Youth Connect South West (YCSW)

YCSW was originally formed within Bath & North East Somerset (B&NES) Council. As the organisation grew, it became clear that remaining embedded within council infrastructure was limiting flexibility, scalability, and day-to-day operations.

The decision to de-merge presented several challenges:

• A complete separation from council IT systems and services
• Supporting around 100 staff during a period of organisational change
• Ensuring continuity of services that support young people
• Creating an IT environment that could scale as new sites opened
• Improving security while keeping technology simple and accessible for users

Crucially, this transition needed to happen without disruption to frontline teams or the young people relying on their services.

YCSW ran a structured and in-depth tender process to ensure the right long-term IT partner was selected.

The process included a two-stage proposal, multiple site visits, and a formal board-level session. This gave YCSW the opportunity to assess not only technical capability, but also approach, culture fit, and long-term thinking.

For bzb IT, this level of rigour played to our strengths.

There was no guesswork in YCSW’s decision-making. Each requirement was clearly defined, openly discussed, and validated throughout the process. This allowed us to demonstrate a full understanding of the organisation’s operational needs, the realities of supporting staff across multiple sites, and the importance of delivering a secure, modern environment without disrupting frontline services.

By the time the project moved into delivery, both teams were aligned on scope, expectations, and outcomes. This clarity removed uncertainty, accelerated decision-making, and set the foundation for a smooth transition from planning into implementation, and onto ongoing support.

Based on these insights, we designed a cloud-first hybrid environment using Microsoft technologies, with security and identity at its core.

Key decisions included:
• Moving to a standalone Microsoft 365 tenant to give YCSW full control and independence
• Using Microsoft 365 Business Premium to balance enterprise-grade security with cost-effectiveness
• Prioritising identity, access control, and device management from day one
• Minimising disruption through a carefully planned cutover

Delivery highlights
• Migrated approximately 100 mailboxes from the B&NES Exchange Online environment to a newly provisioned Microsoft 365 tenant
• Implemented Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 to strengthen email and collaboration security
• Migrated file share data into Azure Files and SharePoint to support modern collaboration
• Enrolled end-user devices into Microsoft Intune, enabling centralised management and security
• Deployed MFA and passwordless authentication, including Windows Hello for Business
• Delivered on-site deployment workshops across multiple locations, ensuring staff were supported and confident using the new environment

YCSW also relied on a third-party line-of-business application restricted to internal corporate access. To accommodate this requirement, we implemented:
• An Azure Virtual Network Gateway
• Site-to-Site and Point-to-Site connectivity
• Entra ID authentication and Azure Private DNS Resolver

This allowed YCSW to maintain secure access to critical systems while keeping the wider environment cloud-first.

Throughout the migration, YCSW worked closely with a dedicated Technical Account Manager who ensured the transition from project delivery into business-as-usual was smooth and well supported.

Once live, our ITIL-aligned Service Desk took over day-to-day support, providing a responsive, people-focused managed service tailored to YCSW’s environment and users.

The Results:

Today, YCSW operates on a modern, secure IT platform that supports both its people and its mission.

• Technology is no longer a blocker, it enables staff to focus on supporting young people
• Cyber security is embedded as a foundation, not an afterthought
• Staff onboarding and device management are faster and more consistent
• Leadership has clear visibility and confidence in IT spend, performance, and future growth
• The organisation is well positioned to open new sites without rethinking its IT strategy

Most importantly, YCSW now has a trusted IT partner who understands the organisation, its challenges, and its values, reflected in a 4.94 out of 5 user satisfaction score.