• Digitising to manage services
• Evaluating work
• Providing Service Confirmation to improve public satisfaction

A summary of the event can be found here - if you've never been along to an APSE event, we highly recommend it.

Simpler Recycling Webinar

Our next webinar is on the 26th March 2026.

We'll be joined by Victoria Crawford our go-to independent waste and resources management consultant, for a comprehensive update on the Government’s Simpler Recycling strategy.

As always, the webinar is free to attend

This session is ideal for anyone involved in Waste Operations or Policy roles who needs a clear summary of the strategy’s current developments and next steps.

Topics will include:

• Simpler Recycling
• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
• Deposit Return Scheme (DRS)
• Commercial Recycling
• Food Waste

Plus: A live Q&A session – no question is too small!

A Warm Welcome to Integrated Skills

We are so pleased to welcome some exciting new and rebooted clients:

• North Yorkshire Council: Route Optimisation Consultancy
• Shropshire Council: RouteSmart for ArcGIS Plan subscribers
• Chelmsford City Council: Migration from RSAG to RS Optimize, Navigator to SmartSuite Mobile, and Fusion to SmartSuite Web

The Impact of Local Government Reorganisation on Waste & Recycling Collection Activities

Our January blog laid out the 5 key challenges faced by Local Authorities who are facing reorganisation:

1. Policy Harmonisation
2. IT and Data Integration
3. Fleet and Route Optimisation
4. Staffing and TUPE Considerations
5. Procurement and Contract Alignment

2 of these 5 key issues rang particularly true of our new client, North Yorkshire Council (the largest authority in England), who are currently utilising our Route Optimisation services.

Our team are working with the Authority to bring together existing waste data from each of the seven ‘legacy’ Council areas' IT systems to formulate one data set - a ‘single source of truth’.

This is the key requirement for Integrated Skills’ next challenge; to provide ideal waste collection routes across the new authority.

The blog covers why waste and recycling collections are impacted by necessary shake ups, lessons learned from both past and planned reorganisations, and how we can help with the transition:

Read the full blog here

Fleetclear Camera Integration

Introducing Integrated Skills' vehicle camera partners, Fleetclear.

ISL have been working with Fleetclear to integrate their camera systems with our SmartSuite software.

This useful integration allows back-office teams to view a live feed and also capture footage as needed, improving safety, mitigating the financial risk of insurance claims, and increasing operational efficiency.

SmartSuite & PowerBI: Turn SmartSuite Data into Clear Decisions

Our 6th January article (link below) explains how our new SmartSuite Power BI Connecter makes your operational data work harder for you.

Without any manual exports and no double handling, your teams can turn live SmartSuite data into clear dashboards in minutes.

It's simple, fast and built for busy services.

The connector gives access to a wide range of data, including:

• Reports
• Operators
• Vehicles
• Route Events
• Job Instances
• Trade Sites and Events

This means you can create anything from simple management reports to detailed, cross-service dashboards - no matter how complex, your data becomes visual, easy to read and ready to share.

The outcome:

• Broader access to operational insight
• Clearer reporting across departments
• Better informed decisions

Whether you already use SmartSuite, work with Integrated Skills in another way, or are new to us, Power BI integration could transform how your authority uses data.

We'd love to show you what's possible.

RouteSmart Product Rebrand

Our RouteSmart partners from across the pond have informed us of several product name changes, detailed below. Rest assured, there are no changes to the products themselves, the changes are in name only.

• RouteSmartOnline will become RouteSmart Optimize
• RouteSmart for ArcGISPro will become RouteSmart Plan
• RouteSmart RAAS will become RouteSmart Engine

You will see these changes reflected on our website, in our communications and in our marketing over the next few months.

“It’s been a great start to the year. We all understand the challenges facing our council clients and they aren’t getting any easier, but it’s inspiring to see how innovation and amazing collaboration are driving real improvements on the ground.” -
Alan Paget , CEO at Integrated Skills

The post March 2026 Newsletter: Adventures at APSE, Local Goverment Reorganisation & New Integrations appeared first on Integrated Skills.

The Government of Jersey used Integrated Skills’ brand new Emergencyworx incident management platform to help coordinate its response after Storm Goretti brought severe winds and disruption to the island overnight on 8–9 January.

A major incident was declared on the evening of 8 January as the Jersey Met Office issued a red wind warning, with Storm Goretti forecast to bring storm-force winds and heavy rain across the Channel Islands, the UK and northern France. Islanders were advised to stay indoors as conditions deteriorated, with peak winds expected through the night.

As the storm passed, emergency and highways teams began clearing roads and public areas of fallen trees, debris and damaged structures. During 9 January, as residents started to assess the impact of the storm, a growing number of incidents were reported online - including downed fencing, fallen trees and property damage - and were logged into ISL’s Emergencyworx system.

“I was extremely impressed with ISL’s support and how Emergencyworx performed during Storm Goretti. The system’s ease of use, transparency, and single-source functionality gave our teams a clear, real-time picture of incidents across the island. Just as importantly, it provided visibility to the public, helping ensure confidence in our response. Emergencyworx proved to be an invaluable tool in managing the storm safely and efficiently”

Warwick Vogt, Senior Network Operations Manager, Government of Jersey

Emergencyworx provides a single, live view of incidents across the island, allowing officers to prioritise work, assign crews and monitor progress in real time. Reports submitted by the public are logged and mapped, enabling response teams to see where issues are concentrated and to deploy resources accordingly. Field crews update the status of jobs via the Emergencyworx mobile app, giving control room staff and managers up-to-date information throughout the response.

This digital approach helps reduce duplication, improves coordination between teams and ensures that the most urgent hazards - such as blocked roads and dangerous debris — are dealt with first.

Integrated Skills has worked with the States of Jersey for more than 20 years, providing Trafficworx and other specialist systems to support the management and coordination of street works, highway operations and incident management. The use of Emergencyworx during Storm Goretti demonstrates how modern, map-based digital tools can play a critical role in helping public authorities manage major weather events safely and efficiently.

Matt Polson, Product Director at Integrated Skills, said:

“Major weather events place huge pressure on local authority teams, particularly when large numbers of incidents are being reported at once. Emergencyworx gives the Government of Jersey a single, reliable picture of what is happening on the ground, helping them to prioritise safely, deploy resources quickly and keep the island moving during what was a very challenging period.”

The post ISL software system supports Jersey’s response to Storm Goretti appeared first on Integrated Skills.

Turn SmartSuite Data into Decisions

The new SmartSuite Power BI Connector unlocks the full value of your operational data. With no manual exports and no duplication of effort, teams can analyse performance, spot trends and create powerful dashboards in mere minutes.

The Power BI connector exposes a rich set of SmartSuite data, including:

• Reports
• Operators
• Vehicles
• Route Events
• Job Instances
• Trade Sites & Events

Whether you need simple management reports or highly detailed, cross-service dashboards, the data will be available to your teams in an accessible, visual format.

A Powerful Combination

Integrated Skills are living up to our name; creating an integration between our own SmartSuite software and Microsoft’s Power BI solution to empower our clients with visualised data:

Our SmartSuite Waste Management software enables local authorities to manage their waste, recycling, street cleansing & related services via a single, unified view.

Microsoft’s Power BI solution is a software collection used to transform data into clear visuals.

Real-World Application

One of our live customers is already using the connector to transform how information is shared across their organisation.

Driver-submitted reports are automatically pulled into Power BI, making them available to the wider business - without requiring access to SmartSuite. This removes silos and ensures operational insight where it’s needed most.

The same data is also securely stored in Power BI and, via a custom gateway, linked back into their CRM using the Account ID from RouteSmart Optimize (our route planning software partner).

This gives Customer Service teams (including those who do not use SmartSuite) clear, real-time visibility of individual customers, improving response times and service delivery.

The result: Better insight, broader access to data, and more informed decisions across the authority – all powered by SmartSuite and Power BI.

Find Out More

Whether you’re an existing SmartSuite user, a client utilising our other support packages, or if you’re new to Integrated Skills, we’d love to talk to you about the possibilities of Power BI integration in your local authority.

Contact our team today via the details below for a no-obligation chat. Our knowledgeable team can walk you through in layman’s terms or in as much technical depth as required.

The post SmartSuite & PowerBI appeared first on Integrated Skills.

Hello and Happy December!

This month we'll be highlighting our recent work with Oadby & Wigston Borough Council, introducing WasteStart (our new partner for crew and vehicle scheduling software), and inviting you all to our (infamous?) Christmas Webinar!

We'll also be covering our sponsorship of the APSE Street Cleansing Seminar and our trailblazing project to utilise grass cuttings in partnership with South Gloucestershire Council.

Oadby & Wigston SmartSuite Rollout Success

It has been our absolute pleasure to assist Oadby & Wigston Borough Council with a highly successful rollout of our SmartSuite software solution.

Oadby & Wigston Borough Council cover part of Leicestershire - an area with Medieval and Anglo-Saxon roots and a population of around 60,000.

Their team approached us earlier this year with a view to utilising several modules of our SmartSuite solution, including:

WebView

All services are managed from a single, map-based platform in the Cloud that enables teams to track day-to-day service activity in real time, make instant & effective operational decisions and view service history. Apply live updates to service data for mobile operatives, and synchronise routing data.

Jobs Management

Tasks are created and assigned in Jobs Management and delivered to operatives in SmartSuite Mobile.

In-cab Service Verification & Navigation

The in-cab solution navigates drivers along optimised routes using GPS. This creates completion data and enables the users to report issues, including creating ad-hoc jobs for non-service specific tasks.

Two way messaging allows immediate communication between operations management and the crews.

Turning Grass Cuttings Into a Valuable Resource

Integrated Skills is proud to be helping South Gloucestershire Council turn grass cuttings from waste into a valuable resource; cutting carbon emissions, reducing costs, and avoiding needless biodiversity loss.

By processing collected cuttings, the council can create clean energy, fuels, and even road-surface materials.

In August 2025, Integrated Skills carried out a detailed survey of litter contamination in grass verges along the A4174 dual carriageway - before and after cutting. The analysis provided the council with vital, previously unavailable data on litter content within collected cuttings.

The survey formed part of the Live Labs 2 (Greenprint) project; a collaboration between South Gloucestershire Council, West Sussex County Council, and academic and industry partners.

The initiative explores how local authority grass cuttings can be transformed into green energy and biochar, a sustainable additive for road surfacing.

Read More About This Initiative

SmartSuite Enhancement

Never ones to rest on our laurels, this quarter has seen some key enhancements to our SmartSuite offering:

• We've introduced a mobile location search tool
• Allowed for A2B routing from selected locations
• Enabled action reminders for operators
• Allowed operators to confirm assisted collections
• Created a listed and mapped history of route completion
• Our "jobs" tool allows users to manage both ad hoc and scheduled jobs
• Users can now complete a full survey and include comments and images, all recorded digitally

Introducing WasteStart - our new partner for crew and vehicle scheduling software.

In their own words, WasteStart allows Operations Managers and Dispatchers to:

• See all schedules, employees, and vehicles in one place
• Identify and resolve gaps early to prevent disruption
• Expand confidently with scalable scheduling

This brilliant system also allows teams to evaluate the impact of absences and proactively resolve shortages as well as monitor vehicle availability and plan ahead to stay on track.

It even incorporates AI to produce accurate recommendations, allowing users to resolve scheduling conflicts with one click.

Get in touch to learn more:

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Join Our Christmas Webinar!

A festive tradition almost as beloved as (vegan)pigs-in-blankets, the Integrated Skills Christmas Webinar is back!

This year’s event features:

• Insightful waste management discussions.
• Beautiful live piano music by Simeon Walker.
• A fun quiz with exciting prizes.

We'll reflect on 2025's waste management highlights and dive into some hot topics with leading thinkers.

Sign up below:

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A Warm Welcome to SmartSuite

We’re elated to welcome Oadby & Wigston, Newcastle City and Dundee to the SmartSuite user community – we can’t wait to see the positive impact this far-reaching solution will have.

APSE Street Cleansing Seminar

For our second year, Integrated Skills are delighted to be the lead sponsors for the APSE Street Cleansing & Street Scene Seminar 2026, taking place on the 5th February 2026 at the National Conference Centre (Motorcycle Museum) in Solihull.

Last year’s event was absolutely brilliant. Local authorities presented papers on the challenges within their street scene services and describing the innovative ideas they were developing to raise service quality.

Anyone interested in attending should contact m.paton@spacehouse.co.uk

“We needed an in-depth Waste Composition Analysis to further our understanding of the various waste streams created by different areas of the community. Having worked with Integrated Skills for for nearly twenty years we knew they were the right choice.

The team were fantastic...working like a well-oiled machine to meticulously separate and analyse the waste. Their analysis included the contents of the black bags (a rarity in the sector), and this information was absolutely key.

I can't recommend them enough; lovely to work with, great at what they do and the services they offer are based on a deep understanding of what local authorities need."

Vanessa Kelly, Waste Services and Projects Manager, West Northamptonshire Council

A life-time, partnership approach to working with clients has led to decades of success since our incorporation in 1993.

We have continually developed new and innovative software and services for clients since our inception, and will continue to create the tools our sector needs for many years to come.

Helpful Links

• Digital Waste Tracking with Integrated Skills
• The Impact of Seasonal Waste on Local Authorities
• Assisted Collections: A Growing Priority for Local Authorities

The post SmartSuite Enhancements & Christmas Cheer appeared first on Integrated Skills.

It’s amazing what you learn on an ISL webinar…

Did you know that Victor Hugo was in living in Guernsey when he wrote Les Miserable? He was in exile there for 15 years after opposing Napoleon III's coup d'état of 1851. Did you also know that Fife has a long history of golf, with the earliest records dating back over 600 years? It’s home to the famous St Andrews course.

It's also amazing who you ‘meet’ on an Integrated Skills’ Wider Waste Webinar. Local authority service directors, operations managers, industry consultants and thought-leaders all join the fun. We bring leading voices together to explore real-world experiences and, in this particular webinar  from June 2024, we discussed the process of introducing food waste collections.

The session focused on two pioneering case studies from States of Guernsey and Fife Council - both offering practical insights into how strategic planning, strong communication, and community engagement can drive success in food waste implementation.

Sarah Robinson: Transforming Guernsey’s Waste Strategy

Sarah Robinson, Operations Manager at the States of Guernsey, opened the session by outlining how the island’s waste management journey evolved from landfill dependency to achieving an impressive 73% recycling rate within just a year of launching separate food waste collections.

Guernsey, home to just over 60,000 residents, once relied heavily on landfill. A 2014 Waste Strategy placed the waste hierarchy at its heart, identifying food waste (around 40% of the island’s residual waste) as a key material to target.

By September 2018, Sarah and her team had implemented island-wide segregated food waste collections based on four key pillars:

• Infrastructure

A modern waste transfer station was constructed, capable of handling food waste, glass and general waste. Here food waste is pre-processed, turned into “Anaerobic Digestion soup,” and shipped to Biogen’s anaerobic digestion facility in Basingstoke.

• Collections

Plans involved coordination with Guernsey’s ten parishes to establish weekly kerbside food waste collections adapted to local conditions. This included considerations for the continuation of Guernsey’s overnight rounds to reduce congestion on the island’s narrow roads.

• Equipment

Every household on the island received two caddies (kitchen and kerbside) along with free liners delivered via the post office. Replacements are available free of charge and additional liners are provided for free at local supermarkets, ensuring universal access to the right tools.

• Public Engagement

A comprehensive outreach campaign including leaflet drops, drop-in sessions, supermarket and local event stalls and media updates to drive awareness and participation were utilised.

To reinforce the new system, the island reduced residual waste collections from weekly to fortnightly and introduced a “pay-as-you-throw” scheme — charging per bag of general waste while making food waste collections free.

Results and Impact

The response was overwhelmingly positive. Participation reached over 90%, with household food waste capture rates above 80%. The proportion of food waste in general refuse dropped by 82%, equating to just 0.8kg per household per week. In fact, Guernsey’s 2030 recycling rate target was surpassed in the first year of operation.

Resident feedback shaped refinements such as switching caddy colours from black to silver to improve visibility after dark. Coastal weather challenges prompted inventive local solutions, from weighted lids to homemade wooden caddy shelters.

Beyond recycling, Guernsey’s focus has shifted to food waste prevention and home composting, supported by community education, recipe calendars with local chefs, and events such as the “Big Feed Lunch” to highlight the financial cost of food waste. As Robinson summarised:

“Don’t underestimate the power of good communications and making it as easy as possible for people to take part.”

Sandy Anderson: Tackling Flats and Communal Living in Fife

Next, Sandy Anderson, Service Manager at Fife Council presented the authority’s pioneering work in delivering food waste collections for flats - an area that continues to challenge many local authorities across the UK.

Fife is Scotland’s third-largest local authority, serving around 370,000 residents across 187,000 properties. While traditional kerbside services for houses were well established, participation from high-rise and communal properties remained low.

To address this, Fife Council partnered with Sustainable Sidekicks to design a research-led trial in three high-rise blocks (each with 86 mixed-tenure flats) to understand barriers and test engagement strategies.

Rather than a “one-size-fits-all” rollout, the team trialled communal food waste pods ,fitted with foot pedals and restricted apertures, ensuring hygiene and ease of use. Clear pictorial signage helped overcome language barriers, and residents received kitchen caddies with visual “what goes in” stickers.

The communications approach was creative and continuous:

• Leaflets and letters explained the trial and its environmental benefits.
• Weekly posters displayed the amount of food waste collected per block, sparking friendly competition.
• Postcards acted as simple reminders, linking the action to daily habits (“pop your tea bag into your food caddy”).
• Caretaker support was offered for residents unable to carry caddies downstairs, a simple but powerful step toward inclusivity.

Surveys revealed that the main deterrents were weak liners and concerns about smell or spills - particularly for residents on upper floors. In response, stronger 16-micron liners were sourced, and additional guidance offered.

However, positive feedback far outweighed the negatives. Residents reported cleaner bin stores, fewer odours, and improved satisfaction with waste areas. As Anderson noted, the most common reason given for taking part was “Because it’s better for the environment.”

Contamination was impressively low - only one out of 36 collections was rejected, and data showed consistent participation across the 12-week trial.

Using insights from the pilot, Fife Council secured £30,000 from Zero Waste Scotland’s Recycling Improvement Fund to expand the scheme. The rollout includes 30 new food waste pods and thousands of caddies and liners, with further plans to:

• Close waste chutes in all high-rises to encourage participation.
• Extend the service to flats above shops
• Maintain ongoing engagement and visible feedback to embed recycling as “the social norm.”

Anderson’s advice to other councils was clear:

“Plan your communications before launch, make it local and visual, and always have answers ready for residents’ concerns. The more informed they feel, the more they’ll take part.”

Shared Lessons

Both speakers highlighted several universal lessons for successful food waste implementation:

• Accessibility drives engagement: Make it easy for residents to participate by providing equipment and clear guidance.
• Incentives work: Whether through financial mechanisms or convenience, people respond to clear, fair motivators.
• Communication is everything: Frequent, visual, and positive messaging sustains participation and builds trust.
• Local context matters: Tailor solutions to geography, housing type, and community structure

The experiences of Guernsey and Fife demonstrate that with planning, innovation, and genuine community engagement, even complex food waste systems can thrive.

From revolution to a hole in one (or small islands to large authorities), success depends on a balanced mix of strategy, communication, and adaptability. Lessons that all local authorities can take forward as the UK continues to expand food waste collection services nationwide.

The post ISL Explores the Challenges and First-Hand Best Practice in Food Waste Collection: Lessons from Guernsey and Fife appeared first on Integrated Skills.

Hello, and Welcome to Our October Newsletter

This month we'll be updating you on our experience at the Resource & Waste Management Expo, highlighting some of our most successful integrations and how they could work for you, and bringing some exciting new tech to your attention.

Resource & Waste Management Expo 2025

We always enjoy the RWM Expo, and this year was no different.

Our Business Development Director, Stuart Henshaw and Jonathan Uttley, our Implementations Consultant (above) manned our stand and had some great conversations with industry peers, as well as existing and prospective clients.

Simon Erskine, one of our Senior Developers, caught up with Danielle Baci from RouteSmart Technologies, our route optimisation software supplier (below). It's always a pleasure to meet with our tech partners in real life!

Some of the new tech on display was really inspiring and exciting to see too...

Integrations

We’ve been shouting about the need for integrated solutions since our formation (hence the name), and we're seeing outstanding results for our clients in this area.

Our latest integrations with other specialist software include:

• CRM Services - SmartSuite includes an Integrations API which connects to your CRM system (for example, Microsoft Dynamics), enabling your teams to view the ‘real-time’ service status for an address. We've now reduced double-handling further, and enabled CRM teams to make important service information changes within SmartSuite via our Integrations API.
• SmartSuite Power BI Connector - For Waste Managers, the routine service information gathered by SmartSuite forms powerful ‘service intelligence’ which can now be analysed - harnessing the power of Power BI via the SmartSuite Power BI Connector. Managers benefit from advanced reporting, allowing them to view trends and patterns.
• Fleetclear Vehicle Cameras - Integration work between Fleetclear and Integrated Skills means that clients with the Fleetclear Camera system can view footage within SmartSuite. Live cameras can be viewed within the SmartSuite platform, and short CCTV clips related to a specific service report (such as a non-presented bin) can be attached to the address service history, and viewed if the report is contested.
• Teltonika Telematics - SmartSuite is gaining traction in the street cleansing environment. By integrating with Teltonika, we give clients the ability to follow live routes and brushes/up/down data. Our partnership with nomix enviro also provides a live view of spray bar on/off. Clients can search for previous sweeping evidence too - we're excited about the possibilities for the further integration of telematics in the future.

Read more about our integrations in our April 2025 blog:

https://www.integrated-skills.com/intelligent-integration-technology/

Binsight has caught our eye!

While wandering around the RWM expo there is always something new to see, and one innovation that grabbed our attention was an intelligent helper/service bin solution to help authorities monitor resident’s participation in food waste collections.

The bin is wheeled along the footpath away from the vehicle, and each time the bin crew empty a food caddy into the bin, an ‘intelligent’ sensor automatically records the date/time/location stamp.

There are no codes or code-readers, and no bin-chipping required.

The Binsight system from Biffa, provides authorities with this GPS data, which can be analysed to show participation levels along each street. When linked with Power BI, it can be integrated with national statistics to identify trends and target interventions.

This tech is a free-standing project for Biffa - meaning you don't need to be an existing customer to utilise the scheme.

For more information, email binsight@biffa.co.uk.

Integrated Skills will be at the annual LARAC conference on the 8th & 9th October at the Hotel Metropole, Birmingham.

Stuart Henshaw & Andy Clewes will be presenting RouteSmart Optimize, and our SmartSuite (in-cab and back-office) solution. We’ll also be open to any waste composition analysis chat too.

Come and say hello 👋

“ISL are knowledgeable, friendly and apply both common sense and logic to their projects which is invaluable.”

Si Pocock-Cluley, Head of Operations Value & Innovation, Ubico

A life-time, partnership approach to working with clients has led to decades of success since our incorporation in 1993.

We have continually developed new and innovative software and services for clients since our inception, and will continue to create the tools our sector needs for many years to come.

Helpful Links

• Digital Waste Tracking with Integrated Skills
• Identifying Contaminated Bins: Why Modern Tech Requires Smart Management
• Intelligent Integration Technology

The post October 2025 Newsletter appeared first on Integrated Skills.

Welcome to our brand new newsletter!

In this edition, we'll be highlighting some of the fantastic software developments available to our existing clients.

Read on to find out about key features of our SmartSuite solution, as well as three RouteSmart migration pathways to suit your needs.

Let's bring your systems up to date; ready for Simpler Recycling and the further regulatory changes to come.

SmartSuite: The Management System for All Aspects of Waste & Recycling Operations

SmartSuite is packed with innovative and simple-to-use features that benefit the entire team; from drivers to back office staff and management.

For today, we're focussing on our in-cab and web tools.

SmartSuite Mobile

Our in-cab solution navigates drivers along optimised routes using GPS - great stuff, but that's not all...

The user-friendly interface allows drivers to:

• Automatically generate completion data
• Report service issues
• Log ad-hoc tasks for other teams
• Utilise two-way messaging for immediate communication between operations management and crews

Drivers can interact with the system as little or a much as preferred, with the proximity feature allowing for automatic service verification. Assisted collections can be flagged and confirmed as completed, comments can be logged to alert other crews of a property-specific issue, and photos can be allocated to missed bin reports, providing clarity and speed of resolution for back office staff and residents.

SmartSuite Web

A single, map-based platform that enables management to track all day-to-day service activity in real time, make instant & effective operational decisions and view service history.

This single, live viewpoint has far reaching capabilities, including:

• Viewing driver-created messages such as “no access”, “container damaged”
• Viewing evidentiary photos for clarity on any issues encountered
• Sending messages to the driver's in-cab device
• Viewing the live status of each route as a percentage of completion
• Viewing the entire service history for a particular address or service

Reports can be viewed in real time and/or downloaded from historic data. APIs can be used to link data to a CRM system - enabling the creation of public-facing calendars and alerts.

SmartSuite is fully integrated with the route optimisation solutions below as well as vehicle telematics and vehicle cameras.

We'll be detailing further SmartSuite features in future newsletters - keep an eye on your inbox.

We Provide 3 Migration Options to Get You From Old to New

For all RouteSmart desktop users, the year ahead will see some changes as the old Esri ArcMap-based product is replaced.

Reach out for more information on our migration pathways:

• RouteSmart Optimize -

Operational for over 4 years in the US, well established in the UK and preferred by new clients including LB of Islington and Dudley MBC as well as those clients migrating from the old solution.

If you missed our June webinar, never fear. Over the coming weeks we will be contacting clients who are looking to migrate.

Contact Andy

• RouteSmart For ArcGIS Pro -

Exclusive product for our street-based service clients. Do you apply route optimisation to street cleaning, gully emptying etc?

RouteSmart Plan provides a range of GIS tools to manipulate data specifically relating to streets.

We'd love to talk you through it.

Contact Andy

• RaaS -

Need automated dynamic routing to manage bulky waste collection, bin deliveries, etc?

RaaS (Routing -as-a-Service) is a Cloud only, system-to-system route optimisation solution that requires no manual intervention.

This route optimisation service has a successful API linking it to back-office systems such as CRMs.

Find out more

“RouteSmart software is a game changer from a logistics and service delivery perspective. It has the potential to transform how we provide services to our residents and creates a knowledge base for current and future crews and operatives”.

Darren Trowlen, Waste Collection Manager, Belfast City

Meet us at the RWM Expo this September - Stand CT-G284

Integrated Skills.

A life-time, partnership approach to working with clients has led to decades of success since our incorporation in 1993.

We have continually developed new and innovative software and services for clients since our inception, and will continue to create the tools our sector needs for many years to come.

Helpful Links

https://www.integrated-skills.com/garden-waste-collections-and-simpler-recycling-technology-driven-solutions-for-local-authorities/

https://www.integrated-skills.com/commercial-waste-collection-challenges-faced-in-2025/

https://www.integrated-skills.com/waste-management-software-vs-the-scourge-of-fly-tipping-creating-a-coordinated-response-for-local-councils/

The post September 2025 Newsletter appeared first on Integrated Skills.

We have been awarded Cyber Essentials Certificate of Assurance in 2025.

Cyber Essentials Plus provides a higher level of assurance that your IT infrastructure is safeguarded against common cyber threats. Building on the Cyber Essentials certification, this advanced level includes a hands-on technical audit carried out by independent experts. The assessment goes beyond the self-assessment questionnaire, verifying that your cyber security measures are properly implemented and working as intended.

The post Cyber Essentials Plus 2025 appeared first on Integrated Skills.