A company from East Yorkshire which delivers transformational health and justice projects is drawing on the lessons of its work during Covid to sharpen its offer to customers internationally as it approaches its 25th year.
Agencia is enhancing its healthcare portfolio by building in more of the flexibility which supported the introduction of wellbeing programmes including buddy systems for staff in the network of primary healthcare services which it supports across the country.
The company’s Justice, Policing and Security Directorate, which saw much of its work impacted by international travel restrictions, will emerge from the pandemic with its new head, Keith Hunter, driving an enhanced range of products and services including investigation services, forensic services and disaster and emergency planning.
The new approach was outlined as Agencia’s Managing Director, Helen Gibson, presented a new business plan to colleagues with the key theme of continuing to transform lives by also transforming its own business.
Ms Gibson said: “When Covid first hit, like many businesses I wondered whether we would be able to make it through – we’ve faced many challenges over the years, but this felt different. We are incredibly grateful that we’re not only still here today but we have actually grown and are in a stronger position than ever as we commence our new business year.
This is no small achievement because the business operating environment has never been tougher. The international side has faced travel restrictions, cuts to foreign aid and the effects of Brexit. On the home front, all health and social care efforts have rightly been on tackling the pandemic, with everything stacked against us.”
As pressure mounted on the NHS, Agencia responded by mobilising its Primary Care Direct service to present wellbeing activities, monthly huddles and mentoring sessions to support practice managers.
Ms Gibson said: “We took a more nimble and responsive approach and also demonstrated grit and determination in our planning, taking tough decisions and making significant changes.”
Key appointments included Ryan Smith to the new role of Director of Healthcare Services, with responsibility to lead the company’s strategy around growing its range of clinical services.
The appointment of Mr Hunter was also pivotal, with Agencia moving quickly to bring back the former senior police officer who only gave up his previous post with the company to serve as Police and Crime Commissioner for a five-year spell in which he delivered improvements across the board for the Humberside force.
In the past Mr Hunter helped Agencia deliver justice, policing and security projects in Serbia, Bosnia and Kosovo and in the UK he played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s active recovery service, tackling substance misuse in North Lincolnshire.
He said: “It’s been a tough year for organisations like Agencia who deliver more than half their work internationally, and we have taken the opportunity to review and develop the offer of justice, policing and security not just internationally but also within our own borders.
“Our new service offer will include specific training in skills including financial investigation and forensic services as well as specialist policing services such as firearms. We can cover disaster and emergency planning and the analysis and protection of intellectual property rights.
“Crucially, we will be able to deliver these to the private sector as well as to governments, embassies and government agencies because we have access to strengths and capabilities in all those environments and we are introducing new skills all the time.”
