Client Profile and Issue

The All-Party Parliamentary Media Group is a forum for discussion within Parliament on public policy as it affects the media sector, formed in 1992. Its membership is drawn from all political parties and both Houses of Parliament. It meets regularly to receive an address and have a short discussion with key players from the media industry, its regulatory agencies, and government ministers. It is an impartial, efficiently-run organisation, which provides a useful interface between Parliament, the industry and other key stakeholders.

Our Strategy

Our approach was to position the Media Group from the outset as the pre-eminent forum within Parliament for the discussion of public policy on the media. We provide an efficient and professional secretariat that is completely impartial to all party political considerations and all interests within the industry. We organise a programme of regular meetings for the Group as well as a series of policy breakfasts and an annual reception attended and addressed by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media And Sport. The Chair of the Group is a former journalist and TV presenter and its other officers bring substantial credibility from a wide range of backgrounds in the media and policy-making community.

Outcome

The Media Group is now acknowledged as a leading forum for discussion in Parliament and its work is sponsored, at arms length, by the BBC, BSkyB, ITV, Channel 4 Television, Time Warner and Walt Disney. It makes a valuable contribution to raising the quality of debate on media policy in Parliament and is greatly valued both by ministers and by industry.

The work of the Media Group also gave rise to the now-independent Westminster Media Forum which organises regular keynote national seminars on important developments in media policy.

Client Profile and Issue

The British Gurkha Welfare Society (BGWS) is the largest organisation of Gurkhas settled with their families in the UK. It has several thousand members in Nepal. Since its inception in 2004, the BGWS has been at the forefront of Gurkha campaigns on equality, settlement rights and equal pension entitlement for all ex-British Army Gurkhas.

In October 2009, the BGWS brought a High Court judicial review against the Ministry of Defence, challenging for equality of pension rights for a significant number of Gurkha veterans who had retired before 1997. In January 2010 the verdict of the review was returned in favour of the Ministry of Defence, leaving many of these Gurkhas with little option but to relocate to the UK to secure adequate financial provision.

The BGWS had maintained a high profile and successful national media campaign in 2009 fronted by TV actress Joanna Lumley. It was keen to continue its pursuit for equality of pension rights for the Gurkhas, despite the setback of the adverse judgment.

Our Strategy

We ensured the relevant Government officials were thoroughly briefed on key issues and that the crucial cost-savings implied in equal pensions was forcefully communicated. The BGWS enlisted the cross-party support of vocal Members of the House of Commons in support of a statement in opposition to the judicial review verdict.

All of the UK national newspapers, television and radio stations, along with key international newswire services, were contacted in advance of any announcement to alert them to the verdict of the judicial review. The BGWS then issued its statement as soon as the judgment was made public, also making Gurkha and legal spokespeople available for interview, supported with comments from the most supportive members of the House of Commons.

Outcome

The BGWS ensured that its comments in opposition to the judicial review verdict were published in three national newspapers (The Times, Independent, Daily Express) with a fourth (Daily Telegraph) also noting the outcome of the case.

The decision was highlighted as a breaking news story on Sky News, with additional online articles published on well read websites such as Sky News, BBC News and The Guardian. To date, more than 400 media outlets worldwide, including the Wall Street Journal, have carried the story, helping to secure public support for future Gurkha pension claims.

Testimonial

“...The outcome of the judicial review into Gurkha pension rights was, thankfully, far less of a setback than it otherwise might have been thanks to the professionalism of the Whitehouse team. In order to secure our goals of adequate provision for the many Gurkhas that have faithfully served this country’s armed forces, we have to maintain a presence both within the political agenda and the public consciousness, and this is what the team at Whitehouse provides.”

“Through their efforts, the judicial review was not allowed to slip into insignificance, and helped keep the Gurkhas firmly in the minds of public – ensuring that we keep up the momentum necessary to secure pension provisions for our members.”

Client Profile and Issue

The British Olympic Association (BOA) is the national Olympic body for the United Kingdom. It is responsible for selecting and taking members of Team GB to the Olympic Games, and for supporting and encouraging elite sport in Olympic disciplines. The BOA wished to mount a bid to bring the 2012 Olympic Games to London, but knew that such a bid would only succeed with active support from the government, the Mayor of London, and the opposition political parties.

Our Strategy

By commencing an early dialogue with Ministers and with officials at the Department of Culture Media and Sport and the 10 Downing Street Policy Unit we were able to work to support the BOA in identifying the concerns and objections the government might have to the proposal. We organised a parallel initiative to identify, approach and brief the key Conservative and Liberal Democrat Spokespersons in both Houses of Parliament, and managed the regular submission of briefing notes to Parliamentarians prior to relevant debates in both Houses. We created opportunities for the BOA to disseminate its arguments about the tremendous benefits to the whole of the UK economy that a successful bid would bring, and helped them to convince government that the Prime Minister could confidently personally endorse the bid, despite its huge financial cost, because of the professionalism and thoroughness with which the BOA were preparing the detail of the project.

Outcome

Over a period of three years behind the scenes work, the Government was persuaded that it could proceed confidently to endorse the Bid in the knowledge that it would have the support of the Mayor of London, the Conservative Party and the Labour Party, as well as the overwhelming majority of MPs and Peers and the people of London. In July 2005, after an inspiring campaign by the bid team, the International Olympic Committee announced its selection of London as host city of the 2012 Olympic Games. Whitehouse is proud of the part we played in bringing the Games to London.

Testimonial

"...the BOA undertook a major political lobbying exercise to convince government and opposition parties of the merits of launching a London bid for 2012 Olympic Games."

"The political strategy required detailed planning and careful execution if it was to stand any chance of success. Christopher Whitehouse’s guidance in this respect was fundamental to the outcome. A variety of mechanisms were used to engage cross party key decision makers and opinion formers across the whole spectrum impacted on by this multi faceted project, effectively every department of government. There is little doubt that without Christopher’s detailed understanding of Parliament and Whitehall and his excellent contacts that the project would have struggled to get off the ground."

"To him and all his colleagues at The Whitehouse Consultancy we are most grateful."

Simon Clegg OBE

Chief Executive of the BOA

Client Profile and Issue

The Cambridge Health and Weight Plan (CHWP) provides a range of weight management programmes, including Very Low Calorie Diets (VLCD), Low Calorie Diets (LCD) and conventional food programmes, which operate within primary and secondary care environments as well as the wider community through the commercial weight loss sector.

With more and more people categorised as overweight and obese in the UK, Cambridge wanted to ensure that Government initiatives designed to tackle the problem were all encompassing and that different solutions for different people are readily available. Cambridge also wanted to ensure that VLCDs were referenced accurately in all the Government documents and that any legislation in the area of VLCDs is appropriate and proportionate.

Our Strategy

The Whitehouse Consultancy has been working with Cambridge to raise their profile both in the UK and in Europe and ensured that they have had the opportunity to feed into all relevant Government consultation exercises including the consultation of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence Guidelines on Obesity.

The Whitehouse Consultancy has also been liaising with MEPs in Brussels to lobby for favourable amendments to the proposed EU Regulation on Nutrition and Health Claims which would potentially prohibition any claims making reference to the rate of weight loss claims.

Outcome

As a result of the targeted public affairs strategy, Cambridge is now acknowledged as a source of expertise in the field of weight management and has an on-going dialogue with all the key decision makers both in the EU and in the UK.

The Whitehouse Consultancy successfully ensured that key amendments to the Nutrition and Health Claims legislation were voted through in the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee of the European Parliament thereby significantly improving the proposed legislation.

Testimonial

"Obesity and overweight have become a political and public health issue of increasing importance in recent years. The Whitehouse Consultancy has provided excellent long-term strategic advice and guidance to ensure that our voice has been heard within the political and governmental arena, and has been instrumental both in raising our public profile and helping to resolve specific regulatory challenges when these arise."

Eileen Skinner

Managing Director, Cambridge Health & Weight Plan

Client Profile and Issue

Consumers for Health Choice (CHC) is a campaigning organisation defending the interests of consumers of food supplements, herbal remedies and other natural health products and therapies. CHC considers that regulations from the European Union are overly restrictive and will prevent UK consumers having continued access to safe and popular products which have been traditionally used to achieve and maintain optimum health.

Our Strategy

CHC has maintained an intensive lobbying campaign within the United Kingdom political environment to ensure that the UK government at all times is fully aware of the depth of concern about disproportionate regulatory developments. CHC has regularly briefed and lobbied all UK Members of the European Parliament, and members from all Member States who serve upon the key Environment Committee of that Parliament. We have also established an ongoing dialogue with officials of key government agencies, including the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and CHC’s views are also registered when appropriate directly with officials of the European Commission.

A high media profile, the recruitment and deployment of high profile celebrity supporters, and a constant barrage of parliamentary questions, early day motions, debates and other political activity, has kept pressure on the UK government to actively negotiate for a more proportionate approach in Europe.

Outcome

CHC achieved a paradigm shift on the part of the UK government in 2005, with the Prime Minister personally intervening to take a high profile public position on issues of concern. CHC has now achieved a situation where it is fighting in Europe with the UK government as an active and committed ally, rather than as the enemy. Meanwhile many MEPs from across the Union have signed up as patrons of CHC, and the Commission itself, at Director-General and Commissioner level, is very much aware of CHC’s aims and objectives for legislation under discussion.

Testimonial

"When Consumers for Health Choice was launched in 1996, it was clear that we needed expert political guidance to effectively reach MPs, MSPs, MEPs, regulators and decision makers in London, Edinburgh and Brussels. Christopher Whitehouse and the Whitehouse Consultancy opened doors for us that likely would have remained closed without his exceptional parliamentary knowledge and contacts across all parties. In fact, appointing the Whitehouse Consultancy was probably the best move we ever made as we are now welcomed and accepted as the 'voice of the consumer' when lobbying on natural health matters. After many years, we still rely on Christopher's direction and sound advice, and will continue to do so."

Sue Croft

Director, Consumers for Health Choice

Client Profile and Issue

ESSNA is a trade alliance representing the specialist product sector of the sports nutrition industry in Europe. It comprises members who have sales and marketing interests in specialist sports nutrition products in most of the member states of Europe.

The organisation was established to ensure that potentially threatening EU legislation on sports supplements was amended and to develop the image and profile of the sector. The legislation would have set unnecessarily low maximum permitted levels for popular products as well as set up a positive list system for particular ingredients. The latter would have meant that some existing products would have needed removing from the shelves, and that new product development and innovation would have been stifled.

Our Strategy

As a new organisation it was first of all vitally important to build profile and to develop key messages. The Whitehouse Consultancy helped ESSNA members understand the European regulatory environment and supported them in putting together position statements on issues of import.

Once the ESSNA position had been agreed it was important to communicate this quickly to senior UK officials, Ministers, UK and European Parliamentarians and officials in the European Commission.

ESSNA explained the flaws in the draft regulation and ensured that pressure was brought to bear from a range of decision-makers prior to the European Commission deciding on its own work plan. The aim was to demonstrate to the Commission that it would have a political problem if the flawed legislation were brought forward as drafted.

Outcome

By winning the support of the UK government and key MEPs as well as pressure from within the UK Parliament ESSNA ensured that the proposal was stopped pending industry agreement. ESSNA is now working with the wider industry movement to ensure that any legislation which is brought forward is proportionate and not damaging to small and medium sized enterprises.

ESSNA works with the World Anti Doping Agency, UNESCO and others in the development of a kite-marking scheme for sports supplements to ensure that consumers are fully and adequately protected.

Testimonial

"ESSNA was formed to represent the specialist manufacturers across Europe, lobbying the European Commission and the member states to ensure that the proposed sports nutrition directive accurately reflected the needs of all the athletes that currently use these products. This was seen as a mammoth task and we would not have got off the ground without Chris Whitehouse and his team’s expert advice, direction and support. With their assistance we are now making progress that at the outset of this work seemed almost unattainable. On behalf of all the companies that ESSNA represents I would like to extend our thanks."

Dr Adam Carey

Chairman, European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance

Client Profile and Issue

The Field Studies Council (FSC) is an educational charity committed to bringing environmental understanding to all. Established in 1943, the FSC has become internationally respected for its national network of education centres and is the UK’s leading provider of field courses. In recent years, the FSC has seen fieldwork provision in science and biology decline in British schools. Currently 96% of GCSE science pupils will not experience a residential field trip.

Our Strategy

Whitehouse has enabled the FSC to develop their public affairs activity over time, however the core focus has remained the same, including improving teacher training and seeking to promote fieldwork within the national curriculum. Over a number of years Whitehouse has worked with the FSC to run a successful public affairs campaign with the intention of raising awareness of the importance of fieldwork.

Outcome

Due to the success of the campaign outdoor learning is now firmly on the political agenda, evident by the two select committee inquiries which have been undertaken on the issue in recent years. Both reports emphasised the importance of learning outside the classroom and recommended that it became an essential aspect of every child’s learning experience. As a result of public affairs work the Government also commissioned the Training and Development Agency to undertake a review of Qualified Teacher Status standards.

Past and present Ministers, shadow Ministers and other prominent Parliamentarians have given endorsements to the FSC’s campaign. The FSC has also been mentioned as an example of excellence by Education Ministers in written parliamentary answers and by Parliamentarians in debates. Furthermore, the Department for Education worked with the FSC on the Manifesto for Learning Outside the Classroom and are represented on the Board of the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom which was launched in March 2009.

The FSC is also currently developing a proposal to build an urban education centre on the site of the Olympic stadium. Working with Whitehouse the FSC has generated positive support for this proposal from MPs, local councils and other Olympic partners. This has led to key MPs and Peers championing the centre. The FSC continue to maintain a high profile campaign in Westminster and Whitehall, allowing them to continue to pursue the core aspects of their campaign.

Testimonial

“The importance of science fieldwork in school education is now firmly on the political agenda thanks to the expertise and dedication of The Whitehouse Consultancy. Guided by the Whitehouse team the FSC has been able to effectively raise the profile of its work and commitment to environmental education. This in turn has led to a host of others in the educational and environmental sectors supporting the need for out of class room activity through parallel campaigns, to which the FSC are key partners, further increasing our political stature.”

Dr Stephen Tilling

Director of Communications, Field Studies Council

Client Profile and Issue

Get it 4 School is a new e-commerce programme; offering schools fundraising opportunities through the sales from an individual school web-shop. Get it 4 School establishes the website on behalf of the school and will forego all commercial operating profit on the sales of school uniforms; returning this money to the schools, providing them with a valuable long-term fundraising tool.

Get it 4 School approached Whitehouse to help them develop the programme nationwide.

Our Strategy

We immediately acknowledged the social benefits of this innovative scheme; driving down school uniform prices and reducing the burden on low income families as well as providing a much-needed boost to school coffers.

Knowing that these elements would be attractive to parliamentarians Whitehouse sought to build awareness of Get it 4 School in Westminster. Once MPs were familiar with the programme, relationships were established to ensure parliamentarians would be willing to help increase awareness among LEAs and schools in their constituencies by contacting them directly. Our additional initial activity also focussed on bodies like the National Governors Council and Local Government Association, who were similarly supportive; driving interest in the scheme.

Outcome

Get it 4 School has been overwhelmed by demand; there are now 50 schools involved and gaining substantial benefits. With such a level of interest, the programme has had to stop accepting schools while it focuses on delivering for this first wave and has started a growing waiting list of those keen to participate in the programme.

We are now in contact with key policy makers – taking Get it 4 School to HM Treasury and Downing Street – to discuss the possibility of a programme of government support for schools to assist with them with e-commerce/fundraising activities. In combination with this innovative scheme, this could herald a revolution in school fundraising.

Client Profile and Issue

The Green Machine is a commercial supplier of vending machines to schools, offering healthy alternatives to the snack foods commonly found in many vending machines.

With 16% of all 2-15 year olds currently classified as being obese in the UK, and soft drinks and other unhealthy snack products being cited as a significant contributory factor, the Green Machine was keen to promote to key policy makers the value of its products in delivering a healthier diet option for children in schools, and it enlisted the help of the Whitehouse Consultancy to achieve this aims.

Our Strategy

The public health issues surrounding children and young people were used as a platform for the Green Machine to establish itself as both a stakeholder in the debate on children’s nutrition and as part of the solution to the problem, stressing that as well as being lower in extrinsic sugars and unhealthy fats, all Green Machine products are free from any artificial flavourings, colourings or preservatives.

By introducing Green Machine representatives to Parliamentarians and senior government officials, governors’ and teachers’ representatives and other key interest groups the Green Machine was able quickly to put its key messages to the people best placed to implement change.

Whitehouse ensured that information about the Green Machine was regularly fed into all relevant Government consultation exercises and kept high upon the public policy agenda through Parliamentary questions, letters to Ministers and high profile Parliamentary events.

Outcome

The Green Machine is now widely recognised in Westminster, Whitehall and beyond as being part of a solution to the problem of poor health amongst school aged children. Through extensive profile raising and engagement with key decision makers the Whitehouse Consultancy has been able to help the Green Machine achieve references in key Government documents citing it as a healthier alternative to competitors’ products; and has helped the Green Machine establish a highly important relationship with school governors and the teaching profession.

Client Profile and Issue

The HFMA is the UK’s leading national trade association for manufacturers and distributors of a wide range of natural health products including food supplements, herbal remedies, organic and whole-foods, aromatherapy products, sports nutrition, slimming products, and other specialist items.

HFMA members have been threatened by a series of national and European regulatory developments that impose additional burdens upon manufacturers and limit not only the ingredients that may be used in products, and the levels at which they may be present, but also the comments which manufacturers and retailers are permitted to make in their advertising, promotional and marketing material, including on their web sites.

Our Strategy

Our approach has been to position the HFMA both in the UK and in Europe as a powerful voice of the sector and to ensure that it punches above its weight in the corridors of power in Westminster, Whitehall and Brussels. By sustained and intensive lobbying, both nationally through the HFMA officers and locally through its individual members, the profile and impact of the Association’s campaigns have been increased. Active involvement with Parliamentarians both in Westminster and in the European Parliament was initiated and developed to position the HFMA as the source of authoritative information, comment and advice on the regulation of the sector.

Parliamentary questions, motions, debates, delegations to ministers, meetings at 10 Downing Street, lobbying visits to the European Parliament, meetings as the European Commission, and a willingness to challenge regulatory decisions in the High Court and the European Court of Justice have all been key elements of the strategy.

Outcome

Today, the HFMA is the first port of call for regulators, officials and politicians seeking advice and information about the impact of new regulation on the specialist products sector. Its interests are now placed much higher on the agenda when new regulations are being considered, and the HFMA is continually in dialogue with all those whose decisions impact upon its members’ interests. Firm and robust commitments have been achieved both from the UK Government and from the European Commission about the way in which legislation will in future be developed and implemented.

Client Profile and Issue

The Holland and Barrett (H&B) Group is the UK's leading manufacturer and retailer of vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements. Holland & Barrett also owns health stores in the Republic of Ireland, and has expanded into Europe in 2003 with the acquisition of a health and beauty chain of stores in the Netherlands - a total of more than 600 retail outlets operating in three countries.

H&B’s commercial interests, and those of the whole specialist natural health products sector, have been threatened by a whole series of European directives and regulations that have greatly increased regulatory burdens, threatening the continued availability of many of the specialist products that are core to the H&B offer.

Our Strategy

H&B has been positioned as the most active champion of consumer rights in the UK and as a defender of the interests of the whole industry, including the independent retailers who are H&B’s competitors. With a store in most Parliamentary constituencies in the United Kingdom, H&B branches have been used as lobbying hubs, briefing MPs, issuing leaflets to mobilise consumers, and displaying campaign posters when necessary.

Direct communication with MPs, Peers, 10 Downing Street, the Cabinet Office and key officials of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) have been carefully managed to ensure that H&B’s concerns are noted at the highest possible level and that the company’s managing director has been personally involved, at the behest of government ministers, in finding practical solutions to the problems of over-burdensome regulations such as the Food Supplements Directive and the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive.

We also worked with H&B’s Managing Director to enhance the company’s influence within trade associations both within the UK and Europe; and secured a series of personal meetings with the most senior officials of the European Commission and build relationships with MEPs.

Outcome

H&B gained regular access to 10 Downing Street and government ministers, hundreds of products that would have been lost to the natural health sector have been saved, and government agencies have now been specifically charged by ministers with the task of working in Europe to find real solutions to continuing regulatory problems. Consumer choice has been protected, the specialist products upon which an entire retail sector relies have been retained, and many specialist niche manufacturers have remained in the market as a direct result of the H&B lobbying efforts.

Testimonial

"We have benefited greatly from the strategic and tactical guidance of the Whitehouse Consultancy in achieving an acceptable regulatory regime for natural health products. Whitehouse helped demystify the political process and made sure we punched above our weight in the corridors of power in Westminster, Whitehall and Brussels."

Peter Aldis

Managing Director, Holland and Barrett Group

Chair, Health Food Manufacturers Association

"50% of all children enter primary school without the necessary speech and language skills required to learn and make friends, which brings with it enormous costs if the associated difficulties are not remedied. Despite this, and the fact that communication is the 21st century life skill, those in the field have, ironically, often failed to communicate this message to Parliamentarians and public policy makers."

"By working with The Whitehouse Consultancy, I CAN has been able to get this message across and to begin to move towards a situation where communication is put at the heart of the children’s policy agenda. Whitehouse has helped us understand the avenues for affecting change, develop our messages to get the most from our public affairs work and to embed a culture of looking out externally within the organisation."

Anita Kerwin-Nye

Director of Communications, I CAN

Client Profile and Issue

The LIFT Council represents the private sector partners in LIFT (Local Improvement Finance Trust) schemes, a government-endorsed partnership between the public and private sectors to improve investment in health, social care and well-being in England. The membership comprises more than 90% of the private equity investors in LIFT schemes in England.

Whitehouse were appointed to provide public affairs and media support as well as chairmanship and secretariat services.

Our Strategy

Although LIFT is at the heart of the government’s policy to move the focus away from acute services, increase investment in primary care, co-locate services and deliver a patient-led NHS, understanding of the delivery mechanism remained low within the public policy arena. Too often LIFT was grouped together with other private finance schemes and its unique benefits and partnership approach ignored.

Whitehouse have therefore sought to widen understanding of LIFT among opinion leaders and decision makers; vocalising the message that LIFT is the solution to achieving health improvement goals and is the perfect delivery mechanism to drive forward the policies contained in the White Paper on primary health and social care.

Our aim was to ensure that LIFT had widespread support among all stakeholders and on both sides of the House in order to secure its long-term success at a time of wider uncertainty in the NHS.

Outcome

The LIFT Council has been recognised as a key partner alongside public bodies in developing and extending LIFT. In this position, the private sector has been able to act collectively to counter robustly a range of threats to LIFT’s continuing success.

Core messages have been communicated to professional medical associations, NHS bodies, shadow ministers, backbenchers and ministers. We have successfully positioned the organisation as a mouthpiece for direct communication with government through which member concerns can be heard at the highest levels.

In 2008 the government announced the introduction of Express LIFT, a national procurement framework based on LIFT to speed through delivery of new primary care facilities, allowing all of England to benefit from LIFT.

We continue to drive forward the development of this valuable delivery mechanism to improve investment in health, social care and well-being in England.

Client Profile and Issue

The Nappy Alliance is a trade body of 11 independent providers of reusable nappies, established to promote the use of reusable nappies with their concerns being two-fold; environmental benefits of landfill reduction and unnecessary energy use, and cost savings to new parents.

Our Strategy

Whitehouse have acted as both the secretariat and public affairs advisers to The Nappy Alliance, a campaign which has gone from strength to strength over a period of several years. The campaign has been based on issues of waste and costs savings. After numerous rounds of meetings with key Parliamentarians and officials, support for the promotion of reusables has grown, kept buoyant through parliamentary activity which ensures that all inquiries and consultations from waste reduction to sustainable development to NHS procurement are made to consider the impact of disposable nappies and the benefits of reusables.

Outcome

The Alliance has achieved sustained support for reusable nappies, securing dialogue with senior officials in the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) responsible for both the Waste Strategy Review and the Waste Implementation Programme, as well as with ministers in the Department of Health (DH) responsible for information which is made available to new parents. Success include the specific identification of disposable nappies within the waste stream by DEFRA and many local authorities in their waste action plans. In addition there has been the inclusion of the benefits of reusable nappies in the DH publication ‘Birth to Five’, given free to all new mothers.

The Nappy Alliance also has a strong relationship with the Waste Resources and Action Programme, a government funded body which has received £2.2 million to promote reusables across the UK.

Testimonial

"Following the decision to launch a trade body, the cotton nappy industry decided to concentrate its efforts and limited resources on political activity. We had no previous experience of running a political campaign and The Whitehouse Consultancy proved invaluable: helping us set realistic objectives and developing strategies to achieve them. Whitehouse’s constant guidance and attention to detail meant that at every stage our achievements have far outweighed our expectations and the campaign continues to go from strength to strength."

Guy Schanschieff

The Nappy Alliance

"NAT were delighted to be selected as Whitehouse's pro bono client for 2008/9. Whitehouse have provided us with a wide range of support from expert advice on influencing the EU and UK public policy process to assistance with our 21st birthday Parliamentary reception. With great commitment and enthusiasm they have helped us raise the profile of HIV in the UK with key decision makers in Westminster. Even more importantly, they have given us the tools to build on this in the future. Always at the end of the phone, full of ideas and inspiration, the Whitehouse team come highly recommended."

Deborah Jack

Chief Executive, National Aids Trust

Client Profile and Issue

Oxford Immunotec Ltd. is a specialist T-cell immunology company who develop and sell products based on T-SPOT™ technology that opens up new ways to diagnose and monitor infection. Their first commercial product to use T-SPOT technology is T-SPOT.TB, a blood test used to test for latent and active tuberculosis (TB) infection.

With growing rates of TB infection in the UK, coupled with a current testing regime which is over a century old, Oxford Immunotec realised the need to engage with the public policy making environment to promote their T-SPOT™ technology and to improve diagnostics in the UK.

Our Strategy

With the knowledge that the current testing regime for TB was developed over 100 years ago, and delivers low accuracy rates, in comparison to the 96% accuracy of T-SPOT.TB, and in addition that the test, the Mantoux skin test, is unlicensed in the UK, it was clear Oxford Immunotec required immediate meeting programmes with senior parliamentarians and officials leading on the development of TB diagnostics. An audit of health policy in this area told us that the Chief Medical Officer had recently advocated using technological advances to control rates of TB, and that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) were undertaking guidelines on TB Management. Influencing the latter would be the primary objective and communications were sent from MPs, Peers and Shadow Secretaries of State to NICE to endorse the uptake of T-SPOT.TB.

Outcome

Substantial headway was made, all health practitioners now advised that T.SPOT.TB has been identified as the most appropriate test for patients who are immunocompromised. The NICE guidelines acknowledged T-SPOT.TB, but do not go far enough. A commitment has been given by officials at the Department of Health to press for these guidelines to be re-visited in light of further evidence of its efficacy.

Oxford Immunotec have garnered in a very short period of time much support across both Houses, the three main parties and among officials, with encouraging answers given on the floor of the House of Lords and in answers to parliamentary questions in the Commons.

Client Profile and Issue

Pentagon develops and supplies to the automotive sector glass-related products including SupaGlass, a high-technology laminate. When SupaGlass is retrofitted to the inner surface of a glass pane, the glass becomes highly resistant to common forms of smash and grab, bomb blasts and projectiles.

Pentagon approached Whitehouse Consultancy in 2003 having become frustrated by the unsupportive public policy environment.

Our Strategy

Through a focussed research programme we were able to identify the Home Office Vehicle Crime Reduction Strategy as a key document. The Government’s reticence in taking forward its recommendations on improving vehicle perimeter security was highlighted to key MPs who were briefed at one-on-one meetings. The ability of SupaGlass to contribute to a reduction in vehicle crime was repeatedly emphasised and pressure was maintained on the Government to acknowledge this capability through parliamentary questions and meetings with key officials at the Home Office and Department for Transport.

Outcome

Within six months, we helped Pentagon Glass-Tech obtain a guarantee from the Home Office that their vehicle glazing security system would receive government endorsement. Pentagon are now working with the Home Office and Department for Transport to develop a national standard for laminate security glazing and to ensure that the technology is available to all drivers.

Pro bono Client Profile and Issue

The Spinal Injuries Association (SIA) is the national charity for spinal cord injured (SCI) people. It was founded by Baroness Masham of Ilton and fellow SCI people in 1974 and today has over 5000 SCI members. The SIA won a year’s free public affairs consultancy support from Whitehouse through our pro bono scheme in 2006.

The SIA represents the views of its membership on a wide range of issues and we recommended that they select one specific issue of prominent importance to members to ensure their lobbying activity remained focussed. After consulting the membership it was decided that the campaign would lead on health policy and, in particular, specialist care for SCI people delivered through Spinal Cord Injury Centres (SCICs).

Our Strategy

The Whitehouse Consultancy worked with the SIA to condense their concerns into a briefing paper and developed a series of headlines to focus attention on the key issues; that SCI care urgently needs modernising and that a national model should be developed to ensure minimum standards are met. Vitally, this action would save both lives and NHS costs.

We identified the Department of Health’s review of the commissioning of specialised services, announced in October 2005, as a vital opportunity. We therefore worked with the SIA to develop a programme of meetings with parliamentarians and officials to increase the organisation’s profile in Westminster and Whitehall and to drive home the need for change to the way SCIC care is funded and delivered.

Outcome

The SIA have secured valuable contacts across the public policy arena and built a base of support to back their campaign on improvements to SCI care.

When our pro bono support ends we will have maximised the opportunity of the specialised commissioning review and placed SCI care firmly on the agenda. We will also have ensured that the SIA are furnished to be able continue their lobbying activities in the future with a valuable range of resources, contacts and support.

Testimonial

"When we submitted the SIA [pro bono] application to Whitehouse we felt sure that there would be a great benefit to the organisation if we were successful. We never realised fully just how much of an impact it would have. The profile of SIA with politicians and civil servants has been raised hugely by Whitehouse. They have guided us carefully, taking into account the limited resources we have. Not only did they help us get meetings with key decision makers and influencers but on many occasions they attended the meetings and providing excellent tuition on how to achieve the most out of such opportunities. They have provided excellent advice and have been hands-on with the campaigning activities - we could not have asked for more. In addition they have left us a lasting legacy and enabled us to continue our vital work after the pro bono period has ended. Thank you Whitehouse!"

Paul Smith

Executive Director, Spinal Injuries Association

Client Profile and Issue

The Swimming Teachers' Association (STA) is a registered charity with the objective of ‘preserving human life by the teaching of swimming, lifesaving and survival techniques’. The STA receives no Government funding or support, yet has experienced incredible success over the last few years, growing a membership base of approximately 6,000. The organisation currently trains more than 40 per cent of all Swimming Teachers in the UK.

Our Strategy

Despite being an international leader in water safety and swimming and a significant contributor to the UK’s swimming sector, the STA was effectively being excluded as a stakeholder from swimming policy development in the UK. The UK Government’s position has been that swimming is a ‘sport’ as opposed to ‘physical activity’. This means that responsibility for both the recreational and elite/competitive swimming sector has been handed to Sport England and the national governing body, The Amateur Swimming Association.

Whitehouse devised a comprehensive political contact programme for the STA to raise the charity’s profile among political decision makers. We provided in-depth briefings and regular updates to parliamentarians, officials and policy advisors on the process that the Government was following on swimming policy, highlighting the Government’s closed consultation process, heavily dominated by the organisation with specific responsibility for the elite/competitive side of the swimming and without reasonable input from the wider recreational swimming sector. We were able to highlight the shortcomings of the £142 million initiative introducing free swimming for people aged over 60 and under 16.

Whitehouse worked with the STA to develop messaging to highlight the negative effect that this limited consultation process was having on policy development and calling for wider involvement of the swimming sector.

Our overall aim was to ensure that the STA had widespread support among all stakeholders on both sides of the House, who were willing to call for their involvement as a partner in future Government swimming policy development.

Outcome

A broad base of Parliamentary support for STA’s objectives was developed and drawn upon to raise key issues with the Government and highlight the need for wider stakeholder consultation in the future. With the weight of this political pressure, we were able to make the argument directly to the Government and to the governing bodies that STA’s involvement was a vital part of the swimming policy development process.

STA is now accepted as a major stakeholder in swimming policy and is used as an example of excellence by politicians. Following on from our initial activity, STA is now involved in discussions with DCMS and Sports England, as well as more widely with policy stakeholders.

Client Profile and Issue

Vitabiotics have been working with The Whitehouse Consultancy over threatening EU legislation on nutrition and health claims made on foods. The company manufactures innovative healthcare products to a global market with well known brands including ‘Wellman’, ‘Wellwoman’ and ‘Osteocare’.

The proposed EU regulation on nutrition and health claims, presented by the European Commission in 2003, proposed setting up a system of prior authorisation for all nutrition and health claims across the EU. This burdensome regulation, which would also have prohibited general well-being claims, would have threatened many existing products and caused significant delay to bringing new products to market.

Our Strategy

With the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers split over this proposal though needing to reach agreement is was important that MEPs, who were critical of the regulation, were convinced of the need to amend the dossier and the Council of Ministers, broadly in favour, were persuaded to change their view.

The Whitehouse Consultancy worked with Vitabiotics to ensure that the company was seen by MEPs and by member state officials as trusted partners throughout negotiations. By working with MEPs as they drafted particular amendments we were able to help ensure that such amendments addressed key concerns and defended the company’s interests.

As the legislation progressed we also worked closely with supportive UK Parliamentarians, holding a briefing in the House of Lords, planting Parliamentary Questions and encouraging them to make representations to the Secretary of State and EU Commissioners.

Outcome

The legislation was significantly improved. Vitabiotics is now working closely with the UK government and its regulatory agencies in relation to the interpretation and implementation of the legislation, and has significantly boosted its profile during the process.

Client Profile and Issue

Volunteer Reading Help (VRH) is a national charity that helps disadvantaged children develop a love of reading and learning. Trained volunteers, of which there are around 2,200, read, play and talk with the children on a weekly basis. VRH work in primary schools, but also provide some services to children in care.

VRH initially approached the Whitehouse Consultancy over concerns regarding funding. Ongoing uncertainty in this area meant that VRH was facing great difficulty in planning for the future. Furthermore, it was vital that VRH’s profile as an organisation was raised to ensure steadier funding streams in the future.

Our Strategy

Following a comprehensive audit of the existing policy environment, Whitehouse launched a programme designed to raise VRH’s profile not only with Parliamentarians, but also with key officials in the Department for Education & Skills. This included liaising with supportive MPs in order to table Parliamentary Questions designed to highlight the vital role the voluntary sector, and in particular VRH, plays with regards to the delivery of key Government programmes such as ‘Every Child Matters’. A meeting programme was designed to open a constructive dialogue with key officials in the Department for Education & Skills and other key bodies such as Ofsted and the NASUWT.

In light of an influential report from the powerful Education & Skills Select Committee on Teaching Children to Read, great effort was expended in engaging with such key stakeholders as Jim Rose, Head of the Independent Review into the Early Teaching of Literacy. As well as maintaining regular contact in this area, VRH also submitted evidence to a number of key inquiries such as the Public Accounts Committee inquiry on Working with the Voluntary Sector.

Whitehouse has also been involved in aiding local VRH branches to foster better relationships with their local elected officials. This has led to a number of beneficial meetings and improved local support.

Outcome

VRH now have an extremely good relationship with the Department for Education & Skills and have secured extended funding. VRH are also currently collaborating with the Department on the upcoming consultation on Looked-After Children.

The submission of evidence to various inquiries and maintenance of regular contact has lead to favourable mentions for VRH in, amongst others, the final report of the Rose Review which describes the VRH programme as “imaginative and well-established”.

VRH is in the process of developing a competency framework for non-teaching staff with the support of key stakeholders and The Whitehouse Consultancy will work with VRH to ensure political tensions are dealt with as they arise.

VRH local branches continue to foster good relationships with local representatives, which have included MPs visiting some of the schools that VRH work with in order to see volunteers at work.

Testimonial

"Volunteer Reading Help has been supporting children for over 30 years, providing additional support to the hardest to reach with reading and literacy development. Communicating the benefits of this work is vital to ensure that all the children who require this important additional support are able to receive it, and The Whitehouse Consultancy has been instrumental in helping us to do this and to ensure sustained and ongoing support at the highest levels of government for our work."

"We have benefited significantly from the professional expertise of Whitehouse and their experience and knowledge of the UK public policy making process."

Gill Astarita

Chief Executive, Volunteer Reading Help