Bradford Council’s Safe & Sound service provides a vital lifeline — keeping vulnerable residents safe, supported, and living independently. When the service needed to strengthen operational performance and manage growing demand, Bradford Council engaged Walker Business Transformation to carry out a rapid Lean review.
The Challenge
The service was experiencing rising demand without a clear picture of what was driving it. Not all demand is equal — some calls represent genuine need, others represent failure demand created by the system itself. Without understanding the difference, it’s impossible to make the right improvements.
What We Did
WBT applied a data-led, frontline-focused methodology across the full service:
- Analysed 124,000+ calls to separate Value Demand from Failure Demand
- Mapped 13 end-to-end processes and 19 sub-processes
- Facilitated collaborative improvement workshops with operational teams
- Prioritised initiatives using a benefit-versus-effort framework
- Launched immediate high-impact actions to build early momentum
Key Findings
- 80% of total demand generated by just 8 call types
- ~60% of call volume from just 20 frequent callers
- Demand peaked consistently between 10:00 and 17:00 — enabling precise workforce planning
The Results
Response times improved by around 10 seconds within weeks of early actions being implemented. Clear evidence-based pathways were identified to accelerate service resilience, reduce avoidable demand, and enable sustainable growth — without proportional cost increases.
For a service protecting vulnerable people, every second of improved response time matters.
Could your organisation benefit from a similar approach?
Book a free 30-minute diagnostic call with Lee Walker — 07736 379911 | info@wbt.org.uk | www.wbt.org.uk