Dorset Mind appoints new CEO to fight for better mental health in Dorset through collaborative approach

FOCUS ON recruitment

with Mploy Staffing Solutions

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs!!!

As life quickly gets back to normal after the chaos of Christmas, us recruiters find ourselves returning to a job rich market, which is great news for this time of year. So, for those passive job seekers who have been delaying making a change over the last couple of years because of Covid, Brexit and Christmas, now could well be the time to make the move and here’s why…it’s a buyers’ market!

With the sheer number of vacancies on offer currently and the enduring shortage of people looking for work, jobseekers have the luxury of choice and to some extent the opportunity to negotiate favourable terms. Starting and average salaries have already been pushed up dramatically over the course of the last 6 months as businesses have had to work harder to not only attract new talent but also retain existing employees; it would appear though that there is still room for more, and for those who are looking to make the change at the right time there is room for further discussion around salary, benefits, and conditions of working.

We’ve all heard the old cliche ‘New Year, New Career,’ and I dare say on most occasions we have completely dismissed it, but January 2022 could be the time to seize the moment. If you are thinking of making that move, think carefully about what is important to you and your motivation for making a change; as long as you are reasonable with your expectations, there will be employers out there who will be willing to come to mutually agreeable arrangements to secure the best talent.

If you are looking to make that change in 2022, or to recruit exceptional people to your business then do please feel free to get in touch with your local Mploy office. Here’s to a prosperous 2022! Jon Raine Branch Director – Christchurch office 01202 478278 | jon@mploystaff.com www.mploystaff.com

Poole BID announces new directors

Poole BID has announced six new Directors as it prepares for another five-year term helping to boost business in the town.

Levy-payers last year voted for the ‘business improvement district’ to continue and its new board will drive it forward.

They join two Directors who are continuing, and Chairman John Grinnell will stay in the role until a replacement from the new intake is elected in his stead.

Jacqui Rock, the BID Manager, will be assisted by Wendy King who is the newly appointed Operations Manager.

The new team is developing plans for the town as it comes through the pandemic and looks ahead to the summer season.

Jacqui said: “The shadow of Covid still hangs over businesses in the town, especially those in retail and hospitality.

“As a BID we will continue to work for the business community and the new directors are drawn from a diverse range of sectors.

“John Grinnell, manager of the Dolphin Centre, has been Chairman for five years and is staying on until he is replaced in a matter of weeks when he will step down from the board.

“His work and tireless efforts for the town have been vital in helping businesses through the pandemic.

“Our focus now is to help create the best business environment we can for all our levypayers.

“The new directors are full of energy and ideas and our aim is to make Poole as successful as it can be.” The new Directors are:

Cllr Philip Broadhead, BCP’s deputy leader and cabinet member for development and regeneration. Cllr Stephen Baron, lead member for Poole Rejuvenation and Regeneration on BCP Council, Chairman of Poole Heritage Action Zone and Ward Councillor for Parkstone.

Jacqui Rock, Poole BID Manager

Sara St George – Head of Sales & Marketing and Deputy CEO, Lighthouse. Nikki Honer – Head of Marketing, Go South Coast.

Louise Russell – Finance Manager, Rubicon People Partnership. Emma Gibbs – Retail Director, Specsavers. Those Directors remaining are Mark Kiteley of Rawlins Davy Solicitors and Mediators and Jeanette Walsh, owner of Truly Scrumptious.

Ian Girling, Chief Executive of Dorset Chamber, is staying on as an adviser. www.poolebid.com

Dorset Mind appoints new CEO to fight for better mental health in Dorset through collaborative approach

After four successful years as Chief Executive of Dorset Mind, Marianne Storey has announced her retirement. Over this period the charity has grown exponentially under her leadership, positively impacting many people across Dorset needing help. We wish her the very best in the future and thank her for her significant achievements during her time with the charity.

We are extremely pleased to announce the appointment of Linda O’Sullivan as Marianne’s successor. Linda has extensive third sector experience having worked in many charities across the country, and joins us from The Alzheimer’s Society, where she had responsibility for London and the South East regions.

Linda O’Sullivan, newly appointed CEO of Dorset Mind, explains: “I am delighted to have been appointed as CEO and am very much looking forward to building on the phenomenal successes already achieved at Dorset Mind.

I believe that a key priority for our charity in the next few years is to enhance our reach across Dorset and continue to develop services that ensure we fulfill our vision. Our mission is to continue providing support for people across Dorset that need help with their mental health & wellbeing. We cannot achieve this alone.

To address these challenges facing us all, we very much need to take a ‘Together is better’ stance; therefore, I am looking forward to connecting with all stakeholders across Dorset, who share our vision through collaboration, partnership and community engagement.”

Ken Heap, Chair of the Dorset Mind Trustee Board, comments: “I am delighted that Linda has joined us, bringing a great deal of knowledge and experience to the role. I am sure she will both build on the best of the past and launch us forward in this ever-changing world where good mental health has never been more necessary.”

Dorset Mind welcomes Linda and looks forward to an exciting future under her guidance, at a pivotal time for mental health services in Dorset. www.dorsetmind. uk

Employment Alert – Dismissal for raising health and safety concerns automatically unfair

What’s happening? In the recent case of Preen v Coolink (1) and Mullins (2), the Employment Tribunal found that an employee had been unfairly dismissed after raising health and safety concerns about working during lockdown.

Mr Preen was an air conditioning and refrigeration engineer, providing emergency cover and routine servicing to domestic and corporate customers. In a WhatsApp conversation with his manager following the announcement of the first lockdown on 23 March 2020, Mr Preen stated that he was going to follow Government advice to stay at home and would only work if it was an emergency. In later messages, he also confirmed that nonessential work was ‘putting yourself and others at unnecessary risk’. The manager responded to confirm Mr Preen’s dismissal for refusing to work.

Mr Preen was successful in his claim for automatic unfair dismissal under section 100(c) of the Employment Rights Act 1996, which states that:

“being an employee at a place where there was no representative or safety committee… he brought to his employer’s attention, by reasonable means, circumstances connected with his work which he reasonably believed were harmful or potentially harmful to health or safety”.

It was held that Mr Preen’s WhatsApp messages were sufficient to meet this test and that he was dismissed as a result. Why is this important? The most recent Government guidance in response to the developing impact of coronavirus is to work from home if you can. As a result, employees (particularly those who cannot work from home) may have concerns about going to the workplace.

All employers should have in place health and safety precautions and up-to-date risk assessments to respond to the threat of coronavirus. However, this will not automatically absolve an employer of liability if they dismiss or cause an employee to suffer a detriment for refusing to work based on health and safety grounds. Employers need to ensure they are taking adequate steps to address employee concerns before taking action. Depending on the circumstances, getting this wrong could lead to unfair dismissal and/or discrimination claims. What should you do? 1. Ensure your health and safety procedures and risk assessments are regularly reviewed and kept up to date with coronavirus-related developments. 2. Continue to communicate with your workforce on the steps taken to protect them against coronavirus. 3. If an employee still refuses to come to work despite the above, do not make a rash decision. Speak with the employee to try to find out the reason why and consider and respond to their concerns taking into account their individual circumstances. 4. We suggest you take legal advice before taking any action against an employee (regardless of their length of service) for refusing to come to work because of coronavirus.

www.trethowans.com

Learn new skills, reach more customers and boost your profits with Help to Grow. Supercharge your business growth

Small and medium-sized businesses across the UK can now access free and impartial online support to see how digital technology can boost their business performance.

Eligible businesses can also apply for a discount of up to 50% off the purchase of approved software from a range of leading technology suppliers, worth up to £5,000.

With many businesses needing to adapt the way they do business during the pandemic, the support the Government is offering through Help to Grow: Digital will help them to improve their productivity and take the next step to grow. www.helptogrow. campaign.gov.uk