Government Business 23.6 by PSI Media

FLOODING

G-CLOUD 8

HEALTH & SAFETY

www.governmentbusiness.co.uk | VOLUME 23.6

Business Information for Local and Central Government ROAD MAINTENANCE

UNEVEN FUNDING FOR UNHEALTHY ROADS Why the upcoming Autumn Statement should balance road maintenance budgets

TOURISM

RECOGNISING VALUE IN TOURISM Hospitality and tourism is the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fourth largest industry. So how can we better promote its economic importance?

RECRUITMENT

PUBLIC SECTOR PROBLEMS The REC Report on Jobs is used to showing shortages. It is time we dealt with the recruitment problem

test The la and ws GT ne orks w e m fra on p62

PLUS: FACILITIES MANAGEMENT | FINANCE & LEASING | FIRE SAFETY | INSULATION

THE MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER PHEV WITH ULTRA-LOW COMPANY CAR TAX OF JUST 7%

Compare the tax savings of running a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV as your company car against these market leaders.

OUTLANDER PHEV GX4H AUTO

HONDA CR-V EX AUTO

BMW X3 XDRIVE 30D SE AUTO

AUDI Q5 S-LINE PLUS AUTO

MERCEDES E250 SE 7G-TRONIC

COST OF THE CAR - P11D VALUE

£38,899

£32,125

£40,210

£39,805

£37,675

GOVERNMENT GRANT REDUCTION

£2,500

£0

£32,125

£40,210

£39,805

£37,675

ADJUSTED FINAL PRICE

£36,399

CO2 EMISSIONS G/KM

179

156

157

147

BENEFIT IN KIND RATE

32%

31%

26%

£1,089

£4,112

£4,986

£4,936

£3,918

VEHICLE BENEFIT CHARGE WITHOUT FUEL PROVIDED THE EXTRA TAX YOU PAY VS PHEV (40% TAXPAYER) VEHICLE BENEFIT CHARGE WITH FUEL PROVIDED THE EXTRA TAX YOU PAY VS PHEV (40% TAXPAYER)

–

£3,023

£3,897

£3,847

£2,829

£1,711

£6,954

£7,739

£7,689

£6,227

–

£5,243

£6,028

£5,978

£4,516

Find out more. Search PHEV | Visit mitsubishi-cars.co.uk to find your nearest dealer

PHEV Manufacturer of the Year

PHEV Manufacturer of the Year Outstanding Achievement Award

With luxuriously smooth driving dynamics, the intelligent Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV decides when it’s more efficient to use petrol or electricity, giving it the ability to deliver a staggering 156mpg2. An electric range of up to 32 miles allows the Outlander PHEV to easily tackle the UK’s average daily drive on a single charge – and on longer journeys the petrol engine helps out to achieve a combined range of up to 541 miles3. The battery can be charged in just a few hours via a domestic plug socket4, a free Chargemaster Homecharge unit5 or one of over 8,500 Charge Points found across the UK. With ultra-low CO2 emissions the Outlander PHEV is exempt from Road Tax and the London Congestion Charge6 – as well as being eligible for drastically reduced Benefit in Kind taxation1. There’s even £2,500 off the list price through the Government Plug-in Car Grant7. We call this Intelligent Motion.

Compare the corporation tax savings of a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV against a typical company car.

TYPICAL VEHICLE

OUTLANDER PHEV

PROFIT BEFORE TAX (PBT)

£100,000

TAX RATE LIST PRICE OF VEHICLE CAPITAL ALLOWANCE CAPITAL ALLOWANCE (£)

20%

£36,500

£36,3997

8%8

100%

£2,920

£36,399

TAXABLE PROFIT (ON £100,000 PBT)

£97,080

£63,601

CORPORATION TAX (NO VEHICLE PURCHASE)

£20,000

CORPORATION TAX (WITH VEHICLE PURCHASE)

£19,416

£12,720

£584

£7,280

SAVING DUE TO CAPITAL ALLOWANCE

THE MITSUBISHI

OUTLANDER PHEV THE UK’s #1 SELLING PLUG-IN HYBRID

FROM £31,749 - £42,999 Including £2,500 Government Plug-in Car Grant7

BUYING A PHEV WILL SAVE YOU A TOTAL OF £6,696 IN CORPORATION TAX (YEAR 1)

1. Class 1a NI only payable on 7% of list price compared to 25%+ average. 7% BIK rate for the 2016/17 tax year. 2. Official EU MPG test figure shown as a guide for comparative purposes and is based on the vehicle being charged from mains electricity. This may not reflect real driving results. 3. Up to 32 mile EV range achieved with full battery charge. 541 miles achieved with combined full battery and petrol tank. Actual range will vary depending on driving style and road conditions. 4. Domestic plug charge: 5 hours, 16 Amp home charge point: 3.5 hours, 80% rapid charge: 30mins. 5. For more information, visit mitsubishi-cars.co.uk/chargepoint 6. Congestion Charge application required, subject to administrative fee. 7. Prices shown include the Government Plug-in Car Grant and VAT (at 20%), but exclude First Registration Fee. Model shown is an Outlander PHEV GX4hs at £38,499 including the Government Plug-in Car Grant. On The Road prices range from £31,804 to £43,054 and include VED, First Registration Fee and the Government Plug-in Car Grant. Metallic/pearlescent paint extra. Prices correct at time of going to print. For more information about the Government Plug-in Car Grant please visit www.gov.uk/plug-in-car-van-grants. The Government Plug-in Car Grant is subject to change at any time, without prior notice. 8. Outlander PHEV qualifies as low CO2 emissions vehicle for the purpose of Capital Allowances. 8% write down allowance used for comparison.

Outlander PHEV range fuel consumption in mpg (ltrs/100km): Full Battery Charge: no fuel used, Depleted Battery Charge: 51.4mpg (5.5), Weighted Average: 156.9mpg (1.8), CO2 emissions: 42 g/km.

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CONTENTS GOVERNMENT BUSINESS 23.6 07 GB NEWS

Article 50 court case appeal date set; £49m overspend for Birmingham council; and elected mayors ‘essential’, says Javid

15 FINANCE & LEASING

Simon Goldie, of the Finance & Leasing Association, provides expert advice on finance agreements for those interested in leasing contracts

19 FACILITIES MANAGEMENT Peter Brogan, of the British Institute of Facilities Management, writes an update on where the facilities management sector is and its importance to the UK’s workplaces

25 FIRE SAFETY

Examining current legislation, the Fire Industry Association explain the significance of fire risk assessments and how to find a reliable risk assessor

29 INSULATION

With a new department tackling energy efficiency, the National Insulation Association argues now is the time for a funded national infrastructure priority

32 HEALTH & SAFETY

36 40

Government Business analyses the importance of analysing risks and controlling hazards in the workplace to create a safer working environment

34 RECRUITMENT

The Recruitment & Employment Confederation’s Kate Shoesmith looks at the ways that the public sector can deal with the current recruitment problems

36 ROAD MAINTENANCE

The Autumn Statement is the ideal opportunity to address the decades of under-investment on local roads. Howard Robinson, of the Road Surface Treatments Association, explains why

38 FLEET MANAGEMENT

The automotive industry will experience more revolution in the next decade than it did in the previous 50 years, says the BVRLA’s Gerry Keaney

40 FLOOD STANDARDS

£13 million has been spent on bridge repairs in Cumbria since last year’s flooding. BSI UK’s Kevin Frewin looks at the importance of standards in flood prevention products; while Paul Cobbing, of the National Flood Forum, discusses the importance of collaboration when it comes to flood risk management

Government Business

Contents

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

50 URBAN REGENERATION With a particular focus on transport, Juliana O’Rourke explores how local authorities can create better places through collaborative planning

52 EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP

Deb Oxley, of the Employee Ownership Association, discusses how employee owned mutuals can play a large role in the future of UK business

54 TOURISM

Following a new government tourism strategy, the British Hospitality Association’s Ufi Ibrahim looks at the economic value of investing in the tourism sector, and the potential growth of coastal powerhouses

57 CONFERENCES & EVENTS Choosing the perfect venue for a meeting or event can be a tough task. Here, Jane Longhurst of the MIA shares her top tips for locating the ideal venue

61 HOMES 2016

3,000 attendees are expected to make themselves at home at London’s Olympia on the 16-17 November, where Homes 2016 returns. Government Business looks at some of the content streams

62 GT NEWS

Local council data on mobile app; low council IT spend increases cyber risk; and broadband advertising rules in place

64 WEBSITE DESIGN

Tewkesbury Borough Council has purchased a new website for only £150.00. Government Business looks at how councils can break away from traditional website trends

67 SMALL ENTERPRISES

Emma Jones, the new small business crown representative, looks at what the government is doing to get more business for small and medium‑sized enterprises

71 G-CLOUD 8 FRAMEWORK The eighth iteration of the government’s G-Cloud became live in August. Here, Government Business explores the framework details and its success in engaging with SMEs

ISS

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www.governmentbusiness.co.uk Volume 23.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

UK-US RELATIONS

PM congratulates Trump on US election victory

ARTICLE 50

UK government appeals, after losing Article 50 court case The government’s appeal against the High Court ruling that MPs must vote on triggering Brexit will be heard in the Supreme Court from 5 December. The High Court had ruled that Prime Minister Theresa May cannot trigger Article 50 without putting it to an MPs’ vote in the House of Commons - a decision which the Prime Minister and government appealed. Lord Chief Justice Thomas ruled that May did not have the right to set in motion Article 50, the official start of EU divorce proceedings, without consulting Parliament. May had previously stated that the UK government will activate Article 50, formally notifying the EU of the UK’s intention to leave, by the end of March 2017. Thomas said: “The government does not have power under the Crown’s prerogative to give notice pursuant to Article 50 for the UK for the UK to withdraw from the European Union.” Following the setting of the appeal date, the case is likely to last four days, with a decision expected in the new year. May retains faith that talks on leaving the EU will begin as planned by the end of March.

Prime Minister Theresa May has joined a host of world leaders in congratulating Donald Trump after the Republican candidate was elected the next President of the United States. Despite the surprising success of the businessman’s campaign, and eventual victory, May stated that ‘we are, and will remain, strong and close partners’. She said: “I would like to congratulate Donald Trump on being elected the next President of the United States, following a hard-fought campaign. “Britain and the United States have an enduring and special relationship based on the values of freedom, democracy and enterprise. We are, and will remain, strong and close partners on trade, security and defence. “I look forward to working with President‑elect Donald Trump, building on these ties to ensure the security and prosperity of our nations in the years ahead.” Donald Trump, who confounded both

his critics and detractors, claimed victory over Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton after surpassing the majority 270 electors necessary to win the election.

BENEFIT CAP

COUNTY COUNCILS

Lower benefit cap introduced

County unitary authorities ‘could save £2.9bn’

A cap to reduce the cap on benefits from £26,000 a year to £20,000 a year in the UK has come into force. The cuts were included as part of £12 billion in welfare cuts announced in former Chancellor George Osborne’s Budget in July last year. It’s estimated that the cap is set to affect 88,000 households primarily with high rents or large families. Under the new cap, those living in the UK outside of Greater London will receive a maximum of: £384.62 per week (£20,000 a year) for a couple; £384.62 per week (£20,000 a year) for single people whose children live with them; and £257.69 per week (£13,400 a year) for single people who do not have children or whose children do not live with them. For Greater London boroughs the new cap is: £442.31 per week (£23,000 a year) for a couple; £442.31 per week (£23,000 a year) for single people whose children live with them; and £296.35 per week (£15,410 a year) for single people who do not have children or whose children do not live with them. Work and Pensions Secretary Damian Green maintained that the move would incentivise more people into employment while offering free childcare offers and structuring benefits. READ MORE:

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President‑elect Donald Trump

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A new report by the County Councils Network (CCN) has claimed that creating 27 county unitary authorities could generate nationwide savings of nearly £3 billion. Conducted by consultancy firm EY, the financial analysis highlighted the benefits of replacing each of the 27 two-tier authorities in England with one unitary authority could save between £2.4 billion and £2.9 billion nationally – up to £106 million in every county. This means that the move could save 68 per cent more than the option of creating two unitaries in each county area – and creating three unitaries per county could be even more costly than the current structures. The report discussed how modelling three unitaries with a combined authority could cost up to £14 million over five years. Such a model has been proposed in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. Despite insisting that the research was not to advocate reorganisation, but simply to inform debate, the report concluded that county-wide reorganisation delivered the best chance of efficiency savings, and financial sustainability, alongside the best platform for economic growth and public service transformation.

GB News

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

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Cllr Paul Carter, chairman of the CCN, reiterated that each system has its merits and challenges, commenting: “A clear conclusion from the report is that there are real risks in splitting up the historic counties of England, in terms of both savings and maintaining good public services. “Instead, the evidence strongly suggests the most effective means of structural reform – whether through unitary or two‑tier models – are those that build on the scale and geography of county councils.” However, the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach provoked a backlash from the District Councils’ Network (DCN) which claimed that there should be ‘greater focus on place‑based public sector reform’, reflecting the economic geography of communities. READ MORE:

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CAPITAL MARKETS

COUNCIL CUTS

Aberdeen Council issues bonds worth £370m Aberdeen City Council has become the first local authority in Scotland to raise funds through the capital markets after issuing stock market bonds worth £370 million. The news comes after credit rating agency Moody’s recently assigned Aberdeen an Aa2 rating in October. The council has maintained that the money will go towards infrastructure schemes as part of its capital plan. It has the backing of the Scottish government, which believes other councils could go down a similar route. Jennifer Laing, leader of the council, commented: “This is a remarkable achievement by this council in securing this investment in the future of our city.” READ MORE:

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Cardiff Council planning £17m in cuts for 2017-18 Cardiff Council has announced it is planning cuts to generate £17 million in savings as part of a wider measure to raise £25 million to balance its books. The council is considering a series of measures, including moves to raise council tax by 3.7 per cent and making cuts of £17 million; charges for burials rising by £30 and cremations by £10; charges for births, deaths and marriages increasing by 4-5 per cent; school meals going up by 10p a day; and completing the transfer of leisure centres to a new operator. Other proposals include cutting £1.5 million from reserves, £1.9 million from school budgets and £4.4 million from the planned increased in council tax would help make up the shortfall. Councillor Graham Hinchey cabinet member for corporate services and performance,

BUDGET BALANCING

£49m overspend for Birmingham City Council Birmingham City Council is facing a budget overspend of £49 million, requiring further savings of £78 million to balance the 2017-18 budget. In its latest update to the government the Independent Improvement Panel says that ‘flawed’ planning and ‘unrealistic’ proposals have left the region’s future success ’at risk’. The panel has said that the council agrees there should be independent review of that budget and its future plans. The letter emphasises that the council must continue to maintain its focus on the very important improvement programmes relating to education and children’s social care, including the development of plans for a Children’s Trust. The panel was set up after a review by Sir Bob Kerslake in 2014 suggested an independent body was needed to oversee changes at the authority. John Crabtree, chair of the Panel, said: “Our discussions with the leader, cabinet members and chief executive have demonstrated that they are actively engaged in joint working to understand and grip the full challenge now facing the council, and to identify and consult on the measures needed to bridge the very substantial financial gap for 2017/18. “Given the need for the council to have

absolute confidence in the deliverability of the 2017/18 revenue budget when asked to approve it in March 2017, we have agreed with the council to jointly commission an independent review of the 2017/18 budget. The review will have a particular focus on the quality and robustness of the council’s delivery plans for 2017/18 across all areas of expenditure.” READ MORE:

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GB News

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

said: “The provisional settlement from Welsh Government is slightly more favourable than we bargained for. “However, it is still a cut in real terms because of price and pay inflation.” Residents have been asked to share their views on the proposals in a consultation, which will run from 10 November to 11 December.

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INCENTIVES

LAs should be given financial incentives to merge A new report from manufacturers’ organisation EEF has advised that councils should be given financial incentives to merge, such as limiting business rates retention to combined and unitary authorities. The EEF argued that using such measures would help those areas that don’t have the capacity or capability to agree a devolution deal with the government. Manufacturing Local Growth puts forward a number of suggestions including limiting the benefits of business rates retention to combined and unitary authorities, and allowing councils access to other fiscal retention such as stamp duty. The paper also calls for a discussion on how council tax can be used to incentivise council mergers, which ultimately help speed up decision-making, lower the cost of delivering services and give businesses just one local authority to deal with. EEF’s Chris Richards said: “Some areas of England are being left out due to the legacy of inefficient local government structures – this needs to be tackled. If England did not have a two-tiered council structure, no one would be arguing for its creation. “With a new government there is an opportunity to look again at local government mergers as a solution – and central government should push this by putting in place funding and fiscal incentives to make it happen.” READ MORE:

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Volume 23.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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SOCIAL CARE

ELECTED MAYORS

Social care crisis causes £441m council overspend

Elected mayors essential for ‘local accountability’

The deepening crisis in adult social care is likely to cause council overspends of almost £500 million, a new survey has projected. The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) conducted a survey of 129 of the 152 directors of adult social services in England, and found that councils are planning to use their reserves and other one‑off funding to plug the huge financial gap. The outcome found that 62 per cent of councils have had residential and nursing home closures, while 57 per cent have had care providers hand back contracts in the last six months. Additionally, 79 per cent have quality concerns with one or more home care, and 84 per cent for residential and nursing care providers. Other results include: 68 per cent of directors having discussions about reductions to NHS-funded continuing healthcare; 56 per cent reporting increased demand for healthcare activity to be undertaken by social care staff; and 51 per cent reporting increased demand from people with very high needs not being admitted to hospital.

Despite concerns from county leaders, the government has reiterated its commitment to directly elected mayors, labelling them a ‘real red line’. Speaking to the County Councils Network (CCN), Communities Secretary Sajid Javid spoke about how local government can tackle the challenges of a changing world. While he acknowledged that elected mayors were not ‘universally popular’ within local government, Javid claimed that they remain an essential part of the devolution process and necessary to increase local accountability. Discussing the CCN’s recent report in unitary authorities reform, Javid said: “I think unitary status can be a great model. And, as we’ve seen from the CCN reports being published last week, it has the potential to save a lot of money. But I’m not for one moment saying it’s for everyone. And I’m certainly not saying that I want to make every council go unitary. This is not compulsory. It’s not going to be imposed.”

In their submission to the Treasury ahead of the Autumn Statement, the Local Government Association (LGA) warned that social care for the elderly and disabled could be facing a potential funding gap of at least £2.6 billion by the end of the decade. Ray James, ADASS immediate past president, said: “This survey paints a picture of adult social care verging ever nearer to a point of crisis. The funding gaps are a huge concern for the sector because the impact this is having on the lives of thousands of older and disabled people, their families and carers, is both significant and extremely worrying. “Adult social care is entering a ‘perfect storm’ which is impacting on vulnerable people who are getting less help and whose need for care won’t stop. Urgent and significant government investment is needed now to address funding for the sector, or thousands of people who rely, or hope to rely, on receiving care, will suffer as a result.” READ MORE:

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GB News

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

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LEGAL ACTION

Councils risk legal action over cuts to care The Nuffield Trust, King’s Fund and Health Foundation have issued a joint plea to ministers warning that the care sector was facing a funding shortage which is so significant there is a risk families may take legal action. In the submission the think tanks highlighted figures which show how local authorities have reduced the amount of support they provide to older people. The warning comes ahead of Chancellor Philip Hammond’s Autumn Statement later this month on government spending. The think tanks argued that the numbers getting help from their council with care had fallen by 26 per cent to 850,000 in the four years to 2014; spending on care by councils had fallen by 25 per cent in real terms in the five years to 2015, to £5.1 billion; additional money from the NHS and increased contributions from individuals had topped this up to £7.2 billion, but that still represented a cut of nine per cent; more than 40 per cent of money paid to care homes came from people paying for themselves; one million people with care needs now receive no formal or informal

help – a rise of 10 per cent in a year; and once younger people with disabilities are included, the funding shortfall was likely to be in the region of £1.9 billion next year. Richard Humphries, from the King’s Fund, warned that the rising numbers of complaints about care being made to the Local Government Ombudsman and a rise in the number being upheld is a sign that councils are struggling to meet their statutory duties under the Care Act. Councillor Izzi Seccombe, of the Local Government Association, said: “Unless social care is properly funded, there is a real risk to the quality and safety of care and being able to meet basic needs such as ensuring people are washed and dressed or helped out of bed.” “The government must use the Autumn Statement to provide councils with the funding to ensure we have a fair care system which keeps people out of hospital and living independent, dignified lives at home and in the community.” READ MORE:

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WINTER WEATHER

GREEN TRANSPORT

Green buses making emission savings A new report has shown that 55,000 tonnes of emissions are being saved a year through green bus journeys. A Green Bus for Every Journey, published by the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP) for Greener Journeys, shows that there are 3,760 Low Carbon Emission Buses (LCEBs) operating across the country, accounting for 40 per cent of all new buses sold. This is saving 55,000 tonnes of emissions and delivering £8 million in health and environmental benefits every year. If the percentage of new buses sold reached 100 per cent by 2020, the vehicles will deliver £248.5 million in social benefits and cut greenhouse gas

emissions by 432,000 tonnes a year. Claire Haigh, chief executive of Greener Journeys, said: “Tackling transport emissions is one of the most pressing issues facing councils and operators today, and this report clearly shows that investing in clean buses is an integral part of the solution. “Encouraging more people to switch their car for the bus is crucial to tackling the UK’s emissions problem, and thanks to the new range of clean bus technologies available, this type of behaviour change is now more effective than ever.”

ENERGY

FLOODING

Scottish Borders Council opposes wind farm expansion The Scottish Borders Council has opposed plans to expand the Fallago Rig near Lauder, after a six year opposition campaign. Developers had proposed to build an additional 12 turbines and planning officers had advised the council not to object. However, the councillors went against the recommendation, citing the cumulative effects on the landscape. The final decision on the project will lie with the Scottish government.

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Councils well prepared for icy roads

GB News

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The Local Government Association (LGA) has assured that local authorities have stocked up with grit well in advance to prepare for icy weather. It comes after the winter of 2008-09, when the UK ran ‘dangerously low’ on rock salt and councils were forced to ration it by treating only primary routes. However, the LGA’s annual Winter Readiness Survey has shown that this year local authorities are ready for a harsh winter, with half of respondents reporting they are at the limit of salt storage capacity. The survey indicated that 80 per cent of councils have placed community grit bins for residents to access salt for pavements and side streets, and 75 per cent are using state‑of‑the‑art GPS technology on the gritting fleets. Councillor Martin Tett, LGA Transport spokesman, said: “Councils are fully prepared to protect residents and minimise disruption to their residents caused by the drop in temperatures. “We are well prepared for the cold with 1.2 million tonnes of salt stockpiled and a fleet of state-of-the-art gritters ready to be deployed.” READ MORE:

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1,200 soldiers on standby to tackle winter floods Three battalions of up to 1,200 soldiers have been put on 24-hour standby by Prime Minister Theresa May to help if England suffers flooding this winter. This year’s army involvement is in addition to a new 105 helpline for people hit by power cuts, and work with the energy sector to prevent outages. The winter of 2015/2016 saw torrential rain affect thousands of families and businesses, especially across Cumbria and other parts of the north of England, resulting in criticism of the government. The extent of flooding in Somerset in 2014 resulted in David Cameron drafting in troops to assist with flood relief operations. Ben Gummer, the Cabinet Office minister, said: “We want to make sure that people across the UK keep safe, warm and healthy this winter. That is why we are working together to prepare for all that winter may bring, from providing flu vaccinations to specialist equipment and resources to deal with winter flooding. With the army standing by, we have the most comprehensive winter plan yet to keep people safe and the country moving.” The announcement follows calls for an

overhaul of flood management systems, led by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. The Committee report urged for the introduction of a UK floods supremo, new flooding and coastal boards and a rivers and coastal authority. READ MORE:

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Volume 23.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

EDUCATION

Amid current financial constraints, the benefits of leasing are shining through. Simon Goldie, of the Finance & Leasing Association, provides his advice, particularly for schools, on leasing finance agreements ‘More with less’ is a common refrain across all government departments, and the problem is particularly acute in health and education, where pressure on finances could have a very real effect on patient care or children’s schooling. Smart procurement can go a long way to maintaining quality of service, which is why the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) has been speaking to the government and public sector about the benefits of leasing. Paying for the use of equipment over an agreed period avoids the need to buy outright, making this type of finance suitable for even the most stringent budgets. In fact, a vast range of items can be leased, including anything from basic office furniture to the most specialised medical equipment. In addition, finance agreements can

often be tailored to the customer’s needs, with flexibility on both the terms and repayment schedule to help with cash flow or other expenditure constraints. RECOGNISING YOUR OPTIONS As with any financial undertaking, it’s important to research the options to decide which ones offer the best value. Although there are two types of lease, the current guidance from the Department for Education limits schools to using operating leases only (the kind more tailored to short-term leasing), because it views the other kind – finance leases – as ‘equivalent to committing the school to a

Written by Simon Goldie, head of asset finance, the Finance & Leasing Association

Leasing to meet the customer’s needs

loan’ – which would require permission from the Secretary of State. We are speaking to the government about this, because schools need to have the freedom to lease in the most efficient way. Additionally, we are watching closely the development of IFRS 16, the new lease accounting standard published by the International Accounting Standards Board. It has yet to be decided how IFRS will apply to the UK public sector. If it did, it would remove the distinction between operating and finance leases by introducing an accounting model that requires a lessee to recognise assets and liabilities on their balance sheet for all leases with a term of more than 12 months, unless the underlying asset is of low value. Our concern is that the new standard’s complexities may create undue burdens for those considering leasing as a finance option. The government is very aware of the benefits of leasing and is currently thinking about the possible impact of IFRS 16, including ways that it could be implemented without affecting the ability of UK public services to continue to use this important funding option. The UK’s independent Financial Advisory Board will be issuing a consultation document in 2017 to assess whether the UK government should adopt the international standard for public sector accounting. At this stage, it is unclear whether it will, and if so what exemptions may be put in place. In any case, it is unlikely that IFRS16 would come into force before 2020, or perhaps even later. In the meantime, the FLA’s basic checklist for Successful Leasing E

Finance & Leasing

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

As w any finaith underta ncial importa king, it’s the opt nt to research to decidions available ew offer th hich ones e be value st

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Stratia Consulting are an approved supplier of Cyber Security services to Government, Defence and Industry. Stratia Consulting are one of the first companies to be certified under the new CESG Cyber Security Consultancy scheme. We provide the following services: Risk Assessment ● Risk Management ● Security Architecture Security Officer ● Cyber Security ● Policy & Standards Information Assurance ● Audit Review ● Cyber Essentials Plus Cloud Security ● GDPR Assessment ● ISO 27001 0800 644 0193 ● info@stratiaconsulting.com

The Funding Problem – Financing Equipment • Finance Lease; Lease Purchase; Hire Purchase and Loan agreements are all classified as forms of borrowing; so what other option is there, apart from paying cash? • The good news is that Government bodies are permitted to enter into Operating Leases, as these are not classified as borrowing; but what then is an Operating Lease? • Simply speaking, it is a method of obtaining the long term use of suitable equipment, without the need to buy it or indeed, to pay back its full value. • So, if your organisation needs equipment and you do not have the capital budget (or you need to preserve that), then why not contact a company who will guide you through the process in accordance with the rules? If you have a need or an interest, please contact;Mike Ringrose Arkle Finance Ltd 01933-304789 mringrose@arklefinance.co.uk

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 23.6

Finance & Leasing

EDUCATION  in Schools provides good tips that can be applied across other public services. STARTING TO THINK ABOUT LEASING You should always go through your normal commissioning process for the equipment. This might involve a pre-purchasing review to confirm what equipment is needed, and the preparation of specification and evaluation criteria. It is good practice to obtain a range of quotes from various suppliers to understand what is available and compare prices. You may also want to review the government’s advice to schools on how to plan and run an efficient procurement process to buy goods, works or services and ensure your existing commissioning process is sufficiently robust. At this stage it is always a good idea to compare the cost of leasing against the cost of purchasing. You should also shop around, as the most competitive quotes for purchasing the equipment might come from a supplier that doesn’t offer leasing – or vice versa. It is also important to make sure you are comparing like with like. This can include whether different equipment models have a similar level of functionality and whether some options include extras like maintenance and supplies. WHAT TYPE OF LEASE IS RIGHT FOR ME? If you do choose to use leasing, it is important to choose the right type of lease. Operating lease agreements typically have a shorter duration than the full working life of the equipment. The leasing company (‘lessor’) retains the risks and rewards of ownership, and an investment in the equipment being leased. Finance lease agreements usually run for all, or a substantial proportion, of the equipment’s estimated working life. The leasing company (‘lessor’) transfers all of the risks and rewards of ownership of the equipment to the customer (‘lessee’). If you are unsure about the type of lease on offer, consult your school’s finance manual or seek appropriate advice. THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN TAKING OUT A LEASE Know the finance company. Although some equipment manufacturers may supply both equipment and finance, many businesses offering leasing arrangements to schools are equipment suppliers who offer finance via third party finance companies. When you are dealing with an equipment supplier you should always check who the finance company will be. Most finance companies are members of the FLA. FLA members follow the FLA’s Business Finance Code which sets out standards for providing information, customer service and complaints procedures. Minimum lease period. This is the shortest period for which the school will have to make rental payments for equipment. The period is fixed regardless of other

When taking out a lease you should consider how long the school has tended to keep similar equipment in the past, or speak to other schools leasing similar equipment to ensure that the minimum lease period is appropriate factors such as changes in technology or changes in the school’s needs. When taking out a lease you should consider how long the school has tended to keep similar equipment in the past, or speak to other schools leasing similar equipment to ensure that the minimum lease period is appropriate. At the end of a lease you will generally be offered the opportunity to continue leasing the equipment at fair market rentals or to return the equipment to the leasing company. Either option might be appropriate for your school but you should ensure you understand each alternative and what you might need to do in each instance (e.g. give notice that you will be returning the equipment). MAINTENANCE AND SUPPLIES It should always be clear when maintenance or supply services are included or excluded in the lease. The simple checks below can help you understand the obligations of each party, and who will provide any services under the lease agreement. For maintenance, firstly check whether the maintenance contract is separate from the lease agreement. If it is, check whether the length of the two agreements is the same, and how much notice might be required to terminate each. Check what level of service you will get – for example, will there be regular maintenance visits or will you need to alert the maintenance provider in the event

that a fault occurs? You should also check the maintenance charge amounts, and whether a similar level of service could be obtained from a different supplier at lower cost and check what would happen if the company providing the maintenance went out of business, and how this might impact on your use of the equipment and lease payments. With supplies, check whether the provision of supplies is covered by a separate agreement from the lease. If it is, check whether the length of the two agreements is the same, and how much notice might be required to terminate each. Additionally, check that it is clear what will be provided and by whom and check whether it would be better value to buy supplies separately over time as and when they are required. Lastly, check what would happen if the company providing the supplies went out of business, and how this might impact on your use of the equipment and lease payments. Always seek specialist advice before upgrading, whether from the local authority, the National Association of School Business Management, or other professional associations. Last but not least – like any finance product, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.fla.org.uk

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INDUSTRY

The recent upheaval facing UK businesses has done little to deter the progression of the facilities management industry. The British Institute of Facilities Management’s Peter Brogan looks at where the sector and its workers currently sit, and its importance to the UK’s workplaces Facilities management (FM) professionals are responsible for services in the workplace that enable and support business. Whether provided through in-house FM teams, service providers or a mix; typically roles cover management of a wide range of areas including: health and safety; risk management; business continuity; procurement; sustainability; space planning; energy; property; and asset management. They are typically responsible for activities such as catering, cleaning, building maintenance, environmental services, security and reception. FM professionals have a shifting and vital position on a range of topics, including areas such as the sustainability agenda, skills and training, procurement and technology. These key topics are driving FM in establishing itself as a key component of growth, performance and efficiency in business. THE BUSINESS CONTEXT The FM industry has remained positive over the last year

despite shifts and changes that have greatly affected the business environment. The results of the 2016 FM Business Confidence Monitor, published in April 2016, revealed that 64 per cent of respondents agreed that the facilities management environment is ‘positive’ or ‘very positive’ despite the realisation of the wider political and social changes ahead. Since then, the business climate has undoubtedly seen a shift in business outlook across the board after the outcome of the EU Referendum. BIFM’s Brexit poll was carried out after the historic result was known and revealed that as a result over 76 per cent of FM service providers expected to see their turnover decrease or remain the same, with a 50/50 split on these options. Some of the more common reasons given for this situation were: ‘uncertainty in the property markets’, ‘less property investments’ as well as a short term reaction that ‘nothing has changed’ as a result

of the vote. This is of course a key issue for everyone across the FM sector and the full impact is yet to be realised. Specifically for FM, points of concern from the poll showed freedom of movement within Europe and the potential for the loss of skilled staff were key issues, while others have indicated that they see Brexit as an opportunity to enable new business potential with more international growth and less regulation from Europe. All of the questions in our Brexit poll link back to our annual Business Confidence Monitor, and E

Written by Peter Brogan, research and information manager, BIFM

The current outlook for the facilities management industry

Facilities Management

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

The FM as yh industr positive d remainee last year over th hanges that c despite eatly affected have gr business the ment environ

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Testing: Dead or Live…

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INDUSTRY  as such we will continue to poll intermittently during key junctures in the Brexit process so that we can continue to monitor changes in sentiment. THE SUSTAINABILITY AGENDA According to the Carbon Trust, non-domestic buildings make up 18 per cent of the UK’s CO2 emissions and use the equivalent energy of the whole of Switzerland. Of course, at the BIFM we believe that facilities management has the responsibility for the management of energy use and a clear role to play in the sustainability agenda. However, the Annual Sustainability in FM Survey 2016 revealed that organisations still have some way to go in reducing these figures, with the survey showing that businesses were 20 per cent down on organising their sustainability policies. Moreover, the very scope of what we refer to as sustainable FM seems to be increasing and social value, people and well-being has become a part of its scope. This has, in turn, created an opportunity for FM to be a part of a sustainability programme that addresses these wider issues.

increasing number of employers will only consider candidates with higher level of qualifications to underpin practical experienced gained. With changes to traditional working contracts and more flexible work arrangements, clients are also requesting further evidence of benchmarked transferable skills at all levels of the profession. As a result, training and qualifications continue to set high standards for FM professionals across the industry. Growing numbers are undertaking BIFM qualifications to upskill and develop the necessary competencies and knowledge to be a high performing FM alongside employers now embedding the FM Professional Standards framework as the structure by which to assess and plan the development of their FM teams and functions.

Facilities Management

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SUPPORTING THE DELIVERY OF BIM April 2016 was the date that the long awaited mandate that centrally procured public sector projects will require the implementation of BIM at Level 2. The Level 2 processes encourage collaborative working including early engagement of facilities management professionals to allow for lifecycle modelling and testing at the pre-construction stage. E

IT’S ALL ABOUT SKILLS AND TRAINING Underpinning these reoccurring themes is the skills shortage and the ‘war on talent’. In the past FM professionals set store in their experience rather than qualifications. However, BIFM’s Pay and Prospects Survey released in July 2016 showed a shifting trend that

Flexible working would reduce stress, employees say Introducing flexible working is one of the measures that would have the biggest impact on reducing workplace stress, according to research. A study of more than 1,000 UK workers by Cascade HR analysed the options available to employers to reduce stress levels at work. It found that 47 per cent respondents felt that introducing flexible working hours would reduce stress, while 39 per cent cited early finishes on Friday, followed by a friendly management style (38 per cent). Providing tangible rewards was also seen as an effective way to recognise hard work, with more than one in three respondents claiming that cash bonuses would reduce stress, with holidays in lieu (34 per cent) and a more relaxed management (28 per cent). The research also examined what parts of the physical workplace workers thought employers could change to improve occupational mental health. A clean and tidy workplace, cited by 35 per cent of respondents proved popular, while almost one in three said music would help reduce stress, 29 per cent highlighted the benefits of space away from desks to relax, and 27 per cent pinpointing space to eat in as potentially beneficial. Oliver Shaw, Cascade HR CEO, said: “Fancy water features and expensive mindfulness classes might be fashionable, but clearly, looking at the results of this research, it’s the simple things that employers should be considering first. “British employers looking to create a calmer, less stressful environment for workers don’t need to invest in dramatic overhauls of the office environment. British employees are quite content with simple environmental enhancements, whether it’s music playing in the office or simply putting some chairs and perhaps some plants or a screen, to create a quiet, separate space within the office for relaxing during break times.” FURTHER INFORMATION www.cascadehr.co.uk/ research-reveals-key-less-stressful-workplace

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www.Banderaltd.com 07732 408 678 Bandera Facilities Management With Offices and operations throughout the UK, Bandera’s success and development is highly focused on quality and sustainability. Bandera continually maintain high standards within the workforce and for its customers. We deliver tailored cost-effective hard and soft services packages, including our ‘One-Stop-Shop’ stress-free solutions.

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Front of House, Reception and Switchboard Building, Electrical and Mechanical services CAFM System and Help Desk Management Cleaning and Specialist Cleaning services Ground Maintenance and Horticulture Security, Remote Monitoring and Access Control Archiving and Recalling services Fire Detection Maintenance Catering, Vending and Hospitality services Health and Safety compliance Water Treatment Office Equipment Management Photocopiers and Printers, stationary Comprehensive Mail-room Service – sorting, tracking delivery, scanning and upload to secure portal Fixed Wire testing Fire Alarm Installation and Testing HVAC

Project Management We deliver Projects within agreed timescales, on budget to meet specifications and business goals. Services includes: • Building projects • Office refurbishments • Specialist Laboratory Services • Heating and Cooling Plants • Consultancy • Provision of skilled Consultancy and multi-disciplined Personnel • Provision of Single Project Managers • Management Only Service • Leadership, Management and Stakeholder Management • Complete Management Control Service, inclusive of Planning, Process – Concept to Definition – Commissioning, Implementation and Handover.

Accreditations & Memberships ISO 9001:2015 is the internationally recognised standard for quality management. Certification to this standard reassures your customers that your organisation is fully committed to quality standards by continuously undergoing the scrutiny of an accredited third party certification body. ISO 14001: 2015 is the International Standard for Environmental Management Systems. Our certification provides assurance to company management that the environmental impact is being measured and improved. Construction Line member as well as CHAS Accredited which is established as the market leader for health and safety pre-qualification in the UK. CHAS is the largest and fastest growing health and safety assessment scheme in the UK.

In the world of Agile Working, the ‘workplace’ is now an IP address, not a physical location. Our highly trained staff and expert partners understand the issues facing planners and users of today’s work environments.

• Furniture • Seating • Acoustics • Training • Assessment • eLearning • Wellbeing Sit-stand, home worker engagement, stress management, ageing workforce… the list goes on! Share your challenges with us. On the rare occasions we don’t have the answer immediately, we always know where to find it! Osmond Ergonomics, 21 Johnson Road, Ferndown Industrial Estate, Wimborne BH21 7SE, UK Tel: 0345 345 0898 | Fax: 01202 850560 info@osmondgroup.co.uk | www.osmondgroup.co.uk

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 23.6

Mark Henderson UK Commercial Manager

Facilities Management

INDUSTRY  To support this new way of working and to overcome the cultural challenges from across the built environment spectrum BIFM published its ‘operational readiness guide’ which highlights the role and issues the FM faces at each stage of the construction process which follows the RIBA Plan of Works. As BIM progresses to Level 3 the ‘Operational Readiness Group’ continues to develop further guidance and tools to support the implementation of these new technologies. UTILISING TECHNOLOGY After discussing the role of FM in BIM it naturally follows to highlight the two main discussion points around how technology affects FM in future building operations. The first conversations talk of ‘big data’ and how the increased use of technology allows opportunities for FM to demonstrate value through increased data usage and metrics. This gives companies the opportunity to gain a better understanding of their FM function and many are now interested in learning if this spend is ‘appropriate.’ For example, this has raised opportunities for external benchmarking and comparisons for spend compared against other similar companies or industries. Secondly, the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) is driving changes in facilities management and has a particular impact on the workplace. The IoT refers to devices or equipment

The very scope of what we refer to as sustainable FM seems to be increasing and social value, people and well-being has become a part of its scope facilities management for the benefit of practitioners, the economy and society. The Institute supports and represents over 17,000 members around the world, both individual FM professionals and organisations, and thousands more through qualifications and training.

connected to the internet which will be able, in a sense, to submit their own work requests and get serviced – before problems occur and negatively impact the all-important customer experience. Therefore FM needs to consider and establish the way in which it becomes involved in these processes, and how this has the potential to create a changing dynamic in the way we work. This growing trend in technology and data focused systems and programmes is why the BIFM is updating our FM Professional Standards framework to include a new competency area around Build Information Modelling. L

The Business Confidence Monitor UK 2016 and the FM Sustainability Survey 2016 mentioned within this article are available to download from www.bifm.org.uk/knowledge and for more information on the FM professional standards visit www.bifm.org.uk/ fmstandards or on qualifications visit www.bifm.org.uk/qualifications.

The British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) is the professional body for facilities management. We promote excellence in

FURTHER INFORMATION www.bifm.org.uk

Secured by Design (SBD) is a UK Police initiative that brings together recognised principles of designing out crime and proven elements of physical security. It is proven to reduce crime in new builds by up to 75% and refurbishments by 63%. It discharges the requirements of Approved Document Q and the Scottish Building Standard 4.13 – Security. The recently launched SBD National Building Approval scheme conﬁrms all aspects of physical security long before any development is planned or realised. It discharges the relevant statutory requirements. SBD do all due diligence, saving developers time and money. Contact us at sbdnba@police-cpi.co.uk for more information.

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Fire Safety

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Life Safety System Specialists

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Kentec gets government seal of approval Kentec Electronics, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of fire detection and alarm control panels, has been chosen to represent UK manufacturing in the recently published Parliamentary Review 2015-16 that ‘recognises industry best practice, as an outstanding UK organisation to personify Britain as one of the fastest growing advanced economies in the world’, alongside The Chancellor of the Exchequer, and a small number of outstanding organisations. Kentec’s success certainly mirrors The Review’s sentiments; with demand for the company’s life safety control systems ever increasing, and Kentec’s continuing phenomenal growth in international markets as a truly global supplier – it exports control equipment to over 80 countries, with a sales split of approximately 45 per cent domestic and 55 per cent export markets.

In-house research and development, state-of-the-art manufacturing and continuous investment lie at the heart of Kentec’s success. Significant recent expansion of the manufacturing facility in Dartford, Kent, to ensure quality and the capability to meet customer requirements, is reflected in impressive production efficiencies. Kentec manufactures products approved to the European EN54 and United States UL & FM standards as well as multiple other country and marine standards, with its products’ visual interfaces available in many different languages. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: +44 (0)1322 222121 www.kentec.co.uk

HEALTH & SAFETY

What is a fire risk assessment? And what is a risk assessment for? The Fire Industry Association explains the importance of a fire risk assessment A fire risk assessment is designed to minimise the probability of the event of a fire by identifying the potential hazards and fire risks within a building. However, it doesn’t just examine the structure of the building itself, but the contents of the building, the layout, and the use of the building. How does the use of the building affect the fire risk? How many people are in the building? How will they escape? What steps should be taken to minimise the dangers? For any business or public building such as shops, nightclubs, cafes, restaurants, offices, churches, and even bus and train stations, a fire risk assessment is required. This list of buildings is not exhaustive, of course, but as a rule, all non-domestic properties need to have a fire risk assessment in place. This is not an optional document and is mandatory by UK law.

be tens of thousands of pounds, depending on the number of breaches. In some cases, guilty parties end up with a prison sentence. UNDERSTANDING FIRE ASSESSMENT LEGISLATION This is especially important to note: ‘9.—(1) The responsible person must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to which relevant persons are exposed for the purpose of identifying the general fire precautions he needs to take to comply with the requirements and prohibitions imposed on him by or under this Order. (2) Where a dangerous substance is or is liable to be present in or on the premises, the risk assessment must include consideration of the matters set out in Part 1 of Schedule 1. (3) Any such assessment must be reviewed by the responsible person regularly so as to keep it up to date and particularly if (a) there is reason to suspect that it is no longer valid; or (b) there has been a significant change in the matters to which it relates including when the premises, special, technical and organisational measures, or organisation of the work undergo significant changes, extensions, or conversions, and where changes to an assessment are required as a result of any such review, the responsible person must make them. (4) The responsible person must not employ a young person unless he has, in relation to risks to young persons, made or reviewed an assessment in accordance with paragraphs (1) and (5). (5) In making or reviewing the assessment, the responsible person who employs or is to employ a young person must take particular account of the matters set out in Part 2 of Schedule 1. (6) As soon as practicable after the assessment is made or reviewed, the responsible person must record the information prescribed by paragraph (7) where - (a) he employs five or more

ber The num fied risk nies i t r e c f a o nt compzero e WHY ARE FIRE RISK m s s e ass ASSESSMENTS n from has rise 12, to 44 NEEDED? The reason that a in 20 in the UK fire risk assessment is ies companhis year required is because it is t stipulated in the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. This piece of legislation was designed to replace all previous pieces of legislation regarding fire safety, streamlining the requirements within the UK. It is recommended that employers and other responsible persons such as housing associations, schools, hospitals, and landlords familiarise themselves with the legislation so that they understand the requirements. Simply put, the legislation states that a fire risk assessment must be carried out, but it also lists a whole range of other requirements such as: who can do a fire risk assessment, who is responsible in the event of a fire, procedures for serious and imminent danger and for danger areas, what provision of information should be given to employees, as well as how the Order is enforced. It is important to understand that failure to comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 could result in prosecution resulting in fines that could

employees; (b) a licence under an enactment is in force in relation to the premises; or (c) an alterations notice requiring this is in force in relation to the premises. (7) The prescribed information is (a) the significant findings of the assessment, including the measures which have been or will be taken by the responsible person pursuant to this Order; and (b) any group of persons identified by the assessment as being especially at risk. (8) No new work activity involving a dangerous substance may commence unless - (a) the risk assessment has been made; and (b) the measures required by or under this Order have been implemented.’ It is important to note that the legislation calls for the risk assessment to be both ‘suitable’ and ‘sufficient’. The problem with this is that it seems that there is a level of interpretation here: what might be suitable for one property certainly won’t be suitable for another. This is why it is important to tailor the fire risk assessment to each specific premises, and to update and review the assessment as and when any changes occur, such as when a room is repurposed, the people in the building change (particularly if they are children or disabled or have any other impairment), or the usage of the building changes (for example if a shop converts to being open 24 hours or the building is converted in some manner).

Written by Fire Industry Association

The importance of fire risk assessment

Fire Safety

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

WHAT IF HAZARDS ARE MISSED? Anyone can conduct a fire risk assessment, so long as they are deemed ‘competent’, but a recent investigation uncovered that many business owners lack the skills or knowledge in order to complete a risk assessment unaided. The problem arises when the person carrying out the fire risk assessment does not have the years of experience and ability to fully analyse the risks – what if risks or hazards are missed? Not only is this potentially very dangerous, this could lead to an actual fire occurring in the building because the risks have not been properly assessed and minimised. This could not only be devastating for the lives of the people inside, but also completely devastating for the business, school, or hospital (for example). Lives could be lost as well as vital services to the local community or business world. This is why it is absolutely imperative to get a fire risk assessment right straight from the beginning. It is far too easy to overlook hazards and risks, or fail to understand the impact of those risks and make insufficient recommendations to reduce those risks. E Volume 23.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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HEALTH & SAFETY  A recent investigation carried out during a review of the Fire of Scotland Act discovered that there was a huge lack of understanding of what is required in a fire risk assessment. The investigation found that: ‘Scottish Fire and Rescue Service statistics highlight that from a sample of 457 premises, 130 premises did not have a risk assessment carried out and from the 315 premises that did have a risk assessment carried out, the fire safety measures in place were considered to be totally adequate in only one premises.’ In this instance it is therefore the Fire Industry Association’s recommendation that in the instance of a ‘responsible person’ or ‘duty holder’ (as named by legislation) being unable to have the requisite skills, knowledge, experience, and competence to produce a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, that an independent fire risk assessor should be appointed. FINDING A RELIABLE RISK ASSESSOR The answer is simple: use only verified and certified risk assessors. Fire risk assessments are easy to do, but hard to do well. Almost anyone with a background in the fire industry

Fire Safety

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

For any business or public building such as shops, nightclubs, cafes, restaurants, offices, churches, and even bus and train stations, a fire risk assessment is required can set themselves up as a ‘professional’ fire risk assessor and visit premises around the country giving out advice to building owners and businesses. But that is the scary part – there are hundreds of companies claiming to be ‘expert’ risk assessors, but without any real grounds or certification to say that they are. The good news is that the number of certified (i.e. independently verified to be reliable and fully trained) risk assessment companies has risen from zero in 2012, to 44 companies in the UK now. Whilst 44 may not sound like a particularly high number, the figure is likely to snowball over the next few years as a more educated public demand verification of the skills of the people they are hiring to carry out fire risk assessments. This trend for certified fire risk assessors is a trend that is following the footsteps of the

installation market: more and more installers of fire alarm systems across the UK are now certified (over 800 companies, in fact), so this is a trend that is likely to continue in the industry for risk assessment companies too. As it is a legal requirement to carry out a fire risk assessment in any business or public building, it is important to use a company that has been verified by a third party to have the correct skills and training. The easiest way to check? Use the Fire Industry Association members’ register on our website. All members listed under the ‘Find a Member’ section are verified and certified by an independent body, meaning that you can trust their risk assessment skills. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.fia.uk.com

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ENERGY EFFICIENCY

With millions of homes still in need of insulation and millions of households still suffering from fuel poverty, the National Insulation Association believes that it is time to make energy efficiency a funded national infrastructure priority The Scottish government has already declared energy efficiency a national infrastructure priority and will be investing £10 billion in its new Energy Efficiency Programme. This will include over £500 million of Scottish government funding over the next four years over and above the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) which equates to around £1.25 million more per year than is being invested in the rest of the UK. Central UK government has not yet committed to making energy efficiency an infrastructure priority and is not currently investing

over and above ECO however the benefits of doing so are huge. ECONOMIC BENEFITS Independent research has identified that a major national energy efficiency programme would bring an £8.7 billion net economic benefit to the country, comparable to HS2 Phase 1 and Crossrail. It would boost GDP growth, reduce UK reliance on gas imports, deliver an increase in employment across the country and reduce NHS costs It would also help keep household energy bills down and warm up the homes of the fuel poor. The £640 million ECO extension will focus on

Indepen researc dent identifi h has major n ed that a efficien ational energ y c would by programme r net of eing £8.7bn c benefit onomic to country the

fuel poor households from April 2017 with able to pay households expected to pay for energy efficiency measures themselves. What is now needed is for government to come forward with policy recommendations as a matter of urgency setting out how it intends to help stimulate the able to pay market. The National Insulation Association (NIA) recommends: a national, government backed, consumer education and engagement programme covering the benefits of insulation; targeted incentives such as discounts on council tax and stamp duty rebates for energy efficient properties; targeted regulations which trigger energy efficiency upgrades such as home improvements or home moving; and a range of attractive finance options that meet consumers E

Written by The National Insulation Association

Should energy efficiency be a funded national infrastructure priority?

Insulation

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

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Mapei UK products used for refurbishment of Gatwick Airport’s North Terminal departures Mapei UK has recently helped complete a flooring refurbishment project in Gatwick Airport’s North Terminal Departure costing approximately £2 million. DMC Contracts carried out the installation, leading the design between Mapei and Gatwick Airport to deliver a robust flooring system that would tolerate the demands of a busy airport terminal. As the UK’s second largest airport and the most efficient single-runway airport in the world, Gatwick Airport required a screed that could endure the high volume Photography courtesy of Gatwick Airport of footfall which it encounters daily. Mapei specified a screed containing its Topcem binder, also including experienced minimal disruption. Mapefibre Mapefibre NS12 polypropylene fibres, to NS12 helps to create a strong matrix within replace up to 9,000m2 of the previous the screed which is more resistant to the flooring in the North Terminal Departures. stresses induced by the setting and hardening Topcem, which carries an EC1 rating, process. Once laid, the floor was left for 28 produces a perfect screed to use prior to days before it was drop-hammer tested, the installation of any flooring where rapid where it received a Category A rating. drying is required – allowing light foot traffic 400 x 400 porcelain tiles and 600 x 300 after just 12 hours, ensuring the airport conglomerate tiles were then laid with

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 23.6

Mapei’s grey coloured Granirapid (which also carries an EC1 rating) – a rapid setting, high strength, flexible tile adhesive suitable for a busy airport environment. The floor tiles were grouted with Mapei’s popular Ultracolour Plus Grout in the ‘Cement Grey’ shade (113). With Gatwick’s moving annual total passenger numbers recently reaching over 41 million, the airport required an abrasion resistant flooring for some 400m2 of the baggage area floors. Mapei’s Ultratop Industrial was specified because of its excellent abrasion and wearing resistance to the high volume of traffic in the area. To prevent staining the Ultratop Industrial was sealed with Mapecoat I 600 W. For more information on Mapei resilient products, please visit the website. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: +44 (0)121 508 6970 info@mapei.co.uk www.mapei.co.uk

ENERGY EFFICIENCY  buying behaviour such as buy now pay later, interest free credit and low interest loans. Neil Marshall, chief executive of the NIA, commented: “Our members stand ready to support government in insulating the UK housing stock. In fact the NIA is highlighting to specifiers and householders that there are some significant developments currently taking place in the insulation industry which will impact on quality and standards of workmanship and customer redress. “The independent review of quality and standards in the energy efficiency industry being carried out by Peter Bonfield is due to report shortly however, there is already work being carried out linked to it which will impact on industry standards. “PAS2030 which governs the standards that insulation installers must operate to is currently being revised and a new specification will be published in early 2017. This will include robust standards and requirements for installers including the assessment of properties to receive insulation measures, the system design, physical installation and handover to the property owner. “We are directly involved in this work and we are developing new industry standards for external wall insulation, cavity wall insulation, room in roof insulation and loft insulation which will be referenced in PAS2030. We will require all our members to adhere to these new standards and if any of them fail to do so we have the powers to take appropriate disciplinary action. “NIA members are required to meet robust membership criteria and work to all

appropriate industry standards and abide by the association’s strict code of professional practice. This means that by choosing NIA registered members to carry out work there is added reassurance and recourse. “As a result an increasing number of specifiers and advice agencies including energy companies, government schemes, local authorities, housing associations and the Energy Saving Trust are choosing and recommending the use of NIA members.” NEW STANDARDS AND SERVICES The NIA’s new standards include industry leading specifications and best practice guides which will provide greater reassurance and recourse to specifiers and householders in the use of NIA members. The NIA has also launched a free service to help specifiers find NIA members to work on their projects. The new expressions of interest service allows specifers to provide the NIA with details of their forthcoming projects and specifications which is then used to issue requests for information and tender requests to its members on their behalf saving time and money. L

The National Insulation Association in the leading trade association for insulation measures and companies in the UK and its members include the manufacturers, system designers and installers of cavity wall, external wall, internal wall, loft, roof and floor insulation and draught proofing. FURTHER INFORMATION www.nia-uk.org

PAS2030 which governs the standards that insulation installers must operate to is currently being revised and a new specification will be published in early 2017

Insulation

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

Reduced public building energy costs for Edinburgh Edinburgh City Council has signed a contract with E.ON’s energy efficiency business to reduce on‑site energy costs by 24 per cent at nine of the city’s public buildings. Through the implementation of LED lighting and Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems at the buildings, the programme is designed to save more than £330,000 in energy costs and reduce carbon emissions by more than 1,500 tonnes per year. Other measures include efficient lighting and equipment upgrades such as more efficient variable speed drives, while new CHP engines in four schools with swimming pools will enable the buildings to generate their own electrical and heating needs on‑site. The buildings served in the programme include seven schools, the Usher Hall and UNESCO World Heritage Site the City Chambers. Lesley Hinds, Edinburgh City Council’s Transport and Environment Committee convener, said: “We are delighted to be able to partner with E.ON in the development of projects that will result in more energy efficient buildings delivering a number of benefits to the council and its staff. “This will be part of an ongoing programme of work initially supported by the Scottish Government and we will look forward to taking future phases of energy retrofits through the Scottish Government’s new framework.” The £2.1 million partnership between the council and Matrix is part of the city’s overarching aim to reduce carbon emissions by more than 40 per cent by 2020. The council’s 2020 objectives include more efficient energy consumption across all sectors by at least 12 per cent, and renewable energy technologies contributing to at least 40 per cent of energy consumed in the city. Last year, Edinburgh City Council confirmed plans to install community-owned solar panels on 25 public buildings across the city. FURTHER INFORMATION tinyurl.com/o4cv7rz

Volume 23.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Health & Safety

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

HAZARD PREVENTION

Assessing and preventing risks in the workplace The importance of pinpointing what might cause potential risks in an office setting goes a long way in reducing any safety incidents. Using HSE guidance, Government Business looks at controlling hazards in the workplace and lone worker safety

Firstly, when analysing the potential risks that can cause health and safety incidents in the workplace, it is important to address what we mean by hazard and what we mean by risk. A hazard is anything that may cause harm, while the risk is the chance that somebody could be harmed by these and other hazards. One of the first, and most important, aspects of creating or updating a risk assessment is accurately identifying the potential hazards in the workplace. This, arguably, is best handled by an employee who has a knowledge of the office on a day-to-day basis. This character will know what happens on each floor, who works where, who sits where, what activities take place, what machines are needed, what substances are used etc. In other words, they will be knowledgeable about the hazards that could injure employees or harm their health. Some hazards are easy to spot – such as working from height or dangerous machinery – while others are easily overlooked. For example, it is very easy to only analyse the actions of those who work within normal office hours. But what are the hazards facing, and presented by, cleaning or maintenance

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 23.6

staff? When are production cycles changed, or likely to change, and how does the affect your risk assessment.

environment. Any visitors, contractors and maintenance workers, plus members of the public, should all be taken into account. EVALUATING THE RISKS Risk is a part of everyday life and nobody is expected to eliminate all risks. However, having identified the hazards, it is important to decide how likely it is that harm will occur – what is the level of risk and what should be done about it. Make sure you know about the main risks and the things you need to do to manage them responsibly. Generally, you need to do everything ‘reasonably practicable’, which means balancing the level of risk against the measures needed to control the real risk in terms of money, time or trouble. You can only manage preventable risks – so therefore do not expect the risk assessment to explore unforeseeable risks, or eradicate risks altogether. Some hazards can be dealt with and ridded in their entirety, but others are not. At this stage you must ask how can I control the risks so that harm is unlikely? Some practical steps that can be taken include: trying a less risky option; preventing access to the hazards; organising work to reduce exposure to the hazard; issuing protective equipment; providing welfare facilities such as first aid and washing facilities; and involving and consulting workers. NEW STATISTICS The HSE Health and safety at work: Summary statistics for Great Britain 2016 show that 1.3 million workers suffered from a work-related illness in 2015/16. Of this, approximately 500,000 suffered from new or long standing musculoskeletal disorders, while roughly another 500,000 suffered from work-related stress, depression or anxiety. The statistics estimate that 25.9 million working days are lost to work related illness. The statistics concerning workplace injury showed that there were 144 deaths at work last year. On top of this, there were an estimated 621,000 non-fatal injuries to workers, with 72,702 employee non-fatal injuries reported by employers under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR). According to the Labour Force Survey, there were an estimated 4.5 million working days lost due to non‑fatal workplace injuries in 2015/16. Workplace injuries can have a monumental cost to Britain, both in human costs and financial costs. The annual costs of work related injury and illness in 2014/15,

Some e ar hazards t – such spo easy to rking from as wo dangerous or height nery – while machi are easily others looked over

WHO IS LIKELY TO BE HARMED? In addition to this, asking other employees what they think the hazards are means that any things that they may notice that are not obvious to you will be noted. They may also have some good ideas on how to control the risks. Any risk assessment should also take into consideration the variety of employees working in any one particular environment. For example the hazards will be different for a disabled person, an expectant mother or a young person. The HSE website contains full guidance on who might be harmed and how. The risk assessment of who may be harmed stretches wider than those who are employed to work in that specific

excluding long latency illness such as cancer, sat at £14.1 billion. The annual costs of new cases of work related illness in 2014/15 was recorded as £9.3 billion. Regarding work-related ill health, there are an estimated 13,000 deaths each year linked to past exposures at work, primarily to chemicals or dusts. More specifically, there were 2,515 mesothelioma deaths in 2014, with a similar number of lung cancer deaths linked to past exposures to asbestos. Additionally, there are 14,000 estimated new cases of breathing or lung problems annually, according to self-reports from the Labour Force Survey. An estimated 150 new cases of occupational asthma were seen by chest physicians each year on average over the last three years. WORKING ALONE The number of job roles which involve lone working can be vast, and in the realm of local authorities can vary from customer service representatives working in district offices to housing officers visiting tenants at their properties. In most cases, the risks of working alone are no different than those of working in a busy, highly populated office environment. On the whole, employees classed as lone workers usually work on their own within an establishment or are mobile, working on the road or from home. However, some employees

may be working alone because they work outside of normal hours or because their circumstances dictate that they need to. Any risk assessment for an employer working alone in an office or in any location should assess whether the conditions they’ll be working in are normal or abnormal, and whether they are hazardous – both in terms of the type of people they face, and the physical conditions of the area such as lighting and office location. Lone workers in local government may have to refuse

past, highlights communication as playing a key role in protecting lone workers. Steve said: “Managers and colleagues of lone workers must have systems to enable them to know where a lone worker is, what they are doing and if they are working remotely, when they are expected back. If staff are working late in the office then mechanisms should be in place to ensure that the duty building manager is aware they are on site and when they have left the building.

Health & Safety

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

Some hazards can be dealt with and ridded in their entirety, but others are not. At this stage you must ask how can I control the risks so that harm is unlikely? appointments, reject applications for benefits or generally give bad news that may change a person’s life – all of which can spark emotional reactions that they need to be trained to deal with and diffuse. Staff should also be trained in how to deliver bad news to reduce the risk of angry reactions. Steve Sumner, chair of the Public Service Group at the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), writing for Government Business in the

“‘Buddy’ systems can be useful as they enable a lone worker to keep in regular touch with another employee. “This ‘buddy’ will know the places, times and people that their colleague is coming into contact with and will be able to raise the alarm if an expected call or form of contact is missed.” L FURTHER INFORMATION www.hse.gov.uk

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Volume 23.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Recruitment Written by Kate Shoesmith, head of policy, Recruitment & Employment Confederation

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

PUBLIC SECTOR WORKFORCE

Following trends in public sector recruitment

The coverage of the recruitment crisis focuses too much on the problems, not the solutions. Kate Shoesmith, of the Recruitment & Employment Confederation, looks at dealing with the problem In January 2001, a monthly tracking survey of recruiters in the UK found that there was a shortage in the supply of teachers, qualified nurses and care assistants available to fill vacancies for permanent jobs. Sound familiar? This same tracking survey, Report on Jobs, has been carried out on behalf of the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) for nearly 20 years, starting in 1997. Nearly every month since the survey began, we have reported such shortages. Recruiters frequently tell us that they find it really difficult to source suitably skilled candidates for essential roles in the public sector. In 2016, we are still talking about the shortage of suitable candidates to fill vital public sector roles. Data collected in October 2016 shows that demand for nurses and care workers is outweighing the available supply. The Migration Advisory Committee, which collects evidence and advises government on the roles which should be included on the shortage occupation list, has just closed an inquiry into teacher

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 23.6

shortages following a series of news reports about an education recruitment crisis. Doctors, nurses, carers, teachers and nursery nurses are among those jobs that are difficult to source today. But the list doesn’t stop there. Highly skilled interim managers who can lead a local authority or turn around an NHS trust are like gold dust according to our members. The trouble is, we have all been saying this for so long it feels like old news. It’s as if these shortages, which have a real impact on the quality of our public services, are somehow inevitable. People were talking about recruitment issues in the public sector long before we started Report on Jobs in 1997. Far too much of the conversation fixates on the scale of the problem, rather than the solutions. SO HOW CAN WE DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM? The first thing we need to do is look at how people work today and whether that matches up with the jobs on offer in the public sector. When the National Union of Teachers surveyed

their supply teacher members in June 2016, they found that 26 per cent of supply teachers have made a ‘lifestyle choice’ to work that way, while a further 23 per cent said they no longer wanted to work in a permanent role. This is a trend that extends far beyond the public sector. In a poll of over 4,000 working age adults in Great Britain, we found that one in three of us (36 per cent) have worked on a temporary agency, contract or freelance basis at some point in our career. The same poll showed that 41 per cent of respondents say that they would consider working that way in the future. The REC has produced research into the reasons why people choose flexible work and, as might be expected, we identified a wide variety of motivations. For some, it’s about gaining necessary experience in a new sector or building up their skills, and

Public yers mplo sector eaccept the need tocultural shift currentsure that their and en le can work peop t different a flexibly s of their e stag eer car

keeping their hand in while they identify alternative job opportunities. But for others, it is a necessity because they have caring responsibilities and so need to be able to work around those. A growing number of people also say they work this way as they approach retirement age. This was certainly the case for the agency nurses we spoke to as part of the research. They felt that they had spent a considerable amount of their career working on a permanent basis for the NHS. Working that way meant they were tied down to shift patterns that interfered with their home life and their responsibilities. After giving their all to the sector for many years, they now felt it was time to take a step back and gain a little more work-life balance. For many, the only way to do that was to give up their permanent job and become an agency nurse. FLEXIBLE WORKING Public sector employers need to accept this cultural shift and ensure that their people can work flexibly at different stages in their career as and when required. Significant strides forward are being made, with organisations like NHS Employers providing toolkits like its A-Z guide to flexible working. But there is still more to be done. In a recent survey of over 1,587 employees by My Family Care and Hydrogen, the recruitment business, over a quarter of people (28 per cent) said they were reluctant to ask for flexible working – even if that is how they would prefer to work. The ‘Hire Me My Way’ campaign led by Timewise is one way to change things and address this problem. This campaign aims to

Recruitment

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

People were talking about recruitment issues in the public sector long before we started Report on Jobs in 1997. But far too much of the conversation fixates on the scale of the problem, rather than the solutions increase the number of good quality, part‑time and flexible jobs available by supporting employers in how to offer flexible work so that it suits both the individual and the business. Hire Me My Way is gaining significant traction among private sector employers and one or two local authorities, but it would be great to see more public sector employers signing up. It is also important to consider how people are treated whilst they are at work and as they go through the recruitment process – no matter if they work on a temporary or permanent contract. This is important as someone’s recruitment experience can really influence how they feel about a company. Last year, we published a report called The Candidate Strikes Back, which quantified how stories about a bad recruitment experience are shared, creating significant repercussions for an employer’s brand. At the REC, we set compliance standards that go over and above the legal obligations for recruitment agencies and we ask all of our members to adhere to a Code of Professional Practice. Agencies must take a compliance test to enter and stay in membership. But we realise recruitment is not just in the hands of the agencies. We have also sought to support employers, i.e. the clients of recruiters, in understanding their responsibilities when they recruit someone through our Good Recruitment Campaign. The campaign is a way for employers to share best practice in sourcing talent, regardless of whether they work in the public or private sector. The campaign is underpinned by a Good Recruitment Charter. Principle 2 of the Charter asks employers to ‘exercise good recruitment practice and apply this equally to temporary, contract, interim, fixed term, zero hours and part-time workers’. BETTER WORKFORCE PLANNING Finally and most important of all, we need to be better at predicting and mitigating for the long-term needs of our public sector services, so that we can ensure suitably skilled, trained and vetted staff are available when required. Earlier this year, PwC produced a briefing on the teacher recruitment crisis called Feeling the squeeze. Their analysis showed that while there were 44,900 entrants to the teaching profession in 2014, there were also 42,050 exits in the same year. PwC go on to show how the proportion of teachers leaving the sector grew by 11 per cent between 2011 and 2014.

This highlights how recruitment and retention strategies need to be considered together, not in isolation. This shift is particularly problematic as a recent increase in birth rates has meant that there is going to be higher demand in schools as pupil numbers increase. At the other end of the spectrum, we have long reported that the UK has an ageing population and so the burden on our health and care sectors is likely to grow, at a time when public budgets are already under considerable pressure. Better workforce planning is critical. We need to identify the changes in population levels and what this will mean for demand on public services before the challenge hits. Recruitment strategies are important, but before that thought needs to be given as to whether we are training enough people for the jobs that will be available in the future. Better careers guidance for young people when they are still in full-time education, and training that effectively prepares people for the realities of the job, are essential if we are to improve retention of staff in the public sector. We have a serious problem when people want to leave a career within their first few years out of training. Efforts to address entrenched problems by taking a longer-term view is vital, but alongside this we need measures designed to help employers meet the immediate challenges caused by skills shortages. In his speech to the Conservative Party Conference this autumn, the Secretary of State for Health Jeremy Hunt pledged to end a perceived over-reliance on foreign doctors by training more and investing in home-grown talent. The additional resource for training an extra 1,500 doctors is welcome news. But it takes several years to become fully qualified and the shortages in the sector are already hitting public services. So it is important to consider how a responsible migration strategy can also support public sector recruitment difficulties while we are working towards better demand-led training programmes and workforce planning strategies. As a starting point, and following the EU Referendum this summer, what we need now from government is absolute clarity about what happens to the EU nationals already in our workforces and servicing the public sector, so we don’t exacerbate the public recruitment crisis we are already experiencing. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.rec.uk.com

Volume 23.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Road Maintenance Written by Howard Robinson, chief executive, the Road Surface Treatments Association

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

FUNDING

The need to address local road maintenance Howard Robinson, of the Road Surface Treatments Association, believes that the upcoming Autumn Statement should address the decades of under-investment that has left our local roads in a continuing state of decline

act The impdes under‑investment the latest Annual Local of deca nding, u f Authority Road r e of und re budget Maintenance (ALARM) u t t u f a survey, published by s h t u l p eans m , the Asphalt Industry s t n i restra l roads will e Alliance, found rat that it would cost loca deterio o t £12 billion and take e u contin ue to lack 14 years to bring the d local road network up ing to an adequate standard. of fund

Chancellor Philip Hammond is being called upon to do something that few previous chancellors have done - demonstrate a real understanding that good local road maintenance is essential for the socio-economic well‑being of the country. His forthcoming Autumn Statement should address the decades of under-investment that has left our local roads in a continuing state of decline. The failure to appreciate the true socio‑economic worth of a well-maintained road network is underlined by the fact that the government has, over many decades, failed to provide adequate funding for road maintenance. Central government seems to be unable to understand that the local road network is the essential link to the national road network, rail stations, ports and airports. It is also the main means of access to people’s homes, to schools, hospitals and businesses. In addition to this indifference towards the need for proper levels of road maintenance funding, local authorities, due to dwindling overall resources, are often forced to raid their road maintenance budgets to fund other services. After years of cut-backs and

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 23.6

The lack of investment funding demonstrates how short‑changed motorists are. Road taxes raise some £5 billion a year whilst fuel duty raises a further £27 billion. There is a huge discrepancy between what motorists pay in tax and what is spent on maintaining the roads that they pay tax to drive on. NOTING THE MAINTENANCE ROLE Unfortunately road maintenance is not glamourous. It does not have the news impact of expanding the trunk road network with new motorways or investing in high speed rail links. Nevertheless it is essential. The local road network is an asset that promotes economic viability and social well-being. Businesses can trade. People can live their lives. There are further reasons to ensure that we have a well-maintained road network. Maintenance is crucial to the safety of the

road network. Poorly maintained potholed roads and those that have lost their skid resistance are a safety hazard. Then there are the financial costs to road users. Vehicles using deteriorating roads consume more fuel and may need more repairs. There is also a compensation cost for local authorities. In 2015, according to the Local Government Association, they had to pay over £53 million in compensation to drivers for vehicular damage resulting from potholes. This is money that local authorities can ill afford. A survey from the RAC clearly demonstrates the impact of poorly maintained roads. It found that the number of cars damaged by potholes has more than doubled over the last ten years. 21,500 cars rescued by the RAC over the last 12 months had suffered damage where the main contributory factor was potholes. This is a 126 per cent increase over the numbers of cars rescued in 2006. The damage includes broken suspension springs, distorted wheels and damaged shock absorbers. The RAC survey confirms what most road users already know: the condition of the local roads has deteriorated drastically in the last decade. Local highway authorities are increasingly adopting new asset management and preventative maintenance policies and examining all possible cost efficiencies in order to tackle the enormous challenge that faces them. Over the last year they have filled in over two million potholes.

However, the lack of long-term funding means that much of this is expensive reactive repair rather than cost-effective preventative maintenance that would have prevented the potholes from forming in the first place. This has long been the logical economic argument forwarded by the road maintenance industry. Investing in programmes of planned cost-effective long-term preventative maintenance is far more cost effective than undertaking expensive emergency short‑term patch-and-mend. It costs only £2m2 to surface dress and maintain a road but costs an average £57m2 to repair potholes.

The new Chancellor could start addressing the issue of local road maintenance funding by correcting the anomaly that local roads will not receive any monies from the new vehicle excise duty road fund

£521 million in highways and transportation budgets (from £4.9 billion to £4.4 billion). The Department said that the funding drop was ‘largely driven by a decrease to the support to operators provided by local authorities’. DECADES OF UNDERFUNDING In order to support current levels of support Despite the best efforts of local authorities, for public transport operators, councils the impact of decades of underfunding may be forced to raid road maintenance plus current and future budget restraints budgets. Given the poor state of many means that local roads will continue to of our local roads this is of concern. deteriorate due to lack of funding. The The new Chancellor could start addressing ALARM survey found that overall budgets the issue of local road maintenance funding for road maintenance have fallen by by correcting the anomaly that local roads 16 per cent. Indeed, the government’s own will not receive any monies from the new statistics indicate that English councils’ vehicle excise duty road fund announced by budgets for highways and transportation the previous Chancellor, George Osborne. are to suffer a significant loss of 10.6 per The new fund, to be introduced in 2017, cent in 2016-17 compared with last year. is only for trunk roads and motorways. It is The Local Authority Revenue Expenditure not available for local roads which represent and Financing: 2016-17 Budget, England 98 per cent of the UK road network. It is report from M25H the Department for Communities unfortunate that the majority of roads used Half.pdf 1 20/06/2016 14:56:18 and Local Government demonstrates a fall of by the majority of traffic will not benefit from

Road Maintenance

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

this fund. The government has announced that from 2015 to 2021 it is to provide £6 billion for local road maintenance yet over the same period drivers in England will provide over £30 billion in vehicle excise duty. Hammond should demonstrate that he understands the importance of the local road network and use the road fund to invest in both the national and local road network. The case for funding a well-maintained road network is strong. The government must recognise the social and economic benefits of an efficient local road network. If the Chancellor wants a positive economic legacy he should provide real levels of investment in local roads and work with local authorities to develop long-term funding mechanisms that enable the implementation of programmes of planned maintenance. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.rsta-uk.org

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Fleet Management Written by Gerry Keaney, chief executive, British Vehicle Rental & Leasing Association

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

VEHICLE LEASING

How technology will enable greener fleets The automotive industry will experience more change in the next decade than it did in the previous 50 years, but the BVRLA’s Gerry Keaney believes that we are not just experiencing one revolution, but three The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association’s (BVRLA) Fleet Technology White Paper highlighted how there are radical changes in the way vehicles are powered, managed and used. THE POWERTRAIN REVOLUTION The reliance on petrol and diesel‑fuelled vehicles is in decline as a new family of electric vehicles (EVs) finally delivers the range, mpg and cost of ownership required to make them serious contenders for rational fleet buyers. After more than a decade when diesel has been the obvious choice for most fleet customers, the fleet industry is facing increasingly complex powertrain decisions. The main challenge to diesel’s dominant position is from technological developments that have enabled petrol engines to catch up in terms of cost and efficiency. Improved boosting-technologies, such as superchargers and turbochargers are behind much of this revival. Their main impact has been to make small engines feel larger than they actually are, enabling car makers to reduce engine sizes without sacrificing performance. Diesel engines have also benefitted from improved boosting technologies, but not to the same extent. Consequently, the gap between the two fuels has narrowed in terms of cost, emissions and fuel economy. Electric vehicle sales continue to accelerate, with new plug-in registrations up by 45 per cent in the first six months of 2016. Fleets continue to lead the way, registering three out of four new plug-ins registered. Meanwhile, a number of mainstream manufacturers that make pure EVs are set to compete with Tesla over the next few years by introducing new models with larger battery packs and ranges of more than 300 miles. In support of such developments, the UK government announced £40 million of funding that will see cities across the country roll out hundreds of the new public fast and rapid charge points that will be needed by drivers of vehicles with larger batteries. The same grant is being used to fund a range of

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 23.6

innovative EV user incentives, including free parking and access to bus and carpool lanes. There should also be some exciting developments in the role electric batteries play in enhancing the performance and fuel efficiency of conventional internal combustion engine vehicles, as a result of an anticipated shift from the current standard of 12 volt batteries towards cars fitted with 48 volt batteries. In the medium term, perhaps as early as 2020, 48v powertrain systems, where the batteries are recharged by the internal combustion engine and from energy captured during braking, are expected to be ubiquitous. It is claimed that 48v systems will be able to deliver 60-70 per cent of the fuel economy and emissions benefits of the high voltage mild hybrid systems used in today’s plug-in hybrids at just 30 per cent of the cost, because they avoid the need for expensive safety features and large battery packs. A wide variety of innovative system engineering – whether electrification, boosting or other technologies – are set to further improve the efficiency of internal combustion engines, cutting CO2 emission averages by 10-20 per cent in the next decade or so.

information about the nearest garage or ask for a music track to be streamed to their car. Some manufacturers have engineered apps which enable drivers to unlock their car from their smartphone. Fleet managers can use the data from connected vehicles to enable better journey planning, identify unnecessary journeys and address poor driving styles. Yet while these technological developments allow rental and leasing companies to provide more addedvalue services to customers, they can also throw up plenty of headaches for fleet managers and vehicle manufacturers. There are still questions which need to be answered about who owns the data from a connected vehicle, and the fleet industry is keen to ensure there is a single standard for vehicle information, so that the data from a BMW can be compared to that from a Kia, for example. Meanwhile, vehicle manufacturers are utilising these connected vehicles to send service or breakdown alerts to drivers. If, however, the car redirects the driver to the OEM’s preferred garage, rather than the leasing company’s approved maintenance provider, the vehicle manufacturer is effectively positioning itself as a competitor to a vehicle supplier. Elsewhere, Tesla is offering ‘over the air’ upgrades, where drivers can download

After e a decad l has iese when d choice for e been thet customers, most fleeet industry the fl g complex is facin ertrain pow s decision

CONNECTED CARS The powertrain is not the only element of a car that will undergo a technological change. Many new vehicles are already connected, but it’s estimated that 100 per cent of new cars will have an embedded modem by 2020. These connected cars will enable fleets to have pre-installed telematics devices ready to go. This connectivity facilitates the collection of enormous volumes of data about driver behaviour, user preferences and the vehicles themselves. Connected vehicles send diagnostics, location information and other vehicle data, while drivers may request

Fleet Management

a software update that improves their vehicle’s EV range. Whatever progress is made, cars will always need servicing and mandatory interventions. These technological developments require a fleet management revolution. For the last couple of decades, leasing companies have been offering a one-stop-shop that delivers accident management, downtime management, short-term rental, service maintenance, glass repair, and indeed management of anything that touches the vehicle. This sole supplier model is now under greater pressure than ever before thanks to the prevalence of connected cars, as well as the detail available from an increasingly digitised supply chain. It is becoming easier than ever for fleets to shop around and demonstrate the savings that are being made – both environmental and financial. Whatever the organisational model, whether in-house or outsourced, digitisation will be an increasing trend, with data analysis, smartphone apps and digital payments replacing call centres, static websites and traditional banking methods. Many of those working within the fleet industry will find themselves outside their comfort zone, having to deal with new risks, recruit and manage new skillsets, and develop relationships with a complex array of new suppliers. Most importantly, they will have to deal with new customer expectations. THE CAR USE REVOLUTION We are also experiencing a fundamental shift in the way individuals and businesses use road

transport. Traditional models of car use are being eroded in many urban areas, where the growing problems of congestion and air quality are forcing policymakers to introduce measures that are increasingly anti-car, including reduced road space and higher parking charges. Elsewhere, a new group of motorists, largely made up of a younger generation, is embracing a service-based mentality by renting or using shared vehicles, instead of owning or taking individual responsibility for them. This same generation is also comfortable with a digital, smartphone‑enabled approach to buying and using mobility services. Those in this age category are more than happy to reduce their emissions, and take a sustainable attitude to their travel plans. At the same time, technology is blurring the traditional boundaries between car clubs, vehicle rental and leasing. Rental and leasing companies have seized this opportunity and are rapidly developing their own digital platforms. This enables them to provide more flexible access to leased and rented vehicles, as well as to offer car sharing, parking services and tickets for public transport. This explosion in mobility business models has led to the concept of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) being embraced by both local and national transport policymakers. MaaS is about providing users, both travellers and freight, with seamless, on-demand access to a range of transport modes tailored to their individual needs. Instead of viewing transport as a series of separate journeys, it will be delivered as an integrated, reactive, mobility system driven by technology and a desire for personalised services.

In its simplest form, this brings every kind of transport together in a single, intuitive mobile app that combines transport options from different providers, handling everything from travel planning to payments and expenses. This end-goal is particularly appealing to urban transport planners who want to tackle the congestion, safety and air quality challenges in their ever-expanding cities by reducing private vehicle ownership and use. Instead of viewing transport as a series of separate journeys, with MaaS it is integrated. Every kind of transport can be brought together in a single, intuitive mobile app that combines options from different providers. Rental and leasing companies continue to play a key role in this world of mobility services, whether they are delivering a bespoke solution or something that has been bought off the shelf. EMBRACING OPPORTUNITIES These three revolutions will benefit society but create new challenges for fleet operators. However, they should be seen as an opportunity. They are an opportunity to reduce carbon emissions, an opportunity to optimise business journeys, and an opportunity to operate a more efficient fleet. There will be more of these challenges and opportunities going forward, with more technological developments. Fortunately, the fleet industry has years of experience of delivering innovative services to their customers, and BVRLA members should be the first point of call for any company seeking fleet management advice. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.bvrla.co.uk

Volume 23.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Flood Risk Management Written by Kevin Frewin, technical development manager, BSI UK

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

STANDARDS

Keeping your business afloat during flooding With a growing need for a head-on approach to flood mitigation, Kevin Frewin, technical development manager at BSI UK, looks at the importance of standards in current flood prevention products Flooding is one of the most common and widespread natural disasters in the UK, with millions of properties being at risk from flooding from rivers or the sea. Fitting a Kitemark flood protection product and using a Kitemark installation company can go a long way to providing the required protection. Following the widespread flooding caused by Storm Desmond in December 2015, flood resistance and resilience concerns have risen higher up the agenda for both businesses, developers and homeowners alike. To date, £13 million has been spent on repairing the damage to bridges in Cumbria following the floods and that figure is only set to increase. With around 15,000 homes and businesses having been affected by the floods, flood protection has never been more important. While government policies in the UK do not advocate the building of dwellings in areas with a significant risk of flooding, the current lack of affordable housing could lead to an increased likelihood of development on low or residual flood risk areas. National flood risk management policy typically requires developments to be safe, to avoid increasing flood risk elsewhere and, where possible, to reduce flood risk overall, so it is critical that new buildings in these areas are designed and built appropriately to cope with floodwaters and minimise the time for reoccupation after a flooding event. There are also a significant number of existing properties at risk from surface water flooding that would particularly benefit from resistance and resilience measures.

The lack current dable of affor could housing increased an lead to lihood of like on low t n e m developsidual flood or re areas risk

HOW CAN BUSINESSES PROTECT AGAINST FLOODING? Taking into account the changing weather conditions that may lead to increased rainfall, there needs to be a head-on approach to flood

mitigation. To anticipate this there is already a series of preventative measures in place. Flood mitigation or protection products can be used for commercial or domestic use and

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 23.6

usually come in three versions – building apertures, building skirts and wall sealant systems, temporary perimeter systems and demountable perimeter systems. The effectiveness and performance of these products is evaluated against the flood mitigation/protection products suite of standards, PAS 1188 and the anti‑flooding devices for buildings, suite of standards, BS EN 13564. The PAS 1188 suite offers the best guidance for the growing issue of flooding, with BSI certifying a wide range of flood mitigation/ protection products to ensure they meet the performance requirements and function as designed. The PAS 1188 suite specifies the requirements for the designation, factory production control, installation documentation and marking for different types and configurations of flood protection products. They also cover the method of testing and give an allowable leakage rate, which is very low for the various types of products. The suite of four documents (PAS 1188‑1; PAS 1188-2, PAS 1188‑3, PAS 1188-4)

Flood Risk Management

were developed with input from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Environment Agency, Department for Environment, food and rural affairs (DEFRA) and a number of other organisations, and aims to define terms and definitions within the area of flood protection products. It sets the norm for good practice and provides a test method for companies and organisations to help them attain a Kitemark for flood protection. As the need for that extra confidence when safeguarding peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s homes and businesses grows, so does the need for the BSI Kitemark. In this case it differs by providing reassurance that the product has been rigorously tested in simulated domestic or commercial property environment facing flood conditions and certified by an independent third party. The Kitemark is predominately found on building apertures and entrances to properties including boards and flood doors, as well as wall aperture closure systems and foam products. It is also applicable to: temporary installations for use away from buildings;

Taking into account the changing weather conditions that may lead to increased rainfall, there needs to be a head-on approach to flood mitigation, for which there is already a series of preventative measures in place building skirt systems and wall sealant systems intended for the temporary sealing of the above or below ground external faces or buildings and properties; demountable installations for use away from buildings; and anti-flooding devices for faecal and/or non-faecal wastewater for use in drainage systems of buildings operating under gravity. Based on a maximum height of flood water, building aperture products are designed to prevent the water from entering a property in enough quantities to do any serious damage and it is highly recommended that those living in a flood risk area, install the necessary Kitemark products using a Kitemark flood product installer to protect from the devastating effects of flood damage. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS? The PAS 1188 suite and the associated tests are beneficial to insurers as it is becoming increasingly important for them to know that flood mitigation/protection products are effective. Insurance companies are now offering flood cover based on the actual risks of flooding. In high risk areas where permanent defences may not be viable they might want to know what other local flood protection measures can be taken. Insurers often take account of effective action people have taken to protect their homes or businesses, including the use of Kitemark flood products where these can reduce the flood risk affecting those properties. Flood risk assessors, surveyors and consumers also need to understand which environment and location a product is best suited for. Additionally, the suite of standards require manufacturers to supply product guidance and user manuals, these include details for product deployment and installation instructions.

WHAT ABOUT FLOOD PRODUCT INSTALLATION? In addition to the flood protection products themselves, homeowners, businesses and developers also need to take into account the installation of the product. The Kitemark for Installation of Flood Protection Products aims to improve the installation of flood protection products and includes a robust definition of the installerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s survey that focuses on the suitability of the Kitemark product for the aperture being protected. It should provide home and business owners with the assurance that any Kitemark Flood Protection Products have been installed correctly by Kitemark certified installers and will provide the level of protection the product is designed and tested to achieve. It requires the installer to ensure they and the home or business owner are fully aware of the flood history, future flood risks and all points where flood water may enter. Whilst the scheme cannot guarantee to prevent all flooding, it is an important element in the defence against flooding. It will help determine that the Kitemark product is fit for purpose, fitted correctly and will protect to the specified flood level. If water exceeds this level however, flooding might occur, for example in the case of overtopping. The scheme is available to all installation companies that can demonstrate an appropriate level of competence, normally via training and practical assessment. It has been designed specifically so that both individual organisations and those who operate in conjunction with a trade body or group of companies can benefit from it and the widely recognised Kitemark. There are four main elements to the Kitemark scheme for the installation of Kitemark Flood Protection products: there is a process in E

Volume 23.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

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STANDARDS

The Kitemark for Installation of Flood Protection Products aims to improve the installation of flood protection products and includes a robust definition of the installer’s survey  place to assess and validate the competency of the installers; a survey is undertaken of the aperture where the Kitemark product is to be fitted to check for vulnerabilities and ensure its suitable and fit for purpose; the installation will be checked to ensure that the product is installed in accordance with the

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manufacturer’s instructions; and a practical site test is carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of the installation. WHAT IS THE BSI KITEMARK? The BSI Kitemark is a symbol that almost 70 per cent of consumers recognise and represents quality, safety and trust. Any

product or service must be rigorously assessed in order to achieve and maintain the Kitemark. It provides an independent third party endorsement that a service consistently meets the requirements of the appropriate standards or scheme. All flood prevention products that have a BSI Kitemark are independently tested by BSI. The factory production controls are assessed on an on-going basis to ensure the quality and performance of the products. Whilst it’s not always possible to counteract the effects of flooding, it is possible to put the necessary steps in place to mitigate the damage. For those unfortunate enough to suffer from a flooding event, it can still be a life-changing event for businesses, consumers and developers who suffer the repercussions of it. Not only does the question of how protected are we, come up, but what can be done to limit or prevent damage? The steps are there to be taken, be that before, during or after a flooding event. L

Flood Risk Management

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BSI (British Standards Institution) is the business standards company that equips businesses with the necessary solutions to turn standards of best practice into habits of excellence. FURTHER INFORMATION www.bsigroup.com

09/11/2016 08:22

Volume 23.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Flood Defences Written by Paul Cobbing, chief executive, National Flood Forum

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

Why collaboration is key to better flood risk management In light of September’s National Flood Resilience Review, Paul Cobbing, chief executive of the National Flood Forum, discusses the importance of engaging with people about the residual risk of flooding After each major flood, attention is focused on over-topped defences, ageing and failing infrastructure and a critique of how the various agencies and authorities responded. It’s a blame game of what went wrong and why – surely it must be someone or something’s fault? This is a perfectly understandable and human response, as people are traumatised and angry and need to vent their frustrations. We have had serious regional flooding every year since 2000, with the exception of 2011. Many thousands of households and businesses have been affected and the impact can be life changing. People live with the fear of it happening again, and unlike other forms of trauma this is quite

realistic as people do get flooded repeatedly. Whilst we need to accept that even with the best, highest or biggest defences in the world water will still sometimes find a way through, the scale of recent flooding means that we need to act. This means investing in leadership, time, resources and funds across society. It will require coordinated action in each place on planning, economic interventions, health, well-being and resilience, as well as flood risk management. The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs’ (DEFRA) Future Flood Prevention report helpfully opened up the discussion on how best we can achieve this. If we are to create a societal shift towards

all An over ch approaes requir cy, so ren transpa le can see op that pe re they fit whe isk flood r e h t o int ment manageaw jigs

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 23.6

flooding being everyone’s responsibility, we must take a holistic approach to reducing flood risk. This means using all the tools available to us, underpinned by greater collaboration across all sectors – including local and national government. Householders and businesses have a role to play as part of an overall approach, but this will require a change in how organisations and individual behave. This requires transparency so that people can see where they fit into the flood risk management jigsaw. COLLABORATIVE SUPPORT At the National Flood Forum, we support people across the country who are at risk of flooding. Whether that’s after a flood when we offer practical advice and emotional support throughout the long and stressful recovery period, or if it’s to work with flood risk communities to identify their flooding issues and seek solutions – we believe collaboration is key if we are to take a

how the water falls and flows through the catchment and where the trouble spots are. By combining expertise from both perspectives, we find opportunities for innovation. For example, we are seeing greater focus on catchment based approaches, managing water from where the rain lands all the way to the sea. There is a growing interest from communities in ‘natural flood risk management’, to delay and speed up water flow through a catchment to reduce the peaks of water that often cause flooding. This is only one of many solutions, but by working with people to explore how it may compliment other measures, we see greater buy-in and strengthened community relationships. After all, word of mouth within a community is often a very powerful asset.

holistic approach to reducing flood risk. Our commitment to working at the grassroots pays dividends when we bring community groups together with the agencies and authorities who have responsibility for managing flood risk. By setting out the issues and mapping a clear plan of action, we see results. But this requires a commitment on both sides to listen to the challenges, consider the constraints and seek out sensible solutions.

ARE WE PLANNING TO FLOOD? Apart from the fear of flooding again, we know that insurance is a major concern for people at flood risk. Flood Re, the measure to make household insurance more affordable for high risk areas was introduced in April this year and lasts until 2038. So, let’s be bold in our vision for how we tackle flood risk and ensure that by the time it runs out there isn’t a need for further market intervention. Alongside insurance, development is a major issue that worries people at risk of flooding. Whether it’s a new, planned or permitted development, or the threat of flooding from existing new builds, people are worried that their lives will be placed at risk. So, we as a charity are aiming to help push this higher up the agenda through our 2017 conference - Are we planning to flood? With a growing population, an increasing demand for housing, an ageing infrastructure and the effects of climate change, the impact of flooding is likely to increase and with it the human and economic costs. So, what can we do now to make sure we’re planning and building flood resilient communities for the future? Where is the evidence that our planning system is working? How do we ensure developers are delivering resilient communities?

There is a growing interest from communities in ‘natural flood risk management’, to delay and speed up water flow through a catchment to reduce the peaks of water that often cause flooding We often hear that communities feel they’re not being listened to. Decisions are taken in offices far removed from the site of the problem, without factoring local knowledge and expertise into the mix. Very often it’s the people who live locally who best understand

We are keen to explore how planners, developers and local people can work together to make sure that existing and new developments are sustainable – not just today, but in 30 years’ time. Collaboration is key and our conference E

EU funding secured for flood resilience partnership

Flood Defences

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The National Flood Forum, in partnership with the Rivers Trust, have secured funding to work together to reduce flood risk in parts of the UK. The aim is to understand and reduce residual flood risk through a combination of measures. In the case of the Rivers Trust, this will be through catchment based approaches, which will also deliver environmental benefits. The National Flood Forum will work with specific communities so that they can identify and work with partners to reduce their risk and be prepared for a flood incident. This project aims to increase the resilience of communities and physical infrastructure to floods. The project started in Autumn 2016, will run for three years and will see £350,000 awarded to the National Flood Forum to deliver its side of the partnership. Paul Cobbing, chief executive of the National Flood Forum, said: “This country has seen major flood events almost every year since 2000. No longer can these floods be described as unprecedented. The reality of climate change, a growing population and increased demand for housing means that more communities are going to be at risk of flooding in the future. But that’s not to say we can’t take action now to help people understand and reduce their flood risk. There’s a need for a society-wide approach to flood risk management and we know that community involvement is very often the key to success.” Alistair Maltby, operations director for The Rivers Trust, added: “As our risk from flooding increases due to climate change, we need to take a much more diverse and integrated approach to flood risk management than ever before. This will include making our landscape more suitable for high levels of water, and helping communities to protect their own property. “Civil society, such as rivers trusts and local flood action groups, will need to play a more formal role in implementing these non‑traditional measures, and this project will give The Rivers Trust and National Flood Forum the experience to support government in these new approaches.”

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 23.6

COLLABORATION  will discuss the development challenge from different perspectives. It will highlight success stories where partnerships between developers and communities are paying off and share innovative projects where flood resilience measures have been built-in retrospectively and are working well. We will also address what we need to do to create a society that is willing and wants to adapt. A SYSTEMS BASED APPROACH Which brings us to a problem that is extremely current – property level resilience, the practice of reducing the risk of water getting in to your home, and if it does, of minimising the damage. How can more people be encouraged to adapt their homes to be flood resilient, as part of a wider package of flood risk management measures? When they do work on their homes and businesses to better protect themselves, how can they be sure that the systems they are installing are appropriate and will help? Without independent guidance, it is almost impossible for a householder or small business to be sure that the measures they take to reduce the risk of water getting in to their home will work. We rapidly need an accredited and certified, systems based approach that will give confidence to insurance and mortgage companies, as well as the householder, in much the same way that installing a gas boiler is linked to standards, accreditation and maintenance contracts. The issue of reducing the impact of water on your property is perhaps slightly easier, but better guidance is needed for householders, surveyors and the building industry. For the National Flood Forum, these issues are our bread and butter. Through our flood exhibitions and work with communities we can help people navigate their way through what flood resilience means to them, what they need to consider, how what they do can fit in to a wider package of measures in their area and how by working with their neighbours they can begin to take control of the flood risk in their lives. We give impartial, independent advice on products and services to allow people to make informed decisions about the resilience measures that will best suit their homes and lifestyle.

MPs voice flood risk management reform calls

Flood Defences

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A report from the Environment and Rural Affairs Committee has warned that a major reform of the system for managing flood risk is needed. Despite the government reiterating that it saw no need for organisational change, MPs have argued that the Environment Agency’s recent performance over flooding is poor, and that it should be stripped of its powers. Instead, such powers should be handed to a new bodies, which would include a UK floods supremo, new flooding and coastal boards and a rivers and coastal authority. The report follows recent reports by the government, the Environmental Audit Committee and the Committee on Climate Change, all of which have been triggered by the drastic floods of December 2015. The proposed national floods commissioner would co-ordinate flood-related policy across governmental departments, while the regional delivery of wider, national plans would be coordinated by regional flood and coastal boards, which would work in partnership with local authorities. The report was also critical of the over reliance on traditional flood defences, and recommended the government adopt new approaches, such as catching water in the uplands to prevent floods lower down the catchment,

as demonstrated in Pickering in Yorkshire. The committee also highlighted the benefits of ‘changing land management practices’, noting the possibility of offering incentives to farmers to store floodwaters on their land. They note that the damage cost of flooding fields is far lower than for flooding towns. Neil Parish, chairman of the Environment and Rural Affairs Committee, said: “We propose a radical alternative to the current fragmented, inefficient and ineffective flood risk management arrangements. “Our proposals will deliver a far more holistic approach to flooding and water supply management, looking at catchments as a whole. Flood management must include much wider use of natural measures such as leaky dams, tree planting and improved soil management. And some areas of farmland should be used to store floodwater.” However, critics have been quick to warn of the dangers associated with disrupting the work of the Environment Agency and the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) at a time when job cuts and Brexit uncertainty are already causing large problems.

Local authorities often call on us to help roll this information out in their areas. We hope the launch of The Property Flood Resilience Action Plan will finally give this area of flood risk management the attention it needs. Without rapid action it will get the reputation of the double glazing industry in the 1970s and the opportunities that it presents to help make people’s lives better will be lost. The whole issue of managing flood risk over the coming decades is huge, but we need to understand what it is that we are trying

to deliver. Whilst we will never eliminate risk, our ambition must be to get rid of the large scale trauma that we experience every year. Flood risk managers and communities can’t do this on their own. We need all parts of society to actively contribute. L

The National Flood Forum conference, Are we planning to flood? will be on 1 February 2017 at SOAS in London. FURTHER INFORMATION www.floodforum.org.uk

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FLOOD DEFENCE

FLOODING AND CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE

The Regional Advisory Board of the Institution of Civil Engineers Yorkshire and Humber region cast their eye back to the floods of last December, and how the engineering industry can create critical infrastructure that enhances resilience It is almost a year since Hurricanes Desmond and Eva savaged large swathes of northern England and southern Scotland with such devastating impact. Dame Julia Slingo, chief scientist at the Met Office, described the atmospheric conditions last winter as ‘just like a hosepipe from the north Atlantic’ pointing on a part of our country. The record breaking event, the latest in a succession of record breaking flood events since the year 2000, deserves attention. 341mm of rain at the Honister rain gauge was the highest ever daily rainfall recorded in the UK; the highest ever flows in any UK river were recorded almost simultaneously for the rivers Eden, Lune and Tyne; and both total rainfall, and December 2015 monthly rainfall, were 400 per cent of the long term average. The government’s National Flood Resilience Review, published on 8 September, makes interesting reading. In fairly careful language it does not dismiss the events of last December as outlying events, unlikely ever to be seen again. Instead it talks of ‘plausible worse case scenarios’ and the need to ‘stress test our towns, cities and infrastructure’. Using the Met Office super computer rainfall forecasting systems and the Environment Agency’s river models, the Extreme Flood Outline Maps, available as public documents, are accurately validated. This means that severe flooding is plausible almost anywhere, any time, depending on what is happening to our weather, and that we should look to the Extreme Flood Maps as our guide to what to expect. FLOOD RESILIENT The Review calls for our cities and towns to be beautiful, economically prosperous places to live and work, and at the same time to be more flood resilient. When we have a clean sheet of paper, planners and engineers can masterplan our urban centres factoring in the impact of extreme floods and storms. Civil engineers can design riverside cycleways and parks which offer the quality of life when the weather is calm, but can safely be flooded to protect the built fabric of our towns and cities when faced with excessive amounts of water. Topography is also important as we plan our development, and as suggested by the National Planning Policy Framework, the most flood sensitive buildings including

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 23.6

hospitals and older peoples’ bungalows should be sited on the higher lands available. This also applies to critical infrastructure like electricity substations. But we rarely have the opportunity to plan a whole new town from scratch, and engineers are becoming increasingly adept at retrofitting design of flood resilience into our towns and cities, and this need will continue. Inevitably this will be more expensive than designing flood resilient communities from the outset and will require innovative designs and construction techniques. The Thames Barrier, for example, keeps storm tides out of central London, whilst the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme uses movable weirs to lower flood levels in the city centre. Other key ingredients include cooperation with stakeholders and the public. THE EVIDENCE Evidence shows that almost one in six residential or commercial properties is at risk of flooding, but this does not mean that the remaining five of us can carry on unaffected by storms and flooding. We all depend on critical national infrastructure to live our lives and earn our way. This critical infrastructure includes power supplies, water, telecommunications, transport, food and health services. The Review suggests that the owners and providers of this essential infrastructure should be working towards protecting everything within ‘Extreme Flood Outlines’; in effect an aspiration that our infrastructure should continue working for all of us under extreme flood conditions. However, December 2015 and a host of other weather events over the last 20 years have shown just how fragile our

infrastructure can be to storm stress. There is still much to be done and improvements are underway which we are all paying for, not just through direct taxation but out of the charges we pay through our utility bills. ENGINEERING CHANGE So flooding is something which to a greater or lesser extent can affect all of us when the weather turns bad. If we are to shape a better more sustainable, flood-prepared future for ourselves and future generations it will require the resources, the planners, the engineers, politicians, stakeholder organisations and members of the public to address the challenges so obviously laid down by our weather systems and storms. The UK is getting wise to expecting and dealing with flooding, but we still have a long way to go and much work to be done before we can say that ‘flood risks have been tackled’. However, our civil engineers have the creativity and the skills to deal with this 21st century challenge, and the potential to showcase our approach to the rest of the world – and we can rightly be proud of that!

The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) was founded in 1818 to ensure professionalism in civil engineering. It represents 90,000 qualified and student civil engineers in the UK and across the globe. ICE has long worked with the government of the day to help it to achieve its objectives, and has worked with industry to ensure that construction and civil engineering remain major contributors to the UK economy and UK exports. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.ice.org.uk

FLOOD MANAGEMENT

FLOOD DEFENCE

Shift Soil Remediation UK is a group of vibrant, environmentally motivated, soil remediation specialists with a common drive to ‘do good’ in today’s world. It combines comprehensive services with progressive technologies to provide the fastest, most affordable and efficient solution for soil contamination. It is a solutions oriented, environmental services company which delivers results to clients in an expedient, practical and cost effective manner. The company’s key technical and management personnel are experienced professionals that apply a synergistic blend of expertise from the environmental, oil and gas, and geotechnical industries for the effective on site remediation of contaminated land. Shift offers phase I and II site assessment and phase III on-site remediation. A fully managed process from start, through to clean end results.

RS Hydro specialise in the installation of sensor based remote monitoring be it large or small. Its remote monitoring systems are critical systems for those that have an interest in low lying areas or have a responsibility for flood warning, flood induced pollution, effluent discharge and permits. By incorporating water quality, weather, flow and turbidity influences intelligent alarms can be configured to trigger alerts, warnings and preventative and emergency actions via SMS and email alerts as well as public or private visual indications of remote conditions using open source software. The use of remote rain gauges provide valuable data even before the flood danger has begun providing accumulated rainfall figures and rates as these are subject to wide variation.

Soil remediation, site assessment and testing

Through cutting edge toxicity testing technology, phase I site investigation is reduced from up to the usual five days, to a matter of minutes per sample. The last decade has seen the research and build of its revolutionary remediation technology. It’s speed and efficiency is unrivalled by any existing method. Shift Soil Remediation UK’s use of bioremediation and chemical oxidisation at a molecular level makes its phase III remediation more reliable and efficient than the traditional methods, and is proven to have a more positive environmental impact. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 07866 502 885 www.shiftsoil.co.uk

Total solutions provider for water management

FLOOD

FLOODS

Autofloodguard is a new and innovative property level flood defence product for individual doorways. The product offers an unparalleled affordable level of protection because it deploys automatically in the event of a flood. Unlike the vast range of ‘fixed barriers’ and ‘sand-bag’ type solutions that need to be fitted each time they are required, the patent pending AutoFloodguard system uses a combination of the forces present in a flood to automatically deploy and hold the barrier in position. Because the Autofloodguard barrier deploys without assistance, it gives peace of mind to property owners who may be infirm, at work or on holidays when the weather changes unexpectedly. The automated feature of this barrier also makes Autofloodguard ideal for owners

The elements of the Beaver flood barrier are initially inflated, easily moved into the desired position and subsequently filled with water from a nearby water source or flood water - via water pump. The individual elements are joined together by a patented link system. This makes it possible to build flood barriers of any length, which conform to all types of terrain. Additional hold back capacity can be obtained by adding a further single tube on top of the twin element. The Beaver Barrier Protection System guarantees fast assembly. The rapid and easy disassembly/ removal, together with good storability are additional benefits of this reusable system. In recent years, Beaver flood barriers have, in over 150 cases, protected cities and their citizens, land and buildings. Civil Defence teams appreciate the convenience that Beaver flood barriers provide for dam building

Flood protection… even when you’re not there!

of properties who do not occupy them such as councils, housing associations and private landlords but who desperately want to avoid the catastrophic impact of property level flooding. Autofloodguard is a re-usable product which is suitable for all properties - new build or retro-fit. This innovative product redefines property level flood protection, so when considering your flood protection measures, redefine your expectations. For more information about Autofloodguard, visit the website, or call to speak to an adviser. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 03300 434546 info@autofloodguard.com www.autofloodguard.com

Flood Defences

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

Pollution monitoring as part of flood defences is often overlooked despite the low cost and ease with which numerous parameters can be integrated i.e. pH, turbidity, TSS, conductivity. When considered as a whole, smarter monitoring, before, during and after the event is affordable and can provide high quality data for those needing to mitigate environmental impact, catastrophic loss of assets or lives during flood events. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: +44 (0) 1527 882060 info@rshydro.co.uk www.rshydro.co.uk

Helps prevent and reduce storm and flood damage

in flood situations. Storms and floods cause damage, which can run into millions of euros/pounds worth of damage. The economic costs place an enormous strain on property, home owners, businesses, insurance companies, public authorities and therefore eventually on the taxpayer. Such events can grow into a national disaster. The Beaver Storm and Flood Protection System consists of two PVC tubes laid side by side, permanently joined together to form a flood barrier that can hold back up to 1900mm of floodwater. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 00 353 51 294090 anntracey@geoline.ie www.geoline.ie

Volume 23.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Urban Regeneration Written by Juliana O’Rourke, Landor LINKS

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

HEALTHY PLACES

A framework for healthy place and transport development Local government and the private sector is working together to develop a fuller understanding of the causal chains that cause bad places and poor health, and to support more collaborative urban, transport and health public health planning. Juliana O’Rourke explores in more detail Supporting healthier and happier lifestyles for all is high on the political and social agenda. Yet, with a few notable exceptions, few local authority professionals working in public health are making all the necessary connections across the collective place disciplines, such as built environment, housing, an active urban realm and green space. Local planning policy is not yet efficiently addressing challenges such as obesity and diabetes. Likewise, few transport professionals, whose focus is on smarter mobility, active travel and enabling modal share away from the private car, are currently making the best use of public health frameworks to understand societal health impacts, and need additional public health input to understand their role in tackling health inequalities. However, things are beginning to change. Working together for the first time, public health, transport and urban professionals in cities like Bristol and London, for example, are starting to develop a full understanding of the causal chain that causes bad places, lack of activity and poor health, and to plan for and deliver outcomes to alleviate negative influences. Local authorities have, since 1 April 2013, been responsible for most public health services. Whilst relationships between transport and health, and place and health, are generally recognised in broad terms, this new framework means that a more integrated relationship is needed between transport planning, urban planning and public health. Areas of interest revolve around the possibility of integrated strategic planning and funding streams. Investment in transport is moving from dedicated pots to being part of one large ‘single pot’: a single local growth fund which devolved to Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) from 2015. This will see transport schemes ‘compete against’ other priorities, rather than being

part of a combined package (health, activity, play, education, housing, etc). Policy and planning areas that need to be, and now can be, considered holistically for the first time (whole system thinking) include active travel planning, environment and air quality, walking and cycling, modelling and analysis, monitoring and evaluation and integrated urban and transport planning. A COMPLEX RELATIONSHIP There are some key challenges: public health professionals have their traditional, ‘scientific’ and highly evidence-based ways of working, and these are not always the same approaches used in urban/transport fields, which favour incremental best practice. The differences in view and approach are interesting grounds for study. The development of new exemplar working schemes, such as that pioneered by NHS Bristol and Bristol City Council by embedding a senior public health professional into the city’s transport department from April 2008 to September 2016, have proven to be very useful. Similarly, Transport for London has a public health expert on its staff, and is adopting a successful ‘back to basics’ urban design principle as a recipe for success, namely, a street that works for people is a street that works for health. However, recent work in the sector has indicated that many more local authorities realise the urgent need to more closely integrate public health with transport and urban planning, and that a much wider cross-section of people need to work on the places we create if they are to be successful, sustainable and equitable. Transport and urban planning professionals are beginning to explore this new area, its needs and its opportunities and, in the

Local s tie authori nce have, si 013, 2 1 April onsible sp been re most for ealth public hces servi

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 23.6

past year or two, several new transport and health-oriented academic and professional organisations have come into being. WORKING TOGETHER Lots of elements go into making good and healthy places: viable and active transport options, safe streets, accessible amenities, decent homes and the close proximity of public squares, parks and gardens, for example. The real challenge of making better – and healthier – places is to take a much more holistic approach. Current public health studies have tended to explore links between housing and health or transport and health, but not both. But how much is actually known about the relationships between public health, place and transport? Manchester, for example, ticks many boxes for active travel success and good urban design, yet has one of the lowest life expectancy rates in the UK. Could the interrelationships be much more complex than better housing, green spaces and more active travel? It would seem so: many local authorities with the most improved life expectancy, in public health terms, are not considered to be ‘nice’ places by urbanists, such as Hartlepool and Darlington. So, how do we better integrate all the strands of well-being to deliver better outcomes? Several initiatives have responded to the need to understand how planning can respond positively to health and well-being requirements within the framework of shifting regulatory regimes: the National Planning Policy Framework, developing transport planning frameworks and Public Health Outcomes Frameworks. The Wellcome Trust, for example, funded the Sustainable Healthy Urban Environments (SHUE) project in 2015, aimed at exploring opportunities for improving population health by reducing current unhealthy exposures and behaviours, including transport, which contribute to patterns of unsustainable living. As the UK transport environment has become increasingly complex, transport’s impact on health is increasingly negative.

Transport agencies have tended to undervalue strategies that improve air quality, offer more active mode choices, and vehicle travel, but this is now definitely changing for the better, with a large body of work now driven by the transport sector focused on active and smarter travel. This is led by the Department for Transport’s 2011-2016 Local Sustainable Transport Fund, followed by the Sustainable Travel Transition Year Revenue Competition (2016‑2017) and the longer term Access Fund for sustainable travel and, under the Infrastructure Act 2015, the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS) for England. However, these approaches are often practical in application, and lack the robust, evidence-based health focus that is much preferred by policy makers. However, as the transport and health professional sector matures, additional evidence-based consultancy work is being carried out across the active travel, air quality and behaviour change and urban sustainability fields. SHIFTING ATTITUDES Cross-organisational approaches led by both transport and health focused bodies do exist, alongside an existing body of academic, evidence-based work into air quality, environmental impacts, social and health inequalities, lack of access to mobility

Local authorities have a key role in linking local health policy with other policy and practitioner areas such as planning, transport infrastructure and housing options, and a lack of robust monitoring and evaluation practices on the impacts and performance of transport schemes; with the latter being a serious barrier to developing the evidence base and improving investment decision-support tools. The reason that a new approach is needed now is that attitudes are shifting. New thinking, new technologies, and new levels of citizen engagement are combining to offer real potential and opportunities for positive change. People everywhere are increasingly concerned over poor air quality, low levels of physical activity, congestion, crowded public transport, degraded natural and built environments, cookie-cutter development and declining town centres. And there are strong appetites for change. Collaborative working, and much more of it, is the obvious answer. Currently, research is largely divided into health‑friendly sectors such as obesity, nutrition, exercise and diet, obesity and physical activity, rather than transport/ urban-friendly sectors such as active travel or

Urban Regeneration

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

sustainable housing. Local authorities have a key role in linking local health policy with other policy and practitioner areas such as planning, transport infrastructure and housing. The challenge is to create a mutually-agreed framework for progress. Is the potential of wider synergies sufficiently understood and valued? Should local spatial plans be the focus for holistic transport, health and well-being development? Public Health England has noted that local authorities have funds and resources available that could help to initiate and develop new strategic models of collaborative planning to support the cash-strapped transport bodies that are facing ever-harder cuts. L

Juliana O’Rourke is a consultant with Landor LINKS, which delivers authoritative information, news and analysis across the transport and urban sectors. FURTHER INFORMATION www.landor.co.uk

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Stockholm in Sweden has embraced active travel options

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Volume 23.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Employee Ownership Written by Deb Oxley, chief executive, the Employee Ownership Association

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

BUSINESSES

Assisting the industrious economy drive With the future for UK businesses still clouded in uncertainty, Deb Oxley, of the Employee Ownership Association, discusses how employee owned mutuals are playing their part in the future The UK faces an uncertain future. Growth is still frustratingly slow and the prospect of Brexit looms large, with its impact on the economy still not clear. In the midst of this, however, there is a steadily growing group of entrepreneurs and business owners who, despite this economic uncertainty, are part of a quiet revolution that has suddenly come under the spotlight. As we look for new ideas and solutions to a range of economic challenges including low levels of productivity, distasteful corporate behaviours and deep rooted social mobility issues, and the Prime Minister and her cabinet commit to delivering an economy that works for everyone, there is a part of the UK economy that can rightly claim to have ‘been there and got the t-shirt’. PEOPLE CENTRED Employee ownership is a structure of business ownership that can support the UK as it seeks to create a new inclusive, more productive and industrious economy. Employee ownership supports businesses that put people right at the heart of the enterprise through shared ownership. Businesses that are already demonstrating how positioning employee directors on their boards can and does work. Businesses that share wealth and earnings more fairly – ensuring that everyone is rewarded appropriately for their endeavours. Businesses that are trusted by suppliers, clients and employees alike. And businesses that think and act for the long term – making decisions for the future of their continued and sustained growth and not to simply satisfy hungry shareholders. Central to this revolution are the public sector entrepreneurs who are spinning out the services they manage into new employee‑owned businesses (sometimes called mutuals) that are free from the controls of their former public sector parent organisations.

Deb Oxley, chief executive, the Employee Ownership Association

ee Employ hip ownerssinesses Supported by the previous s bu support people right government, employee‑owned t public service spin outs currently that pu heart of the operate, or are developing, e at th rise through across the economy in sectors including health, social care, enterp hared s music services, libraries, dental ip h s r care, and youth services. There e n ow is compelling evidence that these

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 23.6

spin outs raise the quality of the public services received by users, increase returns on investment for funders and improve well‑being and working conditions for employees. A recent survey by the Employee Ownership Association (EOA) and Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) revealed that the majority of respondents reported their employees as being actively involved in decision-making processes within their organisations, with many involved at a high level. Reported benefits of spinning out included; freedom to innovate, the ability to make decisions quickly, reduced bureaucracy, motivated and productive staff, connectivity with local communities and, importantly for many of the staff, the ability to retain public sector values.

There is now a small, but growing, group of such businesses, with leading pioneers such as CSH Surrey, City Health Care Partnership, 3BM and North Somerset Community Partnership, who are inspiring others to make the journey. Many of these spin outs are energetic members of the Employee Ownership Association and are rightly admired for their achievements. UNTAPPED VALUE At a recent conference organised by the EOA, with partners including Social Enterprise UK, Prospects and Local Partnerships, some of these pioneers shared their experiences, insights and knowledge as the sector now looks inwards for support so that it can continue to grow, diversify and compete. But there is still more to do if this innovative part of the economy is to deliver more value. Despite some wonderful progress, the majority of public services that are not run in house continue to be outsourced in a routine, traditional, way, to externally owned private sector providers. There has yet to be a step change in the overall quantum of services that are contracted to employee

owned organisations. In the health economy in particular, the advent of Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STP) has the potential to stall the take up of the mutuals model as local authorities and health providers are pushed to deliver services for the lowest cost possible. If this quiet revolution is to change the long standing regime of in-house delivery of services, it will require the commissioners of services to change their behaviour at pace. The purchasers of services, the commissioners, need to prioritise the importance of their pursuit of best value above any ideological or cultural opposition some stakeholders have in principle to employee owned spin outs. They also need to end the way that they often force these spin outs to compete for contracts within old processes that are designed for, and favour transactions with, large and long established, corporate organisations. Furthermore, they should proactively market to employees contemplating spinning out, the range of information, advice, mentoring and finance that is available and play a supportive role in encouraging them on their journey to spinning out. There is an increasing range of funders and advisers who are now able to support

the journey towards transition, reducing the risk of establishing these new enterprises. PUBLIC SERVICE TRANSFORMATION Employee ownership in our public services has not yet reached the critically necessary tipping point beyond which it will become mainstream. Getting there certainly requires a further, major injection of resource, energy and enthusiasm by those who commission public services. The prize at stake is the transformation, through a greater role for employee ownership, of how public services are delivered. So we should all continue to do what we can to help. As part of our long term commitment to helping, the EOA continues to support the sector and this month joins the newly formed Mutuals Strategy Advisory Group, to contribute to the shared challenge of bringing more of this part of the economy to life. We look forward to public service entrepreneurs creating more new employee owned spin out businesses across the UK over the coming months. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.employeeownership.co.uk

Employee-owned public service spin outs currently operate, or are developing, across the economy in sectors including health, social care, music services, libraries, dental care, and youth services

The Employee Ownership Top 50 2016 The number of employee owned businesses in the UK is growing at an annual rate of 10 per cent and interest in employee ownership is thriving.

Employee Ownership

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

Now in its third year, the EOA Top 50 analyses the business performance of the UK’s 50 largest employee-owned organisations, to chart the sector’s year-on-year progress and in support of its move into the business mainstream. This year’s results highlight the increasing contribution employee‑owned businesses make to the UK economy, and how wide adoption of the model can support the call for a new economic model that works for everyone. The top 10 in this year’s list were: 1 John Lewis Partnership plc 2 Matt MacDonald Group Ltd 3 Arup Group Ltd 4 Unipart Group of Companies Ltd 5 CH2M Europe Ltd (trading as CH2M) 6 Palmer & Harvey McLane Ltd 7 A.T Kearney Holdings Ltd 8 Hyperion Insurance Group Ltd 9 PA Consulting Group Ltd 10 Control Risks Group Holdings Ltd

Tourism & Hospitality Written by Ufi Ibrahim, chief executive, British Hospitality Association

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

COASTAL POWERHOUSES

Adopting an ambitious tourism strategy A new government tourism strategy to encourage visitors to travel beyond London was announced in August. Ufi Ibrahim, of the British Hospitality Association, looks at the economic importance of the tourism sector and the potential of coastal powerhouses Everyday, most of us have contact with one of the four and half million people working in UK hospitality and tourism. Every time we eat out, pick up a coffee, go to the pub, check into a hotel, visit a gallery or theme park, theatre, cinema, sports or other event. Similarly, every visitor to the UK, be they visiting on business, trade, diplomacy, visiting friends or on vacation, are welcomed and served by our industry. We provide the critical infrastructure needed to turn the cogs of UK plc and we represent the ‘face’ of Britain. Our industry is not

St Ives, Cornwall (Photo: Ian Kingsnorth/Visit Cornwall)

just a vital part of how we live and work, it is a lynchpin of our economy. Hospitality and tourism is the fourth largest industry in the UK, accounting for 10 per cent of GDP, equivalent to £143 billion, generating 12 per cent of service sector exports and supporting jobs for 14 per cent of the UK workforce. One in five of all new jobs created in the last Parliament was in hospitality and tourism. Over a third of the workforce is under the age of 25, three times the proportion of under 25s working across the economy as a

The ently BHA rec a report ed publishng Coastal Creati uses which o Powerh the problems ed examin g our coastal facin nities commu

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 23.6

whole. We are on track to deliver a further 100,000 jobs within the next four years. These facts underline the importance of this industry to the country and to the modern leisure society that we have become. TOURISM MATTERS Perhaps it is because our businesses and colleagues are absolutely everywhere and integrated in our lives that our industry is taken for granted. Hospitality and tourism does not get the government attention it deserves. For all its value, responsibility in government sits in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Parliamentary Under Secretary who is responsible also has sport and royal parks in her brief. With deep respect to the DCMS, surely our industry should be a matter for the Secretaries of State of the Treasury, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and International Trade. We should not be regarded as a so‑called ‘Cinderella’ industry. It is one of the few industries that cannot simply relocate to other nations. Hospitality and tourism matters. Take for instance the issue of workforce supply in the light of the decision to leave the European Union. The British Hospitality Association (BHA) estimates that a minimum of 15 per cent of the workforce is from the EU, which equates to 700,000 jobs. In some areas the percentage of EU migrant workers is considerably higher. For example, in London and many coastal economies, the percentage of EU migrant workers is as high as 40 per cent. Since 2011, the UK labour market has become

Tourism & Hospitality

Ufi Ibrahim, chief executive, British Hospitality Association

more competitive with unemployment falling so, as a result, the number of non-British workers in hospitality and tourism has risen. It is clear that any further growth in such a labour intensive industry would necessitate more staff and this demand cannot currently be met from the domestic job market. The industry is striving to recruit and train domestic workers through various initiatives in partnership with DWP, such as Hospitality Works and the Big Hospitality Conversation. We also successfully encourage apprenticeships and publicise the fantastic career opportunities but the pool of available people is just not big enough. This is why the BHA is calling on the government to consider a realistic timeline to reduce the number of EU migrants to ensure that our industry continues to thrive. ECONOMIC ADVANTAGES Another of our concerns is the rate of VAT. At the British Hospitality Association, we are part of a campaign to cut the rate of VAT on tourism attractions and accommodation to five per cent from the current 20 per cent. Currently, 25 of the other 27 EU countries have reduced tourism VAT and the UK’s rate is almost twice the European average. The economic advantages are clear. Nationally, at today’s prices, a reduction would create 116,000 jobs, contribute up to £4 billion to GDP each year and provide £4.2 billion for the Exchequer over 10 years. Tourism is the UK’s sixth largest export earner and a cut would increase these exports. It would halt the long term decline in the UK’s tourism balance of payments and improve the UK trade balance by £20 billion over 10 years. It would be good for the wider economy too: for every £1 of tourism spend a further 70p is spent in the wider local economy. A study using the government’s own economic model, conducted by Treasury Advisor Professor Adam Blake, found that cutting tourism VAT is ‘one of the most efficient, if not the most efficient, means for generating GDP gains at a low cost to the Exchequer.’ Cut Tourism VAT has the support of 166 MPs from all parties and can be done immediately without any new domestic or EU legislation. Its time must surely come. COASTAL POWERHOUSES A VAT reduction in tourism VAT would also assist regions that have not recovered from recession, especially those in rural and coastal areas. The BHA recently published a report Creating Coastal Powerhouses which examined the problems facing our coastal communities. The report stated that statistically people living on the coast are more likely to be poorly educated, unemployed, unemployable, lacking in ambition and living in low-quality housing than those living in similar inland communities. Nine out of the 10 most deprived neighbourhoods in England are seaside communities.

Hospitality and tourism is the fourth largest industry in the UK, accounting for 10 per cent of GDP, equivalent to £143 billion, generating 12 per cent of service sector exports and supporting jobs for 14 per cent of the UK workforce A separate survey, conducted by the owners of Butlin’s and the BHA, found that more than half of the British public have not visited the British seaside in the past three years, and 65 per cent believe that the British seaside is run down and in need of investment. The report called on the government to implement a seven-point Coastal Action Plan to Save our Seaside. This included a call for the appointment of a powerful Seaside Tsar to oversee the delivery of a Coastal Investment Strategy and the creation of Coastal Action Groups and Coastal Enterprise Zones. It also called for a progressive tax environment to encourage investment as well as a VAT cut. The report also identified the need for investment in critical infrastructure, including improving broadband and rail and road links, and for investment in improved education and training. The last ask was for local authorities to be supported in their attempts to tackle social issues and housing problems. As Dermot King, the managing director of Butlin’s, said: “As major investors in the hospitality and tourism sector we will play

our part, but a national initiative across all government departments is required to coordinate action and tackle these important social and economic issues.” I like to think that we can turn the tide – and we should not forget that lots of people love our seaside. Let’s return to figures: 250 million visits are made to the UK’s coast each year, generating £17 billion to the economy. There are other issues with which we are involved – notably the safety of the food you are served anywhere in the UK, whether it be a swanky restaurant or a humble take‑away. We publish the Catering Guide to Good Hygiene Practice – which is the officially recognised guide to food hygiene. We speak to government, the media and the public on behalf of 45,000 members, representing large hotel groups, theme parks and B&Bs in Blackpool. One of our latest recruits is Liverpool FC. Like the footballers at Anfield, we have to be fast on our feet too. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.bha.org.uk

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CONFERENCE VENUE KING'S HOUSE, BEDFORD Less than 1 hour by train from London, our auditorium seats 550 delegates and boasts a fully integrated public address system, multimedia projector, air-conditioning and Wi-Fi. We have ten additional rooms for break-out sessions, training or meetings, a stunning foyer accommodating our on-site coﬀee shop all set in 3 acres of grounds. 245 Ampthill Road, Bedford MK42 9AZ | 01234 306500 facilities@kingsarms.org | www.kingshousebedford.org

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 23.6

VENUES

Jane Longhurst, chief executive of the Meetings Industry Association, shares her top tips for finding the perfect venue to enhance your next event When planning any event, the venue is obviously key – yet despite being the one essential element of every event, it’s often one of the most under-utilised. Finding a venue that meets your basic requirements, such as location, minimum/maximum capacity and accessibility shouldn’t be too difficult, but there are so many venues that go above and beyond the basics that your event could be missing out by settling for less. SET THE TONE Before you start searching for a venue and going into the details of planning your event, think about the bigger picture of what you want the event to achieve. Are you trying to position your project as innovative and forward-thinking? Do you want to be seen as being at the heart of your local community? Does

the event need to be welcoming to the public or is the utmost privacy key? The venue you choose will set the tone of the event. For example, if you’re launching a new technology product a very traditional venue may be at odds with what you’re promoting. Similarly, if you’re holding an inquiry into a serious matter, a creative or quirky venue might come across as jarring. Once you’ve sat down and outlined what you want the event to achieve and what you want it to say about the organisers, you will be in a much better position to choose the right venue. CHOOSE A SAFE PAIR OF HANDS With so many things to consider when organising an event, it’s vital to know that you can trust your venue to deliver

Written by Jane Longhurst, Meetings Industry Association

Finding the perfect venue for your event

everything to a high standard and there won’t be any nasty surprises on the day. One of the best ways you can feel confident you’re in safe hands is by choosing a venue that’s AIM accredited. AIM accreditation is the UK’s nationally recognised standard for venues and service providers in the meetings, conferences and events industry and has 50 strict criteria that venues must meet to be accredited. These criteria include everything from legal compliance, accessibility and quality of facilities, to the customer service proposition and experience, ethical codes of conduct and best practice standards. With an AIM accredited venue you can be sure the finer details have been checked too, whether that’s adequate flexible heating and air-conditioning, enough in-room plug sockets or how often rooms are cleaned. For an even greater assurance of quality, there are two higher levels of AIM accreditation – AIM Silver and AIM Gold – which are only achieved by the best of the best. In addition to meeting all of the criteria for accreditation, these venues also have to complete a self-assessment, provide a portfolio of supporting evidence and be visited by an assessor every three years.

Conferences & Events

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR With so many venues out there, the choice can be overwhelming and it can be hard to know where to start. By understanding what facilities venues may be able to offer, you can create a list of those which are essential to you and then narrow E

The ev team a ents chosen t your venue should b e th people to offere best advice on how t o g e t th most ou t of the e location

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Conferences | Meeting Rooms | Events | Accommodation

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HOMERTON CONFERENCE CENTRE Discover the commitment to excellence and hospitality that is the cornerstone of every meeting at Homerton Conference Centre. We provide you with peace of mind so you can concentrate on business. 6 meeting rooms All-inclusive Day Delegate Rates 140 onsite parking spaces Prime location 10 minutes to the local train station 3 private dining rooms including a Victorian designed Great Hall To discuss your specific needs, please contact: conferences@homerton.cam.ac.uk • +44 (0) 1223 747218 Homerton Conference Centre, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 8PH www.homertonconference.com

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 23.6

VENUES new AV infrastructure installed there could be some really clever ways of incorporating it into your plans, or they might have conference menus that go beyond the usual sandwiches and could really impress your guests.

With so many things to consider when organising an event, it’s vital to know that you can trust your venue to deliver everything to a high standard  down your venue search accordingly. Some of the key facilities you may want to consider include: flexible event space; choice of rooms; accessibility; parking; in‑house catering; tables, chairs and linens; Wi-Fi; AV facilities; natural daylight; outdoor space; alcohol licence; and late licence. It’s also worth finding out early on which facilities are included free of charge and where there is going to be an additional cost – the last thing you want is to book a bargain venue then discover loads of hidden charges when you receive the bill.

USE YOUR VENUE’S EXPERTISE It’s great to be able to go to a venue with a really detailed brief of how you want your event to run, but it’s even better to be open to their ideas of how the event could run even smoother or have even more of a ‘wow’ factor. The events team at your venue should be the best people to offer advice on how to get the most out of the venue and based on their experience may have ideas to enhance the event that you wouldn’t have thought of. Listen to their ideas and make the most of their facilities – if they’ve just had a brand

Conferences & Events

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND

MAKE SEARCHING SIMPLE When you know what you want to get out of a venue and what will help to make your event stand out from the crowd, one of the quickest and easiest ways to search for a venue is the Meetings Industry Association’s online search tool at www.youreventhub.co.uk. The tool allows event planners to search for venues across the UK, using specific filters to make sure only the most relevant venues that can meet all of your needs show up in the results. Filters include things like location, venue type, event type, budget, capacity, facilities and equipment, so whether you’re looking for a team building away day in the countryside or a conference for 1,000 delegates, it can pinpoint the right venue. All of the venues featured on the site are AIM accredited, so you know that they all meet the stringent accreditation criteria and are trusted, experienced event hosts. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.mia-uk.org Government bodies

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Volume 23.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk W Fi n or d ld u St o f s at a n Le t h d ar e C1 ni 0 ng

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EVENT PREVIEW

Highlighting the policies in the heart of homes

3,000 attendees will make themselves at home at London’s Olympia on the 16-17 November, where Homes 2016 returns. Government Business looks at some of the content streams Spread over two days and four theatres, Homes 2016 is the UK’s only large-scale housing event that brings together professionals from local authorities, housing associations, house builders, with their lead advisors, across residential development, asset management and procurement. As the UK’s only dedicated national trade event for the development and maintenance of homes, creation of dynamic communities and delivery of value for money, Homes is the event where you will meet the senior procurement teams and decision makers for products and services in social housing. Representatives will be in attendance from housing associations, local authorities, ALMOs, as well as registered social landlords and private landlords. RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT As the meaning of ‘affordable’ becomes stretched, the opening session of the Residential Development conference stream will bring together experts from across the sector to debate and discuss what truly affordable housing is and how it can be delivered. ‘What does affordable mean?’ will be led by Terrie Alafat, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing, Paul Smee, director general of the Council of Mortgage Lenders and Trudi Elliott, chief executive of the Royal Town Planning Institute. Succeeding this, David Glesson and Ray Blunder of YourMK will lead a session on ‘Housing led regeneration’. Milton Keynes Council and housing provider Mears recently agreed an innovative partnership that will be responsible for the delivery of housing‑led regeneration. At the heart of the partnership is ‘YourMK’, a Limited Liability Partnership in which Milton Keynes Council and Mears have an equal stake. This session highlights the innovative features of the partnership, and explores the council’s journey from concept to reality. ‘The role of local authorities as housing providers and enablers’, hosted by Manjeet Gill, will focus on the role of local authorities in housing, setting out the key issues around demand and

supply and their changing role. Gill is chief executive of West Lindsey District Council and deputy policy spokesperson for Solace. On top of this, the session on ‘Increasing housing delivery in Bournemouth’ will explore the role of local authorities as housing enablers and providers. Bournemouth Borough Council will provide a case study which will showcase the work they have been doing to increase housing supply in the borough. STRATEGIC ASSET MANAGEMENT In the changing environment that the sector is operating in the need for a strategic approach to asset management has been more important than ever. This session, entitled ‘What does good strategic asset management look like?’ will bring together award winner organisations from across the sector to share their approaches to asset management. Sponsored by Mitie, speakers will include Mark Bradbury, head of Capital Assets at Southampton City Council. ‘Regulating a changing sector’, presented by Fiona MacGregor, director of Regulation at the Homes and Communities Agency, will address topics such as housing market exposure, asset management freedoms, value for money, structure, availability and pricing of financing, and Brexit. Another interesting session is Patrick Monney’s ‘Do tenants views really matter?’. As news editor for Housing Management and Maintenance, this session will look at different examples of where tenants views do and do not appear to matter in housing policies and practices today.

Homes 2016

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

EFFICIENCY AND PROCUREMENT SOLUTIONS With an ageing population the environment within in which people live is becoming increasingly important to ensure that vulnerable people in the community have every chance to stay in their own home instead of requiring expensive hospital care. This session, hosted by North Lanarkshire Council and Kirona, explores how the use of technology can help to share information across the different services of organisations and deliver a housing and health strategy that is both integrated and efficient. GREEN HOUSING Sponsored by Daikin UK, the Green Housing Forum will deliver a range of insight over two days, sparking discussion and debate. The forum will focus on tackling fuel poverty and look at new and renewable technologies as well as the challenges and benefits of cost effective sustainable heating. The opening session of the Green Housing Forum will focus on ‘A new vision to alleviate fuel poverty’. Fuel poverty remains one of the biggest challenges facing low income families in the UK today. Despite progress being made nationally and locally, fuel poverty is still compounded by a triple injustice: low incomes, high energy prices and energy inefficient housing. The sessions will cover the changing fuel poverty policy landscape, using the latest statistical breakdown as to who’s most vulnerable and why and practical examples as to how fuel poverty has been alleviated. Additionally, the Green Housing Forum will also focus on the Smart Communities Project Greater Manchester, covering why local government recognised the value of the project to its long term sustainability agenda and the lessons learnt throughout the project. Smart meters and connected devices are becoming increasingly present in affordable housing. To discuss their diverse application, the benefits and the issues involved in ‘smarter homes’, The Green Housing Forum will host a Thursday morning session focused on connectivity, and how it might transform the sector forever. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.homesevent.co.uk

Homes 2016 is the UK’s only large‑scale housing event that brings together residential, asset management and procurement professionals Volume 23.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

GT News

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

BROADBAND ADVERTISING

Broadband cost advertising rules now in place Broadband suppliers will now have to present clearer adverts on the costs of their contracts. Under new rules being put in place by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), broadband suppliers will have to show upfront and monthly costs, without separating out line rental prices. In an attempt to limit customers being misled by adverts, the changes were the result of joint research by the ASA and Ofcom which discovered that most customers could not correctly calculate their bills based on the information given in a selection of broadband adverts. The new rules will ensure that broadband providers: show all-inclusive, upfront and monthly costs, with no separating out of line rental prices; give greater prominence to the

contract length and any post-discount pricing; and give greater prominence to upfront costs. Guy Parker, chief executive of the ASA, said: “Broadband is a service we all take for granted. That’s why some people can get frustrated when they sign-up to a package after seeing an ad, only to find their bills are higher than expected.

PURCHASING

NEW STATE PENSION

Wrexham Council to decide on £32k iPad spend

Minimum IT changes allow for timely new state pension

Wrexham Council is set to decide on whether to go ahead with a plan to spend up to £32,000 to procure replacement iPads for councillors in 2017. The council’s IT team has recommended that the current devices, which are now four years old and have been experiencing some technical issues, should be replaced after May’s local election. However, some councillors have questioned the decision to buy up to 55 iPads. Councillor William Baldwin of Wrexham Council has suggested that councillors should be allowed to buy their own iPads given council cutbacks elsewhere. Nonetheless, local authority officials have countered that since councillors were working on behalf of the council, the authority should be responsible for picking up the bill. Of the 52 councillors working at the authority, only four do not regularly use the devices. The committee has also agreed to recommend to the full council that iPads are the preferred device and that the latest models should be purchased.

A new report by the National Audit Office (NAO) has claimed that the introduction of the new state pension has been successfully introduced by making the minimum necessary changes to its IT systems. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) introduced the new state pension one year ahead of the originally proposed date, introducing higher national insurance contributions for some employers and employees earlier than planned. With the cost of implementing the programme within budget (£57 million), the department made the changes in time to allow the uninterrupted payment of state pension from the ‘go-live’ date in April 2016. The UK’s spending watchdog said that the government ‘recognised the risks’ of introducing the new state pension and that it met the legislative deadline by choosing to make only minimal changes to IT systems.

Our research found people are likely to be confused and misled by the fixed broadband price claims in ads they see and we’ve responded by tightening our approach. “From today, we expect to see a change in how broadband providers advertise their prices. The effect should be a real positive difference in how consumers understand and engage with ads for broadband services.” Matt Hancock, Digital and Culture Minister, added: “Making broadband providers show all-inclusive, upfront prices in their advertisements means consumers will be much better placed to make an informed choice when deciding on a service.” READ MORE:

tinyurl.com/ppl9zk5

Amyas Morse, head of the NAO, said: “The department’s implementation of the new state pension so far represents value for money. Reforming pensions is, however, a long-term endeavour. The department has yet to reintroduce its plans for the digital administration of pensions, and achieving the longer-term objectives of the new state pension will depend on how it interacts with wider reform of the pensions system. Both these key areas will need to be tackled to achieve value for money as the reforms develop.” The intense focus on policy delivery has however delayed the delivery of some other digital services, with the DWP having to postpone the introduction of a number of planned digital services, such as a new digital claims service, until April 2017. READ MORE:

tinyurl.com/oru46jd

MOBILE APPS

Mobile app access to local council data

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 23.6

The TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA) has launched YourTPA, a unique free-to-download app, which allows taxpayers to access local council data on their mobile devices. Helping to promote transparency across local government, users can type in their postcodes to bring up local data, becoming able to scrutinise and hold their individual authorities to account. YourTPA is a

collection of nine TPA research papers with information on individual local councils. John O’Connell, of the TPA, said: “Technology is playing an important role in making it easier for taxpayers to hold local politicians to account. Anyone with a smartphone or tablet can now examine the performance of their own council and decide if councils are delivering value for taxpayers’ hard-earned money.”

IT SECURITY

DATASETS

Low IT security spend increases cyber risk

Rich Defra datasets to save UK money

Data revealed through a Citrix Freedom of Information (FoI) request found that 86 per cent of local authorities spent nothing on IT security training this year. The statistics, provided by 109 councils, showed that local councils spend eight times more on health and safety training (£1.2 million) than on IT security and data protection courses combined (£104,711). The research also revealed that over a third of council-issued devices could be vulnerable to cyber attackers through low training spend and having no protective enterprise-grade software installed. An average of 714 smart devices were issued to staff in each local council over the last two fiscal years (equalling more than 56,000 overall). However, according to the findings, nearly 40 per cent are not protected by enterprise mobility management software. Jon Cook, director of sales for the UK and Ireland at Citrix, said: “A broad scope of

training is vital in today’s work environment. We commend local authorities for arming their employees with these additional skills, as well as seeking to improve their work/life balance through issuing smart devices and committing to a well-rounded programme of training courses. “However, cyber threats continue to be more prolific and advanced today than ever before. And with the responsibility for managing citizen data, coupled with the risk of penalties of up to £500,000 for data breaches, it is crucial that employees know how to keep information secure from external threats. “With the stakes so high, councils must ensure that staff understand the importance of data protection in the growing threat landscape.”

ICT SERVICE DELIVERY

CYBER SECURITY

Public sector IT should prioritise ‘Place as a Platform’ A new Socitm briefing, Platforms and places: the foundations for future ICT service delivery, has suggested that ‘platforms and places’ will be the essential components for delivering tomorrow’s local public services. Encouraging all ICT managers to plan future strategy around what is called ‘Place as a Platform’ (PaaP), the group argues that making a platform for the future involves choices of service delivery models, systems architectures, and a concept of ‘place’ that is much more than the immediate organisational ICT estate. Highlighting the differences between PaaP and ‘Government as a Platform’, Socitm argue that PaaP serves diverse localities where ‘government’ is just one stakeholder, while the latter mainly concerns government departments in Whitehall. Martin Ferguson, of Socitm, said: “Platforms and places are essential components and concepts for delivering local public services in future. It makes sense in a web-enabled, digital era whatever the economic circumstances. “Competition as well as collaboration will increase in future. People should be acting now. Those who do not make progress could well fall to services provided by someone else.”

GT News

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

tinyurl.com/o43hcvw

In a bid to make more of the data it holds, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ (Defra) Data Programme will place a stronger focus on bovine TB, earth observation and flood data. Catherine Wright, director of Data, Knowledge and Innovation at the Environment Agency, said that the latest department board meeting outlined a structure to approach data from the angle of three As – assets, access and analysis. Defra’s datasets are, according to Wright, ‘incredibly rich’ with access to vast quantities of real-time data, ranging from species data to environment quality information. The department announced that it had exceeded its self‑imposed target of making 8,000 datasets open by June 2016 by more than 3,000. Defra’s three proof-of-concept projects will on improving use of data on bovine TB to tackle the spread of the disease, make better use of real-time information to mitigate flood risk and manage Earth Observation data from satellites. Writing on the Defra digital blog, Wright said: “The technology revolution is a data revolution, and our challenge is to harness that data, enabling us to work more effectively with communities and customers to support innovation in the UK economy.” READ MORE:

tinyurl.com/o43hcvw

UK to strengthen national cyber defence grid Chancellor Phillip Hammond has announced a £1.9 billion government cyber security strategy whereby automatic defences will be implemented to stop hackers hijacking websites or spoofing official domains. The scheme, formally launched as the National Cyber Security Strategy, will also expand other defences that intercept booby-trapped emails or shut down thieves impersonating bank websites. The plans outlined how the UK: will use automated defences to safeguard citizens and businesses against growing cyber threats; will support the UK’s growing cyber security industry; develop a world‑class cyber workforce; and deter cyber attacks from criminals and hostile actors. Hammond said: “Britain is already an acknowledged global leader in cyber security thanks to our investment of over £860 million in the last Parliament, but we must now keep up with the scale and pace of the threats we face. Our new strategy, underpinned by £1.9 billion of support over five years and excellent partnerships with industry and academia, will allow us to take even greater

steps to defend ourselves in cyber space and to strike back when we are attacked.” Ben Gummer, Minister for the Cabinet Office & Paymaster General, said: “No longer the stuff of spy thrillers and action movies, cyber attacks are a reality and they are happening now. The first duty of the government is to keep the nation safe. Any modern state cannot remain secure and prosperous without securing itself in cyber space.“ The £1.9 billion to pay for the national strategy was allocated last year and will fund the programme until the end of 2020. READ MORE:

tinyurl.com/hmgauo4

Volume 23.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Website Design

Saving thousands in website costs Traditional procurement of a website for councils could range between £25,000-£100,000. Tewkesbury Borough Council purchased theirs for £150.00. Government Business explores how Tewkesbury Borough Council launched www.tewkesbury.gov.uk in 2013, but the way that websites are used has changed rapidly and considerably since then. Over those three years, the council’s website has become difficult to navigate, it is ‘clunky’ and it is unresponsive to mobiles and tablets. It appears – on the face of it at least – that the local authority is living up to the stereotype of being old-fashioned and behind the times. This could not be further from the truth. As part of the Tewkesbury Borough Council Plan 2016-2020, council members approved an exciting new digital strategy that would introduce a modern, new and fresh way of working to the local authority. The council’s ICT operations manager, Matthew Reeve, explains: “Our councillors wanted to demonstrate a strong commitment to delivering excellent online services and identified the website as the number one project to improve our customer and stakeholders’ experience. “There were two options open to us: one, continue with our existing provider and upgrade our package; or two, go out to the market and start again. After some consideration, we agreed with councillors that it would be simpler and

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 23.6

Tewkesbury Borough Council’s new website is currently under construction, due to go live on 30 November

“Because of this, we were not looking for any complex functionality. We were simply looking for something clear, concise and accessible. And because the self-service portal and the main website would be separate, there would be no need to store any of our customers’ personal data on the new website, which gave us greater flexibility when choosing who would help create it.”

more cost effective to begin afresh. Because the old website was based on proprietary software, making significant changes and upgrades would come with a substantial price tag. Going out to the RESEARCH market and shopping around The council’s old website was meant more options for us expensive. The rolling annual l i c in terms of cost as well as contract to maintain the n u Co design and functionality.” website cost £6,100 per s r e year and the annual memb an d e THE BRIEF cost of hosting the v o r p l a ap t i g i So, the search began website through an d ew for a reasonably-priced, internet service provider citing n hat would x e t dynamic website (ISP) was £7,000. y g strate ce a modern, A total of £13,100 per that would not only be quick, easy and year – a significant introdu d fresh way amount accessible for customers for a small n a w ne g n i to use but also, importantly, local authority with a k r o of w very quick and easy for rapidly declining budget. officers to keep updated. The council’s project Reeve continues: “We were team discovered that, in the on the lookout for a website that would last few years, a number of online complement our existing self-service portal services had evolved that allow users to - a separate website where customers can develop websites rapidly. They deliver pay for services and report issues. All we high quality, online solutions for a very would need from the new website was the low cost. By using a ‘software as a simple functionality to signpost visitors service’ (SaaS) approach, these websites to the correct locations so they could can be almost instantly deployed then easily complete the reason for their visit. customised with branding and content.

THE DECISION The project team explored the SaaS option and found it was worth progressing. Reeve explains: “We found that the cost of deploying a SaaS website is a fraction of what the council would have spent on a more ‘traditional’ form of website procurement. With a SaaS provider, a single payment covered all licensing and hosting costs as part of the service. We also found that the council could take advantage of having a globally supported service that has been developed to look great and to be simple to update and administer.” After investigating many online providers, the team decided that the service provided by SquareSpace would be the best fit. Reeve explains: “They offered a great range of templates and functions with excellent support and were endorsed by a large range of existing global business customers.” Using SquareSpace would cost the council just $18 a month (about £13.70) if it was bought on an annual basis. This included full, unlimited use of their platform, hosting and bandwidth. This meant an unprecedented saving of around £12,900 a year. But there are some limitations. Users are limited to using one of SquareSpace’s templates, the website performs best with under 400 pages (the council had 900 on its old site) and the web administrator permissions are ‘all or nothing’.

However, the project team took this as an opportunity to promote change within the council and used the restrictions as a way of working more efficiently. Reeve continues: “The page limit is something we have found useful to prevent the new website spawning out of control. Our old site had around 900 pages, but when we finish the project, we are expecting to have around 200 pages. The limit on web administrator permissions is also something

FEEDBACK As part of the development of the website, the project team has worked with staff, councillors and with the public (using its online citizens’ panel for feedback) and has, boldly, published access to the beta site to invite more public feedback before the launch at the end of November. Reeve continued: “So far, the response has been overwhelmingly positive and extremely constructive. In fact, many of the

Website Design

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

The council’s old website was expensive – a total of £13,100 per year which is a significant amount for a small local authority with a rapidly declining budget that we can work with as we are a small council – around 200 members of staff – and only need around six to eight people to maintain and manage the content, giving them full access to the website to ensure the site can always be updated. “The templates provided by SquareSpace are a very high quality, fully supported and perform well on any technology. Once we found a template we liked it was quickly customised to our branding and then we were able to begin loading content.”

suggestions have already been implemented and we will continue to incorporate as much feedback as possible into the final design. “We’re all looking forward to launching the new website next month and working with a system that saves us time and money and delivers a vastly improved user experience for our customers.” L FURTHER INFORMATION www.tewkesbury.gov.uk www.squarespace.com

Volume 23.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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GOVERNMENT INTERACTION

Emma Jones, the new small business crown representative, looks at what the public sector is doing to get more business for small and medium sized enterprises During his tenure as Minister for Cabinet Office, Matthew Hancock MP set a target of directing one third of central government spend to small and medium‑sized enterprises (SMEs). The £1 in every £3 target equates to around £15 billion worth of contracts to be spent with small business by 2020. To any small business, that spells opportunity, which explains why small business groups and bodies met the Minister’s commitment in 2015 with a warm welcome. At the time, Hancock said: “This is such an amazing opportunity for the country’s diverse and innovative small businesses, and today I urge them to get stuck in. From computers to uniforms – there are so many opportunities for small businesses to work with us, and I want to see more of them providing value for money for the taxpayer and benefiting from our spending.” It was this vision that I brought into and was delighted to accept the role of SME Representative for Crown Commercial

Service in the Summer, to work with government to focus on the target and ensure it can be met.

in The £1 arget 3 t every £to around equatesllion worth £15 bi acts to be r of cont nt with spe usiness small b 020 by 2

OUTLINING PRIORITIES I have been in post for five months and confirmed key priorities for the first year. The three priorities, which will address in turn, are: Simplify; Promote; and Innovate. Simplify: speeding up the time it takes for small businesses to complete bids, especially in the area of mandatory information. At the moment, there is basic information that has to be completed every time a small business responds to a tender – I’m working to find a solution where a small business supplier can focus more time on the content of the proposal – such as what they can deliver and at what price, and less on

Written by Emma Jones, SME Representative for Crown Commercial Service

The government is open for business

refreshing information that remains the same. Promote: many small businesses are not yet aware of the opportunity to sell to government and a big part of my role is to raise awareness with sectors such as professional services, food & drink, creative design etc where government is looking to buy, and small businesses have the products and services to sell. I’m doing this through regional events, monthly webinars with government buyers, producing a guide on selling to the public sector, and regular media activity. There’s also a checklist below which is ideal for sharing with small businesses you know who might be interested in bidding. Innovate: this is more about pre-procurement and is focused on connecting buyers with technologies and solutions they may not yet know exist. At this stage, suppliers are not guaranteed a contract but at least it opens up a conversation with buyers on potential future needs. Having heard from small business owners, these are the three areas that I believe need the greatest attention. They build on strong work in the areas of payment, championing procurement, and ensuring the voice of small business is taken into account.

Small Businesses

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

PROMPT PAYMENT When it comes to prompt payment, government has done a huge amount of work to meet targets of paying 80 per cent of suppliers within five days and the remainder in 30 days on undisputed invoices. The Prompt Payment Code is also having a positive impact in encouraging Tier one suppliers to follow the same conduct. E

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

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Small Businesses

GOVERNMENT INTERACTION

 SME CHAMPIONS There is a commitment from central government departments to reach the spend target. A group of SME Champions meet regularly to measure spend levels overseen by Crown Commercial Service and share ideas for improvement and best practice. The champions recognise that small businesses can deliver contracts at speed, complete with innovation, and on budget. There’s a running roster of case studies on the CCS website showing the savings being made in sourcing from small suppliers – www.gov.uk/ government/collections/ccs-case-studies THE VOICE OF SMALL BUSINESS Small businesses are also having their say. A dedicated SME Panel is bring brought together, made up of entrepreneurial founders who will share their own experiences, whilst inputting into government plans. I will continue to meet small business at the regional roundtables in Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol and London. To complement this, small businesses can also access webinars, with the first now available for replay as a general introduction to selling to the public sector, with future webinars looking at the buying requirements of G-Cloud, Department for Transport etc. Details of regional roundtable and webinars are all available on the page www.gov.uk/guidance/ emma-jones-small-business-crownrepresentative and shared via @ smecrownrep on Twitter. This activity is firmly focused on achieving the target set by the previous Minister for Cabinet Office. Rest assured, there are many people committed to making it a reality. CHECKLIST FOR SMALL BUSINESS Here is my checklist for small businesses looking to make the most of the opportunity

There are so many opportunities for small businesses to work with us, and I want to see more of them providing value for money for the taxpayer and benefiting from our spending to sell to government. Firstly, have a plan. Decide ‘how’ you want to sell to government. There are two key routes; sell direct through sourcing contracts and pitching (more on that below), or opt to go via Tier One suppliers. Tier one suppliers are big firms like IBM that are running national contracts, and who often rely on smaller (Tier Two) suppliers to deliver. The answer to this will depend on the sector you’re in. If you’re in catering, you might decide selling to food giant Sodexo is the quickest route to results, and in construction becoming part of the supply chain of a big business is the norm. Secondly, source contracts. The single source of government contracts valued at above £10,000 is the online platform Contracts Finder. Right now, government is looking for everything from toiletries to tax advice, marketing services to interior design – all for SMEs to bid for from this one website. Register on the site and search for ‘Open’ opportunities. It will then direct you to other procurement portals from which you can build your proposal. If you sell digital services, G-Cloud is the platform for you. Over £1 billion in deals have been carried out via G-Cloud (the majority with SMEs) and it’s the best route into government work if you’re selling web services, software, coding or digital design. G-Cloud contains proposals from both government and Tier One suppliers. Additionally, it is important to understand the buyer. Tune into the SME Rep webinar

series to hear from buyers across central government departments as to what they’re looking for in contracts. Be tender ready. In completing proposals you’ll come across requests for health and safety policies, equality statements, insurance levels and proof of accounts. It’s wise to get ahead by having these documents in one place so you can upload and speed up the application process. Lastly, ask for feedback. This applies whether you’re successful or not with your bid. Asking for feedback will help you understand buyer expectations and be more prepared for the next opportunity. With the public sector, you may not win the first bid (which can come as a surprise to small businesses used to winning work in the private sector) but dedicating the time to pitching for more contracts, and getting to know buyers, will hopefully result in a first success – which sets you on course for more. If you have a bad experience in the procurement process, use the Mystery Shopper service to anonymously file a complaint. L

Emma Jones is SME Rep for Crown Commercial Service. The role is one day per week. For the remainder of the week Emma continues to run her business, Enterprise Nation. FURTHER INFORMATION www.gov.uk/guidance/emma-jonessmall-business-crown-representative

Volume 23.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

G-CLOUD 8

Letting procurement confidence reach the clouds

Framework Agreements

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

Government Business provides a round up of the latest news regarding the G-Cloud 8 framework agreement and the Crown Commercial Service August 2016 saw the eighth version of G-Cloud go live on the government’s Digital Marketplace. Targeted at easing the procurement of Cloud computing based information technology services by public-sector bodies, the G-Cloud consists of a series of framework agreements with suppliers, from which public sector organisations can buy services without needing to run a full tender or competition procurement process. It aims to offer simplicity and ease the procurement burden. Suppliers sign up to frameworks on the Digital Marketplace, a government online procurement store in kind, from which anyone in the public sector can select their services accordingly. The supplier list is split into four categories: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), which is limited to the physical environment such as the network or compute; Platform as a Service (PaaS), a Cloud platform which allows consumers to run, develop and manage applications without having to build their own infrastructure; Software as a Service (SaaS), Cloud‑based on demand software, typically subscription based software allowing access to business applications; and Specialist Cloud Services (SCS), which are Cloud based services that do not necessarily fit in any of the above. The development of the G-Cloud was the government’s response to the potential efficiencies of the Cloud and the need for the public sector to achieve more while spending less money. According to the latest government statistics, G-Cloud 8 has attracted the largest number of suppliers since the creation of the G-Cloud, with 94 per cent of the 757 new suppliers being a small or medium sized enterprise (SME). Over half of the £1.3 billion spent through the G-Cloud has gone to SMEs as of June 2016. E

G-Cloudcted ttra 8 has a st number e the largliers since its of supp , with 94 per creation the 757 new cent of liers being supp SMEs

Volume 23.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Case Study

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

OpenCredo talks about three things that the public sector and private sector have in common As the UK public sector continues to be chal‑ lenged with releasing ever greater efficiencies in the myriad of services which it provides, the teams and infrastructure required to deliver those services are being placed under increasing pressure to innovate. Long gone are the days where working in public sector IT was seen as a lack lustre career choice. Today some of the of most leading edge projects that OpenCredo work on with its public sector clients, clients like HMRC for example, are paving the way in terms of technologies, platforms and processes. That said, innovation continues to drive both the public and private sector there are still learnings from each that can be applied between them, and when you scratch be‑ neath the surface it’s sometimes surprising to uncover the many similarities there are. Take the work that OpenCredo has been re‑ cently involved with at NotontheHighStreet. com (NOTHS) for example: opencredo. com/casestudies/noths-case-study/ Whether it’s the (just around the corner now) ‘Black Friday’ in retail - where in a four day weekend NOTHS will expect to take around six per cent of its annual turn‑ over and have six times their average peak

traffic, or it’s an upcoming deadline for, say, personal tax returns, as it shifts to greater reliance on online infrastructure to handle interactions with clients it becomes mission critical that these services are architected to cope with these surges in demand. Whether you’re trying to drive forward change in public sector services, or quickly and flexibly expand into new business areas, having the right approach to service development and delivery becomes crucial. In both worlds techniques and processes such as ‘Continuous Integration’ and ‘DevOps’ become the mantra to achieve this

and OpenCredo been fortunate enough to drive the changes required to deliver this in many organisations, including NOTHS. Inevitably these days any new IT project must consider the appropriate mix of private, public or hybrid cloud infrastructure - and then the appropriate technology stack to sit upon this. It’s a decision not to be taken lightly, the ramifications of which the or‑ ganisation will have to live with for years to come. By taking a consultative approach and learning from decisions made by others, these decisions can be significantly de-risked. OpenCredo is looking forward to exhib‑ iting at PSS Manchester on 22 November. The team there will be more than happy to talk through its experience at NOTHS, HMRC and indeed many of its other projects with both the public and private sector. With the recent expansion and opening of a Manchester office, OpenCredo is looking forward to working with more local clients in the North and North West. Register to attend at psshowmcr.co.uk FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0 207 928 9200 opencredo.com

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 23.6

Framework Agreements

G-CLOUD 8  For more information on Crown Commercial Service interaction with SMEs, read Emma Jones’ article on page 67. SERVICES OFFERED Lot 1, IaaS, will see suppliers provide processing, storage, networks, and other fundamental computing resources where the buyer is able to deploy and run arbitrary software, which can include operating systems and applications. The buyer does not manage or control the underlying Cloud infrastructure but has control over operating systems, storage, and deployed applications; and possibly limited control of select networking components – such as hosting firewalls. Lot 2, PaaS, will allow suppliers to provide users with deployment onto the Cloud infrastructure – buyer-created or acquired applications created using programming languages, libraries, services, and tools supported by the supplier. The buyer does not manage or control the underlying Cloud infrastructure including

Lot 1, ill IaaS, w iers pl see sup ocessing, pr providee, networks, storag urces where o and res rs are able network, servers, operating buye arbitary systems, or storage, but has control over the deployed to run ware applications and possibly soft

does not manage or control the underlying Cloud infrastructure including network, servers, operating systems, storage, or even individual application capabilities, with the possible exception of limited user‑specific application configuration settings. In Lot 4, covering Specialist G-Cloud Services, suppliers will provide one or more of the following: onboarding services for Cloud services only; business analysis for Cloud services only; Cloud project specification and selection; deployment of Cloud services; E

configuration settings for the application-hosting environment. Lot 3, SaaS, enables suppliers to provide access to applications running on a Cloud infrastructure. The applications are accessible from various buyer devices through either a thin buyer interface, such as a web browser, or a program interface. The buyer

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G-CLOUD 8  transition management to Cloud services; user management of Cloud services; Cloud Service Integration and Management Services (SIAM); and Cloud information management and digital continuity. It is important to note that suppliers can make non-material changes to the G-Cloud services they offer over the Term of the framework agreement. The Crown Commercial Service may request the supplier provides acceptable evidence to show that any such changes are non‑material. If the supplier fails to provide acceptable evidence for any changes to their service offering, CCS may determine the changes are material and/ or suspend the supplier from the framework agreement. Additional services, through Lot 4 only, must be delivered as part of an integrated G-Cloud services model. These must support buyers in their transition to Cloud services. A description for additional services must be included by the supplier and it must be G-Cloud service related. Additional services must be ancillary to assist the supplier with its main G-Cloud services offering. Non G-Cloud services will be removed from the Digital Marketplace. The buyer is not obliged to purchase any additional services from the supplier and is entitled to procure services that are the same as or similar to the additional services from any third party.

“The challenge is that for too many public sector procurers this process is still an academic exercise. They already have their preferred shortlist and this means that many SMEs never get a look-in” HOW SERVICES WILL BE BOUGHT All buyers listed under the OJEU Contract Notice may award a Call-Off Contract under this framework agreement. The buyer may appoint an agent to act on their behalf and CCS is not responsible for the actions of any buyer. A buyer will use the Digital Marketplace to search for a capable supplier, with all Call-Off Contracts being awarded through the Digital Marketplace. The Digital Marketplace provides the public list of suppliers and services which buyers can access and purchase (following an evaluation of suppliers’ services offered through their service description against the direct award criteria set out in Section 3.17) by entering into a Call-Off Contract. This public list includes suppliers’ pricing, terms and conditions, and service descriptions. The supplier will maintain its service description on the Digital Marketplace. Furthermore, the supplier may vary, but not

Framework Agreements

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

materially change, its service description. All changes must be agreed by the authority. The supplier may also remove its Digital Marketplace entries. The supplier’s prices will be published on the Digital Marketplace and will be used as part of the evaluation criteria pursuant to which Call-Off Contracts will be awarded. The supplier may reduce their Digital Marketplace prices at any time but cannot increase their prices through the lifetime of this framework agreement. Discounted pricing periods may be considered on an individual basis, subject to notifying the authority and if approved will be made available on the Digital Marketplace for all buyers. Once a buyer has ordered G-Cloud Services the supplier will maintain its terms and conditions as at the time of the order and for the duration of any Call-Off Contract. If a buyer decides to source G-Cloud services and any additional services in accordance with this section of this framework agreement it will E

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Volume 23.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Case Study

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

1st Executive help government organisations meet budget demands by attracting more commercial talent Over recent years, the duel forces of compliance and budget constraints have elevated the roles of procurement, commercial and contract management across local and central government. As such, the emphasis has not only been put on these government departments to ‘come up with the goods’, but more importantly to find more savings and generate better value for money throughout the process. Paradoxically, 1st Executive’s view is that counterintuitively reducing costs requires investing in the upper quartile of the candidate market at the outset, in conjunction with upskilling talented existing staff. Over the past decade, 1st Executive has become the UK’s leading recruitment experts and specialists in strengthening procurement and supply chain teams across the entire spectrum of the public and private sectors. Since 2003, their successful delivery has spanned across entry level roles all the way though to directors, CPOs and COOs. To date, the company has partnered with every

area of the public sector, ranging from large central government bodies through to local authorities, consortiums, housing groups, healthcare, airports, education and police, fire and rescue. In addition, 1st Executive partner some of the world’s biggest brands, as the preferred supplier for procurement and supply chain talent across all job levels and disciplines. Statistically, 1st Executive has become the UK’s leading independent specialist in providing procurement and supply chain talent across the globe. With offices in Surrey, London, and Frankfurt approximately 50 per cent of its business is dedicated towards interim contract recruitment, and the other 50 per cent on permanent/substantive staffing. Incidentally, an ever increasing number of public sector and government organisations

are approaching 1st Executive for help, as more generalist agencies struggle to empathise with their needs and deliver true value through their networks. With this gap in the market, 1st Executive has over the past five years expanded their portfolio, with a team purely focused towards delivering more commercial talent into your space. This move has strategically proven a huge success, and grown the company’s network of top talent into one of the largest in today’s market. Following this trend of compliance and budget constraints, 1st Executive now provide interim and permanent recruitment solutions via a number of local and national frameworks including G-Cloud 8 and the Digital Marketplace. For more information about what 1st Executive could do for you, contact Lloyd Dyer. FURTHER INFORMATION Lloyd Dyer, practice director Tel: 01483 213 311 Lloyd.Dyer@1st-executive.com

Procurement & Supply Chain

To Get The Best Value You Need The Best People

At 1st Executive, we are experts in helping government organisations add real value to their teams by recruiting the very best procurement, commercial and contracts talent the market has to offer. Our unsurpassed network, experience and expertise in placing untapped talent have established 1st Executive as the leading specialist providers of Interim and Permanent professionals across the entire spectrum of the Public Sector market. As a preferred partner to government organisations UK-wide, we are now able to deliver interim appointments through to high-volume permanent campaigns via G-Cloud 8 and our dedicated Public Sector team.

Contact: Tel: Email: Web: G-Cloud:

Lloyd Dyer, Practice Director +44 (0) 1483 213 311 Lloyd.Dyer@1st-executive.com www.1st-executive.com www.digitalmarketplace.service.gov.uk

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 23.6

G-CLOUD 8  search for services by using keywords relating to its requirement on the Digital Marketplace and all Call-Off Contracts will be awarded to capable suppliers via the Digital Marketplace.

Framework Agreements

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

USING THE DIGITAL MARKETPLACE The supplier will describe its services on the Digital Marketplace, keeping this information updated for the term of this framework agreement. The supplier will honour its prices and other terms quoted in the Digital Marketplace. The process for buying G-Cloud Services is as follows: the buyer will carry out an initial search on the Digital Marketplace using keywords to search for a service description which meets their requirement; the initial search will return a long-list and the buyer will use additional keywords to refine the search of suppliers whose service offerings are capable of meeting the buyer’s requirement; the additional search will return a short-list and the buyer will review supplier documents on the Digital Marketplace to assess suitability against their requirement. All short-listed offerings must be evaluated against the same evaluation model; the buyer will apply some or all of the following evaluation criteria against the supplier documents on the Digital Marketplace, in order to evaluate the services offered following the E Continued on page 81

The development of the G-Cloud was the government’s response to the potential efficiencies of the Cloud and the need for the public sector to achieve more while spending less money

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G-CLOUD 8 CASE STUDY

ADVERTISEMENT G-CLOUD 8 CASE STUDY: FEATURE KIRONA AND UPPER NORTH CASE LANARKSHIRE HEADLINE COUNCIL

Framework Agreements

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

Kirona’s hasvoluptatur? enabled North Obit, elitfield eumworkforce doloriatur solution sam reprae QuiLanarkshire officiis cumCouncil to increase productivity, reduce costs by 15 per cent and adopt a proactive approach to field-based work. Government escipicipsam hit exerferi quibus, exceaqui omnis sinctatem. La Business looks at the relationship and the council’s ability to non non nossi ute dis rest dolupta acescipsant everum que nissignificantly reduce costs North Lanarkshire Council covers an area with a population of 330,000 people and around 37,000 homes. Bordering the City of Glasgow and containing many of the city’s suburbs and smaller villages, North Lanarkshire has long been renowned for its steel production and heavy industry. In recent years however, the area has struggled with high unemployment and social deprivation. Due to this, the area remains heavily reliant upon housing and social services provided by the local authority. North Lanarkshire Council identified two sectors that would benefit from increased productivity and improved customer service; social housing and home care. The main challenge within the social housing sector centred on the availability of its housing repair representatives to carry out vital repair work. In some cases residents could wait up to three days for an appointment to be met and important work completed. In the home care sector, the council’s main challenge was front-line care. North Lanarkshire Council currently carries out 2.7 million home visits a year, meaning around 7,500 home visits are made every day. Home support workers are often distracted by phone calls whilst making home visits, preventing them from providing important customer care. The local authority faced the significant task of having to update its diary and job management systems to provide better customer care and reduce the time needed by the home support workers to arrange home visits. Alongside this, the council faced the problem of improving workforce management within the social housing sector by increasing the visibility and accountability of their housing repair representatives. The council also wanted to simplify their workforce management processes and increase the amount of time housing repair representatives were able to devote to providing essential community services. To do this the organisation introduced Kirona’s Job Manager and Xmbrace DRS products. Des Murray, head of Housing Property at North Lanarkshire Council, commented: “Kirona’s workforce management software was chosen as it manages everything

from the scheduling of jobs in the office with the Xmbrace DRS software, through to the fulfilment of the work by housing repair representatives using the Job Manager mobile application.” After identifying a solution, the council recognised how it would simplify the daily routine of its home repair representatives. Robert Forman, service manager for Business Process Change and Improvement at the council, said: “By using Kirona’s Job Manager, they are able to get up in the morning and are allocated a job that is never more than 15 minutes away. Also, now that their work is logged electronically, there’s no need to keep travelling back and forth. They are now also geographically profiled, so we are better able to manage their time effectively and provide a more efficient service for our residents.” After successfully applying Kirona’s software within social housing, the council

improved, and following the activication of phase one of the solution in April 2013, the council has seen a 20 per cent increase in the productivity of its local homes teams. Phase two, which is currently in progress, will see the system and supporting mobile technologies deployed across all capital, void, planned and repair works categories. The council’s social housing sector has seen a dramatic improvement in areas such as pre-inspection, with no-access rates dropping from 40 per cent to just three per cent. Equally impressive are turnaround timescales for residents requiring repair work, which are now counted in hours and not days as a result of home repair representatives attending jobs that are geographically suited to their location. As the fourth largest social landlord in the area, North Lanarkshire Council has been able to maintain rent prices for residents in the community as a direct

Two years ago, the council identified two sectors that would benefit from increased productivity and improved customer service; social housing and home care rolled out the framework into other sectors. 20 members of the council’s social work support team were involved in a pilot scheme which, after proving hugely successful, was extended to 1,200 personnel within just three months of the trial phase. Home support workers are now provided with mobile devices to receive and organise home visit information, allocated and managed centrally via Kirona DRS software at a local authority building. THE OUTCOME North Lanarkshire Council has seen a number of benefits from implementing Kirona’s management solutions within its social housing and home care sectors. Workforce visibility and accountability has significantly

result of improving workforce management and scheduling. Administrative tasks have also been significantly reduced thanks to Kirona’s DRS management software. Forman added: “Kirona Job Manager was rolled out to 1,280 home support workers within just four months, who carry out 2,700,000 essential visits a year. The benefits of doing this electronically means teams no longer have to send 300,000, 10-15 page first class letters a year, and no longer have to make 400,000 five minute phone calls advising of changes. This has led to savings in the region of £280,000 per annum from reduced administration overheads.” L FURTHER INFORMATION www.kirona.com

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G-CLOUD 8 Continued from page 77  shortlist and determine the service most appropriate for their own requirement; the buyer should use a credit reference agency (CRA) to carry out due diligence before appointment to assess the supplier’s economic and financial standing. The CRA report will be used to determine the level of financial risk that appointing the supplier would represent. If the buyer determines that the supplier’s credit risk is determined as being above average then the buyer reserves the right not to award a Call-Off Contract to the supplier; the buyer will appoint a supplier based on most economically advantageous tender (MEAT); buyers will apply their own weighting to each of the criteria to award the Call-Off Contract to the supplier; and buyers may notify all unsuccessful shortlisted suppliers that did not succeed to allow those suppliers to review and improve their service descriptions. HOW SERVICES WILL BE DELIVERED The supplier must support buyers through both successful service standard assessments and by complying with any standards that are compulsory in government. If the required G-Cloud services are to be delivered to buyers over the Public Services Network this should be detailed in the Call-Off Contract order form. The supplier will use all reasonable endeavours to prevent the introduction,

Over 70 per cent of smaller councils reported that they have no current policy for Cloud use, compared with 45 per cent in the top 100 councils creation or propagation of any disruptive elements into systems providing services to data, software or authority confidential information held in electronic form. The supplier undertakes to continue to pay all taxes due from it to HMRC and will not indulge in ‘disguised employment’ practices when delivering services under this framework. When entering into this framework agreement and any Call-Off Contract, the supplier confirms to CCS and the buyers that it has not committed any fraud. The supplier warrants and represents that it has full capacity, authority and all necessary authorisations, consents, licences, permissions, to enter into and perform its obligations under each Call-Off Contract. This includes where a supplier’s procedures require the consent of its parent company. The supplier warrants and represents that it has not committed, or agreed to commit, a prohibited act before entering into this framework agreement. The supplier undertakes not to commit or agree to commit a prohibited

Framework Agreements

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

act and undertakes to perform all obligations under this framework agreement and any Call-Off Contract in compliance with all laws. The supplier warrants and represents that all information, statements and representations contained in the application for the services are true, accurate and not misleading, save as may have been specifically disclosed in writing to the buyer prior to execution of the Call-Off Contract, and the supplier will advise the buyer of any fact, matter or circumstance of which it may become aware which would render any such information, statement or representation to be false or misleading; and all warranties, representations and undertakings contained in the application shall be deemed repeated in the Call-Off Contract. UPHILL STRUGGLE IT services company Streamwire has said small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) still face an ‘uphill struggle’ despite having access to G-Cloud. Included in the G-Cloud 8 framework, Streamwire chief operating E

Infradata is a leading Network Integrator dedicated to supply, implement and maintain Next Generation Networks for service providers, network operators and organizations with mission critical networks

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Professional Programme Management Ltd 71-75 SHELTON STREET, COVENT GARDEN, LONDON, WC29LQ E-Mail: enquiries@ppmlimited.com Tel: 0345 163 0047

Project & Programme Management for the Public Sector Professional Programme Management Ltd are specialists in providing Programme Management, Project Management and PMO services for IT or Business led change programmes. Successful Delivery in: • Central Government

• Utilities

• Scottish Government

• Retail

• Local Authorities

• Telecoms

• Third Sector

• Manufacturing

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G-CLOUD 8  officer Kevin Timms explained on a company blog post that sourcing contracts is currently a complex process – and the firm needs to make itself stand out from the competition. He said: “We are now one of 2,726 suppliers providing 26,000 services on the G-Cloud, so the biggest challenge we face is how to get noticed. We can’t expect to just sit on the framework and wait for public sector organisations to come to us – the pool is too big for that to happen. Deploying a large direct sales team is not an option either so the only way we can secure opportunities to tender is through the portals where requirements are posted, which we can then proactively put ourselves forward. “The challenge is that for too many public sector procurers this process is still an academic exercise. They already have their preferred shortlist and this means that many SMEs never get a look-in. Traditional sales approaches are winning out, so the G-Cloud is less competitive than it could be.” This uphill struggle is not an anomaly either. In 2015, it was reported that 83 per cent of public sector employees were not aware of the G-Cloud framework or knew how it worked, while an estimated 92 per cent of civil servants reported that they did not trust Cloud services. Of further worry, the confidence variation between central and local government is

Certification No.000000

vast, with confidence in the Cloud sitting at 37 per cent in central government, compared to 75 per cent at local government level. Despite the rise in adoption for G-Cloud 8, awareness may remain an issue. In September, non-profit technology firm Eduserv released a study entitled Up In The Air: The State of Cloud Adoption in Local Government in 2016. The research polled 408 Welsh, Scottish and English authorities to gather ‘a comprehensive assessment of Cloud adoption and procurement policy’ in the sector. The report investigates how far councils have developed and adopted Cloud strategies, the extent to which cloud strategy and procurement policy are aligned, and where councils are storing their data. Dos Creese, principle analyst of the Eduserv Local Government Executive Briefing Programme (EBP), emphasised that the stand-out finding is the general perception that ‘UK councils still have a long way to go in understanding how Cloud can or should play a role in local public services modernisation’. The report found that half of local authorities are using Cloud, but Creese warns that there is ‘a widespread absence of IT strategies and policies which support its adoption among the majority of smaller councils and half of the largest ones’. In more detail, despite 69 per cent of councils having a corporate policy which E

Technology Products 2 agreement goes live The Crown Commercial Service has announced that the new and improved Technology Products 2 (TP2) agreement has gone live.

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

The framework agreement offers customers a flexible and compliant route to market for all their commodity technology product needs – whether it is a single cable or an entire corporate infrastructure. Improvements include: dynamic direct award catalogue; reseller lots for hardware, software and combined solutions; simplified terms and conditions for user friendliness; and direct contracting with manufacturers for aggregated hardware requirements. FURTHER INFORMATION tinyurl.com/onnwzmd

ENG W I T H AG E YO PUBL UR IC

Certification Certification No.000000 No.000000

Klick2Contact (K2C) offers companies and organisations across the UK the opportunity to communicate in real time with their customers, potential customers and public via an innovative suite of engagement solutions – including web chat, email, call‐back, social media and smart sms – all in one Omni‐Channel console in one place. The cloud based suite of services also includes a Knowledge Base product and a full Workflow solution. All our services work on smartphones, tablets, laptops and desk based computers so your public can communicate with you when they like, how they like, and where they like – all in real time. We are fully ISO compliant with 9001 (Quality Management) and 27001 (Information Security) and listed on the G-Cloud 8 framework. Therefore, whether you are in Central or Local Government, part of Social Services, work in Education or in any other part of the UK’s Government infrastructure, you can use our services knowing they are secure, of an ongoing and sustained quality and available through a CCS agreement. As well as companies like Next plc, BMW and Jessops, we already work with a number of Government Departments in England and Scotland including; NHS Blood and Transplant, Skills Development Scotland, The National College of Teaching and Leadership, and two parts of the Armed Forces as well. Contact us to arrange a full, no obligation demonstration to see how K2C can help your Government Department engage with its public in an efficient and totally cost effective way.

GOVERNMENTBUSINESS@KLICK2CONTACT.COM • 0845 434 8162 • WWW.KLICK2CONTACT.COM

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G-CLOUD 8

The Eduserv Up In The Air study concludes that the Cloud First agenda announced in 2013 has still not ‘meaningfully taken hold in local government’  supports use of G-Cloud, 21 per cent of large councils and 37 per cent of smaller councils reported that they do not have a procurement policy in place which allows them to use G-Cloud, which can limit their access to best value solutions. Again we return to the confidence variation between central and local government, with the Up In The Air report suggesting that ‘smaller councils are more reticent in their use of cloud than the largest councils’. This could be because a lack of confidence, a lack of necessary controls and skills to use Cloud securely and effectively. There also seems to be disparity between the speed of growth in Cloud services and council IT policy. Over 70 per cent of smaller councils reported that they have no current policy for Cloud use, compared with 45 per cent in the top 100 councils. Perhaps more concerning is the discovery that less than half of those smaller councils using Cloud for data storage and information sharing have a

Cloud use policy – meaning that councils may be unknowingly mishandling citizen data. Current IT policy within smaller councils is also leading to a lack of adoption of third party data houses, with 52 per cent of councils choosing to run all services in-house, and 26 per cent of councils not holding any data off premise. Only a small minority, 13 per cent, host the majority of their data off-site. This is concerning to GDS, as being able to store, move and share data securely and flexibly is key to cost reduction and service improvement in local government. The study concludes that the Cloud First agenda announced in 2013 has still not ‘meaningfully taken hold in local government’. MISSED OPPORTUNITIES Despite total sales on the government’s G-Cloud Digital Marketplace reaching £1.39 billion, further research by British Cloud and network provider Exponential-e has shown that the majority of public

sector executives are not using G-Cloud frequently, or prioritising it amid large digital challenges. The study queried IT professionals across the UK, covering local and central government, health, emergency services, education and the third sector. Although 57 per cent of public sector IT executives rated digital transformation as the top challenge facing their organisations over the next year, only eight per cent of executives have used the Digital Marketplace more than five times in the last year. Only 27 per cent indicated Cloud adoption as an important challenge for the next year. David Lozdan, head of public sector at Exponential-e, commented: “Many public sector organisations are missing the opportunity which Cloud provides to cost-effectively support innovative digital transformation initiatives. “According to government data, out of the £1.39 billion total sales since the launch of G-Cloud, central government departments have been responsible for £1.06 billion, compared with only £73 million from local authorities and £245 million from the wider public sector. In order for these organisations to achieve their digitisation goals, there is clearly a gap to be filled when it comes to engaging within the G-Cloud framework to access secure, flexible Cloud services capable of E

Volume 23.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Framework Agreements

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

Better decisions. Better business.

G-CLOUD 8  servicing the sector’s growing needs. “With questions over what Brexit means for the future of UK still looming large, data protection regulation is set to become increasingly complex as the government negotiates the departure. As such, it’s essential that public sector organisations carefully consider how their IT services are provisioned and take advantage of the flexibility, accreditations and quality assurance available within the Digital Marketplace.”

G-Cloudted ec 8 is exphrough to run t 2017, and ly until Ju already seen e to gain there views. we hav he focus In doing so, users t wards expressed a desire for drift to ud 9 clearer guidance, in that G-Clo although there is already

MOVING TOWARDS A HIGHER CLOUD G-Cloud 8 is expected to run through until July 2017, and we have already seen the focus drift towards G-Cloud 9. At the end of October 2016, the Digital Marketplace blog shared a post, detailing the Government Digital Service’s stage progress, moving from what the organisation calls the discovery to the alpha. In a bid to better understand users needs for buying and selling cloud services and technology, GDS spoke to organisations and individuals, both local and central government working in sectors such as healthcare, education and policing

G-Cloud guidance information online, it is often difficult to find as it exists in more than one location. For example, when looking to for contact information it was unclear whether to contact the Digital Marketplace team or the staff at Crown Commercial Service. The Digital Marketplace recently resolved to clarifying the difference between the G-Cloud and Digital Outcomes and Specialists (DOS)

Framework Agreements

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frameworks because suppliers were getting confused between the two. G-Cloud 9 is subsequently expected to have an improved ‘user journey’ where it will be easier to source relevant guidance information. Furthermore, the discussions highlighted how searching the G-Cloud catalogue frequently returns unexpected results. There is no shared terminology for the way G-Cloud products and services are being described, with suppliers often describing the same types of services in a variety of ways. Users emphasised how this inconsistency in language can make it more difficult for buyers to find what they need. In relation to this, E

2016 EUROPEAN CLOUD SERVICES GROWTH EXCELLENCE LEADERSHIP AWARD

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eLearning a cost-effective trend your company can't miss out on

We have a range of eLearning solutions designed specifically for procurement practitioners by our leading experts in EU Procurement and Legislation. Designed to be fun, easy and interactive, they enable procurement practitioners to improve their skills and knowledge to a high standard and minimise risk. All courses are CPD accredited ensuring time invested is recognised within your personal development plans.

For more information on our eLearning programme, please visit:

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G-CLOUD 8

CCS green light for new traffic management technology agreement

 the way in which products and services are categorised (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS and Specialist Cloud Services) does not always align to the way buyers and suppliers talk about these technologies. An investigation into the current categories will therefore be undertaken, and whether these should change to be more in line with how users define their services. Buyers are finding it difficult to compare service listings and evaluate the differences between similar services, and, as a result, they are using manual methods of comparison, which is time consuming. Lastly, buyers need to create an audit trail as a part of the procurement process, but existing G-Cloud functionality doesn’t help to create this. Users are therefore frustrated that they have to resort to a manual process of taking screenshots and creating spreadsheets to do this. The wish is for G-Cloud 9 to facilitate maintaining an audit trail. During the alpha phase, the Digital Marketplace will be exploring new solutions to resolve the current challenges users are experiencing, as well as continuing with its research to better understand where further improvements to the user journey can be made. L

A new agreement for traffic management technology products and services has been launched by the Crown Commercial Service. Developed in conjunction with Highways England, devolved administrations, local transport authorities and Transport for London, the agreement supports the government’s commitment to sustainability. The agreement contains 90 suppliers, over 50 per cent of which are small or medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The agreement will provide suppliers with a great opportunity to win new public sector contracts, reflecting the government’s ongoing commitment to being open for business and buying from smaller enterprises wherever they offer best value.

An online catalogue is available for the direct purchase of a range of fixed price products and services and use of the NEC suite of contracts will make transactions simpler and more efficient. A wide range of traffic management technology products will now be accessible – such as solutions and professional services, including electrical charging points to support a sustainable transport infrastructure, traffic signals, and parking and access control systems.

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FURTHER INFORMATION tinyurl.com/qzzw6g7

FURTHER INFORMATION www.gov.uk/government/publications/ g-cloud-8-framework-agreement/

Individually our solutions will save you time and money, manage essential processes and provide valuable insights that motivate people to focus their efforts to achieve your key business priorities. Put together, Simitive connects people and their organisations, setting off a continuous process of enhancement and improvement. It achieves new levels of engagement and motivation within a workforce and beyond, providing the momentum for improved productivity, performance, efficiency and change.

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T: +44 (0) 1179 1179 50 E: info@simitive.com www.simitive.com

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Learning Management. Solved. Totara - the choice for Public & Private sector learning management The cost effectiveness and agility of open source, with the support and services demanded by enterprises and government – Totara truly has it all. • Competency structures and learning paths – add in your competency structure, link to roles and learning objects to create learner paths • Individual learning plans – managers and staff can create Learning and Development Plans collaboratively and review progress • Team management – managers can review progress of their staff and allocate additional learning • Classroom management – create and manage classroom events, allow users to book courses directly • Compliance & Reporting – real time detailed drill down by competency, course or staff member • HR/ERP/CRM integration – proven largescale enterprise integrations (e.g. PeopleSoft, SAP, AD and Oracle).

Totara – the evolution of the LMS A distribution of Moodle, the world’s most popular learning platform, Totara is specifically designed to meet the requirements of workplace learning and development. Totara is 100% open source software – stable, proven and scalable – with all the features you’d expect in a top learning management system.

Totara builds on the Moodle LMS open source platform which has been developed and used by companies such as NHS, Virgin, Tesco, and many more. “We now have a system which is customisable to our requirements and flexible enough to support change plus it has many other features which we are not yet using” - York Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Chambury LearningSolutions

Chambury Learning Solutions works with organisations that are looking at how technology can assist them to develop their learning, organisational development and staff performance systems. They work with you to ensure that the system fits the local need. Their extensive experience spans public and private healthcare sectors and FMCG businesses..

Chambury Learning Solutions prides itself on high levels of customer service including regular on-site and telephone support, providing an individual service tailored to each client’s need. All at a cost effective price to meet your local budget

Contact Chambury Learning Solutions for a demo to really see how Totara can benefit your organisation. Email info@chamburylearningsolutions.co.uk

www.chamburylearningsolutions.co.uk

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DECISION MAKING

IT SOLUTIONS

BOARD International is the number one decision-making platform for organisations of any size. BOARD has enabled over 3,000 companies worldwide to improve the effectiveness of their management decision making processes by unifying business intelligence, corporate performance management and predictive analytics in a single integrated environment. Thanks to BOARD’s programming free toolkit approach, global enterprises such as Acer, DHL, H&M and Siemens and also government agencies and organisations rapidly deployed BI and CPM applications on the BOARD platform in a fraction of the time and cost associated with traditional solutions. In the government and public sector, BOARD has enabled federal state and local government agencies and organisations such as the U.S. Navy, Los Angeles CDC, Republic and Canton of Ticino and many others to run

RMS is a SME business and its main goal is to provide IT solutions to organisations which enhance existing business processes and aim to streamline these with the aim of increasing customer satisfaction and reducing both hidden and actual costs. Having partnered with likeminded global enterprises, RMS can offer many IT applications to your organisation, including service management solutions, asset management, secure password reset capabilities, through to knowledge management and reporting tools. RMS has also partnered with Amazon, to provide its services and products via the Cloud environment, on-premise, or hybrid. This gives the company the ability to flexibly manage all the customer’s requirements securely and efficiently. Consultancy services are also offered through experienced ITIL professionals to give advice on

Helping companies reach optimum performace

analysis, planning, forecasting and simulation processes that can rapidly assimilate new data sources and accommodate any specific customisation required by the government offices and local administrations. BOARD allows decision makers to improve cost control processes and increase the accuracy of pay and personnel budget estimates. Through its integrated approach, BOARD helps to minimise administrative redundancies across departments, whilst sharing information with regulatory and legislative authorities to promote transparency and compliance. FURTHER INFORMATION cstarr@board.com www.board.com

RMS: innovative solutions for a digital future

best practice and lead projects from start to completion. For the service desk, RMS is trading as Wendia UK (www. wendia.co.uk) to provide its Point of Business solution. This Web based software allows the customer to flexibly manage a multi-tenanted solution, managing each department’s requirements distinctly. The partnership for the Secure Password Application, allows RMS to offer FastPass (www.ksecuresystems.com), a market leading product, which grants customers a self-service environment to manage their system users. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0333 320 0513

G-CLOUD

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

Founded in 2009, OpenCredo is a G-Cloud 8 supplier, offering cloud and open source digital platform services to public sector organisations. As a company it is heavily involved in application development and DevOps automation based work, focusing on making a seamless experience among the two practices, specifically in a Cloud environment. Most recently it has been involved in Cloud projects and delivered services for UK government departments, such as HMRC. The OpenCredo team possess a rich capability across the entire spectrum of the development process, from architecture to software engineering and DevOps. It works in a manner that is transparent, objective and pragmatic. As a company

With the new ‘machinery of government’ changes, and as we move ahead with plans for Brexit, the UK public sector can expect a whole raft of new strategies and policies. Whilst the bulk of public services will continue unchanged on a day to day basis, there will inevitably be uncertainty in many areas and new initiatives in others. Leadership teams must be able to react quickly to changing circumstances, reassessing priorities and adjusting financial budgets and plans. Recognising this need, InfoCat offers IBM Planning Analytics to transform the planning, budgeting and forecasting process. Planning Analytics provides a cloudbased, managed, governed and secure environment for all planning, analysis and reporting activities - be they personal, workgroup or enterprise-wide.

Fast and cost-effective software solutions

founded on excellence in software engineering, its approach is to lead and support by deed and example. The company delivers tangible value, not slide decks or fluff. Other areas of expertise that OpenCredo specialises in covers Big Data, NoSQL Databases, real time analytics, test automation and technology transformation (e.g. Microservices) training courses. OpenCredo partners with the world’s leading technology organisations such as HashiCorp, Datastax, Amazon, Google and Mesosphere, and has a strict policy of no reselling. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: +44 (0) 207 928 9200 info@opencredo.com www.opencredo.com

Products & Services

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Transform budgeting, reporting and planning

Planning Analytics is available on the government’s digital marketplace through G-Cloud. Procurement is simple and fast, eliminating the need for time-consuming tenders. Founded by a team of qualified accountants 23 years ago, InfoCat has a long pedigree of helping organisations cope with change, by implementing powerful, flexible, planning and reporting applications. Find out more about Planning Analytics and Info Cat via the website or enter ‘infocat’ in the search box on the Digital Marketplace website. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: (0)20 7735 7711 info@infocat.co.uk www.infocat.co.uk

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Products & Services

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

RECRUITMENT

Klick2Contact EU Ltd (K2C), formed in 2011, provides companies across the globe with a range of business enhancing services that allows companies to interact in real time with their customers while they are on their website. The K2C suite of live help and customer engagement services consists of Web Chat, Instant Call-Back, Knowledge Base, Social Media Monitoring and Engagement, Full Workflow, Smart SMS and Email Management too – all offered in real time and accessible through one Omni-Channel Console. Klick2Contact is also fully ISO compliant for the following standards 27001: 2013 (Information Security) and ISO 9001: 2008 (Quality Management). Since July 2016 it has been part of the Eckoh Group of companies. K2C’s solutions are cloud based meaning no intrusion into a customer’s IT environment. It is secure, quick to deploy

1st Executive is the UK’s leading niche provider of interim and permanent procurement and supply chain recruitment services, delivering the upper quartile of talent to organisations across the public, private and non-profit sectors. 1st Executive hosts one of the largest networks of top tier professionals the market has to offer, along with being known as the widest advertiser of opportunities within the space. Since 2003, 1st Executive has become market leading recruitment experts in delivering across the entire spectrum of the procurement and supply chain arena from entry level roles, all the way through to directors, CPOs and COOs. 1st Executive has become the preferred partner to organisations across every area of the public sector, ranging

Providing live help for an omni-channel world

and easy to implement and all accessed and controlled via K2C’s state of the art OmniChannel Console. K2C already helps companies in 14 countries in Western, Central and Eastern Europe. It increases on-line sales and significantly improves customer care efficiency. If you are an on-line retailer, or need to interact with your on-line visitors and customers for any reason, from a large corporation to an SME, Klick2Contact offers a suite of services that delivers measurable success. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0845 4348 162 ross@klick2contact.com www.klick2contact.com

CLOUD SOLUTIONS

Specialist recruitment solutions

from large local and central government bodies through to consortiums, housing groups, healthcare, airports, education and police, fire and rescue. In addition, 1st Executive is known for its successful delivery to some of the world’s biggest brands as the preferred supplier for procurement and supply chain talent across all job levels and disciplines. As a fully government vetted supplier, 1st Executive is now able to provide interim and permanent recruitment solutions via G-Cloud 8 and the Digital Marketplace. FURTHER INFORMATION Lloyd Dyer (Practice Director) Tel: 01483 213 311 Lloyd.Dyer@1st-executive.com www.1st-executive.com www.digitalmarketplace. service.gov.uk

G-CLOUD

LayerV – the link between Providing specialist IT government and Cloud recruitment solutions LayerV is now able to offer its wide range of Cloud solutions and managed services to government through the G-Cloud framework. As experts in security, resilience and compliance with significant experience of Cloud migrations, DevOps and managed services, LayerV’s Cloud Adoption and Optimisation services are well placed to meet the standards demanded by government. LayerV’s certified solution architects will meet with your teams to understand your applications and service offering, how they work, the technology that underpins them, your scalability and resilience requirements as well as your dependencies on regulation and security. Once current infrastructure is understood, LayerV provide a high level approach and Cloud solution to meet your technical

and business requirements. LayerV can supply a no obligation half day session; fast-track your Cloud adoption strategy; create a clear path to the Cloud; access to PoC credits and tap into expert knowledge of AWS and Azure It also features a discovery workshop for information gathering; Cloud readiness report and high level approach expert advice from LayerV’s certified specialist teams. If you are interested in speaking with LayerV about planning, building or optimising your Cloud environment please get in touch. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0330 2233023 info@layerv.com

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 23.6

A new addition to the G-Cloud Framework, Barclay Anderson’s credentials are first-class with experience of supplying not only senior consultants such as the likes of PwC, E&Y and KPMG, but with technical expertise in supplying consultants and permanent employees with the latest Cloud skill sets. ‘G-Cloud customers need the right people at the right time’, says Callum McCormick, CEO and founder of the business. “Finding the right people for any business is challenging, but with the right sense of purpose, almost any skill can be bought at the right price and in an acceptable time-frame.” Barclay Anderson employs a niche team of recruiters in a leafy village on the outskirts

of Birmingham with easy connections to London and the North. ‘Location is not a key factor in the modern day’, says McCormick who lists an impressive array of key customers, both private and public. ‘G-Cloud has been great for us, we’ve already secured two large contracts’, he says. His mandate is to deliver reliably, whilst being easy to deal with. ‘People are the most unpredictable purchase’, McCormick says, but with 30 years of experience in the business, there’s little doubt that Barclay Anderson has the experience to deliver. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0121 248 2600 callum@barclayanderson.com www.barclayanderson.com

INSULATION

RISK MANAGEMENT

Swifix is delighted to announce the launch of its range of innovative fixings specifically designed and engineered for refitting and installing items through external and solid wall insulation systems. Ideal for use at the same time the system is being installed or post installation, the fixings provide a cost effective and maintenancefree solution whilst, importantly, ensuring the integrity of the external wall insulation system. Tested by the BRE for strength, compression and load, the fixings are manufactured from high quality recycled plastic and can be used to install items such as satellite dishes, down pipes, washing lines, hanging baskets, fence and gate posts, BT boxes and canopies, back through the EWI system. Current standard practice relies on the use of timber for re-fixing external items back through the EWI/SWI system, which can contribute to cold spots

Achilles is one of the world’s largest service providers of global supply chain risk management solutions with more than 1,000 people working in 22 countries. It works on behalf of over 860 buying organisations from 10 industry sectors to collect, validate and maintain essential data through an online questionnaire on over 133,000 suppliers. This allows buying organisations to build a picture of the risks present within their supply chain and implement measures to protect their business, people, planet and profit. It operates unique supply chain communities. Business leaders from across industries work collaboratively to cut duplication by agreeing the common standards suppliers need to meet in order to be eligible to do business with them. This allows buying organisations to raise standards consistently across all countries in which

Cost-effective solutions for quality wall insulation

and can disturb the continuous insulation characteristics. The Swifix range ensures that your investment is protected providing long term peace of mind that the product will continue to perform as required and ensure that any system guarantees or warranties remain unaffected. Fixings are available from SWIFIX and through various distributors throughout the UK. Swifix also provides full design and technical guidance to ensure the appropriate fixings are chosen to suit the application, as well as on-site support and product and installer training. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: O1884 560 477 www.swifix.co.uk

Providers of supplier risk management services

CONSULTING

DECISION MAKING

BrightGen is a Salesforce Platinum Implementation Partner. It enables businesses in the public sector to transform using Salesforce. The company makes fundamental changes to the way its customers operate, provide the technical expertise they need for a smooth transition to the Cloud and think strategically, so its always focused on their business and long-term goals. All of which ensures clients are guided to success, able to adapt to regular change and operate at their most efficient. BrightGen’s business can be categorised into four main areas of service. Whichever you choose, the end result will ensure a better experience for employees and citizens and improved efficiency. The four areas include: strategy and consulting;

Salesforce expertise and strategic thinking

implementation and integration; on-going service management; and custom applications. BrighGen’s services revolve around creating more success for customers. Whether it’s providing strategic advice or managing your move to the Cloud, BrightGen’s services will improve and transform your business. BrightGen is a certified Salesforce Platinum Partner and its team members are all in-house and UK-based. The company has been running for 10 years and has managed over 600 successful projects, with an average customer satisfaction rating of 9.6/10 FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 02071834390 info@brightgen.com www.brightgen.com

Products & Services

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

they operate and easily connect with credible suppliers, based in any country in which they would want to do business. The consultancy and training team offers consultancy covering all aspects associated with the procurement process, expert procurement advice through THEMiS and procurement training via open and in-house courses, and eLearning modules. Achilles’ solutions enable businesses to make informed, strategic decisions to minimise cost and turn common industry challenges into competitive advantage. FURTHER INFORMATION www.achilles.com

Helping companies reach optimum performace

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Products & Services

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

COMPUTER CONSULTING

NETWORK INTEGRATION

Access Computer Consulting plc were added to the NMNC framework RMC 971 during 2015. Whilst the company is relatively new, the consultants have a wealth of experience supplying the CCS, NHS and other local and central government authorities from previous employment. Whilst working strictly within the framework guide, the Access philosophy shines through in all its business dealings. It’s about you, the customer, what you want, what you need, how we can add value to your IT Recruitment & not about the company. Access’ vast experience has taught it what clients want, and perhaps more importantly, what you don’t want too. The company knows its place in the recruitment lifecycle, and also know when to back off too. From Snr roles, Interim Directors, Programme

Infradata is a leading, pan European network integrator specialising in Cloud services. Infradata is an innovative and flexible company with over 15 years of experience in the data and telecommunications market. It is an independent provider of complete next generation networks offering both physical and virtual offerings and development of Cloud services into key markets such as public sector. Infradata focuses on customers who have mission critical networks and prides itself on the calibre of its people who design, implement, maintain and manage these networks. Infradata brings this experience to the fore with a suite of services that cover first time right project services, service automation and direct expert access. Infradata is currently offering eight services on G Cloud 8 which include: Cloud Managed

Answering the challenges of the digital economy

& Change Managers, through to developers, PM’s, BA’s and infrastructure or networking support, Access can help. You will get one point of dedicated contact, but access to all the company’s consultant’s and their own specialisms throughout the IT skill sets. As a consultative partner. Access will work with you to arrive at a positive solution, even if it means saying no at times. The company understands the market and what can be achieved, remember all Agency’s are NOT the same. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0114 384 0720 andy.tyers@accessplc.com

PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT

LEARNING SOLUTIONS

Professional Programme Management Ltd (PPM) is a specialist in providing programme management, project management and PMO services for IT or business led change programmes. PM has worked with many methodologies, and has satisfied clients in the UK, Germany, Switzerland and Bulgaria. Sector involvement ranges from charities, central, devolved and local government through telecoms, utilities, retail, tourism and leisure, manufacturing and major systems integrators. With recent and current significant experience in encouraging and assisting governmental and non governmental departments in both Scotland and Westminster in their Digital Transformation journeys, PPM truly understand how challenging that journey can be. Whether you’re considering a significant waterfall development

Chambury Learning Solutions was formed in 2012 and works exclusively with organisations to supply and support the use of open source learning and performance management systems. The founder of Chambury Learning Solutions has over sixteen years experience at senior management and director level both inside, and outside of the NHS. This includes further education colleges, public and private healthcare, and information technology sectors. His career spans teaching, learning strategy, learning content design and delivery, HR & systems project management, system design and implementation, end user training, management of training programmes including core mandatory training, and management of staff and departments.

Programme management for the public sector

Next generation network and security solutions

or an agile transformation, PPM can help with transformation managers, delivery managers, programme and project managers and PMO’s. PPM will guide you and your product owners through successful discoveries, alphas and betas, engaging fully with GDS to ensure that no dramas or surprises await. No two transformations or initiatives are the same, but successful delivery should be as painless as possible. PPM believe that the management of change should provide no trauma. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0345 163 0047

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Firewall Service; Cloud Network Workshop; Cloud Readiness Assessment; Cloud Underlay Deployment; Firewall Clean up Service; Private Cloud Security Workshop; SDN Controller Deployment; and Virtual Services Workshop. Please contact Clare White for an initial discussion around how Infradata can help you with private, public or hybrid cloud services. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 07733008605 info@infradata.co.uk c.white@infradata.co.uk

Optimising learning and performance mangement

Chambury Learning Solution also has extensive experience within the food manufacturing sector spanning learning provision and management, compliance reporting and performance management. Utilising the professional skills it has gained has enabled Chambury Learning Solutions to establish itself as a successful partner in providing support, assistance and project management to organisations which are struggling to implement new software systems, or those who want to get more from their current systems, and to their staff through wider roll out projects. FURTHER INFORMATION www.chamburylearning solutions.co.uk

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

INTEGRATION

Founded in 2003, Kirona has grown to be recognised as the leader in delivering field service automation. The company combines innovative software development with an exceptional service organisation to ensure that its technology delivers significant value to every one of its clients. Kirona works with a wide range of government organisations and local authorities enabling streamlined processes and delivery of quantifiable improved field-based services across every department including housing, environmental services, social care and more. By using Dynamic Resource Scheduling (Xmbrace DRS),

Interoute is the owneroperator of a global cloud services platform and one of Europe’s largest networks which encompasses 12 data centres, 17 virtual data centres and 31 colocation centres, with connections to 195 additional third-party data centres across Europe. Interoute’s Digital Enterprise Platform is the infrastructure foundation for digital transformation. A global platform that supports both legacy IT and digital IT environments. It connects business applications and services, offices, on premise IT, off premise data centres, third party clouds, SaaS applications and mobile internet workers to a single secure digital platform. Integrated into one of Europe’s largest private networks to form one of Europe’s largest clouds, it provides customers with the operational stability and cloud flexibility they need to transition from legacy to digital IT one

Innovative software and exceptional service

organisations are able to appoint, schedule and manage work in the optimum way. With Job Manager, field based workers remain connected and work can be tracked in realtime; and with InfoSuite true insight can be gained across the entire operation enabling continuous improvement. Kirona is a G-Cloud 8 Crown Commercial Service Supplier and is ISO 9001 Quality Management and ISO 20000-1 Information Technology Service Management accredited. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01625 585511 Kirona.com Info@Kirona.com

Integrating third party and digital IT platforms

COMMUNICATION

LEADERSHIP

Simitive solutions can help you save time and money, manage essential processes and provide valuable insights that motivate people to focus their efforts to achieve key business priorities. Simitive connects people and their organisations, setting off continuous processes of enhancement and improvement. New levels of engagement and motivation are achieved within a workforce, resulting in improved productivity, performance, efficiency and change. Performance Management delivers quantitative and qualitative solutions to your appraisal challenges. Over 85 per cent of reviewees and reviewers using its software report significant improvements in quality and value of appraisals. Learning pro-actively engages individuals in identifying, agreeing and completing learning, development and compliance activities. It supports

KnowledgeBrief helps clients to innovate by applying new management and leadership techniques. Better management and leadership delivers better results, no matter what business you’re in. Clients take part with other organisations in the ‘Leadership and Management Innovation Programmes’, implementing the latest ideas for high performance, and reach their goals faster and smarter with customised ‘Capability Uplift Programmes’ that develop internal groups, small and large. It helps clients to reach higher performance by providing very high quality management and leadership content in formats that are easy to use; creating advanced, intuitive digital tools that really engage individuals and groups; and designing and managing professional

A global leader in effective organisation

behavioural, competency and skills frameworks; leading to talent management and succession planning. Objective Management Software provides monitoring of organisation, team and individual goals and objectives. Ensures all goals are clearly defined, agreed, visible and up to date. Expect 20 per cent saving in wasted effort plus increased engagement on desired outcomes. Workload Planning Software provides a modelling platform for the transparent planning and ongoing monitoring and management of all types of workload delivery in line with agreed frameworks, policies and statutory reporting requirements. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0117 911 7950

Products & Services

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step at a time. This minimises risk while maximising agility. Interoute serves many of the world’s leading service providers, as well as enterprises, governments and universities. Interoute’s Unified ICT strategy provides solutions for those seeking connectivity and a scalable, secure advanced platform on which they can build their voice, video, computing and data services. With established operations throughout Europe and USA, Interoute also owns and operates 24 connected city networks within Europe’s major business centres. FURTHER INFORMATION www.interoute.com

Pioneers in leadership and management innovation

development programmes that give people the edge, and make a marked business difference. Clients have reported that the company’s digital solution for better leadership, management and innovation is the most effective they’ve seen. Covering all disciplines, it includes the latest ideas, innovations and research summarised from the finest sources, in brief. Users reach Chartered Manager and study CMI qualifications online. Personalised news and social media feeds, online groups, capability tracking and CPD management are all included. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 020 7704 7636 innovate@knowledgebrief.com

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G-CLOUD

Argyle IT Consulting Limited provides a full end-to-end service for the custom development of business intelligence solutions, specialising in health and care data visualisations including data collection, dashboards, analytics and reporting across large, multi-agency population areas. Argyle’s software, developed to address the complex needs of the UK health and care system, transforms complex datasets with the application of easy to understand visualisations as well as statistical and geographic data analysis. Its modular approach with role based access guides users through the datasets and reports, providing customisable comparative analysis and reporting based on each user’s role. The system can be accessed from a wide range of end user devices, with hosting available in the cloud (including N3), on premises or as a hybrid of both. The company has developed

Delivering high quality services whilst keeping costs low can be a real challenge in the public sector. The Royal Courts of Justice Advice Bureau (RCJ) in Islington sought to improve access to services and reduce operational costs by transitioning to an online scheduling platform. The main source of frustration and inefficiency came from appointment management woes – in particular, taking 6,000 yearly bookings in a shared calendar with a large team working irregular shifts – costing a lot of telephone calls, and missed appointments. Furthermore, as a charity, RCJ needs to provide regular reports on service delivery and impact to citizens. RCJ turned to 10to8 – an appointment management system trusted by 21,000+ organisations worldwide including local government, central government and the wider public sector. 10to8 is an official supplier on HM

Specialist data analytics by Increase service delivery with online booking healthcare professionals

and continues to supply the NHS with a national system, consolidating and analysing over 10 million data points across over 7,500 organisations in England, supporting a user base of around 28,000. It has won national awards for its approach to enhancing care with data and information management and the company’s services are available through the digital marketplace, under both G-Cloud and digital outcomes and specialists frameworks. FURTHER INFORMATION info@argyleit.co.uk www.argyleit.co.uk

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

CLOUD COLLABORATION

Objective provides information and process governance solutions that are effortless to use and empower organisations to confidently deliver true digital transformation. Designed specifically for public sector and regulated industries, Objective can help turn the burden of compliance, accountability and governance into an opportunity to streamline business processes that will deliver efficient and innovative services that your customers and staff expect. With an established and growing customer base, Objective’s innovative solutions extend the governance across the spectrum of the modern workplace; underpinning information management, business processes and collaboration both in the office or on the move. As a trusted Microsoft partner Objective solutions can also be provided on the Microsoft Azure

Mvine provides organisations large and small with secure and compliant communication and collaboration portals. A combination of classic document management and data sharing with embedded unified communications, including video conferencing, screen sharing and instant messaging. No need to acquire multiple applications and try to make them work together. Whether you need to communicate and collaborate internally, across multiple agencies or with external partners and suppliers, Mvine provides a platform that can be configured to meet the needs of each team and type of business engagement. With easy to use role and group based access control, you can truly manage complex people engagements

Connecting content for an informed business

Public or Private Cloud and fully integrated with your evolving digital landscape such as Office 365 in addition to other key organisational systems. Objective can help your organisation derive true value from its information assets helping unlock the corporate IQ, empower your staff to be more efficient and help underpin organisational change. Objective is already in use enterprise wide by the Welsh government, Thurrock Council, Middlesbrough Council and Bedford Council amongst many others. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01628 640 460 enquiries@objective.com www.objective.co.uk

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Digital Marketplace G-Cloud. RCJ now use 10to8 to manage advice sessions and training events. The system has reduced missed appointments by 90 per cent and reduced admin work by 25 per cent. It has also improved customer data and insights. The system is mobile-first, and provides staff with controlled access to shared calendars with bank-rate security protocols. 10to8 is a flexible booking platform which fits any organisation size, an ideal partner for your digital by default journey. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01223 750754 10to8.com/g-cloud/

Secure communication and collaboration

such as who can do what in each area, down to how each document is accessed and what options are available. Mvine platforms also provide a full audit trail of all activity within the portal for each business manager to access, allowing group and team leaders to better manage their teams. To meet your legal requirements for data protection, your data is domiciled in the UK, is compliant with the EU Directive 95/46/ EC and the platform runs in ISO27001 compliant datacentres. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0208 392 4820 sales@mvine.com www.mvine.com

ENERGY

Renewable Energy has become mainstream and affordable in recent years and should be considered for heating and lighting in all new projects. ESP energy is MCS accredited, ensuring that your project will be implemented to the highest standards. The company’s experience of over three hundred commercial installations have included the following technologies - heat pumps, solar panels, underfloor heating, biomass boilers, combined heat and power (CHP) and district heating schemes. ESP Energy recently completed a 2.2MW scheme in the picturesque tourist attraction ‘Portmeirion’ in North Wales. A total of 27 properties have been linked together onto one district heating scheme with over 3.5 miles of underground pipework. This project tested the skill

ThermoProtect Limited is a nationwide energy efficiency, renewable energy and property improvements specialist with a vast degree of experience within the construction and ecorenewables sector. The company provides expert advice and workmanship for all of its customers and these include small residential properties through to large factories, warehouses and holiday resorts, all with the same goal of protecting the energy they generate through efficiency measures. ThermoProtect’s particular areas of specialty include: Polyurethane Spray Foam Insulation; Solar PV and Lithium Storage Batteries; LED Lighting; Renewable Heating Systems; and Protective and Waterproofing Coatings. The company offers customers a free, no obligation property

Specialists in providing Premiere home insulation renewable energy options and improvement experts

and ingenuity of the team, due to the 70m height difference from the castle at the top, to the hotel at the bottom, areas of pure rock to dig through and delicate architecture. This project was carried out in the winter months, between November and March, when there were fewer visitors to the village – the site was open to the public the entire time! All work had to be scheduled around the paying guests and their requirements. ESP Energy can be contacted via email or phone to discuss your project or requirements. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01743 718003 info@espenergy.co.uk

ENERGY

Greenwood Utility Management Limited is a multi-utility management consultancy for all sizes, from single domestic dwellings to commercial construction sites. Greenwood Utility Management Limited management service allows clients to take a step back when it comes to arranging their utilities, from new connections to disconnections the company can cater for all of your utility requirements. Having worked with a number of property developers and construction companies they understand the challenges that arise to ensure all utilities are installed to meet required deadlines. The streamlined process that Greenwood Utility Management offer, allows you to have an untroubled yet relaxed utility experience. Once you start to use Greenwood Utility Management you will have your own account manager who will take care of you from

Natural Generation is one of the leading renewable energy companies in the South West. Over the last 10 years it has helped commercial customers install systems that are helping make money, save money and reduce carbon footprints. Qualified in-house designers work with the company’s team of skilled electricians and plumbers to install renewable systems including commercial scale biomass, solar PV, heat pumps and energy storage solutions. Natural Generation’s operations and maintenance division works alongside the install team to provide a full service of high quality scheduled and unscheduled maintenance for commercial customers across the UK. Response times start at four hours for commercial solar and there’s a 24 hour emergency response line every day of the year. Predictive maintenance is scheduled and reporting includes post site visit reports

Catering for every kind of utility requirement

quotation to completion. It’s also possible to have on site meetings with your account manager so that everyone involved understands the job in hand. What the company’s clients have said: “The process works, and this becomes simply achievable.” It also offers smart metering solutions for efficiency taking care of both gas and electricity. If you would like to obtain a free quotation, you can contact Greenwood Utility Management using the details below. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0333 358 3603 www.greenwoodutility management.com

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survey, designed to provide a comprehensive assessment of energy generation measures alongside complete analysis of energy inefficiency such as poor insulation, non-LED lighting and other areas of heat loss or energy wastage. With offices in Cornwall, Exeter, Oxford, London, Birmingham and Manchester, ThermoProtect is able to provide services to all areas of the UK. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01208 78027 info@thermoprotect.co.uk www.thermoprotect.co.uk

Green energy maintenance

and full, same day, incident reporting for faults. The O&M team offer optimisation services. In some cases Natural Generation’s team have increased generation by more than 20 per cent on solar installs so it’s worth giving them a call if you’re looking for optimisation support. If you’re based in the South West there’s a full service for smaller scale/domestic renewables, including installation and maintenance of heat pumps, biomass, solar PV and thermal. Even if Natural Generation did not originally install your system it can still take on your O&M. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01872 571700 www.naturalgen.co.uk

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CONFERENCES AND EVENTS

Whether it’s a residential conference, a one-day meeting, a corporate dinner or a drinks reception, Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge can offer ideal facilities and award‑winning catering to create an event to remember. From initial enquiry through to the event itself, the highlyexperienced catering and events team will work closely with the organiser to ensure it is a success. The flexible and stylish facilities can seat from 14 in a private seminar room through to 250 in the specially-designed Auditorium, all set in spacious and attractive gardens, with break-out spaces for refreshments. State-of-the‑art AV and on-site technical support are also available. For residential conferences the accommodation, designed around courts overlooking the

When Drakes opened the stylish 20 bedroom boutique hotel on Brighton’s sea front 12 years ago it caused a splash in the south east as an exciting leisure and corporate destination synonymous with chic, contemporary luxury travel. Drakes quickly secured a reputation for excellence and efficiency with discerning business travellers looking for a stylish alternative to the more traditional hotel. Adhering to the philosophy that our surroundings have a direct influence on productivity and performance, the impeccably designed meeting facilities, the decadent cocktail bar and the award winning restaurant at Drakes makes this venue the perfect environment in which to do business. And after a successful day’s meeting, the fabulous and luxurious ‘hand made’ bedrooms beckon. With sumptuous Vi Sprung beds, freestanding bath

Fitzwilliam College: the best of the old and new

grounds, comprises 175 en-suite bedrooms and 161 semi en-suite bedrooms, 61 of which have just been refurbished to provide superior standard facilities. Award-winning dining ranges from formal lunches and dinners through to networking buffets, all using the finest and freshest local seasonal produce. All this – as well as on-site parking and just a 15-minute walk into the historical city of Cambridge. For further details please contact the catering and events office. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01223 332040 www.fitz.cam.ac.uk/ conferences

CONFERENCES AND EVENTS

CONFERENCES & EVENTS

Henstaff Court - a business and conference centre with a difference - is a fine country house set within a private estate of some 260 acres, only ten minutes drive from Cardiff City centre. Whatever the occasion, be it a board meeting, conference or corporate event, the charm of the location and the dedicated business facilities with state of the art equipment, will contribute to making your business a calming yet productive experience. The conference facilities at Henstaff Court consist of an ante-room and two board rooms. Styles vary from oak-lined to classically traditional and modern with a maximum capacity of up to forty people. Catering can be arranged to meet clients’ needs. Blending attention to detail and making visitors feel welcome is a primary management goal, and this is combined with a high level of service. Henstaff Court’s management drive ethos is

The King’s Centre is Oxford’s largest and most flexible multi-purpose event centre, situated in the heart of the city. Oxford is easily accessible by rail and road from across the country, making it the perfect destination for the regional, national and international events that it hosts. The King’s Centre provides almost unlimited flexibility through two large halls that can seat up to 1000 people, and ten support rooms in a range of shapes and sizes. What’s more, its chef and his team are always on hand to offer an enticing range of refreshments and catering options. Traffic and travel isn’t an issue, being a six minute walk from the Oxford city’s efficient Park and Ride service and only 10 minutes from Oxford rail station

‘Charm, elegance and style in the modern world’

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Doing business in Brighton so it only takes one line

friendly, yet highly professional. The company aims to provide as much, or as little service, as is required by its clients. The centre is easily accessible from all points of the compass: 10 minutes drive from Cardiff City Centre and three miles from M4, Junction 34. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 02920891444 enquiries@henstaffconferencing.co.uk www.henstaffconferencing.co.uk

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in which to soak away the day’s stresses and some of the best beach views of any hotel in the Britain (according to Conde Nast Traveller), it is a most inviting place to be. Coupled with exceptional service, where nothing is too much trouble, Drakes epitomises the glamour and sophistication that one expects from a true Boutique Hotel. Day and 24hr conference packages and a breakfast meeting offer are also available. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01273 696934 carla.termaat@ drakesofbrighton.com drakesofbrighton.com

A large versatile space in the heart of Oxford

So whether you’re looking to hold awards ceremonies or conferences, exhibitions or examinations, staff away days or selection interviews, training courses or trade shows, the King’s Centre Oxford is the venue to come to. Please visit the website for further information or call to speak to an adviser about how the King’s Centre could help you host a top notch event. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01865 204486 bookings@kingscentre.co.uk www.kingscentre.co.uk

MEDICAL MODELS

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

Medical Models Online is a leading UK supplier of medical training models, manikins and anatomy models, from small lifting manikins, spines, skeletons and full body manikins. Medical Models Online supply government departments, hospitals, universities, surgeries and training providers in the UK and overseas. To ensure the best available equipment at a competitive price, models are sourced from factories around the world and made available on one site for easy purchase. This ensures a wide choice of equipment with models from major manufacturers at reduced rates and models specifically made for Medical Models Online. The importance of education, training and development in healthcare professionals cannot be underestimated, and with modern equipment it is possible

Old fashioned vs traditional? FG Marshall has over 70 years of experience in delivering exceptional hand penned calligraphy and hand painted artwork to local authorities, whether it is for ceremonial purposes or for a personal memorial at Crematoria; no job is too big or too small. The company’s friendly and professional team work from its own in-house studio and on-site to deliver industry leading quality. Although it is a small business FG Marshall works internationally with customers in Australia, the Netherlands and the USA. In its Bindery FG Marshall design and make books specifically to order, from memorial books to donation books, every single book comes with a five year guarantee so that customers can be assured that whether the company uses new techniques or the techniques the monks used, their book will last a lifetime

Models and manikins to facilitate medical training

to closely simulate the reality of performing various procedures in a safe, patient free environment. Modern materials and manufacturing also mean the cost of equipment has come down, and many professionals now buy their own equipment to allow practice at their convenience. Medical Models Online can provide a wide variety of equipment for Health and Safety awareness, first aid training, CPR manikins as well as skeletons, charts and anatomical models. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01460 200 111 www.medical modelsonline.com

Because sometimes the old ways are the best

HEALTH & SAFETY

WEBSITE DESIGN

Established in 1984, Safety Industries is one of the longest serving specialist suppliers to a range of hazardous environments. The company offers a large range of products and services including RPE, PPE and specialist plant and equipment and prides itself on its reputation for service. Safety Industries was among the first organisations in the UK with staff accredited to the Fit2Fit respiratory face fit testing scheme, devised by the BSiF, in conjunction with the HSE. It can undertake in house, or site based Face Fit testing, and as an authorised Scott RPE dealer, the company can service and supply all types of powered and non-powered respiratory equipment. The company’s highly trained staff can offer advice and recommendations on the initial selection and fit of the correct RPE to suit your needs. Safety Industries operates an

Simply. Website Support is dedicated to supporting public and private sector businesses from initial web design and development through to managed website hosting, ongoing maintenance, search engine optimisation and social media management. The company offers a complete and affordable package for clients across the UK. As well as working with multinational consumer goods companies, it also works with government agencies such as Local Partnerships. Website maintenance and support is essential in the digital age; Simply. Website Support can do it all for you. Content updates, security checks, managed website hosting, website backups and search engine optimisation (SEO) are all part of its monthly support packages. Website design and development can be a basic one-page banner site to a fully content managed e-commerce store.

Safety equipment for hazardous environments

extensive hire fleet of mobile self-contained decontamination units, negative pressure units, H class vacuums, smoke machines, and respiratory equipment. Safety Industries is licensed by the HSE to handle asbestos contaminated plant. Its wet room and service facilities can decontaminate, service, repair, test and provide clearance certification, for both its own hire fleet and customer plant – making it the ideal one stop shop, for the asbestos removal, decontamination, and hazardous related industries. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01708 381499 sales@safetyindustries.com www.safetyindustries.com

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(and often several lifetimes!). FG Marshall works hard to ensure that deadlines are not only met but often exceeded so customers can rely on it to deliver on time for their customers. For more information please visit the website, or alternatively, call to speak to an adviser. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01372 274386 wendy@fgmarshall.com www.fgmarshall.com

Web design, maintenance and SEO services

Managed website hosting is a personalised service to ensure your website is backed up, running efficiently and any downtime minimised. The Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) team will get you noticed by increasing your website’s visibility and boost your Google ranking. Social media management is the company’s one stop solution to ensuring you are present on all platforms. It provides consistent, regular content that engages existing and potential stakeholders. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01276 500 535 www.simplywebsite support.co.uk

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CONFERENCES & EVENTS

INSULATION

Whether you’re looking for a meeting room for two, or a conference venue for two hundred, the Green Britain Centre has it covered. The Centre hosts a range of meetings, events and conferences in its spacious timber framed building. With a variety of meeting rooms, including a purpose-built lecture theatre, the GBC makes for a dynamic and lively venue at which to hold your event or training. As well as being a distinctive venue, the GBC offers a range of services for your event, including homemade, vegetarian conference catering and a fully licensed bar. The Centre also has a dedicated events team, who will make sure your experience runs smoothly. The Green Britain Centre isn’t just a conference venue – it’s also home to the first 21st century windmill in the world open for the public to climb, a visitor centre, organic gardens and an electric vehicle charge

Alumasc is a specialist in the design and development of thermally efficient, insulated render systems which utilise a wide range of silicone, mineral and polymer-modified decorative render finishes. The company’s proven experience in new build and refurbishment, coupled with BBA certified systems, technical expertise and full warranty packages, ensures engineered solutions are available for projects of any scale. Alumasc Facade’s trusted external wall insulation systems Swisslab and Swistherm have long been transforming the UK’s ageing housing stock from being cold, and inefficient into warm, energy-saving homes. The Alumasc Ventilated System is a BBA Approved Facade Solution for the structural timber and light steel frame sector. Alumasc embraces the latest building technology and the Alumasc Ventilated System demonstrates this approach

An ideal venue a whole host of different uses

point. It has an international education programme too, which is delivered to over 5,000 students a year. With a variety of meeting rooms, and exceptional catering and facilities, you’re sure to find something to make your event unique. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01760 726100 www.greenbritain centre.co.uk

CONFERENCES & EVENTS

The Park Crescent Conference Centre is a unique event and conference centre with a difference. All the income generated directly supports its charity work at International Student House. It also support the work of other charities and non-profit organisations too, by providing them with discounted room hire rates. The Park Crescent Conference Centre London is proud to be an AIM accredited member of the Meetings Industry Association (MIA), its personnel, facilities and processes have been fully vetted and are compliant with all relevant legislation. Located opposite Regents Park, PCCC is ideally suited for conferences, exhibitions and training workshops or training as well as having smaller spaces for breakout and seminar rooms. The Centre holds eight rooms

In stunning surroundings and a relaxed environment the staff will coordinate and manage your every need to the highest standard. The boardroom offers an interesting environment away from the distractions of the office so that the delegates attending can focus on the strategic business challenges that lay ahead. By moving your conference out of the city Ruffed Park can assure you of competitive delegate rates with packages offered by the half or full day. The Country Club is available for conferences; business meetings; team building days; and private dining room. It boasts free car parking, free wifi and freshly cooked food. Prices include use of: pens / notepads; flipchart; refreshments; and projector equipment. Rufford Park Golf and

Offering a state of the art conference centre

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UK manufacturer of external wall insulation

that can accommodate between 12 to 300 delegates. The bright and multipurpose rooms offer modern facilities with full AV equipment and Wi-Fi available for hire. PCCC prides itself on providing versatile solutions to every request. A professional and proficient in-house team, on-site caterers and a selection of day delegate rate packages, makes PCCC a superb choice of venue for a diverse variety of events. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 020 7631 8397 conference@pccc.co.uk www.pccc.co.uk

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by being a fully engineered, innovative system solution that offers an alternative approach to traditional build. AVS provides a stylish, fully warranted facade solution for timber frame buildings, with the option of utilising modern off-site manufacture techniques. It is designed to provide a fully ventilated cavity, which keeps the timber substrate moisturefree and is approved for use with acrylic brick slips, silicone render and dashing render. The system is also accepted by the NHBC and follows TRADA recommendations. The Alumasc Ventilated System has an A2 fire rating and can accommodate a range of cavity depths. FURTHER INFORMATION www.alumascfacades.co.uk

Outstanding facilities in beautiful surroundings

Country Club is also ideally located from A1, A614 and Newark train station. Why not mix business with pleasure? An organised Golf Day provides the ideal environment to enjoy golf with friends, network and entertain clients. Alternatively, make use of the practice facilities including a 16 Bay floodlit driving range. For more information please visit the website or call to speak to an adviser. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01623 825253 www.ruffordpark.co.uk

SPORT

SECURITY

Over the past 63 years, Fleet Line Markers Ltd. has provided line marking expertise around the World boasting factories in six countries, including New Zealand and the USA. As manufacturers of The BeamRider laser guided line marking machine, it was only a matter of time before the flagship Kombi MK2 was updated to the Kombi 3. The Kombi has been the most popular seller across the world since it’s launch over 19 years ago. Now sporting many unique features, it creates the most advanced pedestrian marker without a laser. The introduction of the wheeled knib as standard means the Kombi 3 can mark on all sports surfaces straight out of the box. Independent stainless steel arms track ground contours giving sharp, crisp line definition whether it’s on

A family-run business established in 1968, Kings Security is a leading provider of security and fire services to businesses and homes across the UK. Experienced and innovative, Kings prides itself on firstclass customer service; from the initial onsite visit through to ongoing maintenance and support, ensuring customers enjoy complete peace of mind. Kings is committed to technology and innovation, leading the industry through vision without boundaries. Kings has a long and proud track record of working with the public sector, offering the full range of security services. Kings can take-over, install, upgrade and maintain systems including CCTV, intruder alarms, fire alarms and access control. Open protocols are used for all installations, to ensure ongoing viability. Kings is proud to maintain accreditations above industry

Fleet – investing in the future of line marking

grass, tarmac or synthetic turf. Fleet’s constant efforts to maintain quality and innovative products, Fleet offer free upgrades to all machinery. How does it work? For the life of the machine, any upgrades or modifications made by Fleet HQ to that current model will be offered free of charge (T&C’s apply) Feel confident that every new Fleet machine you purchase is future proof! FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01684 573 535 www.flmuk.com

A leading provider of security and fire services

standard levels; such as ISO 22301 Business Continuity Management and is regularly awarded top honours within the security industry. Security packages are created to suit every organisation, however large or small, simple or complex they might be. Kings Intelligence Service (KIS) is offered free of charge to all clients. As a value-added, online service, visualising security estate data has never been clearer. KIS is at the cutting-edge of innovation and is continually being developed to support clients to the next level of security management and beyond. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0800 804 6171

LEADERSHIP

PLAYGROUND FLOORING SOLUTIONS

Global PA Association & Training Academy was founded in 2006 and is a world leader in the training and development of executive assistants, personal assistants and secretaries. It partners with Birbeck, University of London on a Management Qualification for PAs and is a recognised ILM provider and a leader in academic research into the profession in partnership with Kingston University Business School. Global PA supports the professional development of this vital sector of the workforce which is the ‘engine room’ of any business and ensures a seamless flow of business information whilst supporting their managers to be even more productive within their roles.

PlaySmart supplies and installs superior safety surfacing and pathways for playgrounds or recreation areas nationally. With 13 years of experience, PlaySmart offer the highest quality products with unrivalled service. Its innovative product range includes an exclusive JungleMulch rubber mulch – a natural looking, organically coloured rubber surface ideal for playgrounds, golf courses and landscaping. PlaySmart prides itself on installing the highest quality grass mats and its patent pending SmartPlay foam pad acts to enhance fall protection and improve ground conditions. The company also supplies wet pour and artificial grass and can advise on the best surfacing option for your project. As members of the API you can rest assured you are working with an experienced and accredited

Developing and training world class PAs

The company’s professional membership and training programmes have taken it to organisations throughout the UK, Europe and the Middle East, Far East, China and Australia. The role of office professionals in organisations is changing and evolving as they increasingly take on more responsibility in a digital age. Global PA develops the leadership potential, management skills, communication skills and technical knowledge of this workforce sector in the public and private sector. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0800 043 0258 enquiries@globalpaassociation.com www.globalpa-association.com

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Looking for quality and cost effective surfacing?

organisation for your project. If you’d like advice on the best surfacing solution for your area, please feel free to get in touch! Whether you want to stimulate the imagination through colour and pattern or blend in with the background PlaySmart has the playground flooring surfaces for you. You can reach PlaySmart’s experienced team directly on the number listed below. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01564 742 811 www.playsmartuk.co.uk info@playsmartuk.co.uk

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INSULATION

Cost-effective solutions for quality wall insulation Swifix is delighted to announce the launch of its range of innovative fixings specifically designed and engineered for refitting and installing items through external and solid wall insulation systems. Ideal for use at the same time the system is being installed or post installation, the fixings provide a cost effective and maintenancefree solution whilst, importantly, ensuring the integrity of the external wall insulation system. Tested by the BRE for strength, compression and load, the fixings are manufactured from high quality recycled plastic and can be used to install items such as satellite dishes, down pipes, washing lines, hanging baskets, fence and gate posts, BT boxes and canopies, back through the EWI system. Current standard practice relies on the use of timber for re-fixing external items back through the EWI/SWI system, which can contribute to cold spots

Leading manufacturers of street and park furnishings

David Ogilvie Engineering is unique in the business of street and park furniture manufacturing. There are few companies who can develop a customer’s desire into a finished product, deliver it and then give that product a lifetime guarantee. This is an everyday event at Ogilvie Engineering. The company’s mission is to ensure that your world is full of exciting and thought provoking products made from the most recyclable material in the world, STEEL. David Ogilvie Engineering provides a service to over 50,000 customers throughout the UK, Ireland and Canada, these include the public and private sectors.

CLEANING

CONSTRUCTION

Danfo (UK) Ltd is the UK’s leading public convenience provider, focusing on working with local authorities to help save money and keep facilities such as public toilets open. It is a multi awardwinning high-quality toilet provider based in the UK with an excellent cleaning standard. Danfo’s toilet buildings are designed and built to last for decades. It has been awarded the ‘Overall Winner’ and the ‘best external cleaner for local authorities’ at the independent Loo Of The Year Awards. Essentially as a business Danfo build, refurbish, clean and maintain public toilets. It aims to

MEDITE SMARTPLY is the market leading manufacturer of environmentally produced, sustainable timber construction panels. As acknowledged industry pioneers in the fields of MDF and OSB, the award winning brands MEDITE and SMARTPLY are renowned for delivering the highest quality products, customer led innovation and industry leading customer service. The products are widely used and specified throughout refurbishment, regeneration and new build projects, due to its sustainable supply chain, innovative problem solving range and respected technical support. From pre-primed, FSC approved site hoardings to ‘no added formaldehyde’ products ideal for use in museums, galleries, medical and educational facilities, flame retardant OSB and MDF boards for numerous flooring, roofing and sheathing applications, right through to

Bespoke public facilities for better installation

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URBAN REGENERATION

offer a complete management and monitoring service. It also tries to look at buildings to see if they could be reconfigured in a way to be less of a drain on budgets. On some occasions it can make facilities not only costneutral but even start to add income back into the budget. Danfo can provide support with new build; refurbishment; cleaning; maintenance; management; footfall monitoring; coin entry; standalone facilities; and financing. FURTHER INFORMATION alastairporter@danfo.co.uk www.danfo.co.uk

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 23.6

David Ogilvie’ products include: seats and benches; litter bins and novelty bins; picnic furniture; planters; shelters and bandstands; signage; street furniture; memorial and commemorative; bespoke commissions; notice and display boards; tree seats; and floral displays. To view the full range of offerings, please visit the David Ogilvie Engineering website. Alternatively, call to speak to an adviser about how the company could facilitate your street/ park furniture aspirations. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01563 570061 enquiries@davidogilvie.com www.davidogilvie.com

Offering a variety of fully sustainable timber panels

the world’s only airtight OSB for use in low energy construction projects as certified by the Passive House Institute, it has a panel for the most demanding situations. And just when you thought these applications were pushing the innovation envelope to its limits, how about MEDITE TRICOYA EXTREME, a high performance wood panel that offers all the flexibility of MDF, with up to 50 years guaranteed when used externally! For more information on any of the products, please visit the MEDITE SMARTPLY website. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01322 424900 www.mdfosb.com

CONFERENCES & EVENTS

OUTDOOR VISITS

The Elvetham, set in 35 acres of private gardens and grounds, offers secluded and peaceful conference and meeting rooms with both classical and modern designs. A tranquil and secluded environment allows you to focus on your goals, while enjoying the stunning surroundings of the Hampshire countryside. Meeting rooms are all fit for purpose, and even the hotel’s classic rooms are equipped with high speed Wi-Fi, air conditioning, and magnetic walls. A dedicated and trained IT and AV specialist team are based on-site and are ready to support your business around the clock. For all delegates, high speed internet via Wi-Fi (18Mbps download and 1Mbps upload) is included free of charge. The Elvetham has championed the best and most varied team building activities for many years, and can arrange activities

Beaudesert Outdoor Activity Centre, located in Cannock Chase, an area of outstanding natural beauty, offers residential packages for outdoor education and adventure. Residential packages start from just £40 per person for one night including accommodation, catering and a full activity programme. It has a range of lodges and tented villages providing good value accommodation. Activities include high ropes, via ferrata, coracling, rafting, archery, low ropes and tomahawk throwing. The centre’s catering is home cooked, and it is able to support all requirements. The centre also has an amazing team of staff who are here to make your visit as memorable as possible. With 120 acres of mixed parklands and woodland to explore, it can provide educational visits too. Castle ring iron age fort is accessible form the site and it has its own various wetlands, habitats and history.

Excellent transport links and delicious cuisine

in and around its extensive grounds, supervised by experts. Partake in treasure hunts to duck-herding outdoors, or head inside for wine tasting or circus skills – the options are endless! The Elvetham understands that privacy and security are imperative for your business, and events that demand this are a natural fit for the layout of the hotel. Extensive grounds, 72 bedrooms, two kitchens, an onsite IT team, and 21 dedicated meeting and event rooms make the perfect exclusive-hire venue. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01252 847233 enq@elvethamhotel.com www.elvethamhotel.com

A range of exciting and safe residential visits

SECTION HEADER

CONFERENCES & EVENTS

Peepul Enterprise is Leicestershire’s home to a number of unique, elegant and versatile events ranging from business conferences, seminars, network meetings, product launches, exhibitions, concerts, weddings, celebrations, sports, theatre and arts performances. Peepul Enterprise facilitates Peepul Bar, Peepul Gym and Spa, Little Peepul Day Nursery and Peepul Events. With a number of accessible, unique rooms to suite your needs including: seminar rooms; function suite; dance studios; the grande auditorium; ICT suite; sports hall; and beauty and spa. The Innovative Peepul Theatre is a versatile auditorium and a proud platform for both professional and amateur performances, bringing diverse, engaging and entertaining art to Leicester’s communities. All facilities are available for private or public events daytime and evening, all year round.

The conference suite is a versatile space which offers a range of different layout options from traditional theatre style (comfortably seating 350) to cabaret style for 200 or classroom style for circa 150. The suite contains high definition audio visual equipment including large format plasma screens, projector, multi-function lighting and allows the ability to record conferences. Purposely designed for both traditional day delegate and business entertaining, the large conference suite is ideal for a variety of events including training, seminars, regional meetings and networking. The suite benefits from its own dedicated conference kitchen offering tailor made catering from a light buffet through to a gourmet four-course meal. The suite is complimented by eight meeting rooms

Peepul Enterprise: a venue with a difference

Get in touch with a member of Peepul’s Events Team to book the perfect venue for your event. Peepul Enterprise is perfectly located in the heart of the city on Orchardson Avenue just off of Belgrave Road in Leicester. The versatile venue couldn’t be any easier to access with whatever mode of transport being used, with free car parking offered for drivers and conveniently located 1.5 miles away from the city’s Railway Station. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0116 261 6000 mollie.power@ peepulenterprise.com www.peepulenterprise.com

Products & Services

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

The centre has its own Heritage award providing some fantastic educational tools. Camping sites are available for self-catered D of E expeditions and it can also offer fun days or educational day visits. The centre is well suited to forest school activity. It is open to all youth organisations, schools and colleges and offers adventure birthday parties for young people. Call the Guest Services Team for more innformation about what else is available. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01543 682278 info@beaudesert.org.uk www.beaudesert.org.uk

An ideal location for all your corporate events

and a huge glass atrium. As the conference suite has its own dedicated kitchen and benefits from the latest audio visual technology it is ideal for corporate events such as awards lunches/ dinners, celebratory/ gala dinners and summer balls/ Christmas parties. A tailor made multi-functional bar has been built into the suite which can be out of sight if not required, simply open in situ or pulled out into the room to create a feature. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0800 542 7234 weston-business-centres.com

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Advertisers Index

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CONSULTING

ENERGY

On-Site Utility solutions from EuroSite Power are completely transforming how green energy solutions can be financed. EuroSite Power installs carefully specified, energy saving, combined heat and power (CHP) equipment for customers, completely free of charge. Maintaining ownership of the system onsite, EuroSite Power covers all capital, maintenance and operating costs, and simply sells the energy produced by the system to the customer, at a price guaranteed to be lower than available directly from the grid. CHP systems save energy by capturing the heat produced in the production of electricity onsite. It can then be used to assist the heating needs of the property, rather than having it wasted at a distant power station. Launched into the UK in 2011, EuroSite Power’s risk-free

Salesforce expertise and strategic thinking

The costs of going green can be entirely avoided

method of providing green technology is already proving very popular in the private sector, where it is used in hotels and leisure centres by some well-known names including Hilton hotels, Wentworth Club and Celtic Manor Resort. In the public sector, systems already in place include Clifton Hospital, Doncaster Dome, Dunstable Leisure Centre, Flitwick Leisure Centre and Haverhill Leisure Centre, which was able to invest in a new gym and power room with the savings made. FURTHER INFORMATION www.eurositepower.co.uk

ADVERTISERS INDEX The publishers accept no responsibility for errors or omissions in this free service 10 to 8 91 1st Executive 76 Access Computer Consulting 96 Achilles Information 88 ADIDO 65 AJC Trailers 46 AJEA Products 49 Alumasc Facade Systems 102 AM Energy 30 Argyle IT Consulting 73 Arkle Finance 16 Bandera 22 Barclay Anderson 80 Bawden Contracting Services 51 Beaudesert Park Campsite 105 Blachere Illumination UK 68 Board IT 86 BrightGen 70 Britannia Fire 26 C-Tec Building Solutions 18 Chambury Consulting 90 Channel Safety Co 26 Medite Smartply 104 Coin Street Community 59 Cranfield University 58 Danfo UK 104 David Ogilvie Engineering 104 DB McLarnon Fire Protection 26 DMS Flood Defence 42 Drakes Hotel 100 ESP Energy 99 Euro Environmental Group 43 Eurosite Power 106 F.G.Marshall 66, 101 Finders International Probate 14 Fitzwilliam College 100 Fleet (Line Markers) 103

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Ford 6 Geoline 49 Global PA Association 103 Gratnells 28 Green Britain Centre 102 Greenwood Utility 99 Hall and Kay Fire Engineering 26 Henstaff Court Conference & Business Centre 100 Hilson Moran 24 Homerton College Conference Centre 58 ICAEW 56 iDaC Solutions 33 Imperial College London 58 InfoCat 84 Infradata 81 Institution of Civil Engineers 48 Interoute 87 IQ Fire Solutions 24 ISS Mediclean 10 Kentec Electronics 24 Kings House Conference Centre 56 Kings Security Systems 103 Kingsfield Computer Products 91 Kirona Solutions 78 Klick2Contact EU 83 KnowledgeBrief 77 Kyocera Document Solutions 8 LayerV 74 Mapei UK 30 Markham Global 46 Mears Group 60 Medhand International 30 Medical Models Online 101 Megger 20 Meters UK 60 Mitsubishi IFC, 3

Mvine 85 Natural Generation 99 Nettle Hill 58 Objective Corporation UK 75 Opencredo 72 Osmond Group 22 Park Crescent Conference 102 Peepul Enterprise 105 PlaySmart UK 103 PROCare Shower & Bathroom 60 Professional Programme 82 R S Hydro 49 RAMS Boards 33 Renault UK BC Rufford Park Golf & Country 102 Safety Industries 101 Scarab Sweepers 37 Secured By Design 23 Sentura Group 21 Shift Soil Remediation 49 Simitive 89, 97 Simply. Website Support 101 Sitel UK 12 SOAP 65 Stratia Consulting 16 Sundstrom Safety AB 4 Swifix 104 Tarmac Building Products 42 The Elvetham 105 The King’s Centre 100 ThermoProtect 99 Totnes Rare Breed Farm 68 Uretek IBC Wendia UK 92 West Port Print & Design 68 Weston (Business Centres) 105

All-New

Renault MEGANE Feel the drive

All-New Renault MĂŠgane Dynamique Nav dCi 110 19% BIK Tax | 76.4mpg | 96g/km The official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) for the All-New Renault MĂŠgane Dynamique Nav dCi 110 are: Urban 68.9 (4.1); Extra Urban 80.7 (3.5); Combined 76.4 (3.7). The official CO2 emissions are 96g/km. EU Directive and Regulation 692/2008 test environment figures. Fuel consumption and CO2 may vary according to driving styles, road conditions and other factors.