Surrey Minority Ethnic Forum is a charity supporting minority ethnic communities across Surrey. Operating from locations including Guildford and Woking, the organisation works with a small team of full-time and part-time staff to deliver community-focused services. Its work depends on reliable, secure and accessible IT systems that support collaboration, communication and day-to-day service delivery.
The organisation was reviewing its IT provision following a period of operational challenges that were affecting internal efficiency, administration and long-term planning. Its previous support model was based on monthly set hours, which limited flexibility and made it harder to manage routine IT requirements without unexpected additional costs.
The team was using Microsoft 365, including email and SharePoint, but administrative access was restricted. This made it difficult to manage SharePoint permissions, remove former users consistently and maintain a clean global address list. As a result, redundant accounts remained visible in Microsoft 365, creating concerns around data integrity, security and compliance.
The organisation also needed to formalise Microsoft 365 licensing, introduce reliable cloud backup, improve antivirus protection and ensure IT support was accessible to users with varying levels of digital confidence.
Qlic IT proposed a proactive managed IT service designed to give the organisation clearer support, stronger security and a more practical operating model. The service was structured to move away from restrictive monthly support hours and provide responsive, unlimited support for day-to-day issues, routine administration and strategic guidance.
As part of the onboarding, Qlic IT reviewed the Microsoft 365 environment, including email, SharePoint and user administration. A key priority was ensuring the organisation had appropriate administrative control, so routine tasks such as user management, mailbox changes and SharePoint permissions could be handled more efficiently and transparently. Where appropriate, the internal team would be supported with guidance and training to help build confidence and reduce dependency on chargeable ad hoc changes.
Licensing was also formalised, with Microsoft 365 Business Premium licences agreed on a monthly annual commitment. This helped ensure staff had appropriate access to core Microsoft 365 services while supporting improved security and management across the organisation.
To strengthen resilience, Qlic IT agreed the deployment of Datto cloud backup for SharePoint, providing a more dependable approach to protecting key Microsoft 365 data. Sophos Intercept X Essentials was also agreed, supporting stronger endpoint protection across organisation-owned devices.
The approach also considered future development, including potential Salesforce integration, Microsoft Copilot and AI-based tools within Teams. In addition, Bigger Brains training was included to support user development and help staff with different levels of IT literacy make better use of the technology available to them.
The new managed support model gives the organisation a clearer, more reliable foundation for its IT provision. By moving to a proactive service with unlimited support, the team can access help when needed without the same concerns around restricted hours or unexpected charges for routine administration.
Formalising Microsoft 365 licensing improves consistency and helps ensure users are covered appropriately. Better control of user administration, SharePoint permissions and mailbox management supports cleaner records, improved data integrity and stronger compliance practices. Former users can be managed more effectively, reducing unnecessary visibility in Microsoft 365 and improving confidence in day-to-day account management.
The deployment of Datto cloud backup strengthens resilience by helping protect key Microsoft 365 data, including SharePoint and user accounts. Sophos Intercept X Essentials adds a further layer of endpoint protection across organisation-owned devices. Combined with training and tailored support, the organisation is better placed to improve digital confidence, manage routine IT tasks more effectively and plan future technology developments in a secure and structured way.
- Proactive managed IT support with clearer, more transparent service provision.
- Formalised Microsoft 365 Business Premium licensing
- Improved Microsoft 365, SharePoint and user administration.
- Datto cloud backup agreed for SharePoint and users.
- Sophos Intercept X Essentials agreed.
- Better control over user removal, mailbox management and address list accuracy.
- Support for organisation-owned devices and future asset management improvements.
- Bigger Brains training included to help improve digital confidence across the team.
- Foundation created for future Salesforce, Microsoft Copilot and Teams-based enhancements.
