Serco Explained

Serco Group plc
Former Name:R.C.A Limited (1929–1987)[1]
Dealmove PLC (1986–1987)[2]
Type:Public limited company
Location:Hook, Hart, England, UK
Area Served:Worldwide
Industry:Government Services
Shipbuilding and Defence
Revenue: £4,873.8 million (2023)[3]
Operating Income: £248.7 million (2023)
Net Income: £202.4 million (2023)
Num Employees:50,000 (2023)[4]

Serco Group plc is a British multinational defence, health, space, justice, migration, customer services, and transport company.[5] It is headquartered in Hook, Hart, England. The company operates in Continental Europe, the Middle East, the Asia Pacific region, including Australia and Hong Kong, and North America. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.

The company was founded as RCA Services Limited in 1929, a UK-based division of the Radio Corporation of America. The company began providing technical and engineering services to the British War Office during the Second World War. During the Cold War era, it specialised in the provision of defense systems engineering and facilities management services, including the maintenance of sonar, early warning radar and satellite systems.[6] Following a management buyout, the firm changed to the name Serco ('Services Company') in 1987 and was listed on the London Stock Exchange one year later. The company was restructured during the 1980s, reorientated itself towards services beyond engineering, and expanded its presence globally.

Serco has encountered controversy, described by legal services firm Appleby as a "history of problems, failures, fatal errors and overcharging". During 2013, then-chairman Alastair Lyons resigned from the company after it was found that it had overcharged the UK Government for electronically monitoring criminals. Serco underwent a corporate renewal program during the 2010s, created in collaboration with the United Kingdom government, which overhauled the management of contracts and commercial auditing.[7]

History

RCA Services

Serco was founded in 1929 as RCA Services Limited, a British-based division of the Radio Corporation of America, and initially provided technical services to the cinema industry.[8]

RCA Services Limited began providing services to government departments during the Second World War. After the onset of the conflict, the company was contracted by the British War Office due to the company's engineering and technical background to supply the department with equipment which would simulate the sound of warfare to confuse the enemy.[9] During 1952, RCA Services was contracted to produce submarine-detecting sonar equipment for the United States Navy. In 1960, it was awarded the contract to design, install, and maintain the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) Ballistic Missile Early Warning System, including ongoing facility management such as cleaning, transport, and logistical stores.[9]

In the 1980s, the European Space Agency contracted RCA Services to support and maintain computer systems and satellites.[10]

Reinvention as a management company

By the 1980s, RCA Services began to interpret their company product as the management, rather than being just an engineering and science company. For their MoD Radar contract at RAF Fylingdales, "the art, it turned out, was in running the people, not the radar."[11] During 1984, RCA Services was awarded the Ministry of Defence's first outsourcing contract, under which it managed warehousing using the knowledge of staff who had completed similar work at RAF Flyingdales.

Following the takeover of RCA by General Electric in late 1985, RCA Services Limited was bought out by its local management. During 1987, the firm changed its name to Serco ('Services Company') and became a London Stock Exchange listed company one year later.[8] By 1990s, Serco had expanded from the United Kingdom and Europe, developing a global presence with major activities in Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, and North America.

During December 2008, Serco acquired SI International, a provider of IT services to the United States government in exchange for $524 million.[12]

Controversies and restructuring

During 2013, both Serco and its competitor G4S were found to have maintained inaccurate records and overcharged the UK Government for electronically monitoring criminals.[13] In November 2014, its share price, which stood at 674p before the taxpayer scandal broke in 2013,[14] collapsed to 218.7p, after four profit warnings. That same month, it was announced that Alastair Lyons, the chairman of Serco, was resigning from his position.[15] Speaking at the time, Lyons referred to "operational mis-steps" for which he took "ultimate responsibility", but said he had not been forced out.[16]

In 2014, Serco incurred a loss of £991million, which was followed by a smaller loss of £69.4million in 2015.[17] In response, Rupert Soames, Lyons's successor as chief executive, sold off "scores of divisions".[11] Soames stated that Serco was suffering from ministers’ improved ability at driving a bargain, and claimed that "the Government has got much more adept at writing contracts and transferring risk to the private sector".[18] Following an 8-year long investigation and trial, Serco's executives at the time were cleared of fraud charges in April 2021.[19]

Corporate renewal

Following the events of 2013, Serco underwent a Corporate Renewal Programme designed by the company and the United Kingdom government which overhauled the company's contract management and auditing processes.[7] By 2019, Cabinet Office publicised that "the remedial actions taken in 2013-14 were sufficient with regard to this incidence of wrongdoing".[7]

During September 2017, Serco announced that it was in the process of combining its UK and Europe operations.[20]

John Rishton[21] was appointed as Non-Executive Chairman in Spring 2021, succeeding Sir Roy Gardner[22] who held the position from May 2015. Rishton had been on the Board since September 2016.[23]

In August 2022, Serco announced that it would distribute £9million in one-off payments to about 45,000 non-management staff as the firm lifted its profit guidance and dividend;[24] this amount equated to around £200 for each of its 45,000 workers.[25]

In December 2023, Serco acquired European Homecare, a specialist provider of immigration services to public sector customers in Germany, for €40 million (£34 million).[26]

UK operations

Defence

By 2004, Serco held numerous defence contracts, including the UK Government's contract for the maintenance of the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System at RAF Fylingdales.[27] The MoD extended Serco's contract in October 2022 for a further three years, under which the company provides maintenance, repair, and operational services for the radar in Yorkshire, England.[28] Serco has contracts for the operation and maintenance of RAF Brize Norton,[29] RAF Halton,[30] RAF Northolt and RNAS Culdrose[31] in the UK and RAF Ascension Island in the mid-Atlantic.

Serco provides support services to garrisons in Australia.[32] Serco manages many aspects of operations at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom in Shrivenham.[33] Prior to June 2021, Serco was one of three partners in the consortium who managed the Atomic Weapons Establishment until it was taken over by the MoD:[34] in July 2015, the Office for Nuclear Regulation issued an improvement notice to the consortium demanding that it demonstrate that it has a long-term strategy for managing Higher Active radioactive Waste in order to reduce the risk to the public and its employees.[35]

Serco is a major subcontractor to Airbus Defence and Space on the Skynet military communications satellites under a private finance initiative (PFI) contract.[36]

Serco Marine Services is responsible for fleet support at the three main UK naval bases, HMNB Portsmouth, HMNB Devonport and HMNB Clyde.[37] In November 2022, the MoD awarded Serco a £200million follow-on contract, lasting 27months, to provide marine services for the Royal Navy.[38]

Transport

In London, Serco has operated the London Cycle Hire Scheme for Transport for London since it was first introduced in 2010. During December 2022, Serco signed a three-year contract extension valued at £50million to continue maintaining and distributing the bikes, including the newly introduced e-Bikes.[39] [40] [41] [42]

Serco has operated a number of train operating companies. It has a 50% shareholding in Serco-Abellio that has a concession to operate the Merseyrail franchise in Liverpool until 2028, and previously operated the Northern Rail franchise from December 2004 until March 2016.[43] [44] Between April 2015 and June 2023, Serco operated the Caledonian Sleeper between London and Scotland;[45] the contract was terminated early after Serco's request to rebase the loss making contract was deemed by Transport Scotland to not offer value.[46] [47]

In 1997, Serco purchased the Railtest business as part of the privatisation of British Rail.[48] Included in the sale was a management contract for the Old Dalby Test Track.[49] [50] Between 1997 and 2004, Serco operated the National Rail Enquiry Service under contract to the Association of Train Operating Companies.[51] It maintains Network Rail's fleet of infrastructure and maintenance trains at the Railway Technical Centre.[52]

In Scotland, Serco has operated the NorthLink Ferries ferry service since July 2012.[53] In September 2018, the firm commenced operating a bicycle-sharing system under contract to Transport for Edinburgh; these scheme was closed during September 2021.[54] [55]

Serco's Home Affairs division operates speed camera systems throughout the UK and, until November 2013,[56] designed, wrote and tested the software that controls the matrix message signs, signals, emergency roadside telephones (SOS) and traffic monitoring on England's motorway network including, until 2011,[57] the National Traffic Control Centre.[58]

Starting in 1997, Serco operated the London's Docklands Light Railway (DLR) under franchise.[59] [60] In November 2005, TfL announced that Serco had retained the DLR franchise for seven years from May 2006;[61] this contract was extended until September 2014 in January 2013.[62] However, in July 2014, the DLR franchise was awarded to KeolisAmey Docklands Limited, thus Serco handed over operations on 7 December 2014.[63]

Serco operated Scatsta Airport in Shetland until its closure in 2020.[64] During June 2010, Serco signed a £4million contract to operate all air traffic control services for Coventry Airport.[65]

Border security

Serco was part of a consortium called Trusted Borders,[66] led by Raytheon Systems Limited, to put in place e-Borders under a contract awarded by the UK Home Office in 2007.[67] As a subcontractor to Raytheon, Serco was responsible for delivering the infrastructure and service management of e-Borders; Raytheon had its contract terminated in July 2010 and Serco at the time stated it had fulfilled all its commitments on the contract.[68]

Work and pensions

Serco was contracted to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to provide telephone advice on behalf of DWP to recipients of Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI), which ended in April 2018.[69] [70]

Science

Prior to 2015, Serco managed the UK's National Physical Laboratory.[71] It currently provides IT Services, Industrial Support and Cryogenic Operations Support and Maintenance at CERN.[72] Serco was part of a consortium that ran the UK's National Nuclear Laboratory under contract up until October 2013.[73]

Prisons and justice

In Britain, Serco supplies electronic tagging devices for offenders and asylum seekers.[74] Serco, as well as its rival G4S, was accused of overcharging the Ministry of Justice on its contract to tag offenders. The firm issued a profit warning for 2014 as a result of the costs of becoming embroiled in an electronic tagging scandal. Serco repaid £68.5million to the government for its overcharging on the contract.[75] In May 2014, a Survation poll for the campaign group We Own It, found that 63% of respondents thought Serco should be banned from bidding for any new public contracts after the firm was investigated for overcharging on government contracts.[76]

Serco runs four prisons, a Young Offenders Institution and a Secure Training Centre.[77] It has operated two Immigration Removal Centres since 2007.[78] [79] Serco is responsible for the contracted-out court escort services in the south-east area, formerly a role undertaken by HM Prison Service.[80]

In September 2013, Serco was accused of an extensive cover-up over sexual abuse at Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre in Bedfordshire, England.[81] During August 2014, it was criticised for using immigrant detainees as cheap labour, with some being paid as little as £1 per hour.[82] The decision to award Serco a new £70million eight-year contract to run Yarl's Wood has been criticised; Natasha Walter, of Women for Refugee Women, said"Serco is clearly unfit to manage a centre where vulnerable women are held and it is unacceptable the government continues to entrust Serco with the safety of women who are survivors of sexual violence."[83]

During 2019, a fine of £19.2million was imposed on Serco following delayed legal action started in 2013 for fraud and false accounting over its electronic tagging service for the Ministry of Justice.[84] Serco was also ordered to pay the full amount of the Serious Fraud Office's investigative costs of £3.7million. In his judgment, Mr Justice Davis said: "SGL (Serco Geografix Ltd) engaged in quite deliberate fraud against the Ministry of Justice in relation to the provision of services vital to the criminal justice system."[85] During April 2021, the charged ex-directors of firm's subsidiary were cleared of fraud and false accounting,[86] primarily due to the SFO having failed to disclose certain documents to the defense, resulting in issues that, according to the judge, "undermine the process of disclosure to the extent that the trial cannot safely and fairly proceed until they have been remedied".[87]

In July 2022, the company supplied food containing maggots to children in a hotel in the Midlands. Serco issued an apology and said it would visit the hotel.[88]

Housing

During August 2018, it was disclosed that Serco had been planning to evict asylum seekers in Glasgow before their appeal procedure was completed; the legality of such actions under Scottish law was questioned by lawyers.[89] Serco confirmed that it was serving a notice of eviction on many tenants, causing alarm and lawyers challenged one asylum seeker's eviction at the Scottish Court of Session. Councillor Jennifer Layden, equalities and human rights convener for Glasgow, said, "The lock change announcement by the Home Office and Serco has caused widespread fear and alarm among asylum seekers in Glasgow. There is confusion and panic among the community – some of whom have limited English and who may not be affected by Serco’s announcement. Both Serco and the Home Office have a responsibility to put this vulnerable group at ease".[90] [91] Two asylum seekers started a hunger strike.[92]

In January 2019, it was reported that Serco had lost the contract to provide housing to asylum seekers in Glasgow.[93] That same year, a Freedom of Information request by the Scottish Refugee Council showed that Serco had been charged nearly £3million by the Home Office for repeatedly breaching its contract to house asylum seekers in Glasgow and Northern Ireland.[94]

Health

Serco provide facilities management services at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital,[95] Leicester Royal Infirmary,[96] and Wishaw General Hospital.[97]

The company held the contract for out-of-hours GP services in Cornwall from which it withdrew in December 2013 after the company left the county short of doctors. Serco also stated that it would stop running Braintree hospital in Essex as it opted to pull out of managing GP services and large hospitals.[98]

In health services, Serco's failures include the poor handling of pathology labs and fatal errors in patient records. At St Thomas' Hospital, the increase in the number of clinical incidents arising from Serco non-clinical management has resulted in patients receiving incorrect and infected blood, as well as patients suffering kidney damage due to Serco providing incorrect data used for medical calculations.[99] A Serco employee later revealed that the company had falsified 252 reports to the National Health Service regarding Serco health services in Cornwall.[100]

During November 2013, it emerged that Serco, which been awarded a contract for Suffolk Community Healthcare in 2012, had 72 job vacancies after previously cutting 137 positions. Problems identified by Ipswich and East Suffolk Clinical Commissioning Group include "staff capacity, skill mix, workload, succession planning and morale, training, communication, mobile working, care co-ordination centre processes, incidents and near miss incidents".[101]

In April 2014, Serco revealed that it would lose almost £18million on three of its NHS contracts. It had made provisions for losses in its Braintree and Cornwall contracts, which were cancelled early, and had also made provisions for losses in its contract for services in Suffolk. Serco claimed it would take longer to deliver the operational efficiencies it hoped for, despite stating in May 2013 that it expected to make a profit on the three-year, £140million contract for community services.[102] It said that staff had not recorded activity accurately on the Electronic health record and that activity had increased significantly during the course of the contract.[103]

In August 2014, the company had reportedly decided to withdraw from the clinical health services market in the UK after a review of the cost of delivering "improved service levels" and meeting the performance requirements of several existing contracts.[104]

During October 2017, it was reported that Serco was preparing to buy healthcare contracts from facilities management business Carillion. This deal included 15 contracts, with annual revenues of approximately £90million, for which Serco would pay £47.7million, with Carillion losing £1billion from the value of its order book.[105] [106]

In May 2020, Serco accidentally shared the personal email addresses of nearly 300 trainee COVID-19 contact tracers.[107]

Education

Between 2001 and 2011, Serco held a ten-year contract with Bradford City Council to manage and operate the local education authority, providing education support services to the city's schools.[108] According to senior council officials, this period was marked with "real problems" and management was taken back in house by the local authority after the contract's end-date.[109] Serco has operated similar management arrangements for both Walsall[110] and Stoke-on-Trent local education authorities.[111] By 2009, Serco was one of Ofsted's three Regional Inspection Service Providers, being responsible for school inspections in the English Midlands.[112]

Leisure

Serco Leisure Operating Ltd works with clients throughout the UK, running gyms, swimming pools, cycle hire schemes and National Sports Centres.[113] [114]

Information technology

Starting in 2005, Serco administered the publicly funded UK Business Link website until its closure in 2012.[115] During 2007, it was awarded a five-year tender to run the IT Infrastructure for the London Borough of Southwark.[116] [117]

Waste and recycling services

Serco operates recycling and waste collection services for various local councils.[118] [119]

Outside the UK

Canada

Serco, through a purpose-made division Serco DES, holds a ten-year, $114 million contract with the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario to operate Ontario's DriveTest driver examination centres. These tests include vision, road, and knowledge tests for all persons seeking to become a licensed automobile driver in the province.[120]

United States

In July 2013, Serco was awarded a US$1.25billion contract to manage the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which makes Serco one of the most highly paid government contractors in the US.[121]

Serco does the classification for all incoming US patents.[122]

Serco has a contract with the City of Chicago, Illinois, to enforce parking meter regulations.[123]

Serco provides air traffic control services at many airports in the United States and Canada.[124] Between 2004 and 2005, Serco operated a £5million per year contract from the US government to manage multiple airports in Iraq.[125]

In 2022, Serco was selected by the United States's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop the first generation No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS).[126]

New Zealand

During February 2011, Serco started operating the Mount Eden remand prison in Auckland, New Zealand.[127] The firm was heavily criticized for the existence of 'fight clubs' within Mount Eden prison that were not investigated until after their existence became public knowledge in July 2015 when footage emerged online and was reported by TVNZ.[128] On 24 July 2015, Serco's contract to run Mount Eden prison was revoked; its operation was given back to the New Zealand Department of Corrections.[129] Serco was ordered to pay NZ$8million to the New Zealand government as a result of problems at Mount Eden Prison while it was under Serco's management.[130] The New Zealand government did not accept that this was a failure of governmental contracting and oversight; it brought in correctional officers from afar to provide adequate staffing at Mount Eden, and had spent NZ$2million by December 2016 housing up to 40 of them in Auckland hotels.[131]

In March 2012, Serco was awarded a contract to build and operate a 960-bed prison at Wiri.[132] During March 2022, Te Ao Māori News reported that prisoners at Auckland South Corrections Facility in Wiri were experiencing unliveable conditions, including the denial of prison visits, unjustified lockdowns, lack of access to medical care, and insufficient safeguards against COVID-19; Te Ao reported that these conditions had led to two suicides within the space of five months. In response, Serco disputed several incidents in Te Ao's report and defended the quality of its care and services provided to prisoners.[133] That same month, Radio New Zealand reported that Serco was using interns to produce psychological reports on Wiri prisoners for the Parole Board.[134]

Australia

Transport

Between 1996 and 2005, Serco operated TransAdelaide bus services in Adelaide.[135] [136] [137] During November 1995, Serco began a contract to provide transport information services for Transperth and, in May 1996, a separate contract to maintain all of its bus stations.[138] [139]

Between 1997 and 2015, Serco owned the train operator Great Southern Rail, which operated The Ghan, Indian Pacific and The Overland passenger trains.[140] [141] In March 2015, the business was sold to Allegro Funds.[142] [143]

In Sydney, Serco has operated transport information services for Transport for NSW since July 2010.[144] [145]

Justice and Immigration

, Serco operates Acacia Prison in Western Australia, Australia's largest prison facility, as well as the Adelaide Remand Centre in South Australia.[146] [147] Serco and its subcontractor, MSS Security, have been criticised for abuses.[148]

Between 1990 and 2012, the company ran the Borallon Correctional Centre in Queensland, and also operated Wandoo Reintegration Facility in Western Australia between 2012 and 2018.[149]

Starting in July 2009, Serco has held the national contract for various immigration detention centres, including Christmas Island and the Villawood detention centre in Sydney.[150] [151] The Union of Christmas Island Workers highlighted the systemic failure by Serco to manage the Christmas Island Immigration Reception and Processing Centre, where a large number of refugees, including 1,000 children, were detained at its peak around 2013. Under Serco, there was an increase of deaths in custody and self-harm in the years leading up to 2013, as well as a deterioration of facilities, leading to the decline of the physical and the mental health of detainees and of staff. Ombudsman Allan Asher stated "In the first week of June when I visited Christmas Island, more than 30 incidents of self-harm by detainees held there were reported". Serco, in a staged memo leaked to The Australian, blamed the detainees for "creating a culture of self-harm" as a "bargaining tool". The former manager of the detention centre stated the centre was grossly understaffed.[152]

Europe

Serco formerly operated the Copenhagen Metro in Copenhagen, Denmark, with Ansaldo STS, until it sold its share in January 2008.[153] [154]

Since 2010, Serco has operated Germany's first partly privatised prison at Hünfeld, Hesse.[155] [156]

During 2013, Serco and its Swedish joint venture partner Strömma Tourism & Maritime secured an eight-year contract to operate four Djurgården ferries on behalf of Stockholm County Council and public ferry company Waxholms Ångfartygs.[157]

Serco manages the United Nations' Earth observation space programme, the Copernicus Programme.[158] [159]

Hong Kong

Since 2010s, Serco has been contracted to operate Hong Kong's Cross-Harbour Tunnel.[160] The company operates also the Lung Shan Tunnel and the Cheung Shan Tunnel in the New Territories.[161]

Mauritius

The 2017 Paradise Papers revealed that the legal services firm Appleby had carried out a risk assessment of Serco in which the company was noted to have had a "history of problems, failures, fatal errors and overcharging" and had faced allegations of fraud and cover-ups.[162]

United Arab Emirates

Serco provides air traffic control services at international airports in the United Arab Emirates.[163] It also operates the Dubai Metro,[164] the Dubai Tram[165] and the Palm Jumeirah Monorail in Dubai.[166]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: SERCO LIMITED overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK . find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk . 7 August 2024 . en.
  2. Web site: 1986-08-21 . SERCO GROUP PLC overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK . 2024-01-16 . . en.
  3. Web site: Preliminary Results 2023 . Serco. 29 February 2024.
  4. Web site: Serco: About us. Serco Group plc. 17 February 2023.
  5. Web site: About Serco . Serco Group.
  6. 31 December 1988 . Serco Group Plc And Subsidiaries Annual Account 1988 .
  7. Web site: Buckland . Robert . SFO Investigation of Serco and G4S Government contracts . Parliament UK.
  8. Web site: History . Serco . 14 May 2010 . 18 July 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100829052057/http://www.serco.com/about/ataglance/history/index.asp . 29 August 2010 .
  9. Flanagan . Frances . ‘Imagine us as part of you’ Outsourcing and the Serco way . Griffith Review . 2020 . 67 .
  10. News: Serco Hopes That the World Will Prove to Be an Outsourcer’s Oyster . Financial Times . January 2001.
  11. Web site: Knight . Sam . Can Winston Churchill’s grandson save Serco? And is it worth saving? . The Guardian . 21 August 2023 . 2 July 2015.
  12. Web site: Hubler . David . Serco wraps up SI International buy . Washingtontechnology.com . 30 December 2008 . 18 July 2010.
  13. News: Monaghan . Angela . Serco raises estimated hit from electronic tagging scandal . 21 August 2023 . The Guardian . 19 December 2013.
  14. News: G4S & Serco fraud: Oops, we couldn't tell the difference between right and wrong . 26 July 2018 . Open Democracy . 21 November 2013.
  15. News: BBC News – Serco chairman to leave troubled government contractor . BBC News . 17 November 2014 . 17 November 2014.
  16. News: Serco chairman Alastair Lyons steps down from scandal-hit outsourcer . The Independent . 17 November 2014.
  17. News: Serco stems its gigantic losses, shrinks 2015's to a mere £70m . Kat . Hall . The Register . 25 February 2016 . 26 February 2016.
  18. News: Serco shares dive after another profit alert . 10 November 2014 . Evening Standard . 10 November 2014.
  19. News: Ex-Serco bosses cleared after fraud case collapses . 21 August 2023 . BBC News . 26 April 2021.
  20. News: Serco combines UK and Europe divisions resulting in the loss of a senior director . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/09/11/serco-combines-uk-europe-divisions-resulting-loss-senior-director/ . 12 January 2022 . subscription . live . Bury . Rhiannon . 11 September 2017 . The Telegraph . 20 October 2017 . en-GB . 0307-1235.
  21. Web site: Chair Succession – Company Announcement - FT.com . 2022-07-18 . markets.ft.com.
  22. Web site: Serco appoints City veteran Sir Roy Gardner as chairman. FT. 27 May 2015. 17 April 2016.
  23. Web site: Serco Says Director Rishton Will Replace Outgoing Chair Gardner Finance News shareprices.com . 2022-07-18 . shareprices.com.
  24. News: Saker-Clark . Henry . 5 August 2022 . Outsourcer Serco to hand out £9m cash boost to workforce . The Independent . 8 August 2022.
  25. News: Warrington . James . 4 August 2022 . Ethical investors have made 'screeching U-turn' on defence, says Serco . The Telegraph . 8 August 2022.
  26. Web site: 14 December 2023 . TOP NEWS: Serco eyes higher operating profit as buys European Homecare . 14 December 2023 . morningstar.co.uk . en-GB.
  27. News: Terry . Macalister . 2 September 2004 . PFI deals help Serco to record order book of £10bn . The Guardian . UK . 18 July 2010.
  28. Web site: 19 October 2022 . UK MoD extends Serco’s contract for SSPAR support at RAF Fylingdales . airforce-technology.com.
  29. Web site: 18 March 2010 . Airport of Embarkation . 18 July 2010 . raf.mod.uk.
  30. Web site: Serco Business Review Page 20 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110928222237/http://www.investis.com/reports/srp_en_ara_2002/downloads/part6.pdf . 28 September 2011 . 18 July 2010.
  31. Web site: Serco Granted Contracts To UK's Royal Air Force, Naval Air Command . 19 July 2017 . RTT News.
  32. Web site: Serco Sodexho and the real story about work choices . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141129130444/http://www.katelundy.com.au/2006/11/29/serco-sodexho-and-the-real-story-about-work-choices/ . 29 November 2014 . 17 November 2014.
  33. Web site: Defence Academy . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090622084753/http://www.da.mod.uk/colleges/jscsc/About%20JSCSC/Support%20Services . 22 June 2009 . 18 July 2010 . da.mod.uk.
  34. News: Harrison . Michael . 21 June 2001 . BNFL consortium seeks 15-year extension to Aldermaston contract . The Independent . UK . 18 July 2010.
  35. Web site: 13 July 2015 . Improvement Notice served on AWE . onr.org.uk . 19 August 2020.
  36. Web site: Satcoms . 10 March 2021 . Serco.
  37. Web site: Marine Services . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090313011413/http://www.serco.com/markets/defence/marineservices.asp . 13 March 2009 . 20 February 2009 . Serco.
  38. News: Serco wins GBP200 million follow-on contract with Royal Navy . 16 November 2022 . Morning Star . 13 August 2023.
  39. News: Hill . Dave . 12 August 2009 . Boris Johnson bike hire scheme: and the winner is . The Guardian . UK . 18 July 2010.
  40. Web site: Transport for London: Franchise . 18 July 2010 . Tfl.gov.uk.
  41. Web site: OBeirne . Sarah . 8 December 2022 . Serco extends London cycle hire contract with TfL .
  42. Web site: Ballinger . Alex . 1 December 2022 . Government contract firm Serco extends deal to operate Santander Cycles .
  43. Serco and NedRail now in charge at Merseyrail . . 467 . 19 August 2003 . 12.
  44. Web site: Serco NedRailways announced as Preferred Bidder . https://web.archive.org/web/20070206063013/http://www.dft.gov.uk/press/releases/sra/2004/2004b/serconedrailwaysannouncedasp1487 . 2007-02-06 . dead . . 1 July 2004.
  45. News: Serco awarded contract to run the famous Caledonian Sleeper railway line . 28 May 2014 . The Independent.
  46. Caledonian Sleeper franchise agreement to be terminated . . 238 . December 2022 . 7.
  47. Caledonian Sleeper contract to end in June 2023 . . 890 . November 2022 . 14.
  48. Serco buys Railtest . . 49 . 6 March 1997 . 2.
  49. Old Dalby test track sold as part of Railtest . . 1152 . April 1997 . 9.
  50. Serco wins Old Dalby . Rail . 568 . 20 June 2007 . 9.
  51. Serco loses NRES . Rail . 478 . 7 January 2004 . 7.
  52. Serco spends £100,000 to upgrade its Derby centre . Rail . 582 . 2 January 2008 . 16.
  53. News: 29 May 2012 . Serco confirmed as Northern Isles ferry operator . BBC News . UK . 24 July 2012.
  54. Web site: 17 September 2019 . Bike hire scheme launched in Edinburgh . 26 January 2020 . BBC News.
  55. Web site: Edinburgh Cycle Hire . transportforedinburgh.com.
  56. News: 27 November 2013 . Serco Sells Transport Maintenance Division . FMWorld . 28 March 2017.
  57. Web site: 6 June 2011 . Mouchel-Thales joint venture wins major Highways Agency contract . 28 March 2017 . New Civil Engineer.
  58. News: Shah . Saeed . 21 February 2001 . Serco to run Britain's first traffic control unit . The Independent . UK . dead . 18 July 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111019174606/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/serco-to-operate-britains-first-road-traffic-control-unit-692753.html . 19 October 2011.
  59. Docklands Light Rail privatised . . 1153 . May 1997 . 12.
  60. Acquisition of DRML Shares . https://web.archive.org/web/20130313144228/http://www.serco.com/media/pressreleases/archive/1997/008_1997.asp . 13 March 2013 . Serco . 1997.
  61. DLR awards new franchise to Serco . Transport for London . 8 March 2006 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131113151931/http://developments.dlr.co.uk/NewsDetail.aspx?newsid=1122 . 13 November 2013 .
  62. DLR operating contract extended until September 2014 . 7 January 2013 . Transport for London . 7 January 2013 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20130117170025/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/26710.aspx . 17 January 2013 .
  63. News: French firm wins 7-year Docklands Light Rail franchise . https://web.archive.org/web/20150924040401/http://www.bbc.com/news/business-28157128 . 24 September 2015 . BBC News . 4 July 2014 .
  64. News: Scatsta Airport control tower not fit for purpose . Shetland Times . 10 June 2011 . 1 July 2011 .
  65. Web site: Coventry Airport Gears Up For Business . Coventry Airport . 15 June 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110726051244/http://www.coventryairport.co.uk/news/2010/06/15/coventry_airport_gears_up_for_business . 26 July 2011 .
  66. Web site: Jacques . Paul . 29 November 2007 . Suppliers for the e-Borders programme .
  67. Web site: 14 November 2007 . Raytheon Awarded Contract with U.K. Home Office for e-Borders Project .
  68. News: 22 July 2010 . UPDATE 2-UK ends Raytheon border contract . Reuters .
  69. Web site: Parliamentary Business, 2017 . parliament.uk . 24 February 2018.
  70. Web site: They Work for You . 24 February 2018.
  71. Web site: What is NPL? . NPL.
  72. Web site: Contract News Update . Serco . 15 March 2015.
  73. Web site: New management team takes over at National Nuclear Lab . manchester.ac.uk . 17 November 2014.
  74. Web site: Home Office: Electronic tagging . 19 October 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070610164843/http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/freedom-of-information/released-information/foi-archive-offender-management/3592-electronic-tagging?view=Html . 10 June 2007 . dead .
  75. News: Sick of Serco: Meet the Protesters Outside the Outsourcing Giant's London AGM . 8 May 2014 . International Business Times . 8 May 2014.
  76. News: Bucking the trend: Poll shows huge opposition to privately run public services . 8 May 2014 . Politics.co.uk . 8 May 2014.
  77. Web site: Paterson . Craig . Virtual Private Prisons . . 18 July 2010.
  78. Web site: Home Office: Yarls Wood . Ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk . 18 July 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090201172751/http://ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/managingborders/immigrationremovalcentres/yarlswood . 1 February 2009 . dead .
  79. Web site: Home Office: Colnbrook . Ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk . 18 July 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090130010807/http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/managingborders/immigrationremovalcentres/colnbrook . 30 January 2009 . dead .
  80. Web site: Wackenhut Corrections wins prisoner escort contract . Prnewswire.co.uk . 18 July 2010.
  81. Web site: Detainees at Yarls Wood Immigration Centre facing sexual abuse . . Mark . Townsend . 14 September 2013 . 15 September 2013.
  82. News: Rawlinson . Kevin . 22 August 2014 . Private firms 'are using detained immigrants as cheap labour' . The Guardian . 22 August 2014 .
  83. News: Yarl's Wood £70m Serco contract renewal 'unacceptable' . 25 November 2014 . BBC News . 24 November 2014.
  84. News: Serco fined £19m over tagging scandal . BBC News . 3 July 2019 . 3 July 2019.
  85. Web site: SFO completes DPA with Serco Geografix Ltd . 4 July 2019 . Serious Fraud Office . 30 October 2019.
  86. Web site: Trial of former Serco executives collapses as SFO fails to disclose evidence . 26 April 2021 . The Guardian.
  87. Web site: SFO's case against former Serco executives collapses . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/769c8883-fdee-4251-a4c8-993b510a1b1b . 10 December 2022 . subscription . live . 26 Apr 2021 . Financial Times.
  88. News: Home Office contractor gives children hotel food containing worms . Diane . Taylor . Guardian Newspapers . 31 July 2022.
  89. News: Glasgow council warns of humanitarian crisis over asylum seeker evictions . . 1 August 2018 . 1 August 2018.
  90. News: Alarm among Glasgow's asylum seekers as Serco confirms eviction plan . . 2 August 2018 . 2 August 2018.
  91. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine:
  92. News: Refugees begin 'hunger strike' in response to Serco eviction notices in Glasgow . . 1 August 2018 . 1 August 2018.
  93. Web site: Serco loses contract to house asylum seekers in Scotland . . 8 January 2019 . 13 January 2018.
  94. News: Goodwin . Karin . Serco fined almost £3m by Home Office for asylum housing failures . . 3 June 2019 . 21 May 2019.
  95. Web site: Private Finance Initiative – Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital . 18 July 2010 . dead . https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20081003104713/http://nnuh.nhs.uk/docs/trustdocs/96.pdf . 3 October 2008 .
  96. Web site: Leicester Royal Infirmary: Hospital Cleaning . Uhl-tr.nhs.uk . 18 July 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110928130148/http://www.uhl-tr.nhs.uk/formedia/press-releases/january-december-06/july-september-2006/september-2006/hospital-cleaning- . 28 September 2011 . dead .
  97. Web site: Krissy . Storrar . So you thought it was Tony and Gordon in charge? . Daily Mirror . 25 February 2006 . 18 July 2010.
  98. News: Serco to lose out-of-hours GP services and hospital management contracts . 22 December 2013 . The Guardian . 13 December 2013.
  99. News: Ramesh . Randeep . NHS lab failings followed Serco-led takeover . The Guardian . 2 January 2013 . London . 30 September 2012.
  100. News: Lawrence . Felicity . Serco gave NHS false data about its GP service 252 times . The Guardian . 2 January 2013 . London . 20 September 2012.
  101. Web site: Serco seeks NHS help to fill vacancies . . 20 November 2013 . 22 November 2013.
  102. News: Serco to make £17.6m losses on NHS contracts . 19 April 2014 . Health Investor . 10 April 2014.
  103. News: Serco: Suffolk contract was 'not long enough' for change . 8 November 2015 . Health Service Journal . 28 September 2015.
  104. News: Serco to withdraw from UK clinical services market . 20 August 2014 . Local Government Chronicle . 18 August 2014.
  105. News: Carillion closes health deal with Serco . 13 December 2017 . The Construction Index . 13 December 2017.
  106. Web site: Serco acquires a number of Carillion healthcare contracts at near half price . healthcare-digital.com . Catherine . Sturman . 17 May 2020.
  107. News: BBC News . Coronavirus: Serco apologises for sharing contact tracers' email addresses . Ross . Hawkins . 20 May 2020.
  108. News: Catcheside . Kim . Bradford: Concerns about education privatisation . BBC News . 10 November 2003 . 18 July 2010.
  109. Web site: Bradford Council's £100,000 tribunal pay-outs . Bradford Telegraph and Argus . 17 November 2014.
  110. News: Chris Hyman: Can Serco take over the World? . The Independent . UK . 2 September 2007 . 18 July 2010 .
  111. Web site: Best school in town and still they want to close it . Ed . Caesar . The Sunday Times . 11 November 2007.
  112. New inspection contracts signed . Ofsted . 25 March 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091209083102/http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/News/Press-and-media/2009/March/New-inspection-contracts-signed . 9 December 2009 . dmy-all .
  113. Web site: Company details: Serco Leisure . leisuremanagement.co.uk . 23 December 2023.
  114. Web site: Serco picks agency to help it beef up marketing . Marketing Week . 9 October 2008 . 18 July 2010.
  115. Web site: Enlightenlive: Serco . Enlightenlive . 18 July 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100609142505/http://www.enlightenlive.com/html/serco.html . 9 June 2010 . dead .
  116. Web site: Review of the Recharging Arrangements between the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account . London Borough of Southwark . October 2011.
  117. News: Southwark voluntary and community groups to receive PCs from serco . Findarticles.com . 18 July 2010 . 2007.
  118. Web site: Breckland contractors . Breckland District Council . 7 September 2012 . 7 September 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130603121121/http://www.breckland.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Uploads/finance/500%20April%202012.pdf . 3 June 2013 . dead .
  119. Web site: Lambeth council awards £100m bins contract to Serco . newsshopper.co.uk . Grainne . Cuffe . 6 August 2021.
  120. Web site: Serco . Serco – North America . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060525024101/http://www.serco.com/about/ataglance/operate/us.asp . 25 May 2006 . 17 November 2014.
  121. News: Obama Administration Defends Serco, Firm With $1.2 Billion Obamacare Contract, Amid U.K. Probe . 16 July 2013 . 12 December 2013 . Huffington Post.
  122. Web site: Serco nabs $95M patent classification services contract . Mark . Hoover . Washington Technology . 1 December 2015 . 29 October 2018.
  123. Web site: Serco Inc. Secures Two Contract Renewals from the City of Chicago . 23 February 2012 . 16 January 2007.
  124. Web site: Goose Bay Airport – Control Tower services . goosebayairport.com.
  125. News: Terry . Macalister . 3 March 2004 . Serco wins Iraqi Air Traffic Deal . The Guardian . UK . 18 July 2010.
  126. News: No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) Program to Build, Test, Demonstrate First Ship . Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
  127. Web site: Serco says Mt Eden prison contract worth $300M . 1 February 2011 . NZ News UK . 26 December 2011.
  128. News: Exclusive: Secret gang fight club at Mt Eden Prison revealed . 16 July 2015 . Luke Appleby/ONE News . 29 August 2015 . TVNZ.
  129. Web site: Serco admits 'fight club' reports came months ago . The New Zealand Herald . 20 July 2015.
  130. Web site: Serco to pay $8m to Corrections . 4 April 2016 . Radio New Zealand . 29 April 2016.
  131. News: Corrections racks up $2m hotel bill for extra guards at Mt Eden prison . 1 April 2018 . 16 December 2016 . Stuff.co.nz.
  132. Web site: New private prison at Wiri given green light . The New Zealand Herald . 8 March 2012.
  133. News: Trafford . Will . ‘Blood bath from hell’: Inmates at private prison tell of suicides, allege negligence amid Covid outbreak . 19 June 2023 . Te Ao Māori News . . 9 March 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230325044149/https://www.teaomaori.news/blood-bath-hell-inmates-private-prison-tell-suicides-allege-negligence-amid-covid-outbreak . 25 March 2023.
  134. News: Doyle . Katie . Serco's psychological evaluation of inmates 'very poor' - Parole Board Chair . 19 June 2023 . . 10 March 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221226035053/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/463059/serco-s-psychological-evaluation-of-inmates-very-poor-parole-board-chair . 26 December 2022 . live.
  135. Adelaide Contracts . . 241 . March 1996 . 59.
  136. Adelaide Bus Tendering Results Announced . . 15/5 . April 2000 . 29.
  137. New Adelaide Bus Service Contracts . . April 2005 . 118.
  138. Perth's Private Contracts . Transit Australia . April 1996 . 87.
  139. Perth - Tenderng the Network . Transit Australia . October 1996 . 225.
  140. Web site: Australia's Great Train Journeys . 17 November 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090911222033/http://www.gsr.com.au/about-us/our-history.php . 11 September 2009 .
  141. Web site: The Ghan – Australia on line . ethosjournal.com . 17 November 2014.
  142. Web site: Allegro Funds buys Great Southern Rail from Serco . . 30 March 2015.
  143. Web site: Great Southern Rail to be bought by Allegro in high-end tourism push . . 30 March 2015.
  144. Web site: Integrated Transport and Information Services . Serco Asia Pacific . https://web.archive.org/web/20120901183704/http://www.serco-ap.com.au/our-services/our-work/integrated-transport-and-information-services/ . 1 September 2012 .
  145. Web site: Integrated Transport Information Service - MOT-ITIS2009/01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190614050454/https://tenders.nsw.gov.au/ . 2019-06-14 . dead . NSW eTendering . 2 February 2010.
  146. Web site: Adelaide Remand Centre . Department for Correction8al Services . 1 January 2003 . 8 July 2020.
  147. Web site: Department for Correctional Services – Adelaide Remand Centre . Corrections.sa.gov.au . 21 August 2019 . 15 December 2019.
  148. Web site: No transparency in Serco dealings with contractors . 2 November 2010 . crikey.com.au.
  149. Web site: State Govt confirms it will take over Wandoo Reintegration Facility in Murdoch . PerthNow (Community News) . 28 August 2017 . 8 July 2020.
  150. Web site: Private contractor Serco to run detention centres . crikey.com.au . 1 July 2009.
  151. Web site: Companies Use Immigration Crackdown to Turn a Profit . The New York Times . 28 September 2011.
  152. Web site: O'Keeffe . Patrick . Nightmare on Christmas Island: Serco's Australian Detention Center . CorpWatch . 2 January 2013.
  153. Web site: Milanese run København Metro . . 8 January 2008 . 15 March 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110616063719/http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view//milanese-run-koslashbenhavn-metro.html . 16 June 2011 .
  154. Web site: Ansaldo og Metro Service fik forlænget kontrakten . Contract renewed with Ansaldo and Metro Service . de Laine . Thomas . 12 July 2006 . Myldretid . 8 April 2010 . da . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110719130303/http://myldretid.dk/nyheder/nr/394 . 19 July 2011.
  155. Web site: Prison Privatisation . Strafvollzugsarchiv.de . 18 July 2010.
  156. Web site: Germany opens its first semi-private prison . expatica.com . 7 December 2005.
  157. News: Serco:Strömma manage ferries . 19 April 2014 . Cruise and Ferry . 17 April 2014.
  158. News: Serco Europe Teams with Starburst to Increase Access to Space Data . 18 May 2022 . NewSpace Global . 12 April 2022 . en.
  159. Web site: Serco awarded €21m EUMETSAT contract . adsadvance.co.uk . 4 October 2023.
  160. Web site: Serco to meet suppliers at the 5th International Railway Summit . 16 March 2017 . My News desk . 22 January 2019.
  161. Web site: 2020 Annual Transport Digest. Section 9 Subsection 3 Tunnel and Control Area Operators . 31 August 2020 . Hong Kong Transport Department . 12 June 2023.
  162. News: Serco a high-risk client with history of failures, offshore law firm found . The Guardian . Christopher . Knaus . 6 November 2017 . 6 November 2017.
  163. Web site: Serco . 22 August 2022 . Air Navigation Services .
  164. Web site: Serco preferred bidder for Dubai metro operations contract . . 19 June 2007 . 15 March 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110809084749/http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view//serco-preferred-bidder-for-dubai-metro-operations-contract-1.html . 9 August 2011.
  165. Web site: 15 September 2013 . Metro operator Serco lands Dh105 million deal to run Dubai's trams . 18 November 2017 . The National.
  166. Web site: 24 November 2015 . Serco wins deal extension for Palm Jumeirah monorail system . 4 November 2019 . Arabian Business.