Business Background.
Martin Baker QPM is the Managing Director for One Team Logic, a multi award-winning Welsh business based in Talbot Green. Since its start in 2014 One Team Logic has grown exponentially, creating over 70 jobs UK-wide, nearly 40 of which are based in Wales. Their safe and trusted safeguarding software MyConcern is used by schools, colleges and other organisations in the UK and worldwide, enabling the secure recording, reporting and monitoring of the full range of risks facing children and young people and vulnerable adults today.
Throughout their careers in policing, founding members Martin Baker and Mike Glanville, (Director of Safeguarding Services) were involved in a wide range of child and adult safeguarding and child protection cases. They are also school governors and so were interested in how schools were tackling those issues. It was during this time that they discovered the worrying amount of sensitive information being recorded on paper, kept in four-ring binders and locked in filing cabinets. This makes the information hugely difficult to share securely (e.g. with social care and other professionals), very difficult to analyse/report on and is susceptible to fire/theft or flood.
3000 children in Wales are identified as needing protection from abuse and with a sharp increase in recorded sexual offences against children, these are issues that schools and colleges are often the first to be made aware of. Furthermore, the range of safeguarding concerns now being handled in schools has grown exponentially to include issues such as child exploitation, mental health and well-being concerns and other digital dangers. This creates an enormous responsibility for schools, in managing what can be extremely challenging and time-consuming issues, which may result in legal proceedings years later. Whilst there is so much technology in the classroom, there are few solutions to support governing bodies, headteachers and other staff to manage their huge range of legal and moral responsibilities. Martin and Mike identified this gap in capabilities and designed an integrated approach to safeguarding in education. In June 2014 they teamed up with Darryl Morton, bringing in his technical expertise to create MyConcern, the safeguarding software solution that is now transforming the child protection procedures of its users.
One Team Logic was recently honoured in The Queen’s Award for Enterprise for the innovation that it has brought to safeguarding and child protection. Martin Baker says: “We are hugely honoured that the work of our whole team has been recognised by Her Majesty the Queen through the conferring of The Queen’s Award for Enterprise. For the innovation that we have brought to safeguarding and child protection to be celebrated in this very public way is both deeply humbling and extremely gratifying. As a safeguarding company our impact on both individuals and communities is direct. The use of MyConcern in any setting where children, young people and vulnerable adults require protection improves their safety, enables them to thrive and ultimately saves lives.”
The Wales based safeguarding company have Welsh speakers available in the Customer Support Team, who can assist and guide users in the Welsh language. One Team Logic is also currently working on developing a Welsh language version of MyConcern. This will help them to support Welsh speaking schools, colleges and organisations, creating a gateway to providing MyConcern in many other different languages, ultimately helping them to keep more children and young people safe.
Accelerated Growth Intervention.
One Team Logic has benefited from the Accelerated Growth Programme offered by Business Wales. Through it, the company was recommended to enter the Wales Start Up Awards, where they won both Services and Digital Start-Up of the Year awards. Since the awards it has been able to create new roles in Wales in the following departments: Sales and Marketing, Customer Service and the Software Development Team. The team has grown from less than 10, to nearly 70 employees during this time.
The Accelerated Growth Programme has also enabled the company to support the growth of Welsh talent, through the offering of training courses available to team members. It has also benefited from a number of work packages including: Intellectual property – IPR research undertaken as part of a Welsh Government initiative, which allowed One Team Logic to understand its value proposition and identity in an established market. Capital Law – Undertook a package which consisted of legal work and contracts, allowing the business to be in a stable legal position with suppliers, employees and customers.
A PR package was completed by Brand Content who helped to formulate a PR alongside shaping the messaging for the different audiences within the Education sector. They also assisted with securing several articles in trade press and other news outlets such as the Education Executive and the GDPR report. A second work package was undertaken by Liberty Marketing, who focused on an SEO package looking at improving the online presence. Martin Baker says “With some aggressive competitors in the market place, it’s essential that we ensure the highest Search Engine rankings to promote brand awareness as well as provide valuable lead generation to the business. As a result of this, we have improved our rankings whilst also putting in place a PPC which driving traffic to our website. We also have some key actions that will assist us when regenerating the website (an imminent project).”
Martin’s top tips: Believe in your product, your business and your team. If you live and breathe your industry (as we do with protecting children and their well-being) this should come easily to you.
Further information on the Business Wales Accelerated Growth Programme.