Scope
Scope strengthens security, accessibility and efficiency with Phoenix Software without increasing IT spend.
Scope is a leading UK charity working to support the 1 in 4 people in the UK who are disabled. The organisation delivers a wide range of services including employment support, energy advice, a universal helpline, fundraising, campaigning and retail services.
With colleagues spread across multiple sites, 65 retail locations and community settings, Scope relies heavily on technology to deliver its mission. A small, centralised Tech Services team supports over 500 hundred users and devices, working in offices, retail sites and in the community. Security, efficiency and accessibility are absolutely critical, particularly given the sensitive nature of the data Scope handles and the large number of disabled and neurodivergent colleagues.
- Sector: Charity /Not-for-profit
- Staff: 500–600
- IT/Tech Services team: 6 (plus a Data team of 6)
- Devices supported: 500 laptops, desktops, tablets and mobile phones
- Locations: Central office plus hubs in Leeds and Cardiff, 65 retail shops, e‑commerce operation based in Salford, in addition to colleagues working remotely and in the community
- Key solutions: Microsoft 365 E5, Microsoft Defender, Microsoft Sentinel, Phoenix Protect – Active Response Managed SOC, Azure optimisation, Microsoft Copilot
We were able to achieve all of this change without spending any more money – in fact, the whole project has saved us money!”
Kwesi Afful, Executive Director for Digital, Data, Technology and Marketing, Scope
As Scope’s reliance on technology grew, several challenges became clear:
Security tooling was fragmented and largely reactive, meaning threats were often only discovered after impact.
- The organisation was paying for multiple third‑party tools alongside Microsoft, limiting efficiency and transparency, and additional cost.
- With a small IT team and budgets to protect, building an in‑house 24/7 security operations capability was not feasible.
- Over 30% of Scope’s own colleagues are disabled, so accessibility needed to be embedded into technology choices throughout.
- Given the sensitivity of the data it handles on behalf of its customers, partners and staff, data protection was paramount.
“As a charity, we handle sensitive information about vulnerable people. If we were to have a breach, that would have meant serious legal and reputational consequences for our organisation. At executive level there were real concerns about that risk, about accountability, and about what that could mean for our organisation if we were to suffer a breach. But the reality was that our team size simply couldn’t offer that kind of service.” – Kwesi Afful, Executive Director for Digital, Data, Technology and Marketing at Scope.
In a nutshell, Scope wanted to strengthen its security posture, while at the same time making better use of the Microsoft platform it already owned – all without increasing overall IT spend.
“The fundamental problem we had is that we would only know about an issue if it was already inside of our environment. So, we knew we needed to look at things differently.” – Daniel I’Anson, Head of Digital Data and Technology at Scope.
Phoenix Software worked closely with Scope to align its technology decisions to meet both its operational needs and organisational values. By making the most of its investment in Microsoft technologies, Scope was able to bolster its security environment (including 24/7 monitoring and proactive support), enhance productivity with Copilot, and optimise the utilisation of its Azure estate – all within its existing annual software spend.
Key elements of the solution included:
- Transition to Microsoft 365 E5 to consolidate licensing and unlock advanced security and productivity capabilities.
- Replacing third‑party security tools with the Microsoft Defender suite, simplifying management and reducing duplication.
- Phoenix Protect – Active Response, Microsoft Sentinel-based managed service, providing a 24/7 Security Operations Centre (SOC) with proactive monitoring, threat containment and incident response.
- Azure best‑practice and cost optimisation, ensuring environments were configured securely while reducing unnecessary spend.
- Structured deployment of Microsoft Copilot, supported by governance, training and defined use cases to ensure responsible and effective adoption.
Phoenix initially supported Scope through a tailored short‑term security engagement, which quickly demonstrated value and led to adoption of the full Sentinel managed service for round‑the‑clock assurance.
Benefits and outcomes
Phoenix’s work with Scope over the last few years can be summarised by eight key elements:
By first replacing fragmented third-party security tools with Microsoft Sentinel and Defender, Scope bolstered its security posture while saving costs. It was then able to reinvest these cost savings into the Phoenix Protect – Active Response managed service, elevating its protection from an ad hoc internally-managed service into 24/7 managed threat protection from one of the UK’s most advanced Security Operations Centres (SOC).
When an employee began to extract 118+ files onto a USB drive on their last day, this was immediately flagged as suspicious by Sentinel, enabling IT to immediately step in to protect the data before it left the building.
Through its regular reporting and analytical insights provided by the Phoenix Protect – Active Response managed service, the visibility and credibility of IT has improved significantly at the executive level. This has been further reinforced by the prevention of potential data leaks.
By consolidating its security and AI onto the Microsoft stack, Scope has been able to achieve significantly more without increasing its IT spend. A recent Azure cost optimisation project yielding an additional £25,000/year in savings.
The shift to Microsoft 365 E5 licensing enabled Scope to reduce operational complexity and vendor sprawl, with one integrated platform providing security, productivity, analytics and AI.
Scope has undergone a structured, governed rollout of Microsoft Copilot, yielding real productivity and accessibility gains. Copilot agents have been overwhelmingly embraced by Scope’s staff, with over 210 Copilot agents already deployed (and more than 130 use cases already identified). Scope is embracing AI to deliver a future hybrid operating model which is providing significant support to its diverse workforce.
Copilot provides meaningful assistance to Scope’s neurodivergent, dyslexic and disabled colleagues, helping to reduce cognitive load, anxiety and communication barriers.
Launched in 2016, the Disability Confident Scheme works to encourage employers to recruit, retain, and develop disabled people. Scope is currently in the process of developing an AI-powered tool to improve the delivery of the scheme, something that would not have been possible without the scalability provided by Scope’s IT infrastructure and its recent experience with AI agents.
Our specialists are here to help solve your challenges
Are you looking to strengthen security, improve accessibility and get more value from Microsoft, without growing your IT budget? Talk to Phoenix Software about managed security services, Microsoft optimisation and Copilot adoption.
Alternatively, email us at [email protected] or call 01904 562200 and one of our specialists will be in touch to discuss your requirements.