Florence Nightingale Foundation is a UK‑based charitable organisation focused on advancing nursing and midwifery leadership across health and social care. The organisation operates in a hybrid working environment, supporting staff through a combination of office‑based and remote working, and relies heavily on secure, reliable Microsoft 365 services to deliver its programmes and national initiatives.
Florence Nightingale Foundation undertook a review of its IT support arrangements following a period of operational friction with its incumbent provider. The organisation required clarity around contractual obligations while planning a smooth transition to a new managed service partner. At the same time, there was a need to reassess the overall technology environment to ensure it remained cost‑effective, secure, and aligned with current working practices.
The existing setup included full use of Microsoft 365, a mixed estate of Microsoft devices, and third‑party hosted infrastructure that was no longer considered essential. With a growing hybrid workforce and a mix of full‑time and part‑time users, the Foundation needed consistent support, improved visibility of its systems, and a clear onboarding plan that minimised disruption. Ensuring continuity of service, security assurance, and user confidence during the changeover was a key priority.
Our approach focused on delivering a controlled, well‑governed onboarding process while working collaboratively alongside the outgoing provider. We began with a structured discovery and onboarding survey to establish a clear understanding of the existing Microsoft 365 environment, device estate, user numbers, and server requirements. This allowed us to identify dependencies, reduce risk, and plan the transition in line with contractual constraints.
We proposed a Microsoft‑centric managed service model designed to support hybrid working and simplify ongoing management. This included onboarding all users into our support framework, deploying ScreenConnect for secure remote assistance, and implementing RMM tooling across servers to improve monitoring, patching, and visibility. Where legacy hosted services were identified as potentially unnecessary, we provided guidance to support informed decision‑making rather than immediate change.
Security and user experience were central to the solution. While Sophos anti‑virus was not required, we ensured Microsoft security capabilities were appropriately aligned with the organisation’s licensing and usage. Bigger Brains training was included as a separate engagement to support user adoption and productivity. Throughout the process, we maintained clear communication with the primary onboarding contact to ensure expectations, timelines, and responsibilities were understood.
The onboarding delivered a stable and transparent support model that aligned with Florence Nightingale Foundation’s operational needs. Users gained access to consistent, responsive IT support across both office and remote working scenarios, improving confidence and day‑to‑day efficiency. Enhanced monitoring and remote management provided greater visibility of systems, reducing the likelihood of unplanned downtime.
The organisation benefited from a clearer understanding of its Microsoft 365 environment and infrastructure requirements, enabling informed decisions about future investment and simplification. By approaching the transition in a structured and collaborative way, disruption was minimised and service continuity maintained throughout the changeover period.
Training support helped users make better use of Microsoft tools, supporting productivity and reducing avoidable support requests. Overall, the Foundation achieved a more resilient, cost‑aware, and user‑focused IT service aligned with its mission and working practices.
- Smooth transition from incumbent provider with minimal disruption
- Improved visibility and management of Microsoft 365 and server environments
- Consistent IT support for hybrid and remote users
- Enhanced system monitoring and proactive issue management
- Increased user confidence through structured onboarding and training
