Together Magazine - December 2020

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Issue 15

magazine

INSIDE: Meet the BDMs | AX Update | FUNdraising

THE MANUFACTURER TOP 100 RICHARD WHITEHOUSE

PLUS

#OneFamily

MHBS:

FUNdraising

Thank You!

Future Vision of Enablement

Spooky Goings-on in Kingswinford!

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Welcome.

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magazine

Here we are at another year end, preparing to spend some well-earned time off with friends and family celebrating Christmas and probably eating far too many chocolates!

As reviews of the year go, 2019 has been a pretty busy one at Handicare. We launched our newest straight lift, the 1100 at Dealer Day back in May and so this year has been all about spreading “glad tidings” about its reliability, desirability, installability and profitability. The lift has been named as Product of the Year by one of our partners in Thiis Magazine’s December issue and shortlisted for the same title by Access and Mobility Professional! All the feedback has been brilliant – from partners and end-users - and we’re on track (sorry!) to sell a record number by the end of this year so well done everyone for a fantastic effort!

There have been some big organisational changes too, reinforcing our OneFamily status and I hope meaning that we have a more strategic and focused approach to achieving our vision of becoming the UK’s No 1 stairlift provider by the end of 2020.

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In November, it was announced that Richard, who joined Handicare in July 2016, has been featured in 2019’s Manufacturer Top 100 awards scheme which recognises the most dynamic leaders and innovators in manufacturing. Its goal is to help dispel popularly-held myths that vibrant manufacturing in the UK is a thing of the past.

Awardees are drawn from every walk of UK industry, from top floor to shop floor.

#OneFamily

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Page 03 Meet the Team

Top 100 Manufacturer Award Congratulations to Richard Whitehouse, Handicare’s UK operations director, who has been named as one of the country’s outstanding manufacturing professionals.

Contents.

Top 100 Award

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MHBS

Stop Press

Sometimes we can lose sight of the end result of all our efforts when we’re focused on our business objectives. But the comments from the BDMs in the Meet the Team feature on P5 reminds us all to keep Auntie Doris in mind if we’re having a bad day or feel that work is getting on top of us.

We really do make a difference.

Have a super Christmas break and I wish you all a very happy, healthy and successful new year!

Page 05 Next Gen Makers factory visit

Page 06 People’s News

Handicare 1100 named Product of the Year by Dolphin Lifts Midlands in Thiis Magazine’s December issue

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Handicare 1100 shortlisted for Access and Mobility Professional’s Product of the Year 2019

individuals to work together, to challenge them to do things they didn’t believe possible and to enable them to achieve those goals.”

In the report, Richard states: “I am a passionate believer in manufacturing and the need for the UK to strengthen its manufacturing power base once again. I think my achievements come from getting teams and

#GivingTuesday Giving Tuesday is celebrated on the Tuesday following the well-known shopping days of Black Friday and Cyber Monday and was celebrated this year on 3 December 2019. Handicare joined in with this year’s global campaign for good by donating a free stairlift to someone who had enquired with us, but sadly couldn’t afford to pay for one themselves.

Over £7.8

Clare Brophy, Managing Director

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Handicare’s UK Managing Director Clare Brophy, who nominated Richard for the award, said: “Since joining us, Richard’s focus has been on creating a stairlift manufacturing operation fit for the future. He’s also been instrumental in raising our profile with young people, initiating a programme identifying and nurturing talent into the manufacturing marketplace.

We’re very proud to see him ranked in the Top 100.”

$98

Million Million

Donated online in the UK on Giving Tuesday in 2018

Donated globally online via PayPal, up 53% from 2017

World Record Giving Tuesday holds the World Record for the most money raised online for charity in 24-hours

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#OneFamily Thank You!

Meet the Team BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGERS Name: Jason Skelding Time served: 5 years Loves: Building a successful & industry-leading team Likes: : Spending time with my family Random fact: I have an IQ of 742… & an amazing sense of humour!!

Heerhugowaard threw a special “thank you” event for the UK dealers who took part in the 1100 field trials earlier this year: Mountfield Services, N-able, TPG and Liftech.

Some of the UK Business Development Managers were also able to update

our partners on the latest developments… which will be announced next year.

Thanks to Simon Harrison for this excellent shot of him modelling the Handicare merch that was in the goody bags given to partners at the event.

We’re Listening!

We love hearing your ideas about how we can make our business better for everyone – from our team to our partners and of course Auntie Doris! We want to give everyone an opportunity to have their suggestions heard, so we’ve put special “ideas boxes” in Leeds and Kingswinford which are easily accessible.

Please do post anything you can think of that could have an impact on costs, productivity, process improvements, quality or enhance morale. “Small daily improvements are the key to long-term staggering results.”

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Name: James Brook Time served: 10 years Loves: Interaction with colleagues & customers, seeing a happy “Auntie Doris” Likes: Riding my motorbike, going to gigs, music & comedy, walking my dogs, keeping fit Random fact: I once “starred” in some educational films. My sister was horrified when aged 10 they were shown to her class!

Name: John Smillie Time served: 6 years Loves: Working in our industry is rewarding, our products make living at home that bit easier Likes: I try and run every day & have taken up golf Random fact: I worked in Building Control for local authorities prior to this

Name: Mark Edwards Time served: 4 years Loves: Seeing results from mob shops after the work we’ve done together & also meeting new people Likes: I enjoy going to the gym & swimming, paddle boarding when the weather’s nice.

Random fact: My middle name means son of dark stranger

Name: Andrew Allen Time served: 18 years Loves: Working with most of my colleagues & the level of support from the office teams Likes: Being run ragged by my three grandchildren Random fact: Censored!

Name: Lyndsey Jackson-Smith Time served: 12 years Loves: The people I work with, nurturing & developing relationships/friendships & watching the business grow Likes: Spending time with my family, watching my boys play football & boxing, playing in my netball team Random fact: I played for Bradford City Girls FC

Name: Steve Atkinson Time served: 18 years Loves: Working with the elderly, trade & councils Likes: Watching sport including football, motor sports & holidays abroad Random fact: Keeper of tropical fish

Name: Simon Harrison Time served: 7 years Loves: The relationships you build with customers & every day brings a different challenge Likes: Music & the outdoors are a large part of my private life, but spending time with my family & my chocolate lab Charlie is the most important thing for me Random fact: I once sang in a production of La Boheme at Holland Park, London. We had to sing in Italian!

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Future Vision of Enablement & Integrated Working Shared in Gloucester

Inspiring the “Next Gen Makers” In November, Kingswinford hosted a visit from a large group of students from Sandwell College invited by an organisation aiming to inspire the next generation of engineers in West Midlands colleges and secondary schools.

Handicare MHBS’s first professional seminar titled ‘Enablement & integrated working: releasing time to care – where do we go from here in Gloucester’ was held in October at Cheltenham Racecourse.

It featured presentations from industry influencers focusing on enablement and how integration of services can lead to better outcomes and client results. Delegates included Commissioners, Heads of Services, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and clinical leads from the local area.

Guest speakers included Hannah Bagatelas (Trust Lead OT, Yeovil District Hospital) who shared

findings from the original 2009 ‘Reduction of Care Packages’ project in Somerset County Council, as well as her thoughts and successes of the Quality Improvement project which she is currently working on at Yeovil District Hospital.

Dr Mike Fray from the School of Design and Creative Arts at Loughborough University presented findings from a project in unison with GBUK, Darlington and Durham NHS Trusts and a review into other professional works including the positional effect on the loads for horizontal transfers and the best hoist formats.

Throughout the course of the seminar, delegates were split into 3 groups and each rotated around Ethos Education real-life clinical case studies. Each case study focused on different moving and enabling techniques including in bed management, hoist and sling application and sit-to-stand.

The seminar was a great success receiving a host of complimentary feedback from delegates including: “Thank you very much, this has been an excellent and helpful day - very useful and applicable.”

Pet Rescue…

Back in September, engineer Carl Madeley earned a “thank you” for his good deed saving an escaped pet dog from the busy A449 in the Malvern area and then tracking down the owner.

“Carl took a few mins out of his day to save a little lad called ‘Baxter’ from a very busy road. He took a little time for a nice act.”

Well done Carl!

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Adam Tipper of Next Gen Makers wrote on Linkedin: “A superb factory visit to Handicare Stairlifts UK yesterday for a group of level 3 BTEC Engineering students from Sandwell College. Thanks for hosting Richard Whitehouse.

With the students currently studying units in Product Design and Manufacturing this was a fantastic insight into how Handicare bespoke design their products for every customers’ needs and how this directly impacts on manufacturing processes. Another local manufacturer waving the flag for industry to inspire the next generation.”

It was the first time many of the students had been in a factory and they were very impressed with what they saw!

Loyalty Rewards

Please help Handicare and Companion to be part of the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin by liking, sharing and commenting on our posts.

Congratulations to Production Manager David Smith who has notched up an amazing 15 years with us in Kingswinford!

“People are 90% more likely to trust and buy from a brand recommended by a friend” EVERY QUARTER WE’LL PICK A PROLIFIC SHARER TO WIN A £50 VOUCHER OF THEIR CHOICE. THE MORE YOU LIKE, SHARE AND COMMENT, THE BETTER YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING £££S!

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FUNdraising Update HANDICARE KINGSWINFORD CHARITY THERMOMETER MONEY RAISED MAY 2019 TO MAY 2020 In October, Kingswinford office raised £110 for Breast Cancer Awareness.

Representatives from different departments took part in a ‘Think Pink’ quiz and everyone had the opportunity to enter our ‘Pink’ themed sweepstakes throughout the day. Congratulations to our winners Terena Askey (representing the Credit Control Team) for winning the quiz and the winners of our sweepstakes Jack Fantom (Accounts), Bridget Matthews (Customer Service) and Naomi Burns (Customer Service). Many thanks to everyone who took part.

Spooky Goings-on in Kingswinford!

For a bit of Halloween fun, the Kingswinford team were invited to dress up and prizes were awarded for the three most “horrifying” costumes!

Congratulations to Georgie Phillips in Customer Service who won first prize, Jodie Butler in Customer Service who was awarded second place, and Rachel Fisher in HR who was third.

AX 2012 is Coming!

You may be aware of this group wide project that’s designed to streamline all the processes that are essential to running our business, including inventory and order management, accounting, human resources, customer relationship management (CRM), and beyond. It’s a mahoosive project that will ultimately mean all our business units will be able to use the same information for their specific needs.

Stella Hemming and Clare Staniland are running the project in the UK and have been doing their best to keep everyone updated on progress and how you will be affected (everyone will find it easier to do their job once the project has been implemented successfully).

“This AX implementation is not going to be a magic wand and fix everything however what it will offer us is an opportunity to

make process improvements to the way in which we operate today.”

We’ll be sharing Stella and Clare’s progress updates in the magazine next year, but in the meantime they are happy to deal with any questions if you contact them directly!

Have you got news for us?

The next issue of Together will be published in June. If you want to send us a story, please send an email to together@handicare.com before Wednesday 5 June.