Government Business 24.3

TRANSPORT

METRO MAYORS

PLAY

www.governmentbusiness.co.uk | VOLUME 24.3

WATER MANAGEMENT

A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH TO DRAINAGE

The benefits of managing surface water flooding through SuDS TOP 10

DRIVING IMPROVEMENTS IN CHILDREN’S SERVICES Government Business looks at the Top 10 performing local authorities for improved and maintained children’s services

PLUS: CONFERENCES & EVENTS | CYBER SECURITY | FACILITIES SHOW | LANDSCAPING

IN A WORLD OF HYBRIDS, SOME FOLLOW, OTHERS LEAD.

THE MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER PHEV WITH ULTRA-LOW COMPANY CAR TAX OF JUST 9%

1

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is a different animal. It delivers up to 166mpg2, with an electric range of up to 33 miles and a combined electric and petrol range of up to 542 miles3. It charges fully in just a few hours using a domestic plug socket4, a free Chargemaster Homecharge unit5 or one of over 11,000 UK-wide Charge Points – plus it’s exempt from the London Congestion Charge6 and its first year of road tax. And with ultra-low CO2 emissions and substantial reductions in Benefit in Kind taxation1, this 4WD SUV legend continues its journey onwards as the UK’s leading selling plug-in hybrid. We call this Intelligent Motion.

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

OUTLANDER PHEV 4H AUTO

HONDA CR-V EX AUTO

BMW X3 XDRIVE 30D SE AUTO

AUDI Q5 S-LINE PLUS AUTO

MERCEDES E220D AMG LINE AUTO SALOON

COST OF THE CAR - P11D VALUE

£39,399

£32,625

£40,665

£40,035

£44,350

GOVERNMENT GRANT REDUCTION

£2,500

£0

£0

£0

£0

£32,625

£40,665

£40,035

£44,350

ADJUSTED FINAL PRICE

£36,899

7

CO2 EMISSIONS G/KM

41

179

156

133

129

BENEFIT IN KIND RATE

9%

34%

33%

28%

27%

£1,418

£4,437

£5,368

£4,484

£4,790

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)

THE MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER PHEV THE UK’s LEADING SELLING PLUG-IN HYBRID

–

£3,019

£3,949

£3,066

£3,371

£2,232

£7,511

£8,351

£7,015

£7,231

–

£5,279

£6,119

£4,783

£4,999

FROM £32,249 - £43,499 Including £2,500 Government Plug-in Car Grant7

Find out more. Search PHEV | Visit mitsubishi-cars.co.uk to find your nearest dealer 1. 9% BIK compared to the average rate of 30% for the other vehicles shown. 9% BIK rate for the 2017/18 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 33 mile EV range achieved with full battery charge. 542 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: 25mins. 5. Offer may be withdrawn at any time. For full terms and conditions, 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 4hs at £38,999 including the Government Plug-in Car Grant. On The Road prices range from £32,304 to £43,554 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.

Outlander PHEV range fuel consumption in mpg (ltrs/100km): Full Battery Charge: no fuel used, Depleted Battery Charge: 51.4mpg (5.5), Weighted Average: 166.1mpg (1.7), CO2 emissions: 41 g/km.

COMMENT

TRANSPORT

METRO MAYORS

PLAY

www.governmentbusiness.co.uk | VOLUME 24.3

WATER MANAGEMENT

A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH TO DRAINAGE

The benefits of managing surface water flooding through SuDS

Is this an opportunity for greener cities?

Comment

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

Following devolution deals, six city regions have directly elected metro mayors for the first time.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, Tees Valley, West of England and West Midlands will all receive large sums of investment and devolved power from Whitehall to enhance their cities’ economic growth in a way that reflects local need.

TOP 10

DRIVING IMPROVEMENTS IN CHILDREN’S SERVICES

Government Business looks at the Top 10 performing local authorities for improved and maintained children’s services

PLUS: CONFERENCES & EVENTS | CYBER SECURITY | FACILITIES SHOW | LANDSCAPING

Follow and interact with us on Twitter: @GovBusiness

While a lot of this will, on the surface, be spent on transport, housing and local business, a new report (see page 7) has highlighted how the new mayors will have a unique opportunity for new green leadership, and the chance to act in a way that creates a sustainable future for the UK. By centralising the environment in city plans, many of the most intense challenges currently faced – climate change, air quality, an ageing population, energy management and greener transport – will become rooted in the thriving cities that devolution seeks to create.

Touching upon air quality, it was pleasing to see the High Court ensure that the government publish its air quality plans this month, but slightly less pleasing to see the government’s draft plans. As James Thornton, CEO of ClientEarth, said: ‘The government seems to be passing the buck to local authorities rather than taking responsibility for this public health emergency’.

Turn to page 72 for in-depth analysis of the six newly-elected mayors.

Michael Lyons, editor

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226 High Rd, Loughton, Essex IG10 1ET. Tel: 020 8532 0055 Fax: 020 8532 0066 Web: www.psi-media.co.uk EDITOR Michael Lyons PRODUCTION EDITOR Richard Gooding ASSISTANT EDITOR Rachel Brooks PRODUCTION DESIGN Jo Golding PRODUCTION CONTROL Ella Sawtell WEB PRODUCTION Victoria Casey ADVERTISEMENT SALES Kelly Scott, Dean Cassar, Steve Day, Neil Haydon, Michael Kennedy, Bernie Miller, David Morgan, Paul Taylor PUBLISHER Karen Hopps ADMINISTRATION Charlotte Casey, Vickie Hopkins REPRODUCTION & PRINT Argent Media

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Volume 24.3 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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CONTENTS GOVERNMENT BUSINESS 24.3 07 GB NEWS

12

Conservative gains in local elections; government’s air quality plans criticised; and Khan drops Thames Garden Bridge

12 GB TOP 10

In the second of our Top 10 series, one year on from Birmingham’s well-publicised troubles, Government Business analyses the top 10 performing local authorities for children services

17 RISK MANAGEMENT

Jane O’Leary discusses the opportunities created by new local authority service delivery models, and the role of risk practitioners in ensuring risk resilience

25 WATER MANAGEMENT

Laura Grant discusses the benefits of SuDS and how to manage surface water flooding in the most cost effective and environmentally friendly way

32 FLOODEX

Looking at flood defence, prevention and mitigation, FloodEx, on 17-18 May, will address water level management issues

34 LANDSCAPING

25 67

The fight to make sure parks and green spaces are adequately funded is necessary and needs to be noticed, says the British Association of Landscape Industries

36 PLAY FACILITIES

Despite significant cuts to local authority budgets, communities still value play as essential in their regions. The API analyse on the importance of play facilities

39 LIGHTING

There are many advantages in emergency LED lighting for the public sector. Here, Government Business looks at innovation in relation to emergency LED lighting

75

43 FACILITIES SHOW

The Facilities Show provides the solutions to assist visitors making decisions for their long and short term objectives

49 FACILITIES MANAGEMENT Thousands of premature deaths could be avoided and millions of pounds in running costs saved if ventilation systems were properly maintained, says the BESA

55 HEALTH & WELL-BEING

It is important for the public sector to maintain the well-being of staff. GB explores the measures that can ensure staff are properly looked after

Government Business

Contents

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

59 SAFETY & HEALTH EXPO

Government Business previews the content streams of Safety & Health Expo, as well as looking at the latest health and safety services on the market

62 TRANSLATIONS

Geoffrey Bowden, of the Association of Translation Services, reports on the Article 50 and the translations industry, and why it may be a double-edged sword

65 IFSEC INTERNATIONAL

IFSEC International provides hands-on access to over 10,000 security solutions, live product demonstrations and networking for security professionals

69 CYBER SECURITY

With local authorities moving towards smarter, more digital services, Daniel Nesbitt looks at the importance of local authority data security

74 METRO MAYORS

With promised investment and devolved powers over transport, planning and housing, Government Business looks at the six new mayors and their priorities

77 TRANSPORT

With air quality remaining on the public agenda, Lianna Etkind looks at how local authorities are promoting sustainable travel through public transport services

81 FLEET MANAGEMENT

Paul Hollick, chairman of the ICFM, discusses car salary sacrifice schemes and why employers should still be promoting their benefits to their employees

87 CONFERENCES & EVENTS Meet Birmingham and the Liverpool Convention Bureau describe their cites’ event facilities, and explain why public sector organisations would benefit from holding meetings in their regions

96 GT NEWS

Report explores digital leadership in local government; and cloud adoption warning

99 FRAMEWORKS A round-up of the latest framework agreements from the Crown Commericial Service, focusing on the Digital Outcomes and Specialists framework agreement

ISS

Turn t UE 15.3 op latest age 94 for techn governmen the ology t news

www.governmentbusiness.co.uk Volume 24.3 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

5

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LOCAL ELECTIONS

DEVOLUTION

Major gains for Conservatives in May local elections

Metro mayors must support devolution agenda

The Conservative Party enjoyed major gains in local elections across the UK on 4 May, fuelled somewhat by the foundering in the UKIP vote and further disappointing results for Labour.

Theresa May’s party gained 563 seats and control of 11 councils, including Derbyshire, Warwickshire, Lincolnshire, Gloucestershire, the Isle of Wight and Monmouthshire. The party also saw improvements in Scotland were it increased its councillors by more than 160.

Scotland epitomised the decline of Labour,

who lost control of Glasgow, which it has had control of for 40 years. In total, Jeremy Corbyn’s party lost control of seven councils and 382 seats.

Following a dramatic collapse on its 2013 local election successes, UKIP now only possess one single councillor in Lancashire having lost 145 seats across the country, while the Liberal Democrats oversaw a ‘neutral’ night, not making many gains but experiencing far more modest losses compared to Labour and UKIP.

METRO MAYORS

Mayors should prioritise greener regions A coalition of environmental organisations, including the National Trust and The Wildlife Trusts, the Campaign for Better Transport, the Green Alliance and the Campaign to Protect Rural England, have called on the new metro mayors to take urgent action to make their city regions greener.

The news comes as metro mayors have been elected in six city regions, creating a new tier of political leadership in England.

In its report, Greening the city regions: opportunities for metro mayors, the research includes a Green City Regions Index which indicates each region’s strengths and weaknesses on a range of issues, from air quality to the natural environment and protection of heritage.

The study also highlighted areas where the new metro mayors should take action, showing how the new role and its powers offer significant opportunities to drive ambitious progress on the environment.

For transport and air quality, metro mayors should ‘tackle air pollution and congestion by investing in green public transport, walking, cycling and electric vehicle infrastructure’. Metro mayors can also make public transport easier to use via smart ticketing and use their new powers to improve bus provision.

Furthermore, for the natural environment, city regions should ‘prioritise investment in high quality open spaces for recreation for health and well-being’. The report also proposes the development of new green infrastructure strategies to provide detailed information about the city region’s green spaces and nature, identifying where they need protection and where they can be enhanced in future development.

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IPPR North has called on the six elected metro mayors and the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to unite in calling for sweeping new powers over education, health and employment, with strong local checks-and-balances.

The think tank maintained that the mayors should be vital players in ‘Team GB’ post-Brexit, in attracting investment and forging trade links, as Britain is set to seek new trade deals.

Ed Cox, director of IPPR North, said: “We’ve heard a lot about strong and stable leadership in this election, and we need this sort of leadership locally too, to drive inward-investment and deliver great public services. Using ‘soft powers’, the mayors can act as advocates for their city-regions on the global stage, helping win investment and broker trade globally.

“But while these soft powers are important, to really compete, mayors need the kind of fiscal powers enjoyed by American mayors, German federal states and French regions. Even London only controls seven per cent of the tax it raises, compared to 50 per cent in New York City. With powerful local checks-and-balances, mayors can reboot the devolution revolution and free the civil service to focus on Brexit.”

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COLLABORATION

West Suffolk councils to create single authority West Suffolk councillors are considering plans to create a new single council to meet future challenges and better drive prosperity in the region.

Forest Heath District Council and St Edmundsbury Borough Council have already demonstrated that sharing services can be effective, having achieved annual savings of £4 million.

Councillor James Waters, leader of Forest Heath District Council and councillor John Griffiths, leader of St Edmundsbury Borough Council, have issued a statement of intent calling for both authorities to look at creating one single body for west Suffolk.

The changes, which would be based on

current district and borough council services and boundaries, would mean an even greater ability to: deliver services vital for its communities while at the same time drive forward an ambitious vision of growth, jobs and economic prosperity for its unique area; future proof for the next decade and beyond – to ensure a firm financial base and stability to meet the challenges faced by its communities such as health, need for homes and reduced national funding; and consolidate the savings and efficiencies it has made and make even more that can be reinvested to work with and benefit its communities.

Griffiths said: “We have already achieved much

working together and sharing services, directly benefiting our communities. That has given us the firm financial footing and now a golden opportunity to look at how to even better meet future challenges, drive growth and prosperity while continuing to deliver high quality services.

“We already work closely but this could enable us to be both stronger together and more fleet of foot, to grasp commercial opportunities to further benefit our communities, deliver housing and talk to big business and government. At the same time we would remain small enough to actually deliver the real local initiatives in west Suffolk that are vital.”

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AIR QUALITY Greater Manchester considers plan for clean air zones Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is considering implementing a zone in the city centre which could see drivers of highly polluting vehicles charged a fee. As part of its draft plans to improve air quality by reducing nitrogen dioxide levels in the UK, Defra included proposals for charging and non-charging clean air zones. The department maintained that it will be ‘the responsibility of local authorities to develop innovative proposals for their local area that will bring pollution levels within the legal limits within the shortest time possible’.

A spokesman for TfGM said they were working closely with Defra on air quality policy in Greater Manchester: “This early-stage exploratory work, for which Defra provided funding, considers a wide range of possible options and scenarios and aims to assess a significant number of variables which need to be considered.

“Over the course of the coming weeks we will be reviewing Defra’s national proposals in line with our Greater Manchester Low Emission Strategy and Air Quality Action Plan, and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) will be responding to the consultation as appropriate.”

Meanwhile, a spokesman for new Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “We do need to improve air quality in Greater Manchester, but we will not punish drivers of diesel cars who bought them in good faith.

It is for the government to give diesel drivers help to switch to less polluting vehicles.”

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AIR QUALITY

Government clean air plan labelled ‘weak’ The government has published its plan to improve air quality by reducing nitrogen dioxide levels in the UK, following delays and legal battles with environment groups as it faced accustaions of failing to protect people from illegal levels of air pollution.

The proposals maintain that pollution targets could be hit if charging schemes are introduced in the UK’s biggest cities but directs that local authorities would not be legally required to introduce charging zones.

Furthermore, owners of older cars could be offered a cash incentive to scrap their vehicles.

Ministers had initially delayed publishing the plans claiming it would breach ‘purdah’ rules, but chose not to appeal the decision.

The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has warned that pollution causes at least 40,000 deaths a year, with the cost of the damage reaching £20 billion.

Responding to the report, James Thornton, CEO of ClientEarth, said: “We are continuing to study the government’s latest air quality plan, but on the face of it it looks much weaker than we had hoped for. The court ordered the government to take this public health issue seriously and while the government says that pollution is the largest environmental risk to public health, we will still be faced with illegal air quality for years to come under these proposals.

“There needs to be a national network of clean air zones which prevent the most polluting vehicles from entering the most illegally-polluted streets in our towns and cities.

We fail to see how the non-charging clean air zones, proposed by the government, will be effective if they don’t persuade motorists to stay out of those areas. The government seems to be passing the buck to local authorities rather than taking responsibility for this public health emergency.”

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RURAL ENGLAND

GARDEN BRIDGE

Councils failing to protect countryside

Khan scraps Thames Garden Bridge plans

The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has warned that councils are failing to apply planning guidance that is designed to protect countryside growth plans.

Councils are expected to establish and have a plan to meet an ‘Objectively Assessed Need’ (OAN) for housing in their area, whilst also taking into account constraints such as protected countryside.

CPRE research indicated that since 2012, 24 councils out of the 62 local authorities for which there is clear data have heeded national policy and established housing targets in approved local plans lower than their OAN, with the majority reducing their targets due to environmental or countryside constraints.

These authorities included Brighton, Watford, Hastings and Crawley, which reduced their

targets by 50 per cent or more. However, it cited that other councils have pursued the full OAN despite a high proportion of their land being protected countryside.

Specifically, the data showed that in East Devon, the planning inspector accepted the local authority’s contention that OAN of 17,100 houses should be met in full because of high expected levels of job creation in the district. In Christchurch and East Dorset, where the local plan meets the objectively assessed need for 8,490 houses over 15 years in full, 84 per cent of the area of the plan is covered by Green Belt, AONB and nature conservation land.

In addition, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is pursuing their full OAN target of 14,000 houses over 20 years despite 84 per cent of the land being Green Belt.

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Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced that the Greater London Authority will not provide the vital financial guarantees needed for the construction of the Thames Garden Bridge to begin.

Writing to the Garden Bridge Trust, Khan said that a continuing shortfall in fundraising for the scheme and a lack of the necessary land use agreements over the last three years were the reasons behind the decision.

The mayor has stressed that he would not agree to any more of London taxpayers’ money being spent on the project, because of the financial risks of increasing capital costs of the project, the risk of the bridge only being partially built and doubts over the establishment of an endowment fund to help meet future maintenance costs.

The proposal was originally devised by Joanna Lumley, former mayor Boris Johnson, and former Chancellor George Osborne.

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Volume 24.3 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

9

LOCAL SERVICES

HOMELESSNESS

10-point plan to boost local services Burnham donates

15 per cent of salary to homelessness

The Local Government Association (LGA) has called on all political parties to commit to a 10-point plan to boost vital local services, build homes, create school places, close the skills gaps and drive economic growth.

The body has written to each of the party leaders with a list of pledges it wants to see in their manifestos ahead of the General Election on 8 June, which will enable councils to better support their communities.

The 10-point plan urges the parties’ manifestos to include: ensuring councils have the funding they need to provide services that communities rely on, such as collecting bins, filling potholes etc.; and continuing with reforms to allow local government to keep more of its business rates income, which balances rewarding councils for growing their local economies but avoids areas less able to generate business rates income suffering as a result.

It urges leaders to agree new devolution deals across all parts of England and the UK, including in rural and non-metropolitan areas; and hand local government a central role in deciding whether to keep, amend or scrap EU laws once they are converted into domestic law. Brexit should not simply mean a transfer of powers from Brussels to Westminster, Holyrood, Stormont and Cardiff Bay. The manifestos should also include closing the £2.3 billion funding gap facing social care services by 2020, including carrying out

a formal review, of which local government leaders play a fundamental part, to help secure a long-term sustainable solution to protect vital support services that care for elderly and disabled people. Councils also want to resume their historic role as a major builder of affordable homes, but need to be able to borrow to invest in housing and to keep 100 per cent of the receipts from any homes they sell to replace them and reinvest in building new homes and infrastructure. Additionally, councils should be given the resources they need to keep children and young people safe in the future, as children’s services in England will be facing a £2 billion funding gap by 2020.

The 10-point proposal also calls on leaders to ensure councils have a role in determining where new schools are created and a say on the type of school introduced to their area, as councils want to ensure every child has a school place available to them; work with local government to develop a fully-funded and locally-driven successor scheme for EU funding which gives local areas full control over spending; and devolve funding and responsibility for our £10.5 billion a year national employment and skills system to local areas. This would allow councils to build on their track record of helping more people into work and plugging growing funding gaps.

WASTE

SOCIAL CARE

Waste crimes totalling £600m annually

10 per cent of councils cut adult social care funding by a quarter

A new report commissioned by the Environmental Services Association Educational Trust (ESAET) and the Environmental Services Association has warned that waste crime in England incurs losses to the legitimate waste industry and the taxpayer of £604 million a year.

Supported by the ‘Right Waste Right Place’ campaign, and written by environmental consultancy Eunomia, Rethinking Waste Crime highlighted that illegal waste operators blight local communities, damage the environment, harm legitimate businesses and deprive the government of tax revenue.

The research showed that regulation of the waste sector has not kept pace with transformation. A new waste management system that allows society to use waste as a resource for recycling and recovery has opened up gaps that can be exploited.

The report also found the majority of waste crime is associated with waste from businesses, not from households, with weak regulation labelled as a major cause of waste crime.

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A report by researchers at the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), which analyses official spending data on councils’ social care spending, has found one-in-ten authorities made cuts of more than a quarter.

The figures suggested around six-in-seven councils made at least some cut to their social care spending per adult resident.

Spending fell by most on average in London (18 per cent) and metropolitan districts (16 per cent) covering urban areas like Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Tyneside. More generally, cuts were larger in the north of England than the south. Cuts were also larger, on average, in areas that in 2009–10: spent more on adult social care; had higher assessed spending needs; and were more dependent on central government grants.

Among other findings, the report identified significant variation in councils’ social care spending across the country: spending was less than about £325 per adult resident in a tenth of council areas, while it was more than about £445 per adult resident in another tenth of council areas in 2015–16.

GB News

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

As his first act as the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham has donated 15 per cent of his salary to kick start the launch of the Homelessness fund.

Commenting on his decision, Burnham said: “Greater Manchester has been fortunate enough to witness some of the fastest economic growth nationally over the past decade, but alongside this we have seen a growing inequality which damages us all.

“Whilst the city centre’s skyline is filled with cranes, our streets should not be crowded with people who have no roof over their head. Rough sleeping and homelessness are not inevitable consequences of a 21st century economy. We all have a duty to ensure no one is forced to spend a night on the streets and every Greater Mancunian has a stable place to call home.

“That is why I have made ending rough sleeping across the city region by 2020 one of my top Mayoral priorities. Within three years, and if we can achieve it earlier, no one should be forced to spend a night on the streets. I will also work with all relevant organisations to develop a plan to reduce all forms of homelessness in Greater Manchester.”

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That’s a difference of more than a third. It also found that for councils where there are relatively more people over pension age (particularly those entitled to means-tested benefits), and where levels of disability benefit claims and deprivation are higher, tended to spend more on social care.

Polly Simpson, a research economist at the IFS and an author of the report, explained: “The spending cuts analysed in our report have been accompanied by a substantial fall in the number of people receiving social care: down 25 per cent across England, between 2009–10 and 2013–14 alone. Cuts have therefore been delivered, in part, by removing care from many people, with those still receiving care presumably those with the highest needs.

“What all this means for the quality of care received, the welfare of those no longer receiving care, and other services like the NHS requires further research to answer.”

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GB Top 10

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CHILDREN’S SERVICES

Driving improvements in children’s services

In the second of our Top 10 series, one year on from Birmingham’s well publicised troubles, Government Business analyses the state of children’s services by focusing on the top 10 performing local authorities for their child care offering In May 2016 Birmingham City Council’s children’s services began being run by a trust after years of failings that saw the department named ‘a national disgrace’ by inspectors.

This month, the independent trust which will be responsible for children’s services in Birmingham has appointed its first chief executive, Andy Couldrick, with plans to have the organisation fully set up by April 2018.

Having previously worked as Wokingham council’s chief executive and a director of children’s services in Oxfordshire, Couldrick and other senior officials at Birmingham City Council have set their sights on improving ‘outcomes for vulnerable children’ and making ‘quite a radical change to partnership working in the city’.

This month, the Local Government Association (LGA) warned that children’s services are quickly becoming unsustainable and are facing a funding gap of £2 billion by 2020. It claims that the number of children subject to child protection enquiries has increased by 140 per cent in the past ten years from 71,800 in 2005/06 to more than 170,000 children in 2015/16, while the number of children on formal child protection plans increased by almost 24,000 over the same period. Furthermore, the LGA says that spending by English councils on children’s services has dropped by at least nine per cent since 2010.

Figures such as these makes the work and achievements of the authorities on this list even more remarkable. In the second of our Top 10 series, one year on from Birmingham’s well publicised troubles and in response to their recent appointment, Government Business analyses the state of children services by focusing on the top 10 performing local authorities and organisations for their child care offering.

Leeds City Council In 2015, Leeds became the first core city in the country to achieve a ‘Good’ rating overall, with ‘Outstanding’ leadership, management and governance. More recently in February 2017, the Department for Education chose Leeds City Council’s children’s services to be a national ‘partner in practice’ to share its expertise with other local authorities, with the council receiving

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£9.6 million of funding in the process.

As the second largest local authority in the country, Leeds has a population of 180,000 children and young people, one in five of whom are reported to be growing up in poverty. However, despite the challenges this represents, along with shrinking local authority budgets, the council has been successful in reducing the number of children in care by 15.5 per cent since 2011, nearly double the national average rate of 8.6 per cent.

The innovation funding, which highlights the success of the children’s services in the region, will be used over three years to establish restorative early support teams for families who are facing more complex challenges, recruit leading practitioners for its restorative adolescent service and create a centre of excellence, building on the existing work of children’s services in Leeds to help other areas and other councils to reform and improve their work with children and families. tinyurl.com/m7gye2y City of Wolverhampton Council Children’s Services in Wolverhampton have been judged to be ‘Good’ by Ofsted, in the inspector’s latest report from the end of March, ranking the authority among the top 20 per cent nationally and the second best services in the West Midlands, with only Staffordshire placed higher. This marks an improvement from the previous inspection of services in 2011, whereby the council was ranked as ‘adequate’.

Lead Inspector Nigel Parkes reported that senior leaders at the council are ‘systematically driving improvements in services for children and families’ by sharing a ‘clear sense of vision and purpose’ and ‘focusing on key priorities’. This is highlighted through the improvements made since the council closed two children’s centres and reopened eight others as ‘strengthening family hubs’ in 2013.

More recently, the development of Wolverhampton’s Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub in January 2016 has helped ensure that ‘appropriate action is taken to safeguard and protect children and young people’, including

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those who go missing or are at risk of being sexually exploited. Over the last 18 months, the number of looked after children has reduced from 780 to 626. tinyurl.com/kqj9y4g Hertfordshire County Council Hertfordshire County Council’s children’s services have been rated ‘Good’ following an Ofsted inspection of its services for children in need of help and protection, children that are looked after, and care leavers – putting the local authority in the top 25 per cent in the country.

Following a grant by the Department for Education’s Innovation Programme, Hertfordshire County Council has benefited by extending its Hertfordshire family safeguarding model to Luton, Peterborough, Bracknell Forest and West Berkshire. In the last two years, Hertfordshire has developed a more effective and efficient child protection service with a radical overhaul of its practice method, culminating in the council achieving a 49 per cent reduction in the number of children with child protection plans in the 18 months between January 2015 and November 2016. In addition pre-proceedings and care proceedings processes have reduced by 76 per cent and 19 per cent respectively.

The council was also chosen along with seven other councils to trial the government’s flagship 30 hours childcare offer which went live in September 2016. As of January 2017, over 460 working parents in Hertfordshire, who would normally struggle to pay for childcare, were recorded as benefitting from an additional 15 hours of free childcare, believed to save parents around £5,000 per year with the cost of childcare, which can help get them back into work or to increase their hours. The programme is on track to support its target of 5,000 working parents, one year ahead of the government’s national roll-out.

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London Borough of Haringey Having set up its Outstanding for All Commission in 2012, the London Borough of Haringey has seen huge

GB Top 10

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

As of January 2017, over 460 working parents in Hertfordshire, who would normally struggle to pay for childcare, were recorded as benefitting from an additional 15 hours of free childcare, believed to save around £5,000 per year transformation in the success of its young people across the borough. The Outstanding for All Commission set targets for all local schools to be judged ‘good’ or higher by Ofsted and for GCSE attainment to exceed London-wide performance within three years. Having set such high targets, the council reported that 93.7 per cent of primary schools and 100 per cent of secondary schools are rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ and the proportion of pupils achieving five or more GCSEs A*-C increased by 14.9 per cent between within two years.

The borough has also adopted the Signs of Safety approach to ‘get to the heart of family work more quickly’, and in recent years has recruited a higher number of social workers so they can have lower caseloads and, as a result, spend more time with, and develop deeper relationships with, the children.

The London Borough of Haringey was awarded with the top prize in the Children’s Services category at the LGC Awards in March this year. tinyurl.com/l786tpv Slough Borough Council & Slough Children’s Services Trust The Department for Education awarded Slough’s Children’s Services Trust £1.4 million in March to support its transformation programme, aiding the introduction of ‘enhanced hubs’, which make it possible for social workers and family support workers to be readily available in the evenings and weekends, alongside existing emergency duty team support, making the services more responsive to families in crisis.

The enhanced hubs, a more dynamic way of delivering early help and support to children in need, add to the trust’s new and innovative social work model called Safe, Secure & Successful – which ensures that children, young people and families experience a more complete and responsive service to address some of their most common concerns. The funding will also be used to introduce a practice model to include Signs of Safety and a new domestic abuse assessment response.

Additionally, Ofsted’s second monitoring visit in March found significant progress !

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CHILDREN’S SERVICES ! in improving the outcomes for care leavers in Slough, with Slough Borough Council praised for its creative work, particularly in meeting care leavers accommodation and housing needs. tinyurl.com/lx68r3u Suffolk County Council Suffolk County Council’s ‘Twos Count Here’ project ensures that eligible two-year-olds have high quality early learning experiences by supporting early years settings to meet the unique needs of increasing numbers of two-year-olds. It is a strengths based, time focused, reflective project which embodies Suffolk County Council’s corporate values and beliefs as it’s empowering, reflective and based on partnership working. The outcomes of the project have been significant and the needs of two-year-olds are now better understood and met, supporting them to make good progress.

Additionally, Suffolk Signs of Safety and Wellbeing, an ambitious child-centred and solution-focused plan to implement a single practice framework across all of

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its services, has contributed to creating a more positive and sustainable experience for children and families, fundamentally changing the role of services from the ‘fixer’ of problems to the stimulator of family-owned change.

Suffolk Fostering and Adoption Service is also launching the Mockingbird Family Model of foster care in the region, in partnership with The Fostering Network, following £3.76 million in funding through the Department for Education’s Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme. Launching its first wave in October 2017, the model is based on the idea of an extended family, using a ‘constellation’ whereby six to eight fostering ‘satellite’ households living near each other are offered support from a dedicated ‘hub home’ fostering household of specially recruited and trained carers. tinyurl.com/k338uxv

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Welsh National Adoption Service Rebecca Evans, the Welsh Minister for Social Services and Public Health, recently heralded the work of the Welsh National Adoption Service (NAS) for the role it has played in lowering the waiting times for lookedafter children to be placed for adoption.

Since its inception, waiting times for adoption have nearly halved, from an average

of 26 months to 13.5 months this year.

Having adopted regional working practices between local authorities, the NAS has benefited from wider pools of adopters, while the decision to handle the management of the Wales Adoption Register in 2015 has allowed for a more focused and better targeted approach to prospective adopters and deeper understanding of children waiting for families.

Speaking to Community Care in April, Suzanne Griffiths, NAS operations director, also pointed to the introduction of regional and national performance monitoring, which has resulted in a 43 per cent reduction in children who wait more than six months for a match, and a 48 per cent drop in those whose plan is ultimately changed to something else. tinyurl.com/lxtlm9p North Yorkshire County Council North Yorkshire County Council is another of the local authorities to be one of the Department for Education’s Partners in Practice to share innovation in children’s services with other authorities. Since 2010, the council has transformed children’s services, including social work practice, for children and young people so that the North Yorkshire Children and Young People’s Service has become one of the top performing authorities in the country.

Unlike many authorities, North Yorkshire employs

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by Engl en’s services r on childopped by at has dr nine per least since cent 2010

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no agency staff and has seen its number of social workers substantially increase. More importantly, the number of looked after children in the region has fallen by 20 per cent and child protection cases have fallen by 25 per cent over three years. The children’s social care team now stands in the top 10 services in England for their success in reducing the numbers of looked-after children and for being rated ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ in every area by Ofsted.

The No Wrong Door programme, having received £2 million in government funding, has also been judged as ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted. Focused around hubs to replace traditional council run children’s homes, each hub includes residential care home beds, emergency residential beds, community foster family placements, supported accommodation and supported lodgings and outreach support.

Hammersmith and Fulham, Westminster, and the Royal borough of Kensington and Chelsea In April last year, the London boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham, Westminster, and the Royal borough of Kensington and Chelsea, also known as the London triborough, received £4 million from then Education Secretary Nicky Morgan to redesign how they deliver frontline children’s social care – freeing up social workers to spend more time with vulnerable children and families.

Since first receiving funding, when all three of the authorities were rated as ‘Good’, two of the councils in the triborough have been rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted for its services for vulnerable children and families – the first outstanding councils in the country – with the judgement stating the innovation programme as key to their excellent rating.

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Leeds has a population of 180,000 children and young people, one in five of whom are reported to be growing up in poverty. The council has been successful in reducing the number of children in care by 15.5 per cent since 2011 The joint Focus on Practice programme, which involved the whole workforce, from social workers at the front line through to the senior management team, deployed systemic therapists to coach and co-work with social workers and ensured that staff were supported in the application of new skills after attending training programmes, so that skills and knowledge were maintained and enhanced.

Furthermore, the Step Up to Social Work training programme created a pipeline of high-quality recruits, making the London region a destination of choice for social workers. Consequently, this made the workloads of each staff more manageable, allowing for continuity of workers for families. Twice a year the senior leadership team within the triborough spend a week observing practice and discussing cases with social workers, ensuring that a string understanding is present throughout the organisation, with policy changes made as a result of direct observation and consultation.

The six-year partnership between the three London boroughs to jointly provide council services collapsed in March 2017. tinyurl.com/l3pc74n

Northamptonshire County Council The council’s children’s residential homes, all of which are rated as ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted, work to help young people move back into the community, back home or into independence using a range of family intervention techniques and support services.

Additionally, the Grow Together, Foster A Child marketing campaign to recruit new foster carers, based on research which shows foster carers are motivated not by financial gain but by the opportunity to make a difference to a child’s life, was shortlisted for the Campaign of the Year award at the LGC Awards.

Lesley Hagger, director of children’s services at the council, launched the ‘getting to good’ project plan in 2016.

Having seen the service move from a rating of ‘Inadequate’ in 2013 to ‘Requires improvement’ at the start of 2016, she outlined how the council would achieve a ‘Good’ rating, mainly to establish a Children’s Trust and continue the improvement journey so that our services are good.

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DELIVERY MODELS

The commercialism agenda through the eyes of a risk manager

Risk Management

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

Jane O’Leary, vice chair of Alarm risk management association, discusses the opportunities and challenges of new local authority service delivery models, and the role of risk practitioners in ensuring their organisations remain resilient in an ever evolving public sector

As a risk manager working within the public sector our remit, historically, was all about risk management relating to risk we all understood and, to a certain extent, could influence and control. Highways, social care, waste management, leisure centres and elderly residential care. All bread and butter stuff with risk management techniques and mitigations that are tried and tested.

Then came the era of austerity and over the last few years a change from ensuring delivery of the typical public sector services to the ‘do or die’ mentality. Venturing into areas of business that causes the cautious public

ising Recognture the fu s and ge challen ies of public nit y, opportu self sufficienc services has launched Alarm w ventures, with. We have the Ne w risks experienced challenging ne times and, with events guide over the last year, can

sector risk manager to shudder from head to foot. But we are resilient and adaptable, keeping a cool head and offering that all important challenge, facilitation and support. Using risk management as the valuable tool it is to ensure that the commercial agenda reaches its full potential.

Members of Alarm are largely professionals who manage risk and insurance in organisations serving public services and their communities and who are seeing a sea change in the areas of risk they are involved

only envisage that this will continue for some time to come. We must support our organisations to adapt and change, seek opportunities and create innovative solutions to ensure we can continue to deliver services to our community.

By 2015 local authority budgets had been cut by 40 per cent compared to 2010, and most councils in England were only halfway through the cuts needed to meet reduced budgets !

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DELIVERY MODELS

Good management practice determines that the development of any new delivery model should follow an agreed programme plan with aligned risk management arrangements ! by 2020. Future resilience will be determined by how much income is raised locally, and it follows that public services must seek innovative solutions to achieve this. We already see local authorities running energy companies, building commercial property portfolios, running airports and hotels, to name a few. Outsourcing and partnering are now commonplace. New arrangements and collaborations in delivery throw up new risks; including those that have not previously appeared on public sector risk registers. Contract and supply chain management are two areas where knowledge and expertise remain elusive. The opportunity for councils to become commissioners rather than deliverers was seized and continues to be developed in different ways.

In addition, governance arrangements of new models of delivery may also give rise to new risks. With shared services, local authority trading companies, community interest groups and combined authorities,

the traditional local government model and associated risks are a thing of the past.

NEW VENTURES, NEW RISKS Recognising the future challenges and opportunities of public services self-sufficiency, Alarm has launched a guide to the risks arising from new service delivery models titled New Ventures, new risks. New ways of working present some of the most challenging risk management issues for today’s risk and insurance managers. The guide describes a number of different service models, identifying the most common risks together with insurance management considerations.

New delivery model opportunities are the positive side of risk and can be assessed in similar ways to risks when undertaking options appraisals. It brings less cumbersome trading opportunities enabling greater opportunities to trade across the whole of the public sector without the restrictions imposed by conditions inherent in the "

New ventures, new risks As organisations identify opportunities and facilitate the management of risks from the public sector response to ongoing austerity measures and subsequent transformation, more questions are asked.

Risk Management

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

In response, Alarm has published a new guide entitled New ventures, new risks: Alarm guide to the risks arising from new service delivery models in the public sector, which aims to assist risk professionals during these times of change.

New ways of working and in particular, new models of service delivery, whether frontline services or back office, present some of the most challenging risk management issues today.

The guide therefore discusses the opportunities that can be realised for the public sector in using a variety of service delivery models, summarises the type of models that are in use and being developed, and identifies a set of the most common risks in the specific risk categories together with insurance management considerations.

The guide concludes with three key messages: be highly visible and enabling, rather than a negative force in the organisation; be ever vigilant as to what the organisation is planning and respond with appropriate interventions in a timely fashion; and continue to be open to new risks and champion the concept of ‘doing it right, not putting it right’.

Austerity presents great opportunities for risk professionals to demonstrate the worth of their skills as they assist their organisations in steering through the opportunities and challenges that austerity brings to the public sector.

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Risk Management

DELIVERY MODELS

! well-known Teckal procurement case, which is concerned with public entities trading with each other. Consideration should be given however to the types of services to be delivered and whether the new entity could successfully compete with the private sector, having regard for existing skills, experience and market knowledge.

New delivery models provide the opportunity for public sector organisations to stretch their resources and earn additional income.

This may arise from external trading, development of shared service centres and other innovative commercial entities. Public bodies should consider the potential for external income generation. There is a finite level of demand for services nationally and there are many examples where new service delivery entities have ceased trading because the expected level of demand has not materialised.

New delivery models may enable simplified governance arrangements resulting in speedier decisions. There is a view held by many in the public sector that: ‘bureaucracy stifles innovation’.

New entities would be able to respond quickly to market changes and customer requirements. Revised governance arrangements should however, not be oversimplified and there should be proper accountability, compliance and assurance provision.

SERVICE DELIVERY There are significant differences in the skill-sets of private and public sector employees. Public sector experience is in short supply in private sector organisations. Public sector bodies procuring services prefer to deal with organisations with appropriate experience and expertise, improving the marketability of public sector providers. In addition public sector employees benefit from opportunities to improve their personal skill-set when embarking on new delivery models.

Skills concerned with commercial matters, negotiation, relationship management, customer service, marketing and dispute resolution are crucial in the establishment of new delivery entities. Both public sector employers and employees benefit from reputation enhancement as well as expansion of community and local third sector roles.

There are significant differences in the skill-sets of private and public sector employees, highlighted through public sector experience being in short supply in private sector organisations

The development of new service delivery models provides opportunities for the local community to become involved in service delivery. This may promote community cohesion and civic pride through local asset ownership, especially if those new delivery models reach out to areas of the community the public sector has not engaged with.

The onset of combined authorities also presents significant opportunities for the public sector organisations in their area to shape the strategy and delivery of regional services so they appropriately match the demographics, nuances and demand of local areas. "

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Arrisca will focus the spotlight on key outcome drivers, enabling you to deliver more intelligent savings plans.

Risk Management

DELIVERY MODELS ! Regardless of the type of new delivery model under consideration, risk management is a key tool to support delivery and risks of a similar nature will exist. Good management practice determines that the development of any new delivery model should follow an agreed programme plan with aligned risk management arrangements.

Typically there will be three distinct phases identified within the programme’s risk management arrangements: the conception phase, where risk-based options appraisals may be undertaken and risks identified concerned with the development and approval of the programme; the post approval or pre start-up, where risks concerned with the application of the preferred option and start-up would be identified; and the post start-up or operational phase, where the new delivery model has commenced operations and risks impacting on ongoing service delivery. Risks described in the following categories may apply within each phase. Public sector leaders may benefit from checklists for each risk category to prompt identification and management of risks within each risk area.

Finance and governance risk, human resources and performance management are all key risks. Gaining and keeping skilled people is paramount to successful delivery.

Should we be seeing on all corporate registers risks around skills, expertise, pay

The public sector insurance market knows the range of public sector risks traditionally insured but may not be aware of changes regarding new models of service provision and rewards and retention of those working within the new look public sector?

The final message is related to insurance provision for new ventures. The public sector insurance market knows the range of public sector risks traditionally insured but may not be aware of changes regarding new models of service provision. New ways of working need to be properly underwritten and insurers need full disclosure of all the facts to provide appropriate insurance cover, otherwise existing cover might be compromised or nullified. Alarm is concerned that public sector employees who embark on new delivery methods and are not closely

involved in insurance matters might not know the typical ‘blanket’ type of insurance cover is insufficient to insure new delivery models.

The key message from Alarm in this rapidly changing world of public services is to be ever vigilant as to what the organisation is planning and respond with advice in a timely fashion.

Keeping pace, understanding the changing role and developing the right skills in our ever increasing commercial world are vital to ensure the risk manager plays a core part in the future delivery of services to the community. " FURTHER INFORMATION www.alarm-uk.org

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DRAINAGE

A place for SuDS? More homes and businesses are at risk from surface water flooding than from any other kind of flood and the problem is increasing with growing urbanisation and development.

Over three million properties are already at risk of surface water flooding in the UK, and unlike other sources of flooding which may be more predictable, it can affect properties which are not identified on flood risk maps.

This kind of flooding can devastate people’s lives, their homes and businesses and make moving house or finding insurance difficult.

As the main political parties recognise the need to build new homes to tackle the housing crisis, we must ensure that they will be resilient for years to come and problems are not stored up for the future.

Mitigating surface water flooding relies on deploying techniques to ensure that water doesn’t end up accumulating quickly in the wrong place, faster than it can be stored

safely or moved elsewhere.

Traditionally the solution has been to channel this runoff into the below ground drainage system and get rid of it as quickly as possible.

For many reasons this is not the best way of doing things: it can result in a lot of water hitting the drainage system quickly and exceeding its capacity; increasing urban infill and development, using impermeable surfaces like tarmac and concrete, means water can run off into the drains even quicker; and as we build all these new homes, connecting them to the drains risks further exacerbating this problem.

Bec of urba ause more h nisation, busines omes and s from su es are at risk floodin rface water g any oththan from er of floodkind

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Written by Laura Grant, Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Energy

Laura Grant, senior policy adviser at the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management, discusses the advantages of managing surface water flooding in a beneficial and cost-effective way

Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) deal with water in a different way. Using all kinds of different approaches and technologies they slow and store water, preferably at the surface although this isn’t always possible, and they can be designed to use natural processes to deliver a whole range of wider benefits.

Two years ago planning policy on SuDS was changed, but crucially it did not tie in to the recommendations of the Pitt Review or reflect the Flood and Water Management Act. Since the new approach was introduced we have frequently heard how SuDS are not getting built in the form or volume that we would like to see. Yet data is sparse – there is no requirement for local authorities to report on SuDS uptake, nor monitor whether they are actually implemented or effective.

At CIWEM we decided to take matters into our own hands, coordinating the largest cross-sector survey of professionals to date.

The results of last year’s Big SuDS Survey shows that: almost 70 per cent think current planning policy does not sufficiently encourage SuDS; 75 per cent are not assessing the costs and benefits of SuDS schemes; 75 per cent considered that planning authorities did not have adequate in-house !

Water Management

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

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Water Management

DRAINAGE

Using all kinds of different approaches and technologies, SuDS slow and store water, preferably at the surface, and they can be designed to use natural processes to deliver a whole range of wider benefits ! expertise to consider the merits of proposals; and only eight per cent think the current standards are driving high quality SuDS. ARE SUDS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN CONVENTIONAL DRAINAGE? Increasing pressure for housing and development means that land is extremely valuable, so it is understandable that developers may view the inclusion of SuDS as potentially reducing their margins. Economic viability is often cited as a reason not to include SuDS in schemes, and our survey revealed that this was largely perceived to be associated with the opportunity cost of the land. However many forms of SuDS can be incorporated into the footprint of the building reducing land take. Early consideration of surface water drainage will inform the site layout around the drainage requirements, rather than the other way around. This will allow potential opportunities and constraints to be identified and addressed at an early stage and ensure that the space is used as cost effectively and efficiently as possible and maximise the benefits that can be achieved.

So if SuDS can be incorporated without affecting land take, is there evidence that they may reduce profitability because they cost more than conventional drainage? The government’s own data on costs shows that both capital and maintenance cost differences are usually marginal, and, from discussions with senior engineers, we have found that SuDS should actually cost less than conventional drainage if schemes are well designed. This is also supported by research for the Welsh government which finds that SuDS are cheaper at every scale for both capital and operational costs.

The problem is that because the benefits accrue to many but the costs are initially borne by just one party (a developer, a water company or local authority), they need effective policy to correct the market externalities involved. Currently the wider benefits of opting for SuDS remain unpriced and unrecognised by policy or standards.

ACHIEVING MULTIPLE BENEFITS Our research indicates that the vast majority involved in delivering SuDS consider current

policy is ineffective with many new homes built without the full benefits of SuDS. The most effective schemes combine source control—as close to where the rain lands on the ground—with successive stages of a SuDS management train that can include other storage and filtration components.

Managing rainfall at source ensures silt and pollution do not flow freely into watercourses, controlling the flow and quality of water for use further downstream.

Components downstream in the management train can include detention and retention basins and urban ponds, providing temporary storage of water and to trap and treat pollutants. However, some of these components are often poorly designed; many existing examples resemble neglected bomb-craters, rather than realising their potential as attractive and biodiverse wetlands for communities to enjoy.

Only eight per cent of survey respondents believe that the current non-statutory SuDS standards are driving installation of high quality and effective sustainable drainage systems in England. The government’s non-statutory technical standards are intended to ensure that drainage matches green field run-off rates for new build developments, but there is no mention of any requirement to implement any wider benefits.

The standards can actually be implemented with conventional drainage. They are dominated by attention to the quantity of water attenuated because it is calculable, whereas water quality, amenity "

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Case Study

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

Challenging times ahead? Groundbreaker Systems offers practical solutions that won’t cost the earth There are many major challenges for the UK water industry: leakage reduction; diminishing resources; challenges to water trading – non domestic water supply competition; domestic water supply competition by 2020; and now 1,000,000 new homes by 2020?

As published by many water companies already, the need to conserve water is paramount.

It is for this reason that water companies are turning to more effective water management, by seeking to reduce leakage, to measure water used more accurately and to encourage more efficient use of water by in-home displays and other technology.

In doing so, it is clear that traditional thinking and methods have little place in today’s high tech world, for example, who would choose to bury their cash register underground, in a place which would be subject to flooding and detritus.

Given that most water companies have already, or are about to, move to ‘smart’ water meter reading, to locate what is in effect a Bluetooth transmitter underground, underwater and potentially under a parked vehicle is not the most

practical and least accessible location for a water meter and transmitter.

It is well documented that ‘street furniture’ is a liability for maintenance and accessibility, so to design out such apparatus can only be a benefit to the home builder, occupier and water supplier. Essentially designing in maintenance and leak free water

services, similar to that which for many years now has been achieved by the gas and electricity utilities is surely the way forward in the 21st Century and beyond.

All this underlines the foresight of the Home Builders Federation in endorsing such practices and setting out a ‘best practice’ guide in 2017.

With the government pressing for 1,000,000 new homes by 2020, it is clear that traditional methods of construction have had their day, and that any ‘old technology’ will have a negative effect on asset management and the associated costs. Therefore it must be within the ethic of ‘Totex’ to design out such wasteful apparatus and design in future proofed water distribution systems.

It therefore follows that to be smart and to deliver true value for money irrespective of where an individual or organisation sits within the utility market, above ground metering using joint free pipe work makes most sense for cost effective and sustainable solutions for both consumers and suppliers.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01379 741993 www.groundbreaker.co.uk

THE GREEN AND COST EFFECTIVE SOLUTION TO WATER SUPPLY M A N A G E M EN T

For cost effective Water management solutions for new build, refurb, and water consumption management Groundbreaker ticks all the boxes.

Why use Groundbreaker?

P Certified as resisting temperatures as

low as –15C for 3 days (water industry standard 4-37-01).

P Security designed in - toggle latches.

P Accessible for infirm and elderly.

P Perfect platform for “smart” meters.

P Easy access for eyeball reading.

P Low cost maintenance facility.

Where and when can Groundbreaker be used: Greenfield sites P P Contaminated (brownfield) sites P Urban Regeneration P New build housing P Park homes & caravan sites P Compatible with barrier pipes* P Can be installed at any time of life to a new or existing building.

* not included in the Groundbreaker WRAS approval.

For more information please contact Groundbreaker Systems Tel: 01379 741993 email: sales@groundbreaker.co.uk or visit www.groundbreaker.co.uk

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 24.3

DRAINAGE ! and biodiversity are ignored, perhaps because they are less easy to quantify. In this way, the standards neglect the key aspects of SuDS, multi-functional and cost-sharing benefits and their important role in successful place-making.

The Chartered Institution of Water and

Environmental Management (CIWEM) and its partners have called for new standards to be developed aimed at optimising opportunity to achieve amenity, biodiversity and water quality benefits as well as flood risk reduction. The Welsh non-statutory SuDS standards which are in line with the SuDS

CIWEM has also called for the government’s SuDS review to look at strengthening planning policy and planning practice guidance, clarifying ‘adoption’ arrangements and the allocation of maintenance responsibilities

Manual would be a good place to start. We also consider that new standards would help to ensure that SuDS are then ‘adopted’ and maintained by an appropriate authority.

Water Management

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

STRONGER NATIONAL POLICY Improving standards is not the only barrier identified by the research. We have also called for the government’s SuDS review to look at strengthening planning policy and planning practice guidance, clarifying ‘adoption’ arrangements and the allocation of maintenance responsibilities. It should also look again at incentives to retrofit schemes.

Some local authorities have been forward thinking and developed their own standards.

However this is not the case everywhere. "

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

ACO Sealin – Planning piece of mind with new ‘integrated seal’ drainage channels The problem of limiting groundwater contamination is a significant environmental concern for Local Authorities and Developers alike.

Numerous pollutants such as road salt chlorides, brake dust, tyre wear and soot from exhaust fumes may be found in rainwater run-off.

2

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A system with an integrated seal will give Local Authorities and Developers the extra piece of mind that their project can deliver the necessary water tightness for specific site requirements.

1 Road salt chlorides 2 Brake dust 3 Tyre wear 4 Sediments

4 ACO Multiline Sealin is the first high-strength grated channel drainage system in the UK with a fully integrated seal as standard 4 Providing comprehensive groundwater protection for use in a wide range of applications including commercial, housing and parking areas as well as pedestrian precincts

4 Comprehensive use of seals throughout the whole channel system, including sump, junctions and vertical outlets, means that Sealin is an advancement on BS EN 1433 requirements, which only mandate testing of a two-channel section for water tightness

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Ardent is a multi-disciplinary civil engineering consultancy, who work closely with clients to deliver innovative and cost effective solutions.

Formed in 2005 to provide flood risk, transport and infrastructure planning and engineering advice initially to the development sector, Ardent have since expanded their service offering and client base to work in new sectors.

Ardent provides Local Government clients with a complete flood risk management service, from advising on relevant policy and legislation through to the appraisal, design and implementation of flood risk management schemes. Ardent also provides a service to owners and operators of storage facilities in the oil and petrochemical sector. Our bespoke service informs MATTE assessments in accordance with industry standard CDOIF guidance, enabling accurate risk analysis and mitigation information to inform site safety reports as required by the COMAH regulations.

Visit our website to find out more about the services we can offer www.ardent-ce.co.uk

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London

Billericay

Ipswich

Suite 207 1 Alie Street London E1 8DE Tel: 020 7680 4088

1-2 Crescent Court

Suite 110 Suffolk Enterprise Centre Felaw Maltings 44 Felaw Street, Ipswich Tel: 01473 407321

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 24.3

High Street, Billericay CM12 9AQ Tel: 01277 657677

DRAINAGE

Only eight per cent of survey respondents believe that the current non-statutory SuDS standards are driving installation of high quality and effective sustainable drainage systems in England ! Current national planning policy and practice guidance allows for a plethora of reasons for developers to ‘opt out’ of the requirement, on the ground of practicality or price, when the range of SuDS options available means this is often unjustified. The survey also identified that costs are being used as a reason to opt out of schemes when in fact they may not be measured at all.

We would like to see policy strengthened so that discharge to the sewer system is conditional on the inclusion first of high-quality SuDS in new developments. The government’s review of SuDS in England is also an opportunity to review the impact of excluding minor developments in policy (developments of fewer than ten homes do not currently need to be considered for SuDS despite the cumulative impact of development can be a factor in surface water flooding).

Following the election we hope to see the outcomes of the SuDS review strengthen policy, standards and guidance to ensure that new homes have well designed and implemented SuDS schemes, delivering cost savings and communities with higher levels of resilience, well-being and vitality. " CIWEM’s report A Place for SuDS is supported by 15 professional bodies and environmental organisations including the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).

FURTHER INFORMATION www.ciwem.org/suds

Government approach to sustainable drainage ‘sub-standard’ The Environment Food, and Rural Affairs Committee has criticised the government’s ‘sub-standard’ approach to sustainable drainage (SuDs), claiming it failed to protect communities from flood risk.

The report analysed the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 and condemned the resulting weak SuDS policies, warning they put areas at risk and ‘miss opportunities’ to enhance the amenity and environment of local communities. According to the committee, SuDs provide a cost-effective, green method of removing surface water from built-up areas. However,it highlighted that the government had not commenced provisions to set up a ‘robust policy framework’ to promote their use and has instead adopted sub-standard planning policies which have led to far too few schemes being installed in new developments.

The committee recommend that: planning rules must be strengthened to require high-quality SuDS schemes, which deliver benefits for amenity and the environment as well as reducing flood risk, be installed in all developments of more than one property; planning guidance must be tightened to reduce significantly the potential for developers to opt-out from installing schemes on cost or site-practicality grounds; In addition the next government must make specific improvements, including: making standards for SuDS construction statutory to provide a stronger basis for enforcement; amending statutory definitions of a sewer to make it easier for Water and Sewerage Companies to adopt SuDS; ending the automatic right of new developments to connect surface water discharges to conventional sewerage systems to spur developers to develop sustainable alternatives; and improving support for local authorities which have SuDS responsibilities.

Neil Parish MP, Environment Food, and Rural Affairs Committee

Water Management

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

Chair, said: “Plans to deliver some one million new homes by 2020 must be achieved without increasing flooding. Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) are an essential part of the solution as they provide a cost-effective, green method of removing surface water from built-up areas. The government purports to support SuDS but has not commenced provisions to set up a robust policy framework to promote their use.

“Instead it has adopted sub-standard planning policies which have led to far too few schemes, many of which are of low quality, being installed in new developments. Significant improvements in the numbers and quality of SuDS schemes installed must be delivered by the end of 2018.

We urge our successor Committee to consider calling for the full commencement of SuDS provisions in the 2010 Act if this is not achieved.

“Planning rules must be strengthened to ensure that all new developments, of any size, are required to install high-quality sustainable drainage systems. Guidance must be tightened to reduce significantly the potential for developers to opt-out from installing schemes on cost or site-practicality grounds.

“In addition standards for SuDS construction must be made statutory to provide a stronger basis for enforcement and make it easier for Water and Sewerage Companies to adopt SuDS.” Parish concluded: “We call for an ending of the automatic right of new developments to connect surface water discharges to conventional sewerage systems to spur developers to develop sustainable alternatives.”

FURTHER INFORMATION tinyurl.com/lhgcfsz

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Floodex

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

EVENT PREVIEW

Collecting innovative water management ideas FloodEx, taking place on 17-18 May, is the trade event for flood defence and the water level management sector looking at flood defence, prevention, mitigation and drainage. Government Business previews the event Floodex is run in exclusive cooperation with the Association of Drainage Authorities, whose members are the UK’s Internal Drainage Boards, people at the coal face of water level management, flood prevention and management, the other part of the membership includes local authorities. The show is not just about flood prevention, but covers water level management (WLM) holistically, as many believe an integrated approach is needed to future proof Great Britain against the devastating effects of large scale flooding down to property

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 24.3

damage cause by surface water.

With new, more efficient mapping techniques and long distance forecasting, there could be increasing use of this data, which will affect the decisions of mortgage and business lenders, insurers and investors, if they are not convinced a

property is not resilient enough; especially as 70 per cent of flood damage is caused by surface water runoff and will be more of an issue as roads and real estate is developed.

Whilst the political environment will continue to shift, the practical decisions that need to be taken in order to maintain existing infrastructure and put in new measures will only grow.

Officers and policy makers

cent 70 per amage d of flood by surface d is cause runoff and water ore of an m will be s roads and issue a estate is real ed develop

£6.8m Lincolnshire scheme gets underway

Floodex

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

The Environment Agency’s annual scheme to replenish beaches in Lincolnshire is set to begin.

The government has frequently said it is committed to reducing flood risk, with housebuilders expected to create housing schemes that catch water with features such as green roofs and porous road surfaces working in this area, as well as colleagues looking at the wider housing/infrastructure issues would be wise to take advantage of the opportunity Floodex presents by visiting.

Roger Harrabin, BBC environment analyst, wrote an interesting piece. In it he highlighted that, according to some MPs, new housing developments that contribute to the risk of flooding are still being built.

House builders are supposed to create housing schemes that catch water with features like green roofs and porous road surfaces. The government has frequently said it is committed to reducing flood risk.

But the Commons Environment Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) committee says rules on drainage for new homes are still weak and poorly enforced. The MPs say this has to change, because the government’s commitment of a million new homes by 2020 must be achieved without an increase in flood risk.

The idea of catching water where it falls has shot up the policy agenda following heavy flooding in recent years. In house-building it’s known as Sustainable Drainage (SuDS) in which developers create features like ponds and grassy hollows,

which catch heavy rains and provide the spin-off benefit of wildlife habitats.

AN INTEGRATED APPROACH To learn more and talk to the experts, you can visit Floodex on 17-18 May. The show is not just about flood prevention, but covers WLM holistically, as many believe an integrated approach is needed to future proof Great Britain against the devastating effects of large scale flooding down to property damage cause by surface water.

Jon Irwin, event director said: “These are exciting times. Whilst Floodex UK grows, we are expanding into Europe with Floodex Europe. For the UK, apart from an exciting line-up of key speakers and new exhibitors, we are introducing a special workshop and seminar area specifically for health and safety.”

Free to attend seminars and workshops, along with the experts on the stands, will furnish you with a wealth of knowledge and you will leave Floodex better informed and more equipped to address these major issues in your local area. This is an opportunity to save days, weeks and possibly months of legwork, sourcing and communicating with

The initiative involves dredging sand from the seabed and pumping it onto the beach, replacing levels lost to the sea during the winter.

The move acts to reduce the risk of waves reaching and overtopping the main sea defences, protecting them from damage and erosion.

The £6.8 million project will start on Monday, 24 April at Boygrift.

Over the next six weeks, beaches at Trusthorpe, Mablethorpe, Ingoldmells, Trunch Lane, Wolla Bank, Chapel Six Marshes and Huttoft will be replenished.

Mark Robinson, senior coastal advisor at the Environment Agency, explained: “The beaches take the brunt of the waves’ energy, which would otherwise impact on coastal defences such as sea walls. Storms and large waves are more frequent during winter months, leading to erosion of the sand from these beaches. ”Replacing the sand helps extend the life of the sea defences – defences that reduce coastal flood risk to more than 30,000 homes and businesses, 19,000 static caravans and 35,000 hectares of land. Additionally there’s an amenity value, benefitting and encouraging tourism on the coast, as otherwise there would be very little sand on our beaches.

“We time our works to minimise disruption to local communities and visitors, but unfortunately we will need to close off sections of beach while we’re working on them to keep people safe. This work is important to maintain coastal flood defences, so we appreciate residents’ ongoing patience if there’s minor disruption.”

FURTHER INFORMATION tinyurl.com/kqpnunc organisations and experts, having them all under one roof for two days. This is the most efficient use of your time and money.

In light of the General Election and Purdah, there have been some changes to the speaker programme. The latest details are available on the Floodex website. !

FURTHER INFORMATION www.floodex.co.uk

Volume 24.3 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Landscaping Written by Denise Ewbank, the British Association of Landscape Industries

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

GREEN SPACES

Fighting for our parks and green spaces Denise Ewbank, of the British Association of Landscape Industries, discusses why we must fight for our parks and green spaces to be adequately funded, now and in the future At a time when society faces so many challenges and the world order is being redefined, it’s difficult to make the case heard for something as passive as parks and green space. In living memory they’ve always been there and they demand nothing of us, not even an entry fee. We take them for granted and we think very little about the benefits we derive from using them.

As local authorities will attest, however, they do demand that we cherish and maintain them if those benefits are to be allowed to flow. And therein lies the nub: when there are pressing demands on stretched local authority budgets, where should parks and green spaces stand in the pecking order?

Working in the land-based sector you would expect me to make the case for increased, and even ring-fenced, funding for parks and green spaces. The British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) has within its membership most of the companies contracted to local authorities to maintain their parks portfolios.

These companies employ many thousands of horticulturalists, landscapers, tree surgeons and grounds maintenance operatives across the UK and the threat to their

livelihoods if parks maintenance budgets are drastically reduced is real. Local authorities are also making directly employed parks staff redundant and this threatens a horticultural skills base that has been built up over many years. It is a very worrying state of affairs.

Albert Camus, the 20th century French philosopher, author and journalist, said that ‘by definition, a government has no conscience. Sometimes it has a policy, but nothing more’. In recent years, the government has pursued a policy of austerity in order to reduce our mounting national debt.

The funding of parks and public green space has suffered as a result and, until recently, it appeared that the benefits and contribution they make to society had been ignored.

This country is facing an unprecedented obesity crisis in adults and, more worryingly, in children. According to Public Health England, 31.7 per cent of boys and 30.7 per cent of girls were overweight or obese in 2014. In Scotland and Wales there is an even higher prevalence of childhood obesity. Why, then, according to the recently published Nowhere to Play report, by the Association of Play Industries (API), are children’s playgrounds being closed at an alarming

The f parks o g n i d fun ic green d, l b u p d an uffere s s a h s space he benefits with t tributions and conety largely to soci ored ign

34

rate? 214 at the last count, with a further 234 earmarked for closure by local authorities.

Short-sighted funding policy is exacerbating a problem that is just one of many ticking health time bombs waiting to explode.

Mental health, until very recently a taboo subject for open discussion, is now being regularly covered by the media.

A common theme in ways to combat stress and depression is having access to outdoor green space and taking part in team sports and activities. If the two are combined there is benefit to mental and physical well-being. And with an NHS that is groaning under the weight of an increasingly ageing population, the longer we can keep people fit and active the less burden there will be on this gargantuan organisation that costs the country billions.

THE STATE OF UK PUBLIC PARKS BALI as a membership organisation – the largest in the UK representing landscape and grounds maintenance contractors, designers, and suppliers of industry-related products and services – has fought long and hard alongside other land-based organisations as part of the Parks Alliance to get the government to acknowledge the importance of parks and green spaces and to fund them appropriately.

In 2016 The Heritage Lottery Fund’s (HLF) State of UK Public Parks report said that

Landscaping

whilst the use of public parks is increasing, there is a continuing decline in the state of the infrastructure. The HLF has itself made significant investment in public parks in recent years but it can only do so much.

2016 also saw the announcement that there would be a Select Committee Inquiry into Public Parks, an indication that the message was getting through that the public would not stand for a degradation in park and green space provision and that something had to be done. The Select Committee published its findings on 11 February and there was recognition by the cross-party Communities and Local Government Committee that parks play a vital role in the communities they serve.

They asked the question ‘why do parks matter?’. The many contributions received from a broad range of stakeholders on the value of parks and the many challenges facing the parks sector led the Parks Minister, Andrew Percy MP, to commit to reporting back annually to Parliament on progress made in working proactively with local authorities on the consultation, development and implementation of green space strategies.

As recently as April 2017, the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) published its State of the Market Survey into Local Authority Parks and Green Space Services, which makes for very sobering reading. BALI contractors who currently hold fixed term local authority grounds maintenance contracts for parks and open spaces are already being asked to do more for less. The APSE survey shows clearly that local authorities are planning more cuts to their expenditure. When tendering for new contracts, BALI members must find innovative ways to deliver a service that can no longer be afforded. Additionally, they are now faced with funding the national living wage, workplace pensions, and the apprenticeship levy. These additional costs cannot be passed on within existing contracts and so the cost burden to these businesses is considerable.

Many contractors working for local authority clients have come together as members of BALI-NCF – the National Contractors’ Forum.

This group of largely national companies held and ‘industry first’ Green Spaces seminar in the spring of 2016 and it clearly demonstrated the commitment of local authority officers and their service delivery partners to work together to find effective solutions to the crisis facing our parks. This client/contractor approach was continued with a second seminar, held at FutureScape 2016, an industry exhibition, where BALI-NCF joined forces with Parks for London to share how innovation and best practice being successfully employed by other industries could be harnessed to tackle the parks and green space sector’s own specific challenges.

A RUNNING SOURCE OF INCOME The APSE survey also showed that identifying ways of generating additional income is a prime concern for local authorities. There was

In an attempt to gauge public opinion the government launched the Running Free consultation to determine whether legislation should be passed to prevent local authorities from charging parkrun for the use of public parks quite a hoo-hah in the press a year ago when Stoke Gifford Parish Council, near Bristol, announced they would be charging the parkrun charity to use Little Stoke Park for the weekly Saturday parkrun. I have to come clean here as I am, myself, a regular parkrunner and I, along with between 400 and 500 other runners, make full use of the beautiful Pittville Park in Cheltenham most Saturday mornings.

It is an amazing sight to see people of all ages – adults, children, parents, grandparents – lining up for their 5km run. I can’t think of any other sporting activity that gets as many people out on a regular basis. And when you consider that’s happening in parks across the country, it is, frankly, incredible.

Parkrun ticks all the boxes for demonstrating how parks and green space, i.e. managed landscapes, contribute to physical and mental well-being and, indeed, social cohesion, or ‘community togetherness’ if you prefer.

This amazing parkrun ‘movement’, for want of a better description, is obviously very important to the government. It promotes health, well-being and community engagement by involving the sort of numbers on a weekly basis other similar sport/health initiatives can only dream of.

The problem lies in whether parkrunners should be treated as individuals with free use of parks, or whether, as part of the parkrun movement, they are charged for their Saturday morning activity, just like any other sports club using park facilities.

In an attempt to gauge public opinion the government launched the Running Free consultation in April to determine whether

legislation should be passed to prevent local authorities and parish councils from charging parkrun for the use of public parks.

I have no doubt that, if parks and green spaces were adequately funded, no council would want to deter people from using their local parks and would rejoice in them being utilised in such a positive way. Unfortunately, however, nothing can be off the table. Our parks and green spaces have to be cherished and maintained – and that costs money.

Birmingham City Council, originally proposing to spend just £9 million on its parks and green spaces, put their budget plans out to public consultation earlier this year. The people of Birmingham responded by placing parks in the top five services provided by the city council and, in an open letter, signatories from thirty local organisations said: “Birmingham’s parks and green spaces today are a source of our civic pride; they are the lungs of our city, a shared identity and the centre of many communities.

We urge the council to rethink the immediate budget cuts to parks and green spaces.”

The council has subsequently announced it will increase its proposed parks budget by 25 per cent, from £9 million to £12 million.

If we are to call ourselves a civilised society we must continue to fund our public parks and green spaces at a realistic level.

They contribute so much to the health and wealth of our nation – we simply need foresight to invest, knowing we will all reap the many rewards long into the future. !

FURTHER INFORMATION www.bali.org.uk

Volume 24.3 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Play Facilities Written by Deborah Holt, Association of Play Industrues

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

PLAY

So much more than swings and roundabouts Play is a subject that families feel passionately about, despite dramatic cuts to revenue budgets. Deborah Holt, of the Association of Play Industries, reports on the importance of play Ask local communities in any part of the UK what they want for families living there and you can be certain that safe places for children to play will be high on their list of priorities. Flick through local newspapers, visit local MPs’ constituency surgeries or click on popular crowdfunding websites and you’ll find passionate groups of people campaigning to ‘save our playground’ from threat of closure.

Play is a subject that families feel passionately about – and rightly so. Having somewhere safe for children to run, jump and let off steam is vitally important. It’s not just about having fun – there is plentiful academic evidence to show that play delivers physical, developmental, emotional, behavioural, social and environmental benefits to children of all abilities. In short, every child learns through play.

Of course not every child has access to a garden or suitable outdoor space to play, which is why public play facilities – often located within local parks – make a vital contribution to civic life. Wider society benefits too. The best outdoor spaces reflect the needs and demography of the local community, and incorporate multi-generational facilities for play and physical activity, such as walking trails, trim trails, outdoor fitness equipment and landscape features. This kind of holistic, inclusive provision encourages the inactive to be active, enhances community cohesion and supports the local economy.

(53 per cent) said their parks were in good condition. 59 per cent of local authorities reported that they were considering either selling parks and green spaces or transferring their management to others in the next three years, and less than half (48 per cent) said they have a parks strategy in place.

Inevitably, this means

ution ‘Distrib ks is of par oss the l acr unequa , with many country communities d deprive ling to access strugg nefits which the be spaces can green vide’ pro

CUTS ARE HITTING PARKS AND PLAY However, the reality is that local authority budget cuts are biting hard. Without doubt, community play facilities are feeling the pinch, with 78 per cent of local authorities surveyed for the Heritage Lottery Fund State of UK Public Parks 2016 report agreeing that the squeeze on public sector resources is affecting parks and green spaces disproportionately to other service areas. Additionally, 92 per cent of park managers reported cuts to their revenue budgets in the last three years, and only half

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many playgrounds are closing or being threatened with closure, while others are poorly repaired and maintained. Children soon lose interest in poor quality, neglected equipment which means families stop visiting. This can leave play areas abandoned to decline and, sadly, prey to vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

Put simply, children’s fundamental right to play – as enshrined in the UN Convention for the Rights of the Child and ratified by the government – is under threat. The passionate protests by local communities and evidenced benefits of play to child development are simply not being heard by policy makers. The last major investment in public play provision was halted by the coalition government, and England is the only UK nation with no national strategy for play.

CHILD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING We are in the midst of a child health and wellbeing crisis. Obesity and inactivity are rising and young people’s relationship with the outdoors is dwindling. Despite children’s abundance of natural energy, it is adults that are stopping them from being as active as possible. Evidence shows that adopting an active lifestyle early in life encourages

healthy habits in adulthood, which means providing children with the time, space and facilities to enable that natural energy.

Children are more physically active if they have access to high-quality outdoor play facilities. Well-designed play spaces act as a ‘signpost’ for children to access the outdoor world, and public parks should be hubs for physical activity for people of all ages.

Investment in, and subsequent maintenance of, public play facilities should be a local authority – and central government – priority, particularly in deprived communities. If there is nowhere to play, where can children go to be physically active when they are not at school?

PUBLIC PARKS INQUIRY The recent Communities and Local Government Public Parks inquiry asked why parks matter, what challenges the parks sector faces and how their sustainable future can be secured. Hundreds of campaigning and other organisations from across the country, including the API, gave written and oral evidence in support of parks. As the report stated: “The level of response has clearly demonstrated the strength of feeling people have for their local parks and green spaces, and how much parks are valued by

Play Facilities

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

The best outdoor spaces reflect the needs and demography of the local community, and incorporate multi-generational facilities for play and physical activity, such as walking trails, trim trails, fitness equipment and landscape features individuals, families and communities.”

The Committee acknowledged the contribution of public parks as ‘treasured national assets’, ‘central to the lives of communities’ and ‘fundamental to community cohesion, physical and mental health and well-being, biodiversity, climate change mitigation, and local economic growth’.

It also noted that: “Distribution of parks is unequal across the country, with many deprived communities struggling to access the benefits which green spaces can provide.”

However, the committee rejected the many calls for a statutory duty on local authorities to provide and maintain parks.

It recommended instead the publication of government guidance to local authorities on working collaboratively with Health and Wellbeing Boards to produce and publish

joint parks and green space strategies.

The API welcomes the committee’s honesty in acknowledging that parks are at a tipping point due to lack of funding and investment, and hopes this important report will see government re-prioritise the crucial role that parks and green spaces play. As advocates for the importance of play to child development, health and wellbeing, parks have a pivotal role in combating children’s sedentary lifestyles. Investment in parks and public play facilities should be a local authority priority, particularly for deprived communities, where obesity rates are highest.

With pressures on land for housing and commercial development, it is essential that local authorities are supported in protecting and prioritising their green spaces. This will help alleviate wider societal problems such as social exclusion, mental health and anti-social behaviour. Parks are treasured community assets, worthy of protection, and should be well-represented in the government’s 25-year Environment Plan as well as other policy areas.

HERE TO HELP The API has much to offer local authorities and, specifically, those officers responsible for taking the government’s planned guidance on parks and green spaces and applying it to their own local health and wellbeing strategies. For too long, play facilities and equipment have been procured in the same way as paper clips or other commodities. This practice does local communities a disservice and should stop.

Public play provision should be planned and designed with experts on a case by case basis, with local objectives, need and demographics at the heart. Play facilities have come a long way in the last fifty years. Today’s design options are endless – from sensory spaces and splash parks to skate parks, Parkour and BMX trails, inclusive equipment for children of all abilities to outdoor gyms, multi-games and sports areas.

The UK play industry is committed to providing real solutions to tackle the growing obesity and inactivity epidemic amongst children, particularly in disadvantaged communities where the problem is most prevalent. It’s in everyone’s interests that children move more, more often – but they can’t do this without somewhere to play. That place is in a well-designed, high quality play area close to where they live and local authorities hold the key. !

FURTHER INFORMATION www.api-play.org

Volume 24.3 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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EXCELLENT LUMINANCE

LONG SERVICE LIFE

High quality design ensures good lumen maintenance giving long service life. Great design also reduces the unwanted effects caused by LED lighting such as unevenness and the amount of external light that is reflected.

Long service life is guaranteed with high ambient temperature ratings on batteries, LEDs and electronics in combination with long life electronics providing 100,000 hours at 40°C.

PREMIUM LiFePO4 BATTERY AND SMART BATTERY CHARGER With the new generation of products comes the smartest emergency lighting battery charger to date. Smart battery charging brings emergency lighting out of the dark, it helps to provide the most optimal battery life and the best value for money.

New battery charging technology employs soft start, multirate and multi-conditional battery charging algorithms. This technology squeezes the maximum life out of the batteries and also provides load management to your building.

SUSTAINABILITY

Lighting

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

Bringing flexibility to LED lighting There are many advantages to LED lighting for the public sector. Government Business looks at LED innovation in relation to emergency lighting – including why high power emergency illumination is key in emergency signage and way finding UK legislation highlights the necessity for reliable, good quality emergency lighting.

Lighting is a crucial factor in making the immediate evacuation of a building as quick and easy as possible, with escape route illumination important in allowing occupants to see sufficiently clearly and make their way safely to a place of safety.

This is critical in a fire, as anyone unfamiliar with the Goodlight LED Eco Panels installed into St Albans City & District Council

building will probably try to leave the same way they came in, ignoring shorter routes out. Emergency lighting and escape route illumination must make it as easy as possible for those evacuating buildings to see clearly how to quickly make their way to safety.

Nowadays, most buildings use emergency lighting applications fitted with either traditional fluorescent lamps or the latest high !

cies Efficien e to continu and, e increas ly, prices nt importaped to a level op have dr makes LEDs a which l choice now logica most any for al ation applic

St Albans council invests in LED office lighting St Albans City and District Council has completed phase one of a project to replace fluorescent tubes within their 6000m² office building with long life, energy efficient LED panels.

Following a successful pilot scheme, a rolling programme commenced to replace the fluorescent lights in the office sections with Goodlight LED panels, that draw just 28W giving a direct energy saving of 60 per cent.

Designed to slot into an existing ceiling grid with ease with a lifespan of 50,000 hours, the council has calculated that, on energy saving alone, it will save just shy of £16,000 per year in electricity and lighting replacement costs and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 38 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year.

Candice Luper, sustainability projects officer at St Albans City and District Council, said: “The response to the pilot was positive and staff were impressed with the quality of lighting. The old fluorescent lighting, particularly in the winter months gave poor illumination causing eye strain, whereas the new Goodlight LED lighting gives an even light distribution throughout the whole office which more closely resembles daytime outdoor light.

It has improved working conditions for the staff.”

FURTHER INFORMATION tinyurl.com/my8vsgl

39

Made in Europe

Stretching the lifetime of YOUR equipment!

Introducing the NEW improved Ni-MH rechargeable batteries from ARTS Energy.

Designed to last 10 years plus in your applications, operational temperature between -40°C to +85°C, this safe non volatile product is available in AA, Cs, D, & F cell sizes and available in virtually any configuration, recharge uses 5 x less energy, an important consideration for energy costs in a building, truly a green recyclable product.

ARTS Energy VHT cells in Nickel Metal Hydride are designed for applications demanding exceptional life duration in extreme climate conditions, the VHT series can be charged until a current of C/3, and can be charged and discharged in a wide temperatures range. These cells are used in Emergency lighting, Back up, Off peak or Solar outdoor applications. VHT cells offer an exceptional behaviour in cycling (3,000 full cycles), offering a long service life to the professional applications using the battery every day.

ARTS Energy can also supply high quality Lithium and Ni-Cd products. ARTS Energy, producer of batteries and storage systems for electrical energy is uniquely based in Europe and in essence ‘We manage the complexity for Your simplicity’. Contact us to specify our energy saving products in your equipment.

Visit us at www.arts-energy.com for more details.

Email: colin.dore@arts-energy.com Phone: +33 545 903552 +44 7893 816637

SUSTAINABILITY

LuxLive 2017

Those responsible for emergency lighting installations need to comply with the latest legislation and best practice, keep energy and maintenance low and not least, ensure a building’s occupants are safe at all times ! quality white LEDs. The LED revolution has now truly arrived as the technology matures. Efficiencies continue to increase and, importantly, prices have dropped to a level which makes them a logical choice now for almost any application – and emergency lighting is no different.

Early LEDs were a cool blue colour but as they have developed, the range of colours and their ability to render natural colours has increased dramatically. Additionally, the longer life of LEDs mean they require less maintenance, a major factor to consider in environments where access is limited, expensive to reach or requires services to be closed such as tunnels for example.

Not only will converting to LED lighting solutions reduce lighting costs by up to 90 per cent, but a number of LED lights can last for up to 50,000 hours, approximately 50 times longer than a typical incandescent, meaning that if it

is used for 12 hours a day, it won’t need to be replaced for nearly 30 years.

Furthermore, being small, groups of LEDs can be made into modules of many shapes and sizes, so they can be designed into buildings, structures and materials in ways that are impossible with conventional lighting. This brings great flexibility for designers and customers alike, avoiding the need for unattractive plastic bulkheads. " FURTHER INFORMATION www.icel.co.uk Goodlight LED Eco Panel lights installed into St Albans City & District Council

Lighting

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

Those responsible for emergency lighting need to comply with the latest legislation and best practice, keep energy and maintenance low and ensure a building’s occupants are safe at all times.

There’s also the responsibility to manage the risk assessments, testing, maintenance and all the associated documentation.

LuxLive can help. The exhibition has become the go-to place for all things related to emergency lighting. There’s a dedicated stream of tutorials and presentations, and you’ll also be able to compare all the latest kit from top suppliers.

Taking place on 15-16 November 2017 at London’s ExCeL, LuxLive 2017, the UK’s biggest free lighting show, will examine the latest energy-saving lighting products from 300 big-name exhibitors and discuss ways to fund upgrades and harness the latest technology successfully – covering indoor and outdoor lighting, lighting for the workplace, healthcare lighting, lighting in education, lighting in retail and lighting for residential developments. Find out more at tinyurl.com/o4xnd54.

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For more information contact Neil at Nmac Lighting Ltd 01494 372027 neil@nmaclighting.com Volume 24.3 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

41

Case Study

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

TM Clothing: providers of great value logo’d clothing and gifts, perfect for the public sector The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is now enforcing its intellectual rights on all UK military and support services insignia through a strict licensing program.

TM Clothing & Gifts is registered under the new MoD licensing scheme for a broad range of goods and for all insignia covered under: Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, Red Arrows and Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

Its License No. is: D/IPR/1M/E/0204.

The upside of the licensing program is that it controls the production of all products that carry any form of UK military insignia, ensuring quality and traceability.

To ensure that you and your customers are made aware of the licensing regulation, all goods will carry a written notice to advise that they have been produced under license. In most cases, the licensed goods will also have an official hologram sticker, with serial number, stating that the goods are an ‘Official Licensed Product’.

Whilst this regulation adds a small additional cost to the goods you purchase from us, we are confident that the licensing program

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 24.3

will significantly reduce production of unauthorised, poor quality and counterfeit goods, whilst in turn, stimulating sales of officially licensed goods. This should enhance product desirability, allowing for an increase in retail pricing.

As ever, TM Clothing is keen to support you with quality logo’d products and are at your service to provide officially licensed military branded goods.

Please contact the sales team with any enquiries you may have or, better still, make an appointment to visit TM Clothing’s showrooms and view its extensive range of branded merchandise. T M Clothing Ltd can also supply logo’d clothing and uniforms

as well as business gifts and promotional items. The company is happy to look at any enquiry and its design team are able to produce visuals as an aid to product choices. The team welcomes new enquiries from organisations, groups and businesses alike. Please get in contact to make an appointment to visit or perhaps TM Clothing Ltd can send you one of its comprehensive information packs with more information about it and what it does.

Please Note: It is in the interests of both manufacturers and retailers to discourage and report any unauthorised use of military insignia. If you are concerned about any goods you have seen for sale, please contact the Defence Intellectual Property Rights team on the following email: DIPR-Merch@mod.uk.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01730 711140 sales@tm-clothing.com tm-clothing.com

EVENT

PREVIEW

Facilitating innovative solutions

Facilities Show 2017

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

Returning to ExCeL London for its fourth year, Facilities Show 2017 will once again deliver the latest solutions, newest products and services to assist visitors making decisions for their long and short term objectives. Government Business reports Facilitating the coming together of more than 11,000 visitors with over 300 suppliers, the world’s largest dedicated facilities management event continues to grow, attracting facilities managers and suppliers from over 40 different countries.

The event unites facilities management professionals from all sectors and geographies with suppliers, advisers and specialists in one venue that provides them with unrivalled business opportunities.

Visitors to Facilities Show 2017 will be able to: get training on processes, solutions and efficiency free of charge; develop specialisms in health and safety, security, field services and fire; grow their professional facilities management network; and source products for businesses from across security, fire, safety and service management at the five co-located events.

INSPIRATIONAL SPEAKERS Facilities Show 2017 has announced its star studded inspirational speakers for June’s event: double Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes; professor Brian Cox OBE; and Falklands War veteran Simon Weston.

This year’s inspirational speakers will be focusing on the theme of strength, resilience and defying the odds.

With each speaker delivery a session on the obstacles they faced, solutions they found and how the results allowed them to march on.

Presenting on the first day of the event, Dame Kelly Holmes is best known for her

success in the 2004 Olympics, where she won two golds and became only the second woman in history to claim the 800m and 1500m titles for British athletics. Prior to her success on the track she served almost 10 years in the military and was awarded an MBE for her services to the British Army. Her speech will cover ‘having the passion, compassion and courage to succeed’.

Professor Brian Cox is one of UK’s most famous physicists, having made the world of science so engaging and accessible to the masses.

He has played a key part in the !

We e to continuacilities at f hear th ment is still manage ture industry a not a m at FM needs and th ore clearly to be m fined de

43

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

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 24.3

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EVENT PREVIEW Liverpool Council launches efficient energy provider

Facilities Show 2017

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

Liverpool City Council has announced the creation of a new not-for-profit energy company aimed at tackling fuel poverty in the city.

The emergence of new technologies that allow systems to actually learn is pushing us closer to truly revolutionising how we interact and manage our buildings or rather how buildings interact and react to us ! ATLAS and CERN Large Hadron Collider projects, whilst still finding time to take part in TV programmes such as ‘Wonders of the Universe’ and ‘Wonders of the Solar System’, which have been viewed around the world by millions. Many will also know him from his keyboard-playing days in ‘D:Ream, the pop band behind the 90s hit single, ‘Things Can Only Get Better’.

Professor Cox will be ‘Exploring the Universe’ with Facilities Show 2017 on 21 June.

Lastly, Simon Weston was aboard HMS Sir Galahad with the Welsh guard regiment when it was bombed by Argentinean planes during the Falklands War. The horrific burns he suffered required a series of operations that continue to this day. Despite his injuries and the physical and mental suffering, Simon’s life is an example of great personal triumph and courage. He is a true role model for positive mental attitude and overcoming hardship.

Simon will share his very personal story about ‘turning adversity into opportunity’ on 22 June.

ACCESSING THE AGENDA We continue to hear that facilities management is still not a mature industry and that FM needs to be more clearly defined.

However, we also do acknowledge that the world is changing faster than probably any time previously. So there’s fantastic opportunity for facilities management, but we have to take the lead. Geoff Prudence, chairman of CIBSE Facilities, will head a session on leading the change in facilities management in the Facilities Management Theatre on 20 June, discussing his views and experience in his highly engaging style, on

leadership and successful change, together with the opportunities in the future for the sector, including customer focus, innovation technology, skills and collaboration.

One of the most striking terms we encounter today is ‘smart.’ While the word ‘connected’ may be a better description in some cases, the emergence of new technologies that allow systems to actually learn is pushing us closer to truly revolutionising how we interact and manage our buildings or rather how buildings interact and react to us. By understanding the real developments around these disruptive technologies (including IoT, Big Data and analytics) we can better plan for their adoption in the workplace as we move toward a smarter future. This lunch and learn, hosted by Erik Jaspers on Planon, will dig deeper into the chapter of ‘Work on the Move 2’ published by the IFMA Foundation that covers these topics.

In the afternoon of 20 June, Russell Smith, head of estates at the University of Bradford, will provide a case study analysing how the FM and estates team are working with their building users, significantly reducing carbon emissions and saving energy. The estate, which has three BREEAM ‘outstanding’ rated buildings and a Passivhaus one too, Smith will also look at the challenges with managing the estates, as well as providing advice for FMs wanting to achieve top BREEAM ratings.

FM ADOPTION This year YMF have teamed up with LinkedIn’s Simon Dobson to share their strategies to help improve your performance and build your career in FM using the world’s largest professional network. Simon "

The Liverpool Energy Community Company (LECCY) will offer competitively priced gas and electricity cheaper than that offered by the Big Six and will offer advice to households to help them move off costly prepayment meters and on to cheaper direct debit tariffs.

The LECCY, a partnership between the council and Robin Hood Energy, will also support people to move over to SMART meters so they can manage their energy use and provide help with managing their bills.

According to a statement from the authority, more than 1,000 people have already expressed interest in signing up ahead of the launch and the council has secured a one year fixed rate deal that is cheaper than tariffs currently offered by the Big Six energy suppliers.

It claimed LECCY could save a medium user of gas and electricity over £250 per year compared to the most expensive Big Six tariff.

Further fixed rate deals for Liverpool are in the pipeline and will be announced in the coming months.

Mayor Joe Anderson said: “One in three households in Liverpool pay over the odds for their gas and electricity because they have prepayment meters which are far more expensive than other tariffs.

By setting up a not-for-profit company, we can offer really competitive rates. We’re not out to make a profit for shareholders like other energy suppliers, and will instead focus on delivering the best value for local people.

“We won’t be offering gimmicks or introductory loss-leaders. What we will be doing is offering good value tariffs and helping people to get the best deal for them. This is part of our commitment to supporting residents in difficult times, helping them save money to offset the impact of austerity.”

FURTHER INFORMATION tinyurl.com/mnl9svp

Volume 24.3 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 24.3

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Facilities Show 2017

EVENT PREVIEW

! Dobson, account director for Linkedin, will present on this when opening the sessions on day two of the Facilities Show.

Andrew May, director of estates for the University of Hertfordshire, and Tim Hancock, CEO of Tenon FM, will take to the stage to address responding to the influence of the end user and not the traditional ‘customer’. The presentation will showcase the possibilities available if a client and service provider become completely aligned.

Tim will make the argument that this is the next step in the evolution of FM, whilst they will both explain how two different perspectives become one: focusing on student outcomes and delivering the client vision to become internationally renowned as the UK’s leading business facing university.

Chris Hoar, co-founder of AIinFM, tackles one of the most topical and contentious issues of AI and its disruptive impact on the FM industry. Chris encourages the FM industry to wake up to the real incursions this fourth industrial revolution is, and will, make on the fundamental work carried out by FM individuals and service providers. His talk encompasses real, current applications of AI in practice within the FM industry, and provides parallels to developments in other sectors. Chris will also provide insights into the future impact of AI on employment, company culture, future cities and many related economic and political factors, including the moot point of timescales.

TOTAL FACILITIES SOLUTIONS The Total FM Zone highlights some of the largest and best known brands providing total facilities solutions for those with multi-site responsibility. Newly launched for this year, the space was designed following feedback from the Board-Level FM Advisory Board,

Newly launched for this year, the Total FM Zone highlights some of the largest and best known brands providing total facilities solutions for those with multi-site responsibility who were interested in finding the best options for Total FM providers in one place.

Due to the rapid growth of the Total FM providers involved, they are interested in attracting the best talent in the industry as well as meeting potential suppliers and service providers at the Facilities Show.

Confirmed Total FM providers involved in the 2017 show include: leading global integrated security company G4S; facilities management provider Servest; SPIE UK, a subsidiary of SPIE Group, the independent European leader in Multi-technical services in the areas of energy and communications, provides energy, safety and environmentally focused solutions; and CBRE Global Workplace Solutions.

Furthermore focusing on helping facilities managers and their team’s progress, the BIFM Careers Zone allows facilities managers to meet with the recruitment and HR departments of international TFMs and gain insight to courses, accreditation and best practices.

CO-LOCATED SHOWS As well as IFSEC International (see page 63) and the Safety and Health Expo (see page 59), Facilities Show is also co-located with FIREX Internationals and Service Management Expo – all as part of the Protection & Management Series. FIREX International is the only event that connects the global fire and security markets, and gives fire and security professionals access to the very latest technology from suppliers across the

world, plus the cutting-edge solutions and essential knowledge you need to ensure life safety. So whether you work solely in the fire industry or across both fire and security, a visit to FIREX International is a must.

Grow your business by getting direct access to the whole fire and security industry in June 2017. It is the perfect opportunity to get your product in front of thousands of buyers, across a multitude of featured areas.

From the brand new Drone Zone, the ARC Village, ASFP Passive Protection Zone, and the Engineers of Tomorrow competition, it’s all under one roof so you’ll never miss a beat.

Field Service Management Expo is Europe’s only event dedicated to the service management and field service industries, showcasing the latest technologies and practices from industry experts all under one roof. The increasingly popular Field Service Solutions Theatre returns, taking place at the heart of Field Service Management Expo 2017. Hosting a series of interviews, presentations and panel debates, plus a chance to work with fellow professionals over a drink at the end of each day’s education.

This theatre is the ideal place to update your core industry knowledge and view bite-sized updates and demonstrations of the very latest inventions and innovations in the Service Management Industry. " FURTHER INFORMATION www.facilitiesshow.com

Volume 24.3 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

47

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VENTILATION

Thousands of premature deaths could be avoided and millions of pounds in running costs saved if ventilation systems were properly maintained, says Giuseppe Borgese of the BESA, who focuses upon the issue with particular reference to healthcare More than 25 per cent of all child deaths globally are attributable to unhealthy environments including indoor and outdoor air pollution, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Its latest research shows that 1.7 million children under five years of age die every year as a result of the poor state of their living environment with air pollution a major contributor. Infants and pre-schoolers exposed to indoor and outdoor air pollution have an increased risk of pneumonia in childhood, and a lifelong increased risk of chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma.

Exposure to air pollution may also increase their lifelong risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer. Dr Penny Woods, chief executive of the British Lung Foundation, explains that air pollution is now a full-blown ‘public health crisis’. Urban populations across the planet face growing risks from air contamination, which increases the severity of asthma attacks, instances of heart failure and certain cancers.

It reduces lung capacity by upsetting the balance of nutrients and oxygen in the blood.

OBLIGATIONS There are few more serious issues out there, but cleaning up the air is proving a seemingly intractable political problem and the government has admitted that the UK will remain in breach of its obligations under EU clean air regulations until at least 2025. The government has also lost two court cases over its plans to tackle the key pollutant nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and has been ordered by the High Court to publish a draft new clean air plan to tackle NO2 by 31 July this year.

Sarah Wollaston, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Health Committee says poor air quality is affecting ‘the health of millions of people across the UK because of the impact of invisible particulates and other pollutants’.

Reducing air pollution inside and outside buildings and protecting pregnant women

from second-hand tobacco smoke can prevent children’s deaths and diseases, according to the WHO, which also estimates there are 360,000 premature deaths in the EU every year as a result of worsening air pollution – around 40,000 of which are in the UK. It also estimates that between 11-14 per cent of children aged five years and older worldwide display asthma symptoms and an estimated 44 per cent of these are related to environmental exposures including air pollution, second-hand tobacco smoke, and indoor mould and dampness. In central London the concentration of diesel and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is about three times the level recommended by the WHO with Londoners suffering a 20 per cent increase in mortality rates as a result.

Therefore, the more alarming pollution becomes outside, the more desirable and valuable it is for buildings to be turned into ‘safe havens’ that protect their occupants from the worst effects. We do, after all, spend up to 90 per cent of our time inside – and by addressing the ventilation solutions available it is possible to create indoor ‘clean air zones’.

We are all familiar with the principle of controlling temperature inside buildings to improve comfort and health. When it is too hot or cold outside, people expect to be able to step into comfortable conditions inside. The same principle should apply to air pollution – with people expecting a similar protection from outside conditions.

Unfortunately, in many buildings, the opposite is the case with indoor conditions having a very negative impact on human health.

At the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA), we are campaigning hard for any legislation covering air pollution, in general, to take account of the importance of indoor air quality (IAQ) alongside the more high profile issue of transport and industrial emissions. This is timely because, to mark the 60th anniversary of the UK’s first Clean Air Act, a powerful coalition of environmental campaigners, health bodies and industry groups is pressing the UK government to update clean air legislation.

Written by Giuseppe Borgese, chairman, Building Engineering Services Association

Calling for greater focus on indoor air quality

Facilities Management

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

The arming more al becomes n pollutio , the more outside le it is for valuab o be turned AIR QUALITY AMBITIONS st The group, which includes building‘safe havens’ into otect their Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, the Royal College that pr upants of Physicians, the British Lung occ Foundation and environmental lawyers ClientEarth, wants the UK to give the UK the most ambitious air quality legislation in Europe.

Paul McLaughlin, BESA chief executive, said: “People spend more than 80 per cent of their time indoors and there is still a lot more we can do to improve IAQ. A series of low cost, maintenance measures to ensure ventilation systems work properly and incoming air is filtered and cleaned would make a major difference to the health and well-being of building occupants.

“Reducing toxic emissions from vehicles and industrial processes is vital, but will take many years to produce results and involve major long-term investment. Improving building ventilation is a quick and relatively painless process that can be tackled today to help protect people in the meantime.

Building owners also have a legal duty !

Volume 24.3 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Case Study

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

Daikin Applied explains the importance of regular service and maintenance within the public sector Daikin Applied (UK) Ltd, is the market leader in energy efficient AHU and chiller products and servicing. The dedicated service division, Daikin Applied Service (DAPSUK), has been providing tailored HVAC service and maintenance solutions for over 25 years. With regular maintenance being the key to reliability, the service division’s strength is in working closely with facilities managers to not only maintain the building plant but to continuously monitor the systems, with the target of preventative maintenance, reducing downtime and ultimately reducing the building energy usage.

Both chiller plant and air handling unit plant systems need to be regularly maintained to ensure smooth, trouble free operation. With a regular service and maintenance contract in place unexpected breakdowns can be reduced by up to 70 per cent, with system operation downtime reduced by up to 40 per cent.

Chiller maintenance is extensive and whilst the onsite FM team can carry out some basic weekly checks there is a recommendation of

four service engineer visits per year covering the following: mechanical check – such as chilled water checks on flow switch, air in the system and pressure drop; refrigeration check – such as suction and discharge pressure and superheat and expansion valve operation; electrical inspection – such as on wiring, sensors, high pressure switches, operating currents and transducers; and unit inspection – such as fault generation and response monitoring, controls values and settings.

These service areas covered will help ensure that the chiller remains in good working order. Whilst air handling unit maintenance may be considered a more simple service regime, ensuring that filters are clean or replaced on a regular basis, it is also important to check fundamental

unit operations such as belt tensions, damper operation and electrical connection tightness to ensure that the unit will operate when it is called for.

As part of any service and maintenance agreement preventative maintenance is the key however there are sometimes still unforeseen breakdowns. It is imperative that the service provider can put in place corrective actions at the earliest time, which with over 50 in-field service engineers, 24/7 call out response and locally UK stored spares department Daikin Applied Service can cover the needs for all installations.

The next step change in service and maintenance will be remote monitoring of plant via Daikin on site which will enable even greater levels of forward planning of maintenance and remote diagnostics of problems, further reducing downtime of all plant.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01322 424950 info@daikinapplied.uk www.daikinapplied.uk

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Providing Building Managers with Tailored HVAC Service & Maintenance Packages Daikin Applied UK are fully equipped to service and maintain all brands of air conditioning, chillers and air handling equipment, efficiently and cost effectively. Our engineers are available 24/7 and will respond within 4 hours, complete with on-board spares to minimise downtime and disruptions to business operations.

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 24.3

www.daikinappliedservice.com

Facilities Management

VENTILATION ! of care to protect the health of their tenants and employees.”

A well-sealed building envelope combined with effective filtration of the air supply can reduce the amount of harmful particles coming in by 78 per cent. Considerable investment has already been made in improving the airtightness of buildings to reduce heat loss and, therefore, energy consumption and that same process can be used to manage air quality, but it requires a clear focus on the effectiveness of ventilation systems.

BESA’s own ‘Guide to Good Practice – Internal Cleanliness of Ventilation Systems’ (TR/19) includes step-by-step guidance and references UK and international standards on maintaining ventilation systems to a level essential for good IAQ. Detailed service and maintenance schedules can also be set up by using the Association’s widely adopted SFG20 online tool, which includes targeted tasks related to air quality in specific building types.

This approach has been saving businesses money in a wide range of sectors for a number of years by optimising maintenance, avoiding over-spend, ensuring efficient running of plant and maintaining compliance. It now includes an HTM (Health Technical Memorandum) module designed specifically for healthcare buildings. This Healthcare Functional Set, developed in collaboration with healthcare professionals, aligns SFG20 with the requirements of the HTMs for hospitals, NHS trusts, dentists, as well as vets and doctors’ surgeries.

The new schedules display how often tasks need to be carried out to avoid over or under maintaining assets and what skill set should be used to perform the tasks. This has been shown to save estates managers as much as 20 per cent on their maintenance budgets as well as ensuring buildings perform better in terms of occupant health and productivity.

DYNAMIC ACCESS SFG20 is a dynamic online tool so makes best practice widely available and easy to access. As well as featuring over 500 core maintenance schedules, covering more than 60 equipment types, SFG20 also gives users the opportunity to customise maintenance schedules, including service times, frequency and criticality ratings. SFG20 is also aligned with rapidly emerging digital working methods and is constantly updated to capture evolving service and maintenance techniques.

Planned service and maintenance programmes play an increasingly important role in helping facilities managers maintain comfort levels; identify areas requiring improvement; and meet energy efficiency goals.

With the NHS spending £8.3 billion on estate costs in 2015, according to the NHS Estates Review carried out by the consultant Arcadis, focusing on building engineering maintenance issues has the potential to make a significant difference to the bottom line of most NHS operations.

Brian Dunne, PPM manager at St George’s Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust says: “SFG20 saves a lot of time that we previously had to spend making contact with equipment manufacturers regarding routine maintenance. SFG20 has simplified the task of setting specifications for our maintenance contractors at the same time as making sure we’re following all correct procedures. I also like the fact it’s speedy, making essential information readily available.”

Maintaining good air purity in clinical and general healthcare facilities remains a major priority, but many facilities managers are missing the growing threat from increased outside air pollution. Current NHS technical design guidance is largely focused on managing the risk posed by the transmission of infections from sources inside a building.

However, the building engineering services industry has a wide range of solutions to offer including different levels of filtration, but also other (mainly low cost) improvements, such as upgrading fans; servicing air conditioning and simple maintenance that, not only reduces health risks to building occupants, but also does it in a way that improves the overall efficiency of the ventilation and so significantly cuts running costs.

Optimising the way air is supplied to just one operating theatre could save a hospital £5,000 in annual running costs – or £10 million a year if replicated right across the whole of the NHS and would also avoid 80 tonnes of carbon emissions, according to recent estimates. Any ventilation fan that is over five years old is almost certainly inefficient

and a replacement would pay for itself in less than three years.

Healthcare facilities managers could cut running costs by 29 per cent by replacing the fans in their air handling units and the addition of heat recovery to ventilation systems can reduce costs in non-clinical areas by up to 30 per cent. Even more basic, low cost measures like having grilles and filters cleaned regularly can save thousands of pounds a year. " FURTHER INFORMATION www.thebesa.com

Volume 24.3 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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HEALTH & WELL-BEING

PROMOTING HEALTH, WELLBEING AND PRODUCTIVITY BuroHappold Engineering is concentrating on a people centric approach to workplace design that delivers benefits for both our businesses and our workforce With almost 90 per cent of the UK workforce based in offices, it is vital to consider the impact of the workplace on staff productivity levels. BuroHappold Engineering has been exploring this relationship for over a decade. We have undertaken extensive research into how buildings can promote health, wellbeing and productivity, and understand how implementing even just small changes to the work environment can result in better staff performance.

CONTEMPORARY DESIGN In the public sector, this correlation is exemplified in our work on the new Bexley Civic Offices in London. The brief was to modernise the existing office building and create a contemporary extension that would unite Bexley Council’s staff within one highly flexible workplace.

Working closely with the architect, Bennetts Associates, we developed designs that would realise an open plan and flexible work environment. Informing our approach throughout was our commitment to creating a workplace that would promote the health and wellbeing of its workforce, and by doing so improve productivity levels.

To breathe life into the old building, the suspended ceilings were removed, opening up the interior and exposing the structure of the building to dramatic effect.

Visually, the space became a light and uncluttered environment for occupants to work within. The expansive spaces also generated increased views to the outside, which research has shown can boost productivity levels by up to 12 per cent (Heschong Mahone Group, 2003).

STABLE TEMPERATURES Revealing the concrete structure of the building allowed us to take advantage of the exposed thermal mass as an energy efficient way to maintain a stable interior temperature for occupants. For additional cooling, we introduced suspended multiservice chilled beams. These ensure the temperature remains between 15°C and 30°C year round. This is the thermal comfort range within which people have been proven to experience a lower heart rate, and improved respiratory ventilation

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Credit – Architect: Bennetts Associates, Photographer: Gareth Gardner, Project name: Bexley Civic Centre, Bexleyheath

and oxygen saturation, all of which boost both long term health and performance.

Clever engineering ensures that this airy atmosphere continues through to the new, two storey extension. BuroHappold created a steel and pre-cast concrete structure that has the strength to render the column-free spaces required to realise a flexible workplace, while elegant long-span steel bridges create a seamless aesthetic and visual link between the old and the new areas.

A touch of grandeur was introduced within the new extension in the rendering of the impressive atrium space. Rising the full two storeys at the heart of the building, it is topped with a shimmering glazed roof that draws daylight in to illuminate the foyer below. This natural light changes with the hours and the seasons in quiet parallel with the perpetual movement at the heart of this civic space, and permeates into the office spaces beyond.

Research has proved that a well-planned workplace can have a dramatic effect on employee absenteeism, with one organisation seeing it fall from 12.7 per cent to 3.5 per cent after a redesign (Beauregard, 2011). At the new Bexley Civic Centre, we gave careful consideration to creating an interior layout that will encourage employee cohesion and provide a supportive work environment.

Meeting and social areas create buzzing ‘hubs’ at the centre of each floor, while open plan workspaces are arranged around the periphery.

This ensures that the majority of occupants enjoy proximity to a window and the benefits this entails, such as 173 per cent more white

light and an average of 46 minutes additional high quality sleep each night (Chueng, 2013).

AN INTRINSIC LINK What has been revealed throughout our work on this project, and numerous others across the world, is the intrinsic link between health, wellbeing and productivity, and sustainable and energy efficient design.

Creating buildings that work for people also means creating buildings that work for the planet, and that is why it reaps both personal and business benefits. The systems and strategies that we implemented to boost worker wellbeing in the new Bexley Civic Offices reduced the building’s running costs by £1 million annually, and the project as a whole has established a new benchmark for the public sector.

The evidence base for the benefits of designing for health, wellbeing and productivity is strong and growing. Many industry reports have emerged in recent years that support BuroHappold’s work in this area by demonstrating further correlation between the happiness of the workforce and the profit margins of the business.

But increasing productivity is about more than boosting the UK’s economic bottom line. It is the first step toward improving the resilience of our businesses, ensuring the health of our population, and securing a brighter outlook for us all for the future.!

FURTHER INFORMATION www.burohappold.com

WORKFORCE

Encouraging a healthy workforce

Healthy and well-motivated employees can have a positive impact on the productivity and effectiveness of an organisation.

Using guidance from Acas, Government Business looks at the benefits of maintaining staff with positive health and well-being When we consider health in the workplace, the natural reaction is to conjure images of spillages, wet floor signs, loose wires and chemical hazards. But while the management of physical hazards remains an important issue for facilities management, the landscape of health in the workplace is changing, and we are beginning to see the significance of mental well-being and emotional health become far more noticeable and valued.

Research shows that, naturally, working is good for our health, both physically and emotionally. It enhances self-esteem, encourages companionship and anchors a sense of responsibility and trust. Moreover, a healthy workplace benefits the employer just as much as the employee.

Healthy and motivated workers are statistically more likely to be more productive, provide more of an engaging level of customer service, communicate proficiently and

are less likely to be absent.

Healthy workplaces usually have a number of common features. According to Acas, the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, high levels of trust between employees and managers and effective policies for managing people issues, such as communication, absence, grievance and occupational health, help to create and maintain a healthy workplace. Acas also highlights other features that are often present in a healthy workplace, such as line managers who are confident and trained in people skills, workers being actively involved in decision-making, the use of appropriate health services to tackle absence, managers who promote an attendance culture, flexible and well designed jobs, identifying problems early and resolving them using informal methods, and managers who know how to manage common health problems.

Healthy ted tiva and mo rs are worke e more b likely to tive and produc a more provideng level engagi tomer of cus ce servi

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS Workplaces are amongst the institutions that contribute to, and impact on, our mental health. Mental health, which costs employers in the UK approximately £30 billion a year through lost production, recruitment and absence, rarely conforms to stereotypes and remains largely undiscussed and stigmatised. For example, you can be diagnosed with a mental health condition, such as bipolar disorder, but have a very positive state of mental health, and employers may deem this too personal, too deep or too complex to discuss.

Not listening, and equally not sharing, can prove very costly to the individual and to the business. The Centre for Mental Health charity estimate that employers can cut the cost of mental health – in lost production and replacing staff – by about a third by improving their management of mental health at work.

Furthermore, aside from the financial benefits of addressing mental health, a Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) study into the impact on business of poor mental health in employees found that: 80 per cent find it difficult to concentrate; 62 per cent take longer to do tasks; 57 per cent find it harder to juggle multiple tasks; 50 per cent are potentially less patient with customers and clients; while 37 per cent of sufferers are more likely to get into conflict with colleagues.

Health & Well-being

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

STRESS MANAGEMENT Stress has always been with us. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) define stress as ‘the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them’. In other words, it is a human reaction to excessive amounts of pressure that we try to manage in some way or another.

Pressure is part and parcel of all work and helps to keep us motivated – but excessive !

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Health & Well-being

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W W W. F L A G S 4 E V E N T S . C O M

The office of a new era – Healing Offices® focuses on the mood and health of employees ‘Smart Working’ seemed to be the answer to saving costs by reducing the square footage of office, but does this design principle lead to better working environments, happier employees and a better organisation?

D/DOCK Innovation developed the Healing Offices® concept, where the focus lies on the health and state of mind of the individual through an environment that supports a healthy lifestyle and triggers positive changes in behaviour; happy employees means lower absenteeism and higher productivity.

In 2012, the Dutch health insurance rose to over 90 billion Euro. An increase of 3.7 per cent compared to the previous year.

On the principle that health care costs will continue to rise in the future, like an increase in lifestyle and work-related diseases, public health is one of the biggest social and economic obstacles. Moreover, new ways of working for a disturbed work-life balance conducted: there was always expected from the employee that they can work anywhere and be accessible, which negatively contributed to increasing work-related stress.

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 24.3

This design approach focuses on the mood and health of the individual and offers a solution to the changing needs and disturbed work-life balance of employees.

What makes a Healing Office® unique?

The design elements not only respond to relaxation, exercise and healthy food but also to ‘soft’ factors that are strongly associated with happiness like; connectedness, engagement and autonomy.

The customer wanted to know more about what the Healing Offices® concept means for their specific business. D/DOCK

started D/Science in 2014 to integrate psychological knowledge and research in the design. This is called evidencebased design and can facilitate positive working environment behavioural and changes that promote mood, motivation and habits of employees. D/ Science can evaluate the effects of a Healing Office® in a pre- and post-test.

This results in buildings aimed at output rather than efficiency with the associated quality of design and materialisation.

D/DOCK focuses on lower absenteeism (30 per cent), increased productivity (20 per cent) and a longer life expectancy (10 years).

Healing Offices® projects include: Google, Amsterdam (2014); Motion 10, Rotterdam (2015); Amgen, Munich (2016); and Macaw, Amsterdam (expected June 2017).

Part of the costs is covered by health insurance. The program can also be implemented in parts.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: +31 (0)20 420 13 32 l.stabel@ddock.com www.ddock.com

WORKFORCE

! pressure can lead to stress which undermines performance, is costly to employers and can make people ill. Stress is ill health – both of the body and of the mind.

In the chronic stage it can result in respiratory problems, heart disease, skin conditions, migraines and breakdowns. In the acute stage it often occurs in the form of anxiety and other feelings of panic, memory loss, unusual eating habits, irritability and withdrawn behaviour.

When you consider the current working climate, with jobs at threat, budgets cut and all the time workloads increasing, it is not surprising that stress is the most common cause of long-term sickness absence. Each new case of stress leads to an average of 31 days off work.

Work-related stress can be caused where there is a disconnect between specific job requirements and an individual’s abilities, resources or needs. This can manifest in employees becoming overloaded if they are unable to handle the workflow demand and feeling disaffected and, consequently, performing poorly if they have no say over how and when they do their work.

Furthermore, employees will feel anxious about their work and the organisation if they don’t know what is expected of them.

To tackle this, organisations should pay attention to the way jobs are designed, training needs and whether it is possible for employees to work more flexible hours, while continuing to consider how employees are actively involved in decision making, the contribution made by teams and how reviewing performance can help identify strengths and weaknesses. In regards to relationships, organisations should check your policies for handling grievances, unsatisfactory performance, poor attendance and misconduct, and for tackling bullying and harassment – all of which can contribute to an individuals personal stress. In addition to this, change needs to be managed effectively or it can lead to huge uncertainty and insecurity. Therefore, plan ahead so that change doesn’t come out of the blue.

Health & Well-being

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

Mental health, which costs employers in the UK approximately £30 billion a year through lost production, recruitment and absence, rarely conforms to stereotypes and remains largely undiscussed and stigmatised LOOK AT JOB DESIGN Job design is about the way a job fits into the wider picture: how it contributes to producing a product or service, how it is linked to other jobs and the variety, pace and nature of the work itself. Employees often have a very good idea how their job works best in terms of organisation and work-flow.

They will usually know what causes the bottlenecks and how work patterns can be improved to increase productivity or save time. Job design may be harder to vary with jobs based on routine or repetitive tasks.

Employers need to hold regular meetings with employees to discuss work plans.

This is a good time to talk about any likely problems and individual workloads. At these meetings patterns may emerge in terms of how employees or teams cope with particular tasks and it may be possible to improve the variety and flow of work to an individual employee. Managers should also meet with employees individually.

This may happen routinely as part of a reporting or appraisal system and should highlight problem areas in the way a job is designed. For example, an employee may have concerns about the level of responsibility they are given for completing a task or may want to suggest changes in the speed at which work is processed.

As part of an effective appraisal system employees should have specific objectives they are working towards. The more directly these objectives are linked to those of the organisation the more focused the job design.

Employees will feel more motivated and less stressed if they feel their job is part

of a coherent whole. New technology and employee turnover mean that job designs must often be fluid. Computer systems and software are frequently being upgraded and new employees will often bring different levels of experience and expertise. So job designs need to be regularly monitored to ensure that they fit any changes in workloads or personnel.

Change can be quite threatening and stressful so employers need to involve employees in planning ahead and making decisions.

Employers should also consider the impact that job design has on team building – if job descriptions don’t change to match changing circumstances it can affect the relationships between team members and how effectively they work together The design of jobs should allow scope for people to develop and give of their best. It is not enough to create jobs and then just walk away or set up training courses and assume everyone will know what they are doing. The process of good job design will include an ongoing dialogue between the employer and employee. The way a job is designed may be particularly important to employees with disabilities. Employers should be aware of the possible impact of physical and environmental factors in causing stress-related illness.

Reasonable adjustments should be made, where appropriate, to help those with disabilities to perform their jobs as effectively as possible. " FURTHER INFORMATION www.acas.org.uk

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Safety & Health Expo

Half.pdf 1 03/05/2017 BUSINESS M25H INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND 16:51:44 CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

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Supplying top quality fire safety equipment to fulfil the safety necessities of every workplace Fire Depot’s mission is to share fire safety advice and fire equipment recommendations. Every business is different but there are many pieces of fire equipment that every organisation needs whether they are situated in an office environment, warehouse or factory.

Every office building needs at least one fire extinguisher. This will depend on your premises and type of workspace, factory or warehouse: The carbon dioxide extinguisher is harmless to delicate equipment and materials making it ideal for all electrical risks where oils, spirits etc are in use; the foam fire extinguisher is a good solution for multi-risk usage; the wet chemical extinguisher is used for oils, as it cools burning oils and reduces re-ignition; the water fire extinguisher can be used for multiple purposes and performs well in tests; water additive fire extinguishers contain a powerful ‘EcoSpray’ additive and work well where manual handling restrictions apply; powder fire extinguishers can tackle the majority of fires which involve wood, paper, flammable liquids and electrics; and powder fire extinguishers can also be used on vehicle fires and can

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 24.3

be stored in cars or commercial vehicles.

Fire exit signs are essential for all businesses to guide users to the correct exit. Fire Depot supply emergency exit boxes and the exit hanging signs which use long life LEDs for maximum durability in the case of a fire.

During a fire, there is an increased risk of the main power supply cutting out which means emergency lighting is necessary for employees and customers to exit safely. The emergency lights provided by Fire Depot

will operate in emergency mode for up to three hours.

Accidents of all kinds occur, and having a first aid kit with all its contents intact is essential. Over the years bits and pieces may have been used but not replaced.

Take the opportunity to have a look and see what is missing to ensure that your business is prepared for any accident.

From small beginnings as a manufacturer of fire blankets back in 1963 to today, more than 50 years on, Fire Depot is part of the Sentura Group; a successful group of companies dedicated to improving the built environment. Sentura’s vision is of a world where every workplace is safe and secure and the users are happy and healthy.

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EVENT PREVIEW

Safety & Health Expo

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

Behavioural safety and occupational health solutions Safety & Health Expo caters for all those with a health, safety and well-being remit, exploring the latest health and safety products and services on the market. Government Business previews the event’s content streams Talking place alongside IFSEC International and the Facilities Show, the Safety & Health Expo returns to London’s ExCeL Centre on 20-22 June 2017. Providing networking opportunities and engaging, accredited seminar sessions, the event will also showcase products and services from over 300 leading suppliers. Supported by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), Safety & Health Expo is the only place in the UK where all key health and safety associations, manufacturers, distributors, consultants, industry leads and influencers come together, giving you access to unrivalled expertise and networking under one roof.

As well as showcasing products and services from over 300 leading suppliers, Safety & Health Expo will offer visitors a comprehensive educational programme featuring more than 80 hours of CPD accredited content, access to a lively PPE, workwear and corporate wear fashion show and will play host to a number of industry awards

ceremonies and exclusive networking events.

Whether you’re looking to source products, learn or network there’s plenty here for you.

STRATEGIC, TOPICAL DEBATES The Keynote Theatre will welcome a number of high profile speakers and feature strategic, topical debates including ‘mental health in the workplace’, ‘different approaches to safety culture’, and ‘the sentencing guidelines’.

For the first time, as part of an interactive training session, the Keynote Theatre will feature live theatre alongside the inspirational speakers Dame Kelly Holmes, Professor Brian Cox and Simon Weston.

Other seminar sessions in the Keynote Theatre include: ‘workplace design, productivity and well-being’; ‘exploring the universe’; ‘women in health and safety’; ‘the impact of outsourced FM on health and safety’ and ‘the impact of Brexit on FM and occupational safety and health’.

Also speaking in the theatre, Rugby Union World Cup Final referee Nigel Owens will present on ‘peak performance and tough decisions’. Widely considered to be the best official in rugby union, Owens is the only openly gay official in what’s seen as an especially masculine sport,

Th show e e key hea nables safety a lth and ss manufa ociations, ctu distribu tors, co rers, ns industr y leads ultants, and influenc e r s t o come to gether

showing both authority and humour on the pitch. Owens regularly talks about the hurdles he had to overcome, and the skills required to make tough decisions with tough characters.

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH Programmed in partnership with the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS), British Safety Council, IOSH and RoSPA, the Operational Excellence Theatre will cover occupational health, mental health and well-being, and the dos and don’ts of risk assessment, including an Health & Safety Executive perspective. Seminars include ‘what makes a good risk assessment?’ ‘tackling ill-health in construction’, ‘ISO 45001 – the way forward’, and ‘managing the risks of an ageing population’.

Other seminar sessions in the Operational Excellence Theatre include: ‘asbestos still kills - what difference can you make’; ‘prevention is better than cure’; ‘workplace traffic management in warehouses’; ‘rest, recovery and resilience’ and ‘governance over the risk assessment process’.

LEADERSHIP AND CULTURAL SAFETY The Professional Development Theatre aims to support leaders and future leaders of the profession, with seminars focussed on career development & qualifications, soft skills and behavioural safety and culture. Seminars taking place in this theatre include ‘core skills for influencing’, ‘tackling workplace stress’, ‘IOSH blueprint’, ‘NEBOSH reflective !

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

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EVENT PREVIEW ! learning’, ‘safety culture models’ and ‘the impact of leadership on cultural safety’.

LONE WORKERS With plenty of case studies, the Lone Worker Theatre will look at best practice in lone worker health and safety. Speakers representing the NHS, Danone, Brent Council and Roadchef, amongst others, will take to the stage to share their experiences.

Joy Cole, health and safety advisor for Brent Council, will provide a case study on how to implement a comprehensive and effective lone worker solution from Brent Council, one of London’s most diverse Boroughs. The lone workers from the council, like many others, carry out lone visits to residents homes for a variety of reasons. Much of their work involves conveying messages and decisions that may not be well received by the customer.

Community staff often feel like the poor relation in terms of security provided to ensure their safety. NHS staff working on the main hospital sites usually have access to an on-site security team with a range of technology available to summon help if and when required.

Working in the community, often alone, requires a different skill mix to ensure personal safety. What can we do to address their concerns? Jayne King, head of security and site services for Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, seeks to answer this question in her session on the consistency of acute and community NHS staff.

Other sessions will include ‘portable

Joy Cole, health and safety advisor for Brent Council, one of London’s most diverse Boroughs, will provide a case study on how to implement a comprehensive and effective lone worker solution gas detection meets the wireless internet of things’; ‘essential training for the lone workers’; ‘how well-being and mental health impacts lone workers’; ‘personal safety culture’; and ‘preventing stress and strengthening the resilience of the lone worker’.

AWARDING EXCELLENCE Following a successful launch in 2016, the Rising Star Awards will celebrate the achievement of young people and those new to the profession, rewarding those who have demonstrated excellence in their roles.

Co-located with Safety & Health Expo, The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) celebrate their prestigious Health and Safety Awards alongside their 100th year anniversary. Taking place on 20 June at the ExCeL London, The RoSPA Awards are internationally recognised and have become the most sought after accolade by organisations from every sector.

RoSPA’s Gala Dinner is regarded as the ultimate celebration of health and safety management excellence. The event is a truly international affair, with award winners and guests representing organisations not just from the UK, but from around

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the world. After-dinner entertainment will also be provided by top comedian and I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here star Joel Dommett, with Heart FM radio presenter Ed James hosting the evening’s celebrations.

PROFESSIONAL CLOTHING SHOW Professional Clothing Show will partner with Safety & Health Expo for the second year running, bringing visitors more corporate wear, workwear and personal protective equipment than ever before.

The co-location with Safety & Health Expo coincides with an expanding focus on health, safety and protection.

Professional Clothing Show is the only dedicated exhibition for buyers, specifiers and suppliers looking to source the latest uniform and PPE. SHE Live!, the popular fashion show whereby models showcase the latest workwear, corporate wear and PPE, is moving into the prestigious 400 seater inspirational keynote theatre.

Berendsen, Scott Safety, WG Industries, Arco and Regatta were amongst the brands featured on the 2016 catwalk. " FURTHER INFORMATION www.safety-health-expo.co.uk

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Translation Services Written by Geoffrey Bowden, Association of Translation Services

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LANGUAGE

Communicating effectively post-Brexit Geoffrey Bowden, general secretary for the Association of Translation Services, discusses Article 50; a double edged sword for the UK language industry With our exit from the EU officially set in motion, the UK language industry, like many other sectors, faces a prolonged period of uncertainty as the terms of that exit are negotiated. While negotiations take place, the opportunities afforded to the sector by current exchange rates, in both supporting the growth of UK exporters and therefore expanding their international reach, are being maximised by many Language Service Providers (LSPs). Their services are now looking very competitive for purchasers based outside the UK. However, we must proceed with caution and not lose perspective. The longer-term threats to our economy and the language industry remain very real, and are something, which we, as an industry and the government, need to address as a matter of urgency.

The most pressing issue for an industry, which relies heavily on mother-tongue linguists, is the status of EU nationals living and working in the UK – some for many years. Regardless of the many reassurances made by various members of the UK’s negotiating team that this matter will be top of the agenda, no guarantees are being offered. This uncertainty is causing great anxiety among the language community, who are feeling that they are being used as human bargaining chips. A number I have spoken to are worried that, even if they are granted ‘leave to remain’, the Home Office will make the bureaucracy incredibly burdensome and exploit the opportunity to introduce exorbitant charges. Such is the uncertainty, some have told me that they are putting plans to buy homes on hold and delaying decisions about their children’s education.

Away from the personal impact of Brexit on individuals working in the language sector, the drivers of UK plc do seem to be confounding the gloomy forecasts made ahead of the referendum. The latest figures from the Office

of National Statistics indicates an increase in GDP by 0.7 per cent in the final quarter of 2016, and predicts a two per cent rise in GDP this year. In the short-term at least, there is cause for optimism in our sector. Indeed, as

Poor ills e sk languagrrently are cu the UK costing 48 billion y£ econom, highlighting a year nt untapped a signific otential p

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 24.3

sterling remains weak against other currencies, UK exporters are taking advantage and sales are increasing, which is good for a service industry such as our own. The imperative for UK manufacturers to find new global markets and trade partners ahead of our EU exit, means that now, more than ever, is the time for them to start investing in professional language services.

COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY Regardless of the size of an organisation, accurate translations, in which all colloquialisms and cultural references are spot on, add great value to a business. Every piece of research shows that by communicating effectively in the language of an export target market, companies can expand opportunities to build relationships and sell their products and services globally, both on and offline. However, exporters should be wary of taking shortcuts or trying to save money by using non-professionals to create their translations. So often this can lead to comical outcomes. This may raise a smile, but a more likely outcome is damage to a company’s credibility and reputation. It is only

by accessing the right services from the right professional language company that bear traps can be avoided and the opportunities to develop new overseas markets maximised.

According to the recent UK language industry research 2016, it seems as though more UK manufacturers are opening their eyes to the benefits which a professional languages services company can offer, with the UK’s £1 billion language sector reporting a growth of 4.2 per cent during 2016. The UK also ranked third in the EUATC Language Industry Survey 2017, a recent European index of positivity related to the future expansion of the language service industry, and is significantly out-performing many of its European counterparts.

The size of the French language industry for example is currently estimated to be worth between $650 and $950 million. When looked at in relation to the total levels of foreign trade, UK LSPs significantly out sell their French counterparts, with UK language service sales translating into 0.13 per cent of its total $1 trillion foreign trade. For France, where foreign trade levels are similar to the UK’s, it

Every piece of research shows that by communicating effectively in the language of an export target market, companies can expand opportunities to build relationships and sell their products globally, both on and offline falls to 0.1 per cent. So, while current sector performance is encouraging, there remains a huge opportunity, which is still being missed by many UK exporters to capitalise on the services of LSPs. A study for the Department of Business Innovation and Skills highlighted that poor language skills are currently costing the UK economy £48 billion a year (3.5 per cent of GDP) in lost export sales, so while we are delighted to see a year-on-year growth in the industry there is still significant untapped potential.

BUYING TRANSLATION SERVICES GUIDANCE This is why, as an organisation which is committed to supporting UK companies

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maximise their international reach through language services, the Association of Translation Companies (ATC) has developed a free Guide to Buying Translation Services.

We appreciate that many companies may be considering commissioning language services for the very first time and we wanted to make this resource available to help them both in their decision-making process and to ensure they get the very best results for their money once they have appointed an LSP. Available to download on the ATC website, the guide provides advice on everything from the different services available, best practice when it comes to briefing a company, the pros and cons of machine translation and even some plain English explanations of language industry jargon which buyers may encounter. But most importantly, when commissioning a languages services company it is about finding the right long-term partner for your business and, as with any supplier, the longer you work with them, the better they will understand your business philosophy, strategy and products and the more effective their texts will be.

While Brexit may present many opportunities that could significantly benefit the UK’s growing language industry, the impending departure from the EU was rated as the industry’s top concern in its annual market study. Apart from the uncertainty surrounding the future of UK-based linguists, who are EU citizens, other top issues cited in the report included unfettered access to the Single Market; the introduction of tariffs making language services uncompetitive; the added expense of bank transfers outside of the EU; the impact of currency fluctuations and concerns that an exit will lead to burdensome bureaucracy.

So, while the language industry is looking to maximise opportunities created by the current economic climate, we must do so with a dose of realism. The UK hasn’t actually left the EU yet and that the real impact for both the industry and those working within it may only become clear once it does.

We are urging the government to sit up and take note of the issues raised, especially as any negotiated agreements will ultimately rely on the skills and abilities of linguists to ensure that their meaning is crystal clear and unambiguous in all European Community languages. !

FURTHER INFORMATION www.atc.org.uk

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EVENT PREVIEW

The rebranding of terror and Putin’s Machiavellian genius

IFSEC International

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Taking place on 20–22 June 2017, IFSEC International provides hands-on access to over 10,000 security solutions, live product demonstrations and networking for security professionals. Here, IFSEC International looks at terrorist strategy, international relations and June’s event ‘Security decision-making in the age of Russian revanchism and terrorism’ was the weighty topic of discussion for the headline act – Dr Samir Puri of Kings College London – at ASIS UK’s Spring Seminar 2017. Dr Puri charted the evolution of terrorism and the tectonic shifts in international relations since the end of the Cold War heralded the unipolar moment.

But first he sought to clarify a common misunderstanding. The term ‘strategy’, said Puri, is regularly misused and mistakenly seen as synonymous with mere planning.

But strategy, he said, is fundamentally about dealing with uncertainty and has been characterised as the sum of determining your ‘ends’, ‘ways’ and ‘means’.

Perhaps the most seminal work on military strategy remains Sun Tzu’s The Art of War from 514BC, albeit it has probably been cited more in business than military contexts in recent decades. Puri suggested that in the perverse logic of war, violence essentially serves as a form of communication. Military commanders might launch an assault not

just to gain territory or wipe out enemy units, but also to send a message to the enemy.

In his book Strategy: A History, Lawrence Freedman incongruously, quotes Mike Tyson: “Everyone has a plan ’til they get punched in the mouth.” He also says that strategy ‘is about getting more out of a situation than the starting balance of power would suggest’.

Which brings us to Vladimir Putin. The election of President Trump means the world is under new security management. Certain countries are seizing the chance to exploit that fact, as well as the Brexit vote in June.

PINING FOR THE DAYS OF STATE-SPONSORED TERROR Things were so different back in 1990. US economic and military power was untrammeled and terrorists were sponsored by states, which the US could then punish. When

George Bush Jnr invaded Iraq in 2003 he assumed that this model still prevailed. We all know what happened next, and now, in 2017, terrorism can be planned and enacted by a lone individual – without any assistance, never mind with the backing of a nation state.

George Bush Snr’s 1990 Kuwaiti adventure, which was a response to the invasion of a sovereign state and was backed by a UN resolution, enjoyed rather greater moral and legal legitimacy (arguably the war would have been more virtuous had the coalition troops stayed a while longer).

More recently, the success of the decapitation strategy – culminating in the 2011 assassination of Osama Bin Laden – seemed to give the West the upper hand in the War on Terror, but any respite has proven to be brief.

Defined not by territory but ideology, Islamic extremism is as resilient as any other ‘ism’ !

Govern have in ments budget creased for phy allocation systems sical security in orde and solutions rt people, o protect as and dat sets a

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IFSEC International

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Implementing high quality standby power systems for UK and EU corporates

Introducing the one stop solution for a range of security requirements

Fuel Cell Systems Ltd is a UK based company, which has been applying fuel cells to real life tasks for 15 years. In that time it has accumulated a great deal of knowledge across all technologies and sizes of fuel cell.

This year, Fuel Cell Systems will be showing its new Pelicase enclosure which is particularly useful for the security market. Coupled with an SFC EFOY Pro fuel cell (for which Fuel Cell Systems is the only authorised distributor in the UK), it offers an all-in-one, covert power supply, which is easy to deploy, fully portable and can be left to run for long periods without requiring maintenance.

Fuel cells are very efficient providers of electrical power.

They generate electricity by chemical means, no combustion takes place and convert more of their fuel into electricity and less

Frontier Pitts will be showcasing its innovative physical security solutions at IFSEC, Excel between the 20-22 of June. It will be exhibiting on stand E1700. As a previous winner of the IFSEC Physical Security of the Year Award, Frontier Pitts looks forward to the annual must attend event for the Security Industry.

Frontier Pitts’ large portfolio of security gates, automatic barriers, bollards, roadblockers, pedestrian gates and turnstiles will be demonstrated, with technical consultants available to discuss requirements.

On the stand Frontier Pitts will be showcasing its 100 per cent duty rated fully customisable automatic rising arm barriers.

Available in boom lengths up to 10m, the firm’s clients branding and livery can be incorporated on the barriers cabinet and

into heat. They offer a reliable, remote power source which is quiet, has few moving parts and can keep providing power whatever the weather conditions.

For more information please get in contact via the details listed below, or come along to the FCS stand (C675) at IFSEC and speak to an adviser.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01488 507050 enquiries@fuelcell systems.co.uk www.fuelcellsystems.co.uk

boom. From the United Kingdom headquarters in Crawley, Sussex, Frontier Pitts can provide a complete range of services including design, site surveys, manufacture, installation and maintenance. Frontier Pitts is committed to ensuring the safety of all the equipment that it manufactures, installs and commissions. All products are CE marked. For more information visit the website or call to speak to an adviser.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: +44 1293 548301 sales@frontierpitts.com www.frontierpitts.com

Fuel cells provide covert, off-grid power for security systems – a necessary asset to the public sector With security a key priority in the public sector, the need for reliable surveillance systems, including CCTV, is growing. Crucial to the running of these systems is a suitable power source, one which provides uninterrupted, ideally noise-free power, and which can be deployed in areas where no mains electricity connection is available.

Fuel Cell Systems has been working with customers to address this issue since 2003. Police, local authorities and central government require CCTV systems that can operate remotely, often for long periods of time without the need for human intervention. Fuel Cells can do this.

They provide a covert, reliable power source that needs no maintenance. They are almost silent in operation – no vibrations, noise, exhaust or heat is detectable. They can run for days or weeks without human intervention.

Additionally, they are virtually emission free.

Power is generated using an eco-friendly catalytic process. As a result, this technology is one of the cleanest options available.

Tom Sperrey, CEO of Fuel Cell Systems Ltd commented: “Our customers have found fuel cells to be particularly useful

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for CCTV and security applications. Four UK police forces have implemented fuel cell-based surveillance systems and another five are currently evaluating them.

The product is extremely flexible – we offer a range of stand-alone enclosures suitable for all weather conditions.”

Fuel Cell Systems works with a number of CCTV companies. Daniel del Soldato from Wireless CCTV Ltd explained how the firm’s fuel cells, installed in hybrid operation with batteries, have worked for customers: “We are able to install our Rapid

Deployment CCTV Towers into the most remote locations regardless of existing infrastructure, meaning that more people are able to benefit from the peace of mind and cost savings that our systems deliver.

The use of fuel cells has helped us change the way we do business.”

Several state and federal law enforcement organisations as well as security companies throughout the world are already using fuel cells as a power supply for border control, physical protection, event security and undercover surveillance. Additionally, fuel cells can communicate data on their own status that can be integrated with the main data stream or transmitted separately using FCS’s bespoke StackWatch system.

FCS is a UK based company, at the forefront of development in this market. For more information please get in contact.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01488 507050 enquiries@fuelcellsystems.co.uk www.fuelcellsystems.co.uk

EVENT PREVIEW Soar in gun and knife crime in London

IFSEC International

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Latest figures from the Metropolitan Police have revealed a rise of 42 per cent in gun crime and 24 per cent in knife crime in London, leading to criticism of the Metropolitan Police’s performance.

Featuring both drone and anti-drone technology, the Drone Zone offers advice and insights about enhancing your security operation with the latest cutting-edge innovations in the field ! (such as communism) and is simply rebranded for each new generation. Enter Isis, in 2014.

PUTIN THE POWER BROKER The unipolar moment has long since passed.

China now rivals the US economically and, 17 years on from the humiliating loss of prestige and population (50 per cent of its citizenry, no less), Russia is globally influential once again. Putin has carved out a role as power broker in Syria, Ukraine and the US presidential elections – all the more remarkable given that Russia is, economically, a basket case. Puri, who recently spent a year in Ukraine (involving trenches, he said the conflict there was like a 20th century war), said Putin has a ‘grand vision’ plus an ability to exploit events – a rare combination in one person.

Obama, on the other hand, failed to wield US power productively (though Puri declared himself a fan of the former president in other ways). The speaker also noted the contrast between how China wields soft power – providing money in return for access to natural resources – and the approach of the West: providing aid on condition of improving human rights or releasing political prisoners.

THE SECURITY IMPLICATIONS With the estimated annual growth rate of the global physical security market projected at 9.98 per cent each year by 2020, the budget allocation for procuring and upgrading security systems is bigger than

ever. Coupled with the growing incidence of terror attacks, governments have increased budget allocation for physical security systems and solutions in order to protect people, assets and data. In response to this, IFSEC International has launched a new show, Borders & Infrastructure Expo, taking place between 20-22 June 2017, at ExCeL London.

Borders & Infrastructure Expo, running alongside IFSEC International, will focus on products, solutions and education for border control, critical national infrastructure, law enforcement, transport and the protection of key strategic assets. This high-level launch event will bring together big-budget buyers, policymakers and influencers from the UK and around the world and cover a wide range of technologies in physical and perimeter security, border control, transport security, cyber security and much more. Visitors to this free-to-attend event can also see drones/ UAVs in action in the Drone Zone. Featuring both drone and anti-drone technology, the Drone Zone offers advice and insights about enhancing your security operation with the latest cutting-edge innovations in the field.

Experienced LPCB technicians will carry out attack testing in the LPCB Attack Testing Zone.

Taking place twice daily within the dedicated LPCB/ BRE Global area in the IFSEC Borders & Infrastructure Expo, the tests will show you how products withstand direct physical assault from a range of tools and devices commonly used in attempted break-ins and intrusions.

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) highlighted ‘some areas of serious concern’, emphasising child protection and ethical practice as areas of substandard performance by the force. It was also reported that the Metropolitan Police ‘requires improvement in ensuring its workforce behaves ethically and lawfully’.

HMIC published its assessment of every force in England and Wales in April, with West Midlands, Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire police, the three biggest forces aside from London, rated as good in every category.

Matt Parr, HMIC’s inspector for London, said that London’s ‘size and complexity of the organisation’ cause ‘particular challenges’ for the Capital. He was also quick to praise the Metropolitan Police for its mobilisation when a lone terrorist attacked Westminster in March.

Parr said: “I am satisfied with some aspects of the Metropolitan Police service’s overall performance, but there are some areas of serious concern about its effectiveness that the force needs to address. I have concerns about the quality of the initial stages of its investigations and, in particular, the shortage of trained detectives within the force.”

FURTHER INFORMATION tinyurl.com/kehkusu

Richard Flint, physical security certification scheme manager at the Building Research Establishment (BRE), says: “We’re very pleased to be able to demonstrate live attack testing at Borders & Infrastructure Expo at IFSEC 2017. The ability to show live attack scenarios on a range of LPS1175 products is beneficial for the visiting audience as it will reveal how highly engineered these products are and how they’ve attained the relevant approvals to existing standards.” " FURTHER INFORMATION www.ifsec.events/international

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DATA PROTECTION

In February, a town council in Devon was held to ransom by hackers demanding £3,000 in return for public data. With local authorities moving towards smarter, more digital services, Daniel Nesbitt, research director for Big Brother Watch, looks at the importance of local authority data security There is no escaping it, we all live in a digital world. Whether you like it or not data about each of us is being generated, collected and used more than ever before – we are all now digital citizens. For local authorities this explosion of data creates new opportunities. Once it has been collected, information can be used to better target services and potentially improve efficiency.

Traditionally, local authorities have held information about their citizens such as names, addresses, financial

information and benefits records, data existing in order to provide specific services. But now, with a push towards Big Data analysis and the opportunity to embed technologies into our environments which can monitor our every move, it is likely that local authorities will want to access more and more data on residents. Indeed many councils are already exploring new ways of collecting and using data. Essex County Council, for example, is rolling out sensors for every street light in order to ‘track atmospheric data to traffic noise’ !

Data ion protect ing; is chang18 the 20 in May tection Act o Data Pr ll be updated i 1998 w the General with rotection Data P lation Regu

The Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) has urged companies to protect themselves against cyber crime after statistics have found nearly half of all UK businesses suffered a cyber breach or attack in the past 12 months.

The Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2017 revealed nearly 70 per cent of large businesses identified a breach or attack, with the average cost to large businesses of all breaches over the period being £20,000 and in some cases reaching millions.

The survey also shows businesses holding electronic personal data on customers were much more likely to suffer cyber breaches than those that do not (51 per cent compared to 37 per cent). The report showed the most common cyber attacks were via fraudulent emails, followed by viruses and malware, such as people impersonating the organisation online and ransomware.

Businesses also identified these common breaches as their single most disruptive breach. The DCMS highlighted that the vast majority of them could have been prevented using the government-backed, industry supported Cyber Essentials scheme, a source of expert guidance showing how to protect against these threats.

The DCMS warned that new statistics show businesses across the UK are being targeted by cyber criminals every day and the scale and size of the threat is growing, which risks damaging profits and customer confidence.

Ciaran Martin, CEO of the National Cyber Security Centre, said: “UK businesses must treat cyber security as a top priority if they want to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the UK’s vibrant digital economy. The majority of successful cyber attacks are not that sophisticated but can cause serious commercial damage.

By getting the basic defences right, businesses of every size can protect their reputation, finances and operating capabilities. Cyber Essentials, technical advice on CiSP and regularly updated guidance on the NCSC website offers companies, big and small, simple steps that can significantly reduce the risk of a successful attack.”

Written by Daniel Nesbitt, research director, Big Brother Watch

Data protection: a necessity, not a choice

Half of UK firms hit by cyber breach

Cyber Security

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Cyber Security

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DATA PROTECTION ! whilst Glasgow City Council claims to have over 370 different datasets available as part of its Future City programme. This new wave of data is allowing some authorities to begin exploring the idea of smart cities.

You can see how this all sounds exciting and revolutionary, but with increased data gathering comes increased responsibility, especially if the data relates to people, their movements, decisions, actions, behaviour or

The A Breach of Trust report found that between 2011 and 2014 councils suffered over 4,000 cases where personal information of citizens was lost, stolen or misused

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lifestyle choices. Not only is consideration of people’s privacy (even in public places) necessary, but consideration to the protection of any data collected if it relates to a person is absolutely critical. A data driven society must also be a data secure society and to be honest local authorities have a lot of work to do before they can be trusted with our basic data let alone the vast swathes of big data these new opportunities will create.

In 2015 we published the report A Breach of Trust. This report, based on Freedom of Information responses from UK local

authorities, found that between 2011 and 2014 councils suffered over 4,000 cases where personal information of citizens was lost, stolen or misused. This worked out to be an average of four data breaches every week. The same report also found that data breaches could be divided into two categories; those which occurred by accident and those which were malicious, targeted actions.

The majority of breaches were purely accidental; for example laptops being mislaid or confidential files being left in public areas.

The remainder, malicious breaches, involved examples such as the purposeful theft of data via an official stealing a memory stick and an external hacker breaking into a council’s system.

The lower figures in relation to malicious hacks may at this point seem reassuring but recent news reports have revealed that several councils have fallen victim to cyber-attacks.

In February of this year it was reported that a clerk working for Tiverton Town Council mistakenly opened an email attachment containing a virus. The virus subsequently locked a number of files on the council system and resulted in hackers demanding £3,000 in return for releasing them. In a similar incident Lincolnshire County Council’s system was taken offline and the council was forced to pay attackers $500 in Bitcoin.

You may think these are one off examples of poor practice but don’t be fooled, hacks of this nature are on the rise, no one should be complacent about cyber attacks and no organisation should rest on their laurels when it comes to ensuring their systems are safe.

WHY DOES THIS MATTER? Well, it’s simple: if a council is found to have a poor track record of data protection citizens won’t trust them to keep their information safe. This will make utilising the plethora of new data much more difficult.

To make matters more pressing the time when good data protection was a choice rather than a necessity is fast coming to an end. Clearly any local authority which wants to benefit from the opportunities of data needs to address the threats it brings first.

Of course nothing can entirely eradicate data breaches but we at Big Brother Watch have identified a range of steps which can be taken to improve data protection. To begin with councils should consider whether collecting large quantities of data is actually necessary. Just collecting and retaining the data you have a use for can make systems easier to manage, reduce the amount of data that could be stolen, lost or misused and could in turn help to reduce costs and target resources more effectively. By not creating unnecessarily large stores of data you reduce chances of producing a honeypot which could otherwise tempt hackers.

Obviously some data will need to be collected and stored and it is at this point that strong data protection will be necessary. Ensuring data is encrypted at all

times (be it in transit or at rest in storage) should be top of any local authority’s to do list. This is not just the cry of a privacy campaigner, it is the cry of government and the Information Commissioner as well.

The Department of Communities and Local has warned that: “Public bodies that fail to secure personal data will be investigated by the Information Commissioner and can expect a fine if found negligent.”

Be clear, this is not an idle threat; the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined a number of councils for their poor approach to data protection.

Hampshire County Council was fined £100,000 after it was found that confidential documents had been left behind by staff when they moved offices.

To tackle accidental data loss every member of staff with access to personal information should fully understand their role in keeping the data of citizens secure.

This means having a high standard of data protection training available across all local authorities. Proper training will help ensure that staff members have a decent level of understanding of their responsibilities.

CREATING A COMMON APPROACH If local authorities are to effectively tackle the issues of data loss, misuse and theft it’s not enough to just protect against something happening; there must also be a commonality in reporting and responding to an incident.

Currently what one council defines as a serious data breach may not be the same as another council. Citizens have to be able to see how well their council is protecting information. Without a common approach to reporting breaches some councils run the risk of looking much worse than others simply because they are stricter about recording incidents.

Similarly responses to data breaches need to be standardised. In some councils something as seemingly innocuous as failing to bcc an email results in a verbal warning whilst in others no action is taken. Some councils also suffer from this problem internally, Hammersmith and Fulham Council disciplined those responsible for two instances of ‘data loss’ but took no action in the 41 other cases it suffered. Both of these changes would remove the sense that people are dealing with a postcode lottery when it comes to ensuring their data is properly protected.

Caring about and actively protecting data is a live topic. Data protection is changing; in May 2018 the Data Protection Act 1998 will be updated with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The informed consent of citizens will have to be obtained before any data collection takes place. Key to gaining this consent will be proving you’re able to keep the data safe. For any council found to be taking a poor approach to data protection the maximum penalties will be much more serious.

Instead of a £500,000 fine the most severe cases will be met with a fine of €20 million

Gloucestershire CC apologises over data breach

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Gloucestershire County Council has apologised to 14 vulnerable adults whose personal details were published online, after data was posted on a procurement website, revealing details such as health conditions and social care needs.

Staff had attached personal ‘pen pictures’ of adults requiring such urgent help to notices available to the public on the supplyingthesouthwest.org.uk portal, dating from the start of 2017.

The local authority maintained it had ‘done everything we can’ to remove the online material. The victims of the breach had been informed and an investigation is under way.

The council uses online procurement portals to post notices when urgent residential or non-residential care was needed for people with physical disabilities, learning disabilities or mental health needs.

Pete Bungard, the council’s chief executive, has ‘sincerely apologised’ for the error, and assured staff had already been retrained while an internal investigation was carried out.

A spokeswoman for the authority said GCC had ‘worked with the procurement websites and search engines’ and added she was ‘confident the council has done everything it can to remove the information’.

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or four per cent of an organisation’s annual turnover, whichever is greater.

By taking account of our proposals we believe councils stand a better chance of being ready for May 2018 and the new data protection regime. Whilst this new data-driven age may well bring with it many benefits none of them matter if councils can’t properly protect information. Breaches can be damaging, regardless of whether they are accidental or malicious, but there are ways to guard against them. By taking a few simple steps sooner rather than later local councils will be well placed to take advantage of the opportunities of data, comply with the new data protection regime and win the trust of their citizens. !

FURTHER INFORMATION www.bigbrotherwatch.org.uk

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PLASTICS

Roger Mottram, chairman of the BPF Vinyls Group, discusses the energy, resource and cost efficiency driving innovation with PVC building and construction products The first large-scale commercialisation of PVC (commonly known as ‘vinyl’) products was in the 1930s, with the introduction of vinyl records. Since then, we have seen the global market for PVC grow to over 40 million tonnes per year. The diversity of PVC applications reflects the versatility of the material and the ability to modify product properties with additives achieving an unmatched variety of performance and aesthetic characteristics.

PVC is often perceived to be a mature product, however over 80,000 PVC-related patents have been registered during the past ten years – this is over 40 per cent of all the PVC-related patents ever registered.

The annual trend of PVC-related patents registered is sharply increasing year-by-year.

DRIVING UPSURGE IN PVC PRODUCT INNOVATION Plato said that ‘necessity is the mother of invention’ and PVC products have developed and evolved to meet changing needs.

Current needs include the requirement to meet energy efficiency of building targets and resource efficiency targets at an affordable price.

According to the UK Green Building Council, ‘the UK’s housing stock is amongst

the least energy efficient in Europe, and is responsible for nearly a quarter of our annual carbon emissions’. The government and the private sector have developed policies and programmes to help households save money on energy bills, reduce their emissions, and make their homes warmer and more pleasant places to live. The PVC industry has innovated to develop window, door and cladding products that meet the highest energy efficiency levels whilst also minimising maintenance costs and meeting affordability requirements. In the case of window systems, the energy rating of the window, measured by the British Fenestration Rating Council (BFRC), has a significant influence on the total energy efficiency of the building in which the window is installed.

Most modern PVC window profiles with innovations such as multi-chamber profile design and foamed PVC filling are meeting the very highest energy efficiency ratings.

In recent years, the European PVC industry has transformed its environmental performance via the VinylPlus sustainable development programme. VinylPlus is a ten-year voluntary commitment, taking important steps in establishing a long-term framework for the ongoing sustainable development of the PVC

’s The UK tock s housinggst the is amon y efficient erg least enrope, and is in Eu le for nearly ib responsarter of our a qu l carbon annua sions emis

LOCAL AUTHORITIES BEST PRACTICE Many UK public procurement bodies now appear to be selecting PVC products in favour of alternatives due to their superior technical and economic performance whilst demonstrating compliance with the fit for purpose and best value requirements of the Public Contracts Regulations.

The BPF Vinyl Group has compiled case studies showing quantified examples of best practice by UK local authorities and housing associations using PVC building and construction products. Examples are divided into the following categories: energy savings measured resulting from the use of PVC products; cost savings realised by using PVC products; general sustainability and performance advantages resulting from the use of PVC products; and PVC product recycling examples. !

Written by Roger Mottram, chairman, British Platics Federation Vinyls Group, & head of communications and advocacy at INOVYN

Driving innovation with PVC products

value chain. VinylPlus is registered as a partner with the UN Commission for Sustainable Development and was recognised in the keynote speech of UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, at the Rio+20 Earth Summit in 2012.

There is a political drive towards the development of a ‘circular economy’. The ‘circular economy’ is a generic term for an industrial economy that is producing no waste or pollution, by design or intention.

Within the plastics sector, the PVC industry is gaining a reputation as a leader in the circular economy. PVC industry leadership is certainly well demonstrated by product innovations using recycled content, development of new recycling processes, and new product designs to facilitate recycling.

There has been a massive surge in the recycling of PVC products following the introduction of the Recovinyl scheme. Audited data included in the 2017 VinylPlus Progress Report demonstrates that PVC recycling in Europe now stands at over 560,000 tonnes per annum. The UK has demonstrated leading progress, recycling over 100,000 tonnes of PVC windows, cables, flooring and pipes per year.

Construction

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FURTHER INFORMATION www.bpf.co.uk

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Metro Mayors

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DEVOLUTION

Metro mayors: propagating political power Alongside the local elections on 4 May, six new mayors were elected to lead the combined authority in their region.

With powers over transport, planning and housing, Government Business looks at the leaders, and what their priorities are Combined authorities are groups of councils working together to assume powers, devolved from central government, over matters such as transport, housing, planning, skills and economic development. With six regions, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, Tees Valley, West of England and West Midlands, granted a 30-year investment fund, the scope for political change is wide, yet the assurance of change unknown.

A few details were made public before the elections, with the Greater Manchester mayor adopting the powers of the region’s elected Police and Crime Commissioner, Tony Lloyd, as well as control of a £6 billion health and social care budget.

CAMBRIDGESHIRE AND PETERBOROUGH James Palmer, Conservative – 56.9 per cent of the vote After no candidate for the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority received more than 50 per cent of the vote, James Palmer, leader of East Cambridgeshire District Council, beat Liberal Democrat candidate Rod Cantrill on the second round of votes, following a turn out of 33.8 per cent – the highest turn out of any of the six regions.

A former dairy business owner, Palmer will oversee a devolution deal worth £800 million in public funds, including 30 years’ worth of investment in infrastructure and housing, control over education, skills, housing, planning and transport as well as powers over planning for health and social care. In his campaigning before the election, Palmer said he would focus upon upgrading the county’s transport infrastructure.

Other priorities that are expected to be pursued during his time in office are house building in the region, protecting the green belt and drawing on what he calls the ‘Cambridge effect’ to persuade global businesses to base themselves in the area. Looking to unite Cambridge and Peterborough, there remains the possibility

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that the new mayor may give his support to a new university for Peterborough.

Palmer’s success in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough mayoral elections heralded a good day for the Conservative Party in the region, with the party also winning control of Cambridgeshire County Council.

m Rotheralised a has voc ire to his des e power s th ‘harnes iver Mersey’ of the r the fast tag LIVERPOOL CITY REGION and cuty Tunnel toll Steve Rotheram, Merse s to £1 Labour – 59 per fee cent of the vote

GREATER MANCHESTER Andy Burnham, Labour – 63 per cent of the vote With turnout of 28.6 per cent, Burnham, the former Labour MP for Leigh, received 63.4 per cent of the vote, defeating Conservative candidate Sean Anstee and the Liberal Democrat’s Jane Bophy. With an election manifesto that placed young people and air quality at its heart, the former Labour leadership candidate has been quick to kick start his policy roll out, launching a fund to tackle homelessness and pledging 15 per cent of his £110,000 salary to get it up and running, in a bid to end rough sleeping in Manchester by 2020. The support scheme will also return empty properties to use, build specialised supported accommodation for young people and enhance mental health and rehabilitation programmes.

Amongst other policies that residents should look out for are a university-style application system for apprenticeships, half-price travel on buses and the Metrolink for 16 to 18-year-olds, an emphasis on bus use and more cycle lanes and the building of affordable homes and ‘revitalised’ town centres.

Greater Manchester, which covers the 10 borough councils of Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside Trafford, and Wigan, was one of the most publicised mayoral regions, with former Chancellor George Osborne a public advocate for devolving powers to the region during his time in Whitehall.

Having been MP for Liverpool Walton since 2010, Rotheram’s victory in the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region election was the most comfortable of the six regions.

With responsibility for Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens, and Wirral, and Halton in Cheshire, Rotheram will gain £458 million for leading the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority for the nest five years.

A former bricklayer, Rotheram has vocalised his desire to ‘harness the power of the river Mersey’ for green energy, improve people’s skills and cut the fast tag Mersey Tunnel toll fees to £1. His vision is for ‘a region that is ambitious, fair, green, connected and together’.

Rotheram will not seek re-election as a Labour MP on 8 June.

TEES VALLEY Ben Houchen, Conservative – 51.2 per cent of the vote Ben Houchen, leader of the Conservative group on Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, narrowly won the race to be Mayor of the Tees Valley with 51.2 per cent of the vote, surprisingly edging Labour’s Sue Jeffrey, to win control of the Tees Valley Combined Authority, covering Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and

Stockton-on-Tees. At the age of just 30, Houchen is the youngest of the metro mayors, and will have a budget of £15 million a year – some of which is likely to be directed towards taking control of Durham Tees Valley Airport to try to revive its fortunes, which was one of his pre-election pledges.

Houchen may also look to restructure Cleveland Police, after commenting that it had failed residents and front line officers.

Speaking before the 4 May election date, Houchen highlighted his need to ‘create an environment and a local economy that creates good quality jobs’, likely to be financed through the launch of a new investment fund. Other priorities will be to invest in good quality homes, encourage more apprenticeships, promote tourism to the region and revitalise town centres. The turnout for Tees Valley was only 21.3 per cent.

WEST OF ENGLAND Tim Bowles, Conservative – 51.6 per cent of the vote The metro mayor role for the West of England covers the Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset council areas. Beating Labour candidate Lesley Mansell after second preference votes were counted, Conservative Tim Bowles has also framed transport improvements as his key priority having gained mayoral office. This includes re-opening rail stations and increasing services, while the option to franchise bus services and take charge of a new key

Metro Mayors

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With six regions, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, Tees Valley, West of England and West Midlands, granted a 30-year investment fund, the scope for political change is widening route network of local authority roads falls under his remit as leader of the new West of England Combined Authority.

The councillor for Winterbourne in South Gloucestershire has said that the £1 billion devolution deal will allow the region to be ambitious over issues such as homes, transport, business and jobs. Having worked as a manager for a global events company, Bowles will seek to attract new businesses and supporting existing ones to provide opportunities throughout the region, as well as improving higher education services.

WEST MIDLANDS Andy Street, Conservative – 50.4 per cent of the vote In perhaps the closest of the mayoral elections, former John Lewis boss Andy Street won the West Midlands mayoral race for the Conservatives by 238,628 votes to the 234,862 gained by Labour’s Sion Simon.

Helped, both by the continual public endorsement of Prime Minister Theresa May and a reported £1 million campaign fund, Street pledged as part of his election

promises to use the business skills he has learnt at John Lewis to help drive investment and create jobs in the region.

Having read politics, philosophy and economics at Oxford, Street will lead the West Midlands Combined Authority, which covers its seven constituent member councils – Birmingham, Coventry, Solihull and all four Black Country boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton, to create a ‘new, urban Conservative agenda’.

Like Burnham, Street has made tackling rough sleeping a priority after Birmingham City Centre reported a 50 per cent rise in rough sleeping in the last year, pledging to create a taskforce as one of his first actions and addressing the underlying causes of homelessness, such as alcohol or drug addiction and mental health problems.

Street has also pledged to eradicate youth unemployment, deliver 25,000 new houses and to invest in public transport, whilst sharing his enthusiasm for Birmingham to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games. 26.68 per cent of the region voted in the election. !

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PUBLIC SERVICES

High levels of air pollution in the UK has positioned the role of public transport back on the agenda of local communities. Lianna Etkind looks at how local authorities are promoting sustainable travel through public transport services We are in the midst of an air quality Every ic crisis and local authorities have a major role to play in tackling it. f publ o 1 £ Transport is now the biggest ent investmrovides contributor to air pollution sp and this is an area in buseen £3 and where local authorities still have substantial betwe er benefits – id influence. Reducing £5 of w ating around traffic levels not only gener billion in helps improve air quality, when local authorities t £64 c outpu i get transport right it has a m o n o ec ear knock-on effect on residents’ every y employment and education opportunities; on the strength of the local economy and on overall quality of life.

Lots of councils are already stepping up to the plate by encouraging sustainable transport alternatives to the private car, but more needs to be done. An important step towards giving councils the tools they need to tackle air pollution from transport came on 27 April 2017 in the form of the Bus Services Act. For the first time since buses were deregulated in 1986, local authorities now have powers to plan their bus networks, control fares, introduce multi-operator ticketing, and set timetables and bus frequencies. Local authorities are already looking into how they can use the new powers to grow passenger numbers in their area, make savings and reduce the numbers of cars on the roads.

Much of the discussion has focused on how the Act will affect mayoral cities like Manchester, but in fact it may be those rural areas hurt by years of bus cuts where it could make the most difference. Over the last ten years, almost 3,000 bus routes have been reduced, altered or cut altogether. The Bus Services Act offers hope for those areas hardest hit. Kent County Council has been quick off the mark to examine how they could use franchising powers to improve their local bus services, while Cornwall Council has stated that it plans to use enhanced partnership powers to link rail with bus services, integrating timetables and ticketing.

Councillors struggling with the constant pressure to make savings will be particularly interested in the experience of Jersey, which introduced bus franchising in 2013. Through profit-sharing with the operator and !

Written by Lianna Etkind, public transport campaigner, Campaign for Better Transport

Promoting better public transport in the UK

Transport

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Transport

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PUBLIC SERVICES £1.2 billion plan to increase cycling and walking The government has published its £1.2 billion long-term plan to make cycling and walking the natural choice for shorter journeys.

Outlining a target to make cycling and walking the norm by 2040, the government has revealed plans to double cycling, reduce cycling accidents and increase the proportion of five to 10 year-olds walking to school to 55 per cent by 2025.

The funding will be split, with £389.5 million for councils to invest in walking and cycling schemes, £101 million to improve cycling infrastructure and expand cycle routes between the city centres, local communities, and key employment and retail sites, £85 million to make improvements to 200 sections of roads for cyclists and £476.4 million from local growth funding to support walking and cycling.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: “We are making cycling and walking more accessible to everyone because of the substantial health and environmental benefits – it will also be a boost for businesses because a fitter and healthier workforce is more productive.

“We have already tripled spending on cycling since 2010 and we are now publishing a long-term investment plan because we are absolutely committed to increasing levels of cycling and walking.”

FURTHER INFORMATION tinyurl.com/knm9bph

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It’s widely recognised that congestion is undermining reliability for bus users, creating a vicious circle by deterring more people from public transport. Therefore, Nottingham City Council introduced a Workplace Parking Levy ! through cross-subsidising socially necessary routes with busier, profitable routes, they managed to save £800,000 annually, while increasing frequencies and introducing five new services.

Cornwall and Kent are examples of local authorities which also recognise the economic value of buses. There’s ample evidence to support this. Research by KPMG found that every £1 of public investment in buses provides between £3 and £5 of wider benefits; and that bus commuters generate around £64 billion in economic output every year.

Norfolk County Council, considering cuts to their bus subsidies, found that a 25 per cent reduction in council-supported services would mean an economic loss to the region of around £500,000, in addition to around fifty more people out of work and around 22,000 people without peak access to school, hospital appointments or shops. Happily, they decided to continue subsidising rural buses.

ACTIVE TRAVEL Local authorities aiming to improve air quality would do well to consider how they can encourage more active travel, whether that’s through installing cycle lanes, making the local bus station brighter and cleaner or putting in bus priority lanes. When new bus lanes were installed in Leeds, journey times became faster and more reliable as congestion fell, encouraging more people onto the buses. At the same time, cyclists feel safer as they can use bus lanes, and cycle trips on the road have increased by a third.

However, even in those areas where bus priority lanes mean that the bus is reliably faster than getting stuck in tailbacks of traffic, many people still choose to drive. One of the reasons is cost. Bus fares

have soared over the last ten years, by 61 per cent on average between 2005 and 2015. As bus users tend to be on lower incomes than the general population, these increases have caused real hardship, as well as nudging more people towards the car.

One area which is coming together to tackle this is Liverpool City Region.

Last year, MerseyTravel and bus operators formed the Liverpool Bus Alliance, with the aim of creating more joined up, better marketed bus services. They’ve introduced multi-operator flat fares, and are planning to scrap the complicated zonal fare structure to make taking the bus as easy as possible. In just one year, bus passenger numbers rose by 10 per cent.

Early in the life of the alliance, it was decided to introduce a Youth Fare for 16-18 year-olds. Many young people face full adult fares to get to their school, college or apprenticeship. One unfortunate student, upon turning 16, saw the fare for his twelve minute journey to school almost quadruple to £1,065 a year. Liverpool’s Youth Fare means young people are less constrained by travel costs when choosing their college or training course; but bus operators benefit too, for this is the age when young people are making the decision about whether to buy a car. It’s a time when people’s travel habits are hardening.

Cars produce nearly 60 per cent of all CO2 emissions from road transport in the UK, compared with just five per cent from buses.

Getting young people into the habit of public transport creates a generational shift, leading to less congested roads and cleaner air.

Local authorities can also help by supporting school buses. Anyone who’s ventured onto the road around 8.30am at the beginning of half-term will recognise what a huge difference the school run makes to traffic levels. Yet since 2010, nearly 80 per cent of local authorities have reduced the school and college transport they offer. The result is an extra 100 million car journeys every year. Thousands of children are now exposed to illegal levels of toxic air pollution at their school gates, air pollution that we know stunts lung growth; aggravates asthma and causes premature death.

In Brighton and Hove, the council worked with bus and taxi companies to introduce a voluntary Low Emission Zone in the city centre. Manchester recently introduced a Bike Back to Work scheme, providing job-seekers with bikes and cycle training to help people with the costs of getting to work and

Transport

When new bus lanes were installed in Leeds, journey times became faster and more reliable as congestion fell. (Image: User Rept0n1x at Wikimedia Commons)

encourage them to choose sustainable transport. Reading Council has introduced EasyGo, a smartcard which enables access bikes, buses and car sharing. The clever twist is that it’s integrated into a smartphone app which rewards sustainable travel choices with points to spend at local shops and cafes.

JOINING SERVICES TOGETHER One hopeful prospect comes from government-funded Total Transport pilots. Total Transport advocates point out that during the course of a morning, a minibus taking older people to a day centre, a school bus, a Dial-A-Ride vehicle, a patient transport vehicle and a mainstream supported bus might all go down the same road, some of them three-quarters empty. Why not, they ask, bring these different budgets and passengers together, reducing congestion and pollution while making savings?

While Total Transport is still in its early stages, the results are promising. Devon County Council has been working with the Clinical Commissioning Group to deliver patient transport, signposting patients who aren’t eligible to other transport options, and utilising vehicles more efficiently. Northamptonshire brought together public, private and voluntary public transport providers to map transport provision across the county and consider how transport could be joined up. Journey data reveals that many journeys currently made by car to universities, workplaces and schools could, by a simple tweaking of bus timetables and routes, be made by public transport.

It’s widely recognised that congestion is undermining reliability for bus users, creating a vicious circle by deterring more people from public transport. Instead of building more new roads that fuel congestion and air pollution, Nottingham City Councils decided to take a new approach by introducing a Workplace Parking Levy. The results have been startling: Nottingham achieved its carbon emissions reduction target four years early.

The genius of this approach was considering the role that workplaces play in generating traffic. To make the biggest impact on climate change, congestion and pollution, local authorities need to integrate sustainable transport into the planning of new developments.

Our 2015 report Getting There uncovered inspiring examples of regeneration and public space schemes based around attractive public transport. From a business park in Newcastle which reduced car journeys to work by 10 per cent in two years, to a housing development near Crawley where all new residents were given a £100 travel voucher towards a bike or bus or rail season ticket, to a retail development in Leeds where bus accessibility was prioritised over car parking spaces, more and more local authorities are considering public transport as a core part of planning, rather than an afterthought. !

FURTHER INFORMATION www.bettertransport.org.uk

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Advertisement Feature

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FLEET MANAGEMENT

TACKLING GREY FLEET CHALLENGES IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR

Andrew Franklin, director of Public Sector for Europcar UK, highlights how flexible mobility solutions can tackle the duty of care risks of grey fleet usage in the public sector Research by the Energy Saving Trust (EST), in partnership with the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA), identified that grey fleet vehicle usage is one of the most pressing issues for the public sector. The study revealed that use of grey fleet vehicles – that is employee’s using their own cars – in the public sector accounts for 1.5 billion miles, at a cost of over £750 million per year. And, according to the analysis, the amount of CO2 emitted by grey fleet vehicles in the public sector could fill Wembley stadium 56 times.

A DRIPPING TAP But the big challenge is that public sector organisations are not necessarily fully aware of the creeping incidence of grey fleet usage – it’s like a dripping tap that is never turned off.

This leaves them exposed to increased duty of care risk, pressure on environmental improvements, as well as having to manage the financial impact of a fleet that’s less efficient.

The environmental impact of grey fleet vehicles is not the only issue of concern to public sector employers. Crucially, grey fleet usage leaves these organisations exposed to increased duty of care risk, as well as having to manage cost and productivity challenges. If you consider that 1.4 billion miles are being driven by employees in local authorities, the civil service and the NHS, the use of grey fleet vehicles is more than just the occasional journey for the sector.

UNKNOWN RISK The challenge for public sector organisations is that, with few exceptions, grey fleet vehicles tend to be older – typically over eight years old – and less reliable, leading to the risk of breakdowns, as well as employees potentially driving unroadworthy vehicles. But the impact of the breakdowns to an organisation is significant. There’s lost productivity as employees can’t get to vital appointments, as well as additional transportation costs to get them to their onward destination.

Also grey fleet vehicles don’t provide the public sector employer with a simple means to collect comprehensive data. It’s problematic to monitor servicing and maintenance requirements and to assess driver behaviour.

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Yet, with more workers using their own vehicles, public sector organisations face some clear duty of care challenges to ensure that each grey fleet vehicle is fit for purpose, has a valid MoT, is taxed, insured for business use and the driver has a valid licence.

THE RIGHT MOBILITY SOLUTION FOR THE JOB There are, however, some simple solutions that can help public sector organisations tackle the issue of grey fleet usage without having to commit to significant vehicle acquisition that squeezed budgets simply cannot afford. For example, by using a cost calculator to assess the distance of a journey, employers can identify when it makes sense for an employee to use their own vehicle and when it’s best to use an alternative form of transport. This adds a new dimension to employee travel management whereby the organisation can look at encompassing a variety of transport options, from car rental to car sharing to chauffeur drive which are all provided by Europcar as a global mobility solutions leader. And those options can include electric vehicles (EV), as well as modern hybrid fuel options that

are becoming more widely available across the mobility sectors.

PLUGGED INTO PUBLIC SECTOR NEEDS With a few simple steps, the reduction in risk to employees’ health and safety, together with the cost-savings of alternative mobility solutions to the grey fleet can make a real impact for public sector organisations.

Operating one of the youngest fleets in the car hire industry means Europcar UK delivers the latest safety features for drivers.

Combined with the availability from one of the most extensive networks of locations, thereby reducing mileage for delivery and collection, also means we help public sector organisations meet environmental targets.

And our services are accessible through OJEU compliant frameworks, providing a comprehensive range of competitively priced mobility solutions across the UK.!

For more information and to calculate when car hire is a more cost effective option go to greyfleetcalculator.europcar.co.uk.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.europcar.co.uk

SALARY SACRIFICE

Amid all the hype around changes to car salary sacrifice scheme and cash or car allowance rules one thing should be made clear – the primary reasons for employers promoting such employee benefits are unchanged, writes Paul Hollick, chairman of the ICFM Changes to salary sacrifice scheme and cash or car allowance were announced in last year’s Autumn Statement and rubber stamped in the recent 2017 Budget for inclusion in the 2017 Finance Bill. The Institute of Car Fleet Management (ICFM) is aware of some employers taking a knee-jerk reaction to the chances that amounted to abandoning schemes.

But, it should be remembered that car salary sacrifice schemes – however the tax changes are viewed – continue to offer the benefits to both employers and employees that they were developed to achieve.

Those benefits include being low-cost, or cost-free, for employers to introduce. They promote low-emission vehicles, thereby helping to strengthen an

Salary e sacrific mote o s pr scheme mission low e thereby s, vehicle strengthen to helpingemployer’s an genda a ’ n e e r ‘g

employer’s ‘green’ agenda. Benefits also include reducing an organisation’s costs, and promoting staff recruitment and retention.

In short, car salary sacrifice schemes still work to the benefit of both employers and employees, especially if cars are carefully selected with the focus on plug-in and low emission vehicles.

Therefore, while businesses must consider the impact of the changes taking into consideration employer position on CO2 !

Volume 24.3 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Written by Paul Hollick, chairman, ICFM

Focusing on salary sacrifice schemes

Fleet Management

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Fleet Management

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SALARY SACRIFICE

! limits and available cars – there are many cars that are largely unaffected, others will perhaps become more attractive, such as ultra-low emission vehicles, and some will become less attractive. But that doesn’t mean the destruction of choice lists; it just requires careful consideration of the impact on available vehicles.

GOOD VALUE Where vehicle choice is available employees should be able to find cars that represent ‘good value’ and while the new rules may signal a change of selection patterns and different vehicles becoming popular, many employers may well find that, when they look at the impact, a healthy vehicle choice remains. Indeed ICFM’s understanding is that the cost of the ‘average’ car chosen through a salary scheme has not significantly changed.

Similarly, employers offering a car or cash option should examine the new rules closely and, potentially adjust policy accordingly. That could include reviewing allowance levels, but it depends on the value of allowances available versus the car choice lists.

That is why education is key. From company directors to fleet decision-makers and drivers

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Salary sacrifice schemes are popular across the public sector, with NHS Employers saying that they ‘are incredibly important to employers in the NHS as they add choice, flexibility and value to their reward offer on a cost neutral basis’ it is vital that fact and fiction are separated and the myths surrounding car salary sacrifice scheme rules from 6 April 2017 are dismissed.

ONE OF THE FUNDING OPTIONS ICFM is not in a position to say whether car salary sacrifice schemes are right or wrong for each business – that is a decision that each employer must take depending on their own individual circumstances.

However, ICFM’s view in today’s market place is that best practice dictates that employers take a balanced approach to vehicle funding and provision and salary sacrifice should be one of the funding options on the table along with outright purchase, contract hire, finance leasing, flexi-lease and a myriad of other options.

To that extent, if organisations have not already undertaken a detailed analysis of fleet funding and the option to include, exclude or abandon a car salary sacrifice then they should do so immediately.

WHAT’S BEEN ANNOUNCED? To recap on what’s been announced, here is a brief history lesson. Budgets and Autumn Statements for a number of years included warnings that the popularity of salary sacrifice schemes impacted on the government’s tax and National Insurance revenues.

In the 2015 Autumn Statement, then Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said: “The government remains concerned about the growth of salary

Fleet Management

cars – those with CO2 emissions of 75g/km or less – are exempt from the regulation.

Even then not all cars are impacted – cars with higher CO2 emissions but low whole life costs could still be attractive while factors such as fuel type, insurance cost, manufacturer discounts and drivers’ tax rate must be taken into account. The ICFM’s view therefore is that employers and employees can still enjoy financial and other benefits associated with car salary sacrifice arrangements.

A MASTERCLASS ON THE ISSUE The ICFM held its inaugural Masterclass and chose the changes to car salary sacrifice scheme and cash or car allowance rules as the subject because its research among fleet decision-makers highlighted that the regulatory changes and company car tax along with cash or car allowance issues was the biggest challenge this year.

The Masterclass was well received and highlighted the changes, the impact of them and dispelled the myths and speculation around the practical considerations of salary sacrifice/ cash allowance schemes that have circulated since the new legislation was announced.

The speakers were Alison Argall, business development director sales at Tusker; Claire Evans, head of fleet consultancy Zenith; and Dan Rees, associate director, Deloitte Car and Mobility Consulting.

Argall said: “Tusker is passionate about providing this tangible and valued employee benefit and welcomes the opportunity to factually position the continued benefits to both employee and employer post consultation.” sacrifice arrangements and is considering what action, if any, is necessary. The government will gather further evidence, including from employers, on salary sacrifice arrangements to inform its approach.”

Twelve months later, following a consultation, Osborne’s replacement Philip Hammond announced in the 2016 Autumn Statement how salary sacrifice schemes would be reformed – and in respect of cars he bowed to fleet industry pressure and gave some concessions. What the government had seen was that salary sacrifice schemes had widened significantly to include such items as white goods, concierge services and even double glazing, according to the consultation document.

Effectively car salary sacrifice schemes had been caught up in the crossfire so the new regulations, which came into force from 6 April, mean employees opting for a salary sacrifice arrangement or taking a company car in lieu of a cash alternative will pay tax on the higher of the existing company car benefit value and the salary sacrificed or cash allowance forgone.

Car arrangements in place before 6 April are protected until April 2021. Ultra-low emission

Paul Hollick, chairman, ICFM

associated with the car salary sacrifice changes are, in real terms, minimal.

Salary sacrifice schemes have been very popular across the public sector and NHS Employers, which describes itself as ‘the voice of employers in the NHS’, said in response to the government’s consultation document on proposed salary sacrifice/ cash allowance tax changes that ‘salary sacrifice schemes are incredibly important to employers in the NHS as they allow them to add choice, flexibility and value to their reward offer on a cost neutral basis’.

The organisation also highlighted that ‘once the tax and NI advantages are removed, the resource required to administer salary sacrifice arrangements will no longer be affordable for employers’.

The fact is that the tax and National Insurance advantages of car salary sacrifice

Best practice dictates that employers take a balanced approach to vehicle funding, and salary sacrifice should be one of the funding options on the table along with outright purchase, contract hire, finance leasing and flexi-lease Evans added: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to use our extensive experience to provide attendees with real examples and insight on how to structure and market salary sacrifice schemes, ensuring they continue to be a great addition to any benefits package post the April 2017 legislation changes.”

Meanwhile Rees commented: “Salary sacrifice for cars continues to provide employees with a neatly packaged fully maintained and ‘hassle free’ car, with no requirement for deposits or credit checks. Employees will need to continue to do their own diligence on the cost comparison elements between a salary sacrifice car and a private alternative.”

The ICFM believes that any disadvantages

schemes have not been removed as a result of the government’s changes – although vehicle choice may need refining – and so, ICFM believes, the solution will continue to be an attractive option for many employers and employees.

It should also be remembered that any move away from car salary sacrifice schemes could result in employees driving their own cars on business – the so-called ‘grey fleet’ – which is acknowledged to comprise vehicles that are older than company cars and therefore have higher emissions, are less fuel efficient and are not equipped with the latest safety features. !

FURTHER INFORMATION www.icfm.com

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GEO Business 2017

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

EVENT PREVIEW

The geospatial event for digital innovation Join over 3,000 visitors from more than 50 countries at the highly anticipated and action packed GEO Business event, due to take place at London’s Business Design Centre from 23-24 May 2017 The geospatial event is designed for everyone involved in the gathering, storing, processing and delivering of geospatial information and incorporates an international exhibition, a full programme of commercial workshops, a cutting edge conference, industry led associated meetings and various social events held over two days.

GEO Business offers visitors the unique opportunity to see the latest products and services from across the globe all under one roof and all free to attend. If that is not all, the cutting edge conference running alongside offers public sectors visitors arguably the best value for money event within the geospatial calendar with prices starting at just £15 per person per day. 2017 is shaping up to be another successful show with visitor registrations already 47 per cent higher on 2016.

Speaking after the 2016 event, Elaine Munns, strategic planning team manager at West Sussex County Council, said: “The

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conference provides a good picture of the direction the industry is currently headed, the big topics and challenges at the moment, and the variety of industries with a stake in GIS.” GEO Business is hosting a full day of enticing activities and presentations for pre-selected students aged 14-19. Open to ‘Design Engineer Construct!’ (DEC!) teachers from across the UK, who will have the opportunity to come to the show, benefit from complimentary access to the main conference and enjoy their own focussed training programme from professionals within industry, aiming to fully arm them with the latest technology and techniques to take back to their students.

EXHIBITION AND CONFERENCE At the heart of GEO Business is an exhibition where the geospatial community are coming

together to display the latest technology and services all under one roof. Meet face-to-face with over 200 of the world’s leading suppliers of geospatial products and services and see the latest product launches from across the globe. The exhibition is free to attend.

Unique to GEO Business, exhibitors will be hosting free to attend commercial workshop sessions enabling visitors to gain a full understanding of new solutions and capabilities and how they can be of benefit to the user. 85 workshops will run in five parallel sessions, offering an opportunity for more in-depth discussions on a more one-to-one basis.

Alongside the exhibition is our cutting edge and hard hitting conference. Built around the theme of ‘the value of geospatial for a resilient economy’ it will include keynote presentations and panel discussions with some of the biggest names in the infrastructure and geospatial sector. In addition, the conference will feature geomatics/geospatial thought leadership presentations, panel sessions with senior leaders in the geomatics/geospatial industry, and case studies to demonstrate the latest geospatial solutions in action. Across the two day geo-fest event you can expect all the latest in geospatial solutions and ideas to be literally on tap for you to see, hear and discuss.

The keynote address on 23 May will be presented by Nigel Clifford, chief executive officer at Ordnance Survey, who will discuss geospatial innovation, integration and impact. The standout session on the first conference day is a panel debate on how a digital geospatial strategy will support a resilient economy.

Resilience can be interpreted in many ways, covering applications from civil contingency to national security. It can also relate to sustaining economic growth and stability – both of which are high on the national agenda with an urgent need to adapt to climate change and protect the country from terrorism key responses related to the former challenges and finding a new economic model for a post-Brexit world under the latter. A panel of key influencers from the public and private sector, representing both suppliers and consumers of location information, will question how are these big issues increasingly impacting our industry?

Smart cities have the potential to transform the way cities provide services and empower citizens to make better decisions, through making better use of urban data. But how can cities make this data available and act on it? Standards have a key role in helping cities understand the potential of smart cities, set their priorities, and use data to put citizens’

olicy When p ing are nn and pla up, smart joined- can link places ervices and ts differenons together, locati ng a range bringi enefits of b

needs at the heart of decision-making. Dan Palmer, of the British Standards Institution (BSI UK), will address this in his topic on standards for better city decision-making.

THE FUTURE OF INDUSTRY Jennifer Schooling, director for the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Smart Infrastructure and Construction, is part of the panel discussion on the second day of the conference. Alongside Arup’s Tim Chapman and dRMM Architects’ Sadie Morgan, Schooling will address developing a strategy for smart infrastructure and a whole life approach to infrastructure design.

Smart cities concepts are now widening to regions. People live, work, use services, and pass their leisure time in a complex web of local, regional and national places. Smart places can link these different services and locations together, if policy and planning are joined up, bringing a range of benefits.

After all, we all travel between cities, or travel into urban areas to work. Smart places exploit the benefit of a range of geo-based technologies, for travel, for business, for public service and for everyday lives. Geo-based technology connects people, communities, business and fundamental infrastructure services in ways never before possible: this is digital transformation at its best – putting people and places at the heart of technology

Smart cities have the potential to transform the way cities provide services and empower citizens to make better decisions, through making better use of urban data. But how can cities make this data available and act on it? value for economic and societal benefits.

This talk, hosted by Jos Creese, principal analyst for Eduserv and immediate past president for BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, will explore the risks and the opportunities for smart places in exploiting this potential.

Dynamic data is essential to the construction, operation and management of assets.

During this session, presented by Simon Navin, programme manager for Ordnance Survey, delegates will hear how Ordnance Survey are supporting the integration of dynamic data into geospatial content and how it is developing its connections with BIM, a digital built Britain and data interoperability in smart, the Internet of Things, 5G connectivity and connected and autonomous vehicles.

NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES GEO Business provides the perfect platform to network and socialise with international visitors. Continue your

GEO Business 2017

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

discussions in to the evening by attending the complimentary welcome drinks, on-site ale trail and highly anticipated gala dinner, planned specifically to encourage those informal meetings which we understand are so important to this community. The welcome drinks and ale trail are all free to attend. Gala dinner tickets are selling out fast so act now to secure your place.

Additionally, leading organisations are hosting various associated meetings at GEO Business 2017, focused on the issues driving the geospatial industry forward.

Organisations confirmed to host associated meeting at the show are the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), UK BIM Alliance, Women in BIM, The Survey Association, AGI and the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors (ICES). !

FURTHER INFORMATION www.geobusinessshow.com

ZF UK Laser Ltd.

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Explore & Discover a per fect venue

Whether you are looking for a small meeting space or somewhere to host a conference, mac Birmingham offers it all, with state of the art facilities and amazing service all housed in a thriving arts centre.

We have a selection of facilities to hire at very competitive rates and we’re located in the splendour of Cannon Hill Park, with many of our rooms and spaces enjoying stunning views across the park and lakes.

For further information, room specifications & 360° views of our spaces visit our website or call us to discuss your requirements.

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BIRMINGHAM

Vibrancy, confidence and innovation… three words that go some way to describing Birmingham.

Following investment and infrastructure redevelopment in recent years, the city now sits firmly on the global stage as a first choice destination. Meet Birmingham explains why Birmingham welcomed the highest number of visitors on record in 2016, with tourist numbers reaching 39.1 million, and tourism revenue hitting an all-time high of £6.5 billion.

The figures, released by the Regional Observatory and tourism research body Global Tourism Solutions (GTS), represent a 2.5 per cent increase on the total in 2015 – which, itself, was a landmark year for Birmingham, with over £1 billion worth of investment in the city centre alone. The region has attracted increasing numbers of tourists from key target markets including India, the US and the Netherlands. Visitors from China – another priority market for the city – generated the

highest amount of expenditure per head.

Events contributing to Birmingham’s upsurge in tourists and visitor spend last year, included: Edgbaston Stadium’s cricket fixtures (£17.7 million economic impact) and the Conservative Party Conference (£18.4 million).

Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market, which takes place between November and December, generated the highest amount of spend on record (£400 million).

Key exhibitions in the city included the BBC

ham Birmingn is a l , naturar d e h s i l estab n the UK fo home i nces, with a conferetrack record strong acting high of attr e, repeat profil nts eve

Good Food Show and Grand Designs Live – both at the NEC, and the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) congress at the ICC. 2016 also marked the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s legacy, with tribute shows hosted by Birmingham’s Repertory and Hippodrome Theatres and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO).

Birmingham’s hotel sector also enjoyed its most successful year in history, with occupancy rates for 2016 peaking at 99 per cent capacity and averaging at 75 per cent – both the highest on record.

Written by Meet Birmingham

The easy to reach conferencing destination

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AT THE CENTRE OF IT ALL At the heart of the UK, Birmingham is within easy reach of all regional, national and global markets. Air, rail and road links connect the region to more than 400 million people across Europe, with over half of the !

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To discover more or discuss your next event, contact our sales team: Call: 0121 644 5025 | Email: info@theicc.co.uk Visit: theicc.co.uk

Conferences & Events

BIRMINGHAM

! UK population lying within two hours and 90 per cent within a four-hour travel time.

The city’s considerable investment in its transport infrastructure has made it even more accessible and attractive for event organisers and business tourism leaders. £450 million has been invested by Birmingham Airport – including an extended runway to accommodate more long-haul airlines and a redeveloped terminal to handle wide-bodied aircraft, including the A380.

In total, Birmingham Airport now handles a record 12 million passengers annually (a 14.2 per cent increase in 2016) and serves 150 direct global destinations plus a further 340 one-stop worldwide flights, with 50 airlines.

Nearly half of all visitors to Birmingham arrive by train, with Birmingham New Street – fresh from a £600 million redevelopment – Moor Street and Snow Hill stations all located in the city centre. The £127 million Midland Metro extension between Birmingham’s Snow Hill and New Street stations has revolutionised the way people travel to and around the city, with trams running into the heart of the city centre for the first time in more than 60 years.

HS2 will be operational from 2026, bringing the Greater Birmingham region just 38 minutes away from London. The largest project of its kind in Europe, HS2 is expected to generate £14 billion for the Midlands economy, trigger new local transport schemes and boost connectivity between Greater Birmingham and other regional economic

Air, rail and road links connect the region to more than 400 million people across Europe, with over half of the UK population lying within two hours and 90 per cent within a four-hour travel time hubs. The region is also at the centre of the UK’s road network – with the M1, M5, M6, M40 and M42 all linking in to Birmingham.

BUSINESS TOURISM CREDENTIALS Whether you want historic or sporting, purpose-built or unique, the right venue can be found in Birmingham, from small boardrooms to large exhibition spaces. In addition, Birmingham offers over 6,000 bedrooms in the city centre, with more than 30,000 bed spaces in the surrounding area.

The city is home to the Birmingham Convention Bureau (BCB), which offers a range of free services including accommodation booking, venue location, event support and local knowledge and insights.

Stephanie Mynett, Visitor Economy Business Development Manager at Meet Birmingham, the city’s business tourism programme, said: “Birmingham is an established, natural home in the UK for meetings and conferences, with a strong track record of attracting high profile, repeat events. In 2016, the city maintained its position as the country’s most popular destination for corporate conferences and

events outside London, according to business tourism leaders responding to the annual British Meetings & Events Industry Survey.

“Birmingham achieved a record-breaking one million international visits last year, with the largest increase of overseas business visitors of any regional city. We like to think that our range of venues and our reputation for being a city of food, our shops and our warm welcome are noticed and make a real difference to how we are perceived across the world.”

Birmingham’s event venues aim to not just provide a blank conference space, but to deliver a unique and entertaining experience for its business tourists. The city is home to five of the world’s finest exhibition, conference and event venues – the NEC, the ICC, the Genting Arena, the Barclaycard Arena and the Vox Conference Centre – which make up the NEC Group.

One of Birmingham’s newest conference spaces is the BCEC, located on Hill Street in the heart of the city, boasting a fully-flexible events space over two floors in excess of 2,000 square metres. The BCEC is arguably one "

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Get out of the office and escape to the rural setting of Pype Hayes Golf Course Our modern contemporary building offers light filled spacious rooms set in a park land golf course, the perfect backdrop to your meetings. Plus we’re only 10 minutes out of Birmingham City Centre with easy access from the nearby motorway network. From Board Meetings to Away Days, Team Building to Conferences or AGM’s our team will tailor a package that meets the needs of your business.

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General Enquiries - Please call 0121 472 5171 or enquiries@woodbrooke.org.uk

Quality Hotel Dudley

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government day delegate packages from £27.50 per person* Birmingham Botanical Gardens offers three striking meeting and event spaces, which create a magical and unique setting for your event.

Whether you are in need of an energizing working lunch or a three course dinner following a conference, you will be amazed by the standard of our food, drinks and service.

By choosing Birmingham Botanical Gardens for your event, you will be making a valuable contribution to the charity, helping to keep the beautiful gardens thriving for years to come.

• 7 meeting & function rooms • 2-150 people • A/V hire • Catering available • Licensed for Weddings • 72 ensuite bedrooms • Conservatory restaurant & bar Call: 01384 245 700 Email: bdm@qualityhoteldudley.co.uk Address: Birmingham Road, Dudley, DY14RN

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BIRMINGHAM

Birmingham facts New Street Station underwent a £600 million transformation and relaunched in 2015, increasing its annual capacity to 52 million, making it a true 21st century gateway.

Conferences & Events

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Birmingham is the only UK city outside of London to have all five leading department stores – Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, John Lewis, Debenhams and House of Fraser.

There are 25,000 parking spaces in the centre of Birmingham alone.

Birmingham’s Balti Triangle attracts 20,000 visitors each week.

There are nearly 600 parks and open spaces in the Birmingham area.

Birmingham Hippodrome is the busiest theatre in the UK.

The influential Rough Guides series named Birmingham in its top 10 global cities of 2015 and placed the West Midlands region 3rd in its top 30 places to visit with kids in the world in 2016, backing previous ‘must-visit’ endorsements ! of the country’s best connected venues thanks to its location on the doorstep of Birmingham New Street station. Delegates can enjoy the waterways of Birmingham at Canalside, a new and contemporary events space at The Cube, situated in the heart of the city’s Gas Street Basin with sliding glass doors that open right onto the famous canal network. Birmingham Eastside’s Millennium Point is launching a brand new dedicated events space this summer. The new space, called CONNECT, will consist of three meeting rooms and a seminar space which can either be booked individually or as an entire events suite with multiple rooms and breakout areas catering for up to 100 delegates.

Venture out of the city centre to the leafy suburbs of Edgbaston where the Edgbaston Priory Club fuses sports with conferences, offering a gym club and tennis courts in the area which is famous as the birthplace of lawn tennis. Within this suburb of the city, you’ll find the world-renowned Edgbaston Stadium that annually draws in spectators with their international cricket matches. Edgbaston is also home to boutique hotels with the High Field Town House and The Edgbaston and the large Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre set in 10 acres of stunning gardens and woodland. Further afield in Hampton-in-Arden there’s Hampton Manor hotel, which has just been awarded a Michelin Star for its

Peels restaurant, with the venue offering conference rooms close to Birmingham Airport in an idyllic country setting.

LIFESTYLE OFFERING The influential Rough Guides series named Birmingham in its top 10 global cities of 2015 and placed the West Midlands region 3rd in its top 30 places to visit with kids in the world in 2016, backing previous ‘must-visit’ endorsements from The New York Times and New York Magazine. 60 per cent of all Birmingham’s visitors come to experience the city’s world renowned culinary offering. With five Michelin starred restaurants, Birmingham has more than any other city in the UK outside of the capital. If you’re looking for something alternative, the Digbeth Dining Club offers award winning street food with a difference. Birmingham is also home to the Balti Triangle, offering an incredible choice of Asian cuisine in a concentrated area.

Birmingham is home to one of the largest shopping centres in the UK, the Bullring.

Other popular retail venues include The Mailbox, the new Grand Central Birmingham – home to a flagship John Lewis store – the outlet shopping experience at Resorts World Birmingham and independent retailers at Piccadilly Arcade, Great Western Arcade and the Custard Factory. Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter is home to over 100

The Belfry has hosted the prestigious Ryder Cup golf tournament four times and houses England’s only PGA-branded Academy.

The Jekyll & Hyde bar in the Colmore Business District has over 90 types of gin from all over the world.

Birmingham hosts over 50 festivals each year – the city’s International Jazz and Blues Festival has been running annually for over 50 years.

It is estimated that Birmingham’s population will grow by 100,000 people by 2031. specialists, jewellers and craftspeople that create over 40 per cent of British jewellery.

There is a great mix of artistic talent across Birmingham, including the internationally famed CBSO and Birmingham Royal Ballet.

Birmingham hosts a vast array of festivals and events, including the Birmingham International Jazz and Blues Festival, Birmingham Pride and the new Beyond The Tracks music festival, each bringing national and international artists and acts to the city.

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery boasts the largest collection of Pre-Raphaelite artwork in the world, while there are also classic collections, matched with more modern pieces, at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts at the University of Birmingham. The Ikon Gallery is Birmingham’s leading contemporary art gallery located in Brindleyplace.

Places to catch great live music and theatre in the Birmingham area include the Jam House, the Barclaycard Arena, The Hare and Hounds in Kings Heath, Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre, the New Alexandra Theatre and the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. " FURTHER INFORMATION www.meetbirmingham.com

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Conferences & Events Written by Liverpool Convention Bureau

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LIVERPOOL

All the ingredients for affordable conferencing The Liverpool Convention Bureau looks at the events facilities on offer in the Liverpool area, with a focus on how the public sector could benefit from holding their events in the region Liverpool is popular with meetings organisers because of the variety on offer; there’s the bar-raising conference centre on the waterfront, the modern art institution that plays host to meetings next to Picasso and Pollock, the world-renowned football stadium or the former warehouse that is now a destination in itself.

All of this is packed into a relatively small space, which makes walking the quickest (and most enjoyable) form of transport. Liverpool has all the ingredients organisers look for to ensure that their event is easy to organise and affordable – giving delegates the best experience both inside and outside their event.

ACC Liverpool is an international conference centre situated at the heart of Liverpool’s waterfront and just a stone’s throw from the popular Albert Dock area, which

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 24.3

has revolutionised the city’s conference offer since it opened in 2008. Over the last nine years it has established a reputation for catering to public sector meetings and conferences of all sizes, with a 1,350 seat auditorium, tiered seating for up to 10,000 delegates and 21 meeting rooms.

Clients include Cyber UK in Practice, the Labour Party’s annual conference and Liverpool City Council, which has held its leaders’ conference there several times.

The venue’s offer was further enhanced with the launch of Exhibition Centre

Liverpool, the city’s biggest development for exhibitions and conferences since the original ACC Liverpool opening. Connected to the existing ACC Liverpool complex by a bridge, Exhibition Centre Liverpool offers 8,100m2. of flexible and accessible space, comprising three separate and sub-divisible halls, each 2,700m2, which can be used separately or in combination.

In its first 18 months it has welcomed a diverse range of events, including many public sector meetings.

One of the biggest events it has hosted to date was the International Festival for Business in June 2016, when it played host to 80 events and welcomed

ol Liverpo ely m is extre t and compacontaining s le, c walkab ional museum at more n galleries than and K city U r e h t any o side of out London

thousands of delegates from around the world over a three-week period. The success of the venue meant that the team will return for the festival from 12-28 June 2018. Exhibition Centre Liverpool is also integrated with a 216-room Pullman Hotel. The pedestrian bridge which links the three venues means it is the only purpose-built interconnected arena, convention and exhibition centre in Europe.

POPULAR ARTS DESTINATIONS A mile or so up the river is the Rum Warehouse, which opened in June 2014 to restore one of the city’s most recognisable buildings that had lay unused for many years. It has more than 1,200m2 of event spaces, meaning it is a popular choice for meetings of up to 1,000 delegates. The original features have been carefully restored and the whole venue is flooded with natural light and views over the serene dock.

One of the Rum Warehouse’s biggest assets is the attached Titanic Hotel, which has established itself as one of the most popular in the city and means that delegates can have a seamless experience, as well as saving on transportation costs between accommodation and meeting venue.

The city is well known for its culture, with more national museums than any other UK city outside of London. What is less well known is that all of these museums can be hired for meetings and conferences, offering some truly unique backdrops for your event.

Options include the Museum of Liverpool itself, a stunning £72 million structure at the heart of the waterfront, between the Three Graces at the Pier Head and Albert Dock. With its modern galleries overlooking the Mersey, it can host up to 1000 for a drinks reception or 200 in theatre style.

The Merseyside Maritime Museum is also blessed with terrific views over Albert Dock itself and the rest of the Waterfront, and up to 150 diners can enjoy the food offered by the acclaimed Maritime Dining Rooms. Elsewhere in the city are the classical surroundings of World Museum, Walker Art Gallery and Lady Lever Art Gallery in picturesque Port Sunlight.

The use of prominent arts venues for meetings is a recurring theme across the city.

When the new Everyman theatre was opened in 2014, it won acclaim from audiences as well as the RIBA Stirling Prize, for the UK’s best new building. It also attracted a lot of interest from meetings organisers looking for a stunning, award-winning backdrop that is truly emblematic of the city.

A short walk away from the theatre is FACT, a contemporary digital arts centre and cinema. As you’d expect, FACT’s AV credentials are top notch, and it’s particularly popular with meetings making heavy use of visuals.

Then down on Albert Dock is Tate Liverpool, the home of modern art in the north. In its distinctive river-side gallery, small meetings and drinks receptions mix with artwork from the likes of Picasso, Matisse and Man Ray.

Conferences & Events

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ACC Liverpool is an international conference centre situated at the heart of Liverpool’s waterfront and just a stone’s throw from the Albert Dock area, which has revolutionised the city’s conference offer since it opened in 2008 Another iconic venue on the city skyline is the Royal Liver Building, the most recognisable of the Three Graces and home to the infamous Liver Birds. On its first floor is The Venue, an extremely malleable place for meetings and events which can accommodate up to 200 guests and offers breathtaking views over the Mersey.

AN EDUCATIONAL OFFERING Liverpool is home to three universities – University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University and Liverpool Hope University.

All three offer conference facilities which are very popular with public sector clients due to their affordability and flexibility.

University of Liverpool offers year-round availability and a choice of location, either a few minutes’ walk from the city centre or four miles away in a peaceful suburban parkland

setting. The MIA Silver accredited Foresight Centre is just five minutes’ walk from Liverpool Lime Street, the city’s main train station, and combines historic original features with the latest AV technology and video conference facilities across its 14 meeting rooms.

In addition, the university has a recently refurbished Guild of Students, hosting dinners for up to 300 people and main plenaries for a maximum of 900 as well as multiple theatre, seminar and exhibition spaces.

In the summer months, it can even offer accommodation in student flats in-between terms, giving an easy option to organisers.

The Knowledge Quarter project (www.kqliverpool.co.uk/) is a massive development in the city, bringing together health institutions, research and science companies, and has further established Liverpool’s seriousness as an education and !

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Why not take a closer look at conferences at the original red-brick University Website: www.liverpool.ac.uk/conferences Call: 0151 794 6440 Email: conference@liverpool.ac.uk

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LIVERPOOL

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Liverpool Cathedral

Liverpool Cathedral is perhaps the most spectacular setting in the region, regularly being transformed into a venue for dinners seating up to 1,000 people ! innovation hub. One of the big news items so far is the Royal College of Physicians opening their northern headquarters in the area.

Liverpool has plenty to offer for delegates in their downtime outside of the conference.

It’s all extremely compact and walkable, and contains more national museums and galleries than any other UK city outside of London – all of which are free to enter.

This is in addition to galleries such as Tate Liverpool, FACT and The Bluecoat.

SPECTACULAR SETTINGS Liverpool is also well equipped for conference dinners. Liverpool Cathedral is perhaps the most spectacular setting, regularly being transformed into a venue for dinners seating up to 1,000 people. Its neighbours on Hope Street include Liverpool Metropolitan

Cathedral, the Philharmonic Hall, the Everyman theatre and a host of the city’s best bars and restaurants – all of which are well suited to conference dinners and offer an excellent way for delegates to spend time too.

Of course conference organisers must also look at accommodation – whether you want a posh bed for the night, a country house hotel or are working on a tight budget, Liverpool has it all. Titanic Hotel isn’t the only hotel connected to a conference venue. The newest in the city is Pullman Liverpool, next to ACC Liverpool. The 4-star hotel is an ideal spot for delegates attending conferences at ACC Liverpool. Although it specialises in business travellers, it is also an ideal location for exploring the city in downtime, located just next to Albert Dock and Liverpool ONE. Liverpool also has all the big-name hotels.

In the commercial district there’s Radisson

Blu, a contemporary four-star hotel Titanic Hotel, Stanley Dock with fantastic facilities.

Along the waterfront, Hilton Liverpool is situated in a landmark building, ideally located for venues such as ACC Liverpool and FACT while Malmaison, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Express all have waterfront options. Increasingly, conference organisers are looking at alternative to traditional hotels.

One of the popular options in Liverpool is serviced apartments, of which the city has a wealth of options. Try BridgeStreet in Liverpool ONE, the Richmond or Epic, which has premium-yet-affordable options in the historic Ropewalks district.

Beyond that, venues outside the city centre cater for lots of team building and away days – think the grandeur of Thornton Manor, the 18-hole golf course and spas of Formby Hall and the facilities of Liverpool Hope University’s suburban campus.

We realise this is a lot of information, but Liverpool Convention Bureau is here to help you. We have years of experience working with public sector clients. For each meeting or conference we offer services including finding a venue and booking accommodation, helping to develop your bid, and arranging familiarisation visits. "

If you’re interested in bringing your meeting or conference in Liverpool, let the Liverpool Convention Bureau know on conferences@visitliverpool.com FURTHER INFORMATION www.liverpoolconventionbureau.com

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GT News

IT & COMPUTING FOR THE PUBLIC SECTOR – www.governmenttechnology.co.uk

-DIGITAL LEADERSHIP

New mayors should adopt digital first mindset TechUK has said that newly elected mayors should put digital at the heart of their plans to deliver the best on digital devolution.

Publishing Digital Devolution: A Guide for Mayors, which sets out a series of questions for the new Mayor to ask their team in their first 100 days, the tech organisation argues that by putting digital at the forefront of city region plans, mayors can re-shape and integrate services, creating better places to live and drive regional growth.

Outlining key recommendations for new mayors, techUK says that ensuring that the right digital leadership is in place is important, suggesting that a Chief Digital and Innovation Champion (CDIC) be appointed and an innovation unit established to foster new partnerships and offer practical support to test new ideas and embed digital across the place.

Furthermore, the group recommends the mayor: make a clear commitment to open up data and make decisions based on city wide data and create a city region datastore; adopt a citizen centric approach to tackle digital exclusion; and convene a Digital Skills Task Force to agree a skills pipeline and put in place the necessary provisions to meet the needs and demand of the community and employers.

Georgina Maratheftis, programme manager for Local Government at techUK,

CLOUD

DIGITAL GOVERNANCE

Councils warned over cloud service adoption

Report explores digital leadership in local government

A study of what happens when local councils transfer services to cloud computing has resulted in local authorities being warned to research before switching to the cloud.

After Warwickshire County Council and the London Borough of Hillingdon first announced plans to switch in 2012, local authorities have sought to move in-house IT services to internet-based providers in an attempt to save on costs.

However, despite the financial benefits, many public sector managers view the cloud as more a liability than labour saver, with data security and downtime the biggest fears. The researchers discovered that a lack of data ownership and loss of control and governance were the largest barriers to successful adoption, while better information management and mobile working were recognised as the key advantages to councils switching to cloud-based technologies.

Dr Uthayasankar Sivarajah, part of the research team from Brunel University London, said: “These findings have messages for both local government and central government.

There are huge black holes between what the councils are trying to do and what they are achieving. At operational level they could all see real benefits in cost savings.

But it is still early days and we don’t know what the long-term impact will be.

That may take 10 years to find out.

It might reduce the headcount in IT departments, but I can’t see it cutting out the need for them altogether.”

READ MORE:

tinyurl.com/l4tcodo

96

The Local Government Information Unit (LGiU) has found that local councillors are not ‘digital dinosaurs’ as they investigate digital technology, governance and leadership in local authorities.

Cllr Theo Blackwell, author of the Start of the Possible report, found that local councillors hold strong and positive views about technology, automation and data and how public services can benefit from them.

With digital exclusion and connectivity still considered the number one concern among councillors, there remains a strong and widespread view that current data-sharing arrangements are not effective. However, the survey found that there is clear backing for digital to be included in thinking around devolution and a thirst for councillors to be better supported to understand more about technology and transformation in all its forms.

Jonathan Carr-West, chief executive of LGiU,

said: “Mayors, with their direct and convening powers, must use their new and unique position to accelerate the pace of transformation, working closely with public sector, the community and industry to deliver better outcomes for all citizens by creating truly joined-up services and places where citizens want to live and thrive.”

READ MORE:

tinyurl.com/lgzm486

commented: “Much has been written about the shift to digital in local government and public services more generally. Such a shift represents an opportunity, almost uniquely, to drive down costs while simultaneously improving outcomes. But that’s not just a question of doing the same things better online, it’s about using digital as a way of thinking and connecting, of driving a cultural and relational attitude that changes how we think about what local government does and how it interacts with the communities it serves.

“Start of the Possible makes an important contribution to this conversation by explicitly focusing on digital leadership, including a national survey of councillors which reveals their real attitudes to digital local government.”

READ MORE:

tinyurl.com/kgh84s2

DIGITAL ECONOMY BILL

Digital Economy Bill receives Royal Assent The Department for Culture, Media & Sport has confirmed that the Digital Economy Bill has received Royal Assent, paving the way for a better digital future. Aiming to modernise the UK for enterprise, the measures will seek to enable better public services using digital technologies and empower consumers and ensure everyone has access to broadband wherever they live.

The Act includes provisions which will: give every household a legal right to request a fast broadband connection; provide consumers and businesses with better information about communication services; cut the costs for new infrastructure and simplify planning rules; enable stronger enforcement of direct marketing laws; create civil penalties for

GOVERNMENT TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE | Volume 15.3

online pornographers who do not verify the age of their customers, and ISP level blocking of non-compliant sites; and help protect consumers from ‘bill shock’ by requiring mobile network operators to offer a bill capping facility.

Matt Hancock, Minister of State for Digital and Culture, said: “I’m delighted the Digital Economy Act has become law. This legislation will help build a more connected and stronger economy. The Act will enable major improvements in broadband roll-out, better support for consumers, better protection for children on the Internet, and further transformation of government services.”

READ MORE:

tinyurl.com/kf4hf6z

EMERGENCY SERVICES

BROADBAND

Six month communication gap for emergency services The Commons Public Accounts Committee has warned that the emergency services face a ‘potentially catastrophic’ six-month period without a crucial communications system.

The government approved the purchase of the £1.2 billion emergency services network (ESN) when Prime Minister Theresa May was Home Secretary, planning to replace the current Airwave communications system used by police, fire and ambulance services.

The committee warned in January that it was unlikely the December 2019 target date for delivering ESN would be met and that the-Home Office needed to reassess its timescales.

Vodafone, a key supplier to Airwave, will stop providing an important piece

GT News

IT & COMPUTING FOR THE PUBLIC SECTOR– www.governmenttechnology.co.uk

Survey reveals best and worst broadband providers

of infrastructure that Airwave requires to function from March 2020, leaving the possibility that emergency services may not be able to communicate with each other after that date until transition to ESN is complete in September 2020.

The committee argues that the government has not budgeted for delays, nor put in place detailed contingency plans to manage them appropriately. The department’s contingency measure to manage the transition to the new system was to extend Airwave month by month until the new system was in place.

READ MORE:

tinyurl.com/n2wp94w

SURVEILLANCE

Leaked documents show plans for live surveillance of web users

A Which? customer satisfaction survey has revealed that TalkTalk and BT are the worst broadband suppliers, with Sky and EE also scoring poorly.

The survey of 1,800 people revealed that all four larger broadband providers, who share 72 per cent of the market, are failing on basic customer service, speed and reliability.

TalkTalk achieved scores of 38 per cent and BT 45 per cent based on satisfaction levels and whether customers they would recommend there service to others, with just one in 10 of either’s customers describing their service as excellent, marking them as the two lowest performing suppliers. EE and the Post Office each managed 48 per cent, while Sky and Virgin scored 49 per cent and 52 per cent respectively.

Small provider Zen Internet was heralded as the best performing with a score of 86 per cent, followed by Utility Warehouse on 81 per cent and John Lewis on 68 per cent.

Additionally, 21 per cent of survey respondents reported a problem with very slow speeds over the past year, while 17 per cent reported frequent connection dropouts and 14 per cent experiencing hitches with their router.

READ MORE:

tinyurl.com/ks2dm9y

DIGITAL LITERACY

Front line digital knowledge ‘inadequate’

A paper allegedly leaked to civil liberties body the Open Rights Group has suggested that the government is considering the ‘live’ surveillance of British web users’ internet communications.

The consultation on the paper, which includes plans to ask phone companies and internet service providers to provide data within one working day, is due to end on 19 May. Such access would need to be sanctioned by secretaries of state and a judge appointed by the Prime Minister.

According to reports, the paper also recommended that tech companies could be required to remove – or enable the removal – of encryption from communications as they would need to be provided ‘in an intelligible form’ without ‘electronic protection’.

However, the idea of enabling this process has been highly criticised by campaigners who have argued that it could be exploited by hackers and endanger innocent users.

In an interview with the BBC, Jim Killock, executive director of the Open Rights Group said: “The public has a right to know about government powers that could put their privacy and security at risk. It seems very clear that the Home Office intends to use these to remove end-to-end encryption – or more accurately to require tech companies to remove it. I do read the regulations as the Home Office wanting to be able to have near real-time access to web chat and other forms of communication.”

READ MORE:

tinyurl.com/l6t2fnv

A report, jointly produced by the Public Sector People Manager’s Association (PPMA) and IT services provider Eduserv, has found that four in ten HR leaders rate digital knowledge of front line staff as ‘inadequate’. Skills for digital change outlined how the digital literacy of senior managers is widely improving, with HR leaders reporting improvements among the corporate management team (78 per cent), finance (68 per cent), HR (67 per cent) and IT teams (81 per cent) across local authorities.

Furthermore, 61 per cent of PPMA members surveyed reported that digital skills had improved in the last year, with 66 per cent showing a desire to further develop a plan to improve digital skills in their organisation.

However, while digital literacy of senior staff was rising, the report showcases that a lack of digital literacy at other employee levels was holding back digital change programmes, especially among front-line staff, with 85 per cent of HR leaders highlighting front line staff as being left behind in the digital journey.

READ MORE:

tinyurl.com/mqqcrug

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DIGITAL SERVICES

Frameworks

IT & COMPUTING FOR THE PUBLIC SECTOR– www.governmenttechnology.co.uk

New digital framework attracts thousands of small business Government Business provides a round-up of the latest framework agreements from the Crown Commercial Service, including an in-depth look at the Digital Outcomes and Specialists framework agreement, which went live in February In February 2017, the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) and Government Digital Service (GDS) launched the new Digital Outcomes and Specialists 2 framework to supply technical expertise to the public sector. Attracting 2,018 suppliers, 94 per cent of whom are small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), the agreement aims to help the public sector to find suppliers that can provide teams or specialists to help deliver digital projects.

It replaces Digital Outcomes and Specialists 1, and has over 800 more suppliers signed up. The first iteration of Digital Services generated savings of £6.4 million, made against a total spend of £14 million. As digital outcomes are generally a new service with no previous spend to compare against, the benefit methodology is to take an average of all bids under the tender and compare to the winning bid.

It has been developed to create a diverse pool of specialist agile service providers to enable government and the public sector move traditional services to a user centric design service, which is lower cost and flexible to enable continuous development and improvement. It specifically enables and supports the government’ digital by default strategy and cloud adoption commitment.

Niall Quinn, strategic category director for digital at the CCS, said: “Crown Commercial Service frameworks are designed to make it easier than ever for SMEs to do business with the public sector. Customers can access digital expertise from suppliers located across the country and with an excellent

mix of skills and tailored solutions.”

Geoff Wells, COO of Aerian Studios, added: “The Digital Outcomes and Specialists framework provides an easy way for SME suppliers and government buyers to work together, particularly where buyers are looking for digital expertise in delivering agile projects.

“It’s a very effective way of enabling SME suppliers to engage with government projects – which is great for our national SME economy.

We’re delighted to have won the very first contract to have gone through the Digital Outcomes and Specialists framework with Innovate UK, and look forward to further opportunities through Digital Outcomes and Specialists 2.”

one or more of the following capabilities: user experience and design; performance analysis and data; security; service delivery; software development; support and operations; testing and auditing; and user research.

Lot 2 allows individual specialists to deliver a specific outcome with defined deliverables on a service, programme or project. The following specialist roles are available under lot 2: agile coach; business analyst; communications manager; content designer or copywriter; cyber security consultant; delivery manager or project manager; designer; developer; performance analyst; portfolio manager; product manager; programme delivery manager; quality assurance analyst; service manager; technical architect; user researcher; and web operations engineer.

Lot 3 provides the space and facilities to carry out interviews, usability tests and focus groups, while at the same time watch and record people as they engage with designs, prototypes and live public sector services.

Lastly, Lot 4 enables access to a diverse range of user research participants including people who are digitally excluded, as well as those who have low literacy or digital skills, and those who need assisted digital support.

Dig Outcomital Special es and the pub ists 2 helps find suplic sector to pli help de ers that digital liver project s

LOTS OF PURCHASE OPTIONS Digital Outcomes and Specialists 2 helps the public sector to find suppliers that can provide teams or specialists to help deliver digital projects. The agreement is split into four lots; digital outcomes, digital specialists, user research studios and user research participants Lot 1 assists teams to build and support a digital service, and must be provided under

GOVERNMENT DIGITAL STRATEGY The Digital Outcomes and Specialists agreement supports the delivery of the !

99

DIGITAL SERVICES

Frameworks

IT & COMPUTING FOR THE PUBLIC SECTOR– www.governmenttechnology.co.uk

Placing social value at the heart of procurement

CCS frameworks are designed to make it easier than ever for SMEs to do business with the public sector. Customers can access digital expertise from suppliers with an excellent mix of skills and tailored solutions from across the UK ! Government Digital Strategy: giving public sector buyers easy access to suppliers with the right capabilities, who comply with the Digital by Default Standard and align with the Government Digital Service Design Manual; providing a large, diverse pool of capable suppliers from small and medium size businesses to the agile practices of the traditional tier-one / system integration suppliers; ensuring supplier capacity to enable the delivery of digital projects at multiple UK locations; and providing a flexible and speedy route to meet customers’ digital project commissioning requirements. It is dynamic in style, regularly refreshed, following agile methodology in short delivery Sprint, learning from and incorporating lessons learned in the next iteration of the framework.

QUALITY AND ASSURANCE TESTING CCS is helping the public sector to test the quality of IT services with a new framework agreement, developed in partnership with the Home Office. Quality and Assurance Testing gives central government and the wider public sector access to pre-evaluated suppliers of IT testing services.

Complimenting the Digital Outcomes and Specialists, G-Cloud, Cyber Security Services and Crown Hosting frameworks, the agreement has 42 suppliers, 62 per cent are small and medium-sized enterprises.

Buyers can choose from one of four flexible mini-competition options, to select their supplier to deliver a wide range of testing and quality assurance services.

Services available under the new agreement

are: Lot 1 – Quality Assurance and Testing Specialists; Lot 2 – Automation, Agile and Development Opportunities; Lot 3 – Load and Performance Testing; Lot 4 – Functional Testing; Lot 5 – Infrastructure Testing and Environments; Lot 6 – Operational Acceptance Testing and Disaster Recovery; Lot 7 – Quality Assurance and Testing Management; and Lot 8 – Strategic Quality Assurance Consultancy.

Only suppliers who have passed the Home Office’s robust evaluation will be able to bid for work under the agreement, giving you an extra level of reassurance. All suppliers on this agreement have signed up to government terms and conditions, making tendering simple and effective.

TALENT IN THE COMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY Communication Services provides a new and improved way to buy a variety of marketing and communications services, supporting a wider, centralised approach to communications.

The GCS published the list of communications agencies that have been selected to help deliver ground-breaking government and public sector campaigns over the next four years earlier this month.

Of the 67 agencies selected for the new framework, 69 per cent are small or medium-sized businesses (SMEs), 22 are based outside of London and 44 are new to government business. These companies will now be eligible to bid and play key roles in cutting edge campaigns on topics ranging from public health to armed forces "

The CCS is supporting public bodies to deliver more social value through their procurement activity, having published a statement outlining how it will do more to help public sector bodies to deliver additional social benefits in line with legislation including the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012.

The legislation requires buyers to consider what additional social, environmental and economic benefits can be delivered through the contract.

CCS will work to increase social value by: making sure all relevant new deals offer social value opportunities and give customers the flexibility to specify and evaluate social value at call-off; reviewing current deals to identify social value opportunities; providing tools and guidance to help build social value into procurements and measure the social value element of bids received; listening to customers, understanding their needs and learning from other organisations; and working with suppliers so they are ready to respond to the requirements of public bodies.

Sam Rowbury, director of policy at CCS, said: “We recognise that for many of our customers across the public sector, maximising value means both saving money and securing social value for citizens.

“We’re making sure that our customers can use our deals to deliver the specific social value benefits they are looking for. Social value benefits could be anything from creating more apprenticeships for young people, to reducing carbon emissions or promoting equality and diversity.”

FURTHER INFORMATION tinyurl.com/kfxx6wm

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DIGITAL SERVICES

Traffic Management Technology in Scotland

! recruitment and promoting apprenticeships.

The Communications Services framework complements the Campaign Solutions framework announced in December, which is designed for longer term, strategic campaigns. Designed to help public bodies tap into the very best expertise and talent in the communications industry, the two frameworks provide a flexible approach to working collaboratively with agencies to design and deliver innovative solutions for your campaigns.

Campaign Solutions offers a choice of 27 agencies, half of which are SMEs, who will be able to design, plan and deliver entire campaigns.

David Skinner, CCS’s director of corporate solutions said: “A wide variety of innovative, exciting and talented agencies are now on the framework, including many small businesses.

This will provide public sector bodies with the tailored, specialist and flexible advice they need to develop cutting edge campaigns.”

Both frameworks were developed in conjunction with GCS. GCS involved around 600 agencies and ran five events across the country to shape the new frameworks in a way that will work better for everyone and benefit UK citizens. In this financial year the GCS is expected to deliver around 100 campaigns.

The Communication Services framework agreement offers a number of benefits

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Frameworks

IT & COMPUTING FOR THE PUBLIC SECTOR– www.governmenttechnology.co.uk

The A9 in Scotland is a route that has previously been described as one of the most dangerous roads in the UK. The highways authority, Transport Scotland, engaged suppliers using Crown Commercial Service’s Traffic Management Technology (TMT) agreement to provide speed enforcement systems.

JENOPTIK Traffic Solutions UK won the tender opportunity and supplied SPECS cameras to the route. SPECS, originally manufactured by Speed Check Services (from which it takes its name) is a speed enforcement system using linked Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras to monitor the average speed of traffic over a section of road, or network of roads.

SPECS cameras are proven to have a demonstrable and consistent influence on driver behaviour, reducing casualties through compliance with posted speed limits and a harmonisation of vehicle speeds where they are installed.

Using the TMT agreement made the tendering and evaluation procedure substantially simpler, faster and more

cost effective for Transport Scotland, meaning that they could focus their time and resource in other areas.

As a result, the route has seen significant reductions to the Killed or Seriously Injured (KSI) casualties, with the latest figures for the A9 showing a 62 per cent reduction. A range of other benefits attributed to sustained changes in driver behaviour have also been identified, including improved journey time reliability along the route and a reduction in incidents and incident impact.

The project has been recognised at a national level, with Transport Scotland winning a Prince Michael International Road Safety Award in December 2016.

FURTHER INFORMATION tinyurl.com/mb3nmmo

to both suppliers and buyers. Benefits include: flexibility and choice – lot structure and the diversity of agencies gives scope for flexible competitions for central government and wider public sector customers; access to a

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wide range of agencies with the best quality expertise to deliver innovative, best practice marketing and communications services for government and the public sector; 44 of the agencies are new to working with "

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Frameworks

DIGITAL SERVICES ! government and will contribute to driving innovation in government campaigns; SME inclusion – the majority of agencies on the framework are SMEs and seven are micro organisations, supporting the government’s commitment to economic growth, continuing to drive innovation in government campaigns; competitive rates agreed at framework competition to ensure customers get the best value for money; and standardised terms and conditions that have been pre-agreed with agencies – with flexibility built in for customers.

CAMPAIGN SOLUTIONS Campaign Solutions is an innovative marketing and communications framework covering the services you will need for end-to-end campaigns. It is a single lot agreement that includes a broad range of agencies with different specialisms to help you tap into the very best expertise and talent in the communications industry. The new approach is more flexible than before and allows you to work collaboratively with your agency to encourage innovative solutions to your campaign.

There are 27 agencies on the framework and CCS has identified different areas each agency has a specialism in. All agencies hired through this framework will be able to design, plan and execute entire campaigns, with half "

The CCS is supporting public bodies to deliver more social value through their procurement activity, having published a statement outlining how it will do more to help public sector bodies to deliver additional social benefits

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Protecting organisations and infrastructure

TE

E CURC TED SE OTE PRED ST “We are proud to have been awarded a place on the Quality Assurance and Testing for IT Services Framework” SA Group help protect Public Sector organisations and infrastructure from cyber attacks and physical threats

SA-Group.com @SAGroupUK info@SA-Group.com T: 03333 583340

DIGITAL SERVICES ! of the agencies being SMEs, further ensuring they have a real opportunity to compete for government and public sector business, in line with the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s SME agenda.

Campaign buying can be complex and costly but this agreement can reduce the time and costs associated with the procurement by offering a facility that has already been competitively tendered, representing a shift from traditionally prescriptive campaign buying to a solutions focussed approach, encouraging innovative approaches for your campaign. The objective of the agreement is to provide a selection of agencies in a single lot who offer a variety of quality services, drive innovation and deliver savings. The benefits of identifying specialisms rather than splitting the framework into lots is that your requirement can cover more than one specialism in a single further competition.

The six specialisms covered are: strategy development; creative for campaigns; digital marketing and social media; public relations; direct marketing; and partnership marketing. "

Frameworks

IT & COMPUTING FOR THE PUBLIC SECTORâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; www.governmenttechnology.co.uk

CCS is helping the public sector to test the quality of IT services with a new framework agreement, Quality and Assurance Testing , which has been developed in partnership with the Home Office

FURTHER INFORMATION ccs-agreements.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/ contracts/rm1043iii ccs-agreements.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/ contracts/rm3810

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CONFERENCES & EVENTS

CONFERENCES & EVENTS

The United Counties Showground, Carmarthen, is a 52 acre site with a fantastic range of facilities attracting high profile events across south wales.

With easy access from the A40 and only five minutes drive to the busy town of Carmarthen, there are a range of facilities and buildings for use. The showground boasts a main ring for any sporting, animals or display activities and a seating area in the grandstand for 200 people under cover from the sun or rain.

It houses a large, modern, single span exhibition hall which is light and airy with excellent acoustics. The design of the building makes this a very flexible space for all types of activities, it always feels pleasant and welcoming when occupied.

Accessible for large machines with the smooth concrete floors, the building is easily cleaned and can be carpeted for exhibitions.

Additional equipment is available

Hawkesyard Estate is one of Staffordshire’s most popular venues for all types of events with business or leisure in mind.

Dating back to the 13th century and steeped in Staffordshire history the estate is located in a peaceful location on the edge of Cannock Chase countryside with close links to Lichfield, Cannock, Stafford and beyond.

Parking is extensive throughout and the surroundings never fail to impress with formal gardens, parkland and a dedicated events field for your outdoor and team building events.

With all the necessary features and more the estate has various venue options accommodating 2-120 delegates both in its Grade II listed Manor House and former Clubhouse.

Hawkesyard Hall, a magnificent 18th century gothic style manor house makes a wonderful place to explore with its stunning exterior, grand interior and various suite options.

Delivering the perfect space to host your event

on request, including tables, chairs, heaters and marquees.

Toilets are located in two blocks with additional toilets available for hire if required for large events. The site is also wheelchair friendly.

The showground has hard roadways and hard surface parking facilities near the hall for ease of transportation and is easily accessible from Carmarthen Town centre.

The centre can cater for all your needs with famous high street stores and hotels just a short distance away, making your stay more pleasurable.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.unitedcounties.org

Accommodating for all your business venue needs

CONFERENCES & EVENTS

CONFERENCES & EVENTS

Looking for a venue for your next meeting or event? The Benn Hall in Rugby could be perfect for you.

Located at the heart of the country’s road and rail networks, the Benn Hall offers impressive state-of-the-art facilities, with ample parking, easy access and bespoke catering arrangements.

Low cost packages make it the perfect solution for meetings, interviews, conferences, training courses, product launches and special events. Designed for absolute flexibility the venue can accommodate groups of up to 400 delegates. Bespoke catering and layout solutions

For unforgettable event’s, the Doubletree Hilton has three beautifully restored conference and banqueting suites that combine elegant architecture with French renaissance decor.

The hotel’s events team can help you plan every detail of your event whether it’s for 10 or 220 guests. Planning events is one of the things DoubleTree does best. Whether you invite friends, colleagues, or clients to an event at DoubleTree, staff will make sure that everything will run smoothly. With your own private entrance welcoming you to storybook settings, along with a level of service and attention to detail that can be tailored to meet your exacting requirements, the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel & Spa, Liverpool is the ideal choice for your next event. Its three meeting rooms, with an abundance of natural light, are perfect for training, seminars, group sessions and board meetings, while its conference

An accessible, adaptable and affordable venue

can be designed specifically to suit your business needs.

The Benn Hall is ideally situated just minutes from the M6 and M1 motorway junctions and only 10 minutes walk from Rugby railway station, with Birmingham only 35 minutes and London 50 minutes away by train. Call today to discuss your requirements or visit the Benn Hall website for more information.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01788 533719 bennhall@rugby.gov.uk www.bennhall.com

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The Parklands Suite located in the estate’s former Clubhouse benefits from state of the art audio visual technology, lots of natural daylight and an outside terrace perched upon beautiful parkland.

With a dedicated events organiser, the team will help plan every detail of your event from ensuring you have all the necessary technical support and equipment to choosing the menu and refreshments.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01543 491 911 info@hawkesyardestate.com www.hawkesyardestate.com

The number one venue for your corporate event

and event food choices mean that you can enjoy a fantastic blend of modern British classics and traditional favourites.

The DoubleTree is situated in the centre of Liverpool and just a 10 minute walk from Liverpool Lime Street Station with secure parking just two minutes away (just £10 for 24 hours) and you can even rely on the hotel’s dedicated meetings coordinator to ensure that your day goes smoothly.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0151 556 1222 www.doubletreeliverpool.co.uk

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COMMUNICATIONS

TRANSLATION

Every day, CAMMS helps tens of thousands of users across the globe to achieve results and manage their organisations with ease.

Its world-leading and award-winning Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) and Business Intelligence (BI) software has helped more than 250 organisations to define and achieve their goals.

Founded in 1996, CAMMS now has eight offices across the UK, North America, Australia, New Zealand and Asia.

CAMMS uses its vast knowledge and experience to build powerful software solutions that can be fully integrated, yet are simple to use.

Its product suite ranges from planning and performance, to enterprise risk management, project management, budgeting and staff performance.

CAMMS’ competency was recently recognised by global IT

Capita Translation and interpreting (Capita TI) provides a wide range of language services including face-toface interpreting, telephone interpreting, British Sign Language, video interpreting and translation to public sector organisations. It works in partnership with clients to deliver a high-quality service, develop innovative solutions and reduce overall costs.

Capita TI is the only language service provider to be awarded a place on the Managed Service Lot on all the major national frameworks, including the Crown Commercial Service framework, which is recognition of the quality and value it offers.

These frameworks provide clients with a simple, fast and costeffective procurement solution in the form of direct awards or streamlined mini-competitions.

Additional benefits of purchasing

CAMMS: helping you make your strategy a reality

research firm Gartner, who named it a Cool Vendor in Operational Risk Management 2015.

With a unique, flexible approach, CAMMS helps organisations across a range of industries, including local government, health, emergency services, NGO, transport, education, insurance and finance, retail and hospitality sectors.

Some of its clients in the UK include the Association for Public Service Excellence, Brighton & Hove City Council, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service, Dorset CCG and London-based human rights organisation Article 19.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.cammsgroup.com

TRANSLATION SERVICES

Supplying innovative communication services Sign Solutions, established in 1998, is the leading provider of services for deaf and hard of hearing people.

As an ISO 9001 and 27001 accredited, Crown Commercial Service framework supplier, of non-spoken interpretation and translation, Sign Solutions provides experienced, NRCPD registered, DBS and BPSS checked, interpreters onsite, nationally and internationally.

The firm’s innovative InterpretersLive! video relay interpreting service, provides a British Sign Language interpreter, on demand, using a desktop computer or tablet. Deaf employees have instant access to meetings and the ability to have phone calls with hearing customers and colleagues.

It helps organisations become accessible to all consumers, via a link to Sign Solutions’ video service, from their website, which increases the accessibility rating of their website. Check out http://

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www.interpreterslive.co.uk/ Live!customers/for more info.

Sign Solutions’ training centre provides qualifications in BSL and CPD for interpreters. Its deaf awareness training can be delivered onsite or via e-learning.

The company’s aim is to assist organisations to become accessible to the deaf community under the Equalities Act 2010 and the NHS can use video interpreting to meet the requirements of the Accessible Information Standard July 2015.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0121 447 9620 office@signsolutions.uk.com www.signsolutions. uk.com/contact

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 24.3

First class translation and interpreting services

from frameworks include a fast, assured and cost effective method of purchasing and quality assurance, such as ISO27001, ISO9001 and ISO17100:2015.

Processes all meet stringent framework quality rules and guidance, and many of the terms and conditions are pre-agreed, however local agreements can be made to meet specific requirements. Also, pricing has been standardised, economies of scale realised and agreed key service levels and key performance indicators are in place. Get in contact via the email address below and quote CAPITAGBM1.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: +44 (0)845 367 7000 marketing@capita-ti.com

TRANSLATION

Rosetta Translation: your trusted language partner

Rosetta celebrated its 10,000 client in just 10 years of existence, proving its expertise in legal, medical and technical translations in the industry. Not only does it provide multilingual translation and localisation services to global companies but it can also assist clients in making it official by providing different levels of certification.

As a registered UK translation company, Rosetta’s certificate of authenticity is accepted by most UK-based authorities, but working closely with notaries and solicitors on a daily basis, it can also assist clients with higher levels of certification like notarisation, legalisation or a sworn translation.

Rosetta manages every step

of your content lifecycle: from translation, DTP to multi-mode publishing, enabling you to successfully communicate your message in a technically accurate and culturally sensitive way that has meaning for your target audience.

Rosetta has a full-time staff of 20 dedicated project managers and account managers between its London and Shanghai offices, who coordinate activities between its in-house team of language professionals and its network of +1,500 partners and in-country language experts, all of whom have been rigorously tested for their expertise.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.rosettatranslation.com

INFECTION PREVENTION

RISK MANAGEMENT

DiffX is a powerful nonchlorine disinfection system which eliminates all surface contamination including spores, bacteria, viruses and pathogenic organisms. The patent protected formulation of disinfection represents a new generation of disinfection. It is not deactivated by soiling, it works through the dirt.

The powder is contained within a water soluble sachet, which when dissolved in warm water creates a disinfecting agent which outperforms chlorine based disinfectants, especially under the most extreme conditions.

DiffX kills MRSA and viruses, C diff spores 100 per cent, TB and Mycobacteria. It is non chlorine based, has a corrosive inhibitor and is pH neutral. DiffX is low risk – COSHH; cleans and disinfects working through dirt; effective against C. diff, MRSA and Norovirus; cleans and disinfects

Welcome to selufen, your friendly, helpful, problem solving partner in success. selufin’s aim is to make your work better, for you to achieve their goals through informed decision making and risk managed solutions.

Here are just some of the ways selufen can deliver the solutions needed for your business. As an ISO 9001 certified, safety accredited and vastly experienced consultancy company, selufen manages the complexities of certification and compliance in a clear and reliable way. selufen is about problem solving.

It doesn’t provide cookie cutter services. selufen shapes tools, borrowed from behavioural and social sciences, management systems and statistical analysis to deliver the solutions to your problems. selufin’s approach relies on competent and reasonable risk management.

When risks are managed properly, your business will be better

Innovative antimicrobials for the public sector

in one at the same time; improves cleaning standards; is patient, staff and visitor friendly; and safe in the environment.

DiffX saves money by keeping wards clean, disinfected and infection free. It also maximises the use of materials being non-corrosive saving money on replacement cloths and mops.

For further information, call to speak to an adviser, or visit the MTP Innovations website.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01484 505615 www.mtpinnovations.com www.DiffXdoesit.com

Where problem solving dreams come true

ELECTION BANNERS

CONSTRUCTION

If you need to promote your political party and its message then contact Bannerman for a quick quote.

Banner-man is well known for its affordable pricing, fast turn around, and outstanding quality.

Banner-man is based in the heart of Yorkshire, it is a printing business with over 25 years in the industry. The company is a advertisement specialist, supplying customers with banners, signage, flyers, business cards, posters and much more.

With a variety of finishing and options to choose from, you can always get exactly what you want. Banner-man’s banners

Steel plates have been the go-to hole-cover solution for decades.

Their robustness makes metal covers an obvious choice on the worksite; capable of supporting heavy-weight vehicles.

However the weighty steel plate also comes with expensive lifting equipment, high transportation costs and has contributed to health and safety issues.

Many construction sites struggle to use a safe and appropriately sized vehicle to install steel plates, if not moved correctly steel plates can lead to feet and hand injuries, despite PPE! Prone to shifting, as well as contributing to slips and trips, anti-slip lasts as long as the adhesive applied to the plate.

Introducing composite site safety solutions: the innovative and modern-day alternative to steel plates.

Composite plates are moulded with anti-slip tops that withstand

This general election promote your message in a way that works

are perfectly suited to lasting in harsh weather conditions, it can also print them any size you request. Furthermore Bannerman can supply professional art-working at affordable prices.

The company currently works with a large range of clients from schools to estate agents and restaurants. The work can be seen around Bradford and across the country, as it can supply/ deliver anywhere in the UK. Get in contact for a quick quote.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01274 39 39 37 admin@banner-man.co.uk banner-man.co.uk

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placed to cope with the tough times you may face. When risks are managed properly, you will also be in an ideal position to capitalise on opportunities when times get better. selufen specialises in your compliance and certification needs. Working to standards, developing a robust, risk based management system, planning and relying upon your arrangements and personnel will drive continual improvement and make you work smarter, better and stronger.

FURTHER INFORMATION solution@selufen.com www.selufen.com

The solution? Composite road plates and safe covers

years of wear. The light-weight alternative is installed with one or two people. Composite plates can be transported in smaller vehicles, and no specialist lifting equipment is required. They are manufactured using high visibility special moulding compounds.

Best yet, composite covers are available at a quarter of the price of steel plates! These and many other reasons are why composite plates are already used on construction sites world-wide.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: +44 (0)1608 678888 sales@oxfordplastics.com www.oxfordplastics.com

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CONFERENCE & EVENTS

CONFERENCES & EVENTS

Set in a semi-rural location with great links from the motorway, Becketts Farm Conference Centre is a relaxed, contemporary and totally flexible venue, ideal for meetings, training and workshop events.

Conveniently located just south of Birmingham city centre and just one mile from J3 of the M42 the venue is a great central location to meet.

Its six rooms cater for between two to 60 delegates and are fully air conditioned with natural daylight. Room hire includes free-flow tea, coffee, water, Wi-Fi access, projector, screen, flip chart and free parking. With the award winning Becketts Farm Shop and Restaurant on-site, the food options are not only fresh and delicious but can be fully tailored to suit your requirements.

The Becketts Farm Conference Centre also offers some great team building activities, taking advantage of either its outdoor farm space or its fantastic

Wicksteed Park is a unique and fantastic venue for corporate away days, team building and conferences.

Set in 147 acres of parkland, it offers an ideal location for those wanting to get away from the office and combine business-related events with having some fun.

The Kettering park was founded by Charles Wicksteed, the inventor of the modern day slide and swing, more than 90 years ago.

Its majestic Edwardian pavilion has just undergone a major refurbishment including the sensitive restoration of its original Edwardian features.

The venue caters for up to a maximum of 1,000 delegates – but can also cater for smaller events, offering a range of activities and facilities, including development days.

Company away days and team building sessions can utilise park rides and facilities and the

Contemporary and totally flexible events venue

Cookery School facilities. From the farm’s Chocolate Challenge to local wine tasting, there’s an event to suit every team.

Becketts Farm Conference Centre prides itself on its personal and friendly service. The centre’s dedicated conference team will support you from your initial enquiry right through to your event and will be on hand throughout the day to ensure that everything runs smoothly.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01564 823 402

Rooms of all shapes and sizes for corporate events

team at Wicksteed Park can create a bespoke package to suit businesses of all sizes.

They work with a selection of outdoor and indoor pursuits companies, who are able to tailor an event to exact requirements.

Alasdair McNee, managing director of the Park, said: “The park is a great venue for corporate events ranging from team building on our rides and attractions to canoeing on the lake or more formal meetings and conferences.”

For further information on the park’s corporate offer, contact Michelle Pegg via the below email.

FURTHER INFORMATION meetings@wicksteedpark.org

ADVERTISERS INDEX

The publishers accept no responsibility for errors or omissions in this free service 4W Services A2ZTech Aco Technologie Ardent Consulting Engineers ARTS Energy ASC Metals Lincoln Axelisys Beckett’s Farm BESA Publications Birmingham Botanical Bluerad LLP Buro Happold Camms Group Capita Translation & Interpreting Compact and Bale Construction Materials Online CPN Lighting Control Criteria Fieldwork Cybersmart D/Dock Daikin Applied Service Deckpro Pumps Designppl Disruptive Technologies Doubletree Hilton DSA Connect Europcar Fern & Noble FFW

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105 100 30 30 40 77 96 110 46 88 23 52 98 108 46 26 38 101 66 54 50 46 103 46 107 66 78 54 102

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 24.3

Flags4Events Frontier Pitts Ford Fuel Cell Systems Geoslam Ground Breaker Systems H-B Designs Hawkesyard Estate Indigo Media and Events Institute of Risk Management ISS Mediclean Isuzu (UK) Kirona Solutions Learning at Work Mac Birmingham Magique Galileo Software Malmaison Hotel Mitsubishi Minerva Technical Solutions MTP Innovations Naylor Industries Nmac Lighting Oxford Plastic Systems Parker Bell Porkka Uk Premier Guarantee Pype Hayes Golf Course Qualitest Quality Hotel Dudley

54 62 10 64 83 28 74 107 32,33 20 4 BC 8 58 84 16 92 IFC 44 109 70 41 109 21 92 6 88 106 88

RiskHive Riskmonitor Rosetta Translation SA Group Saxoprint Scarab Sweepers Selufen Sentura Group Shaw Renewables Sign Solutions T M Clothing The Benn Hall The Big Art Group The ICC The Monarch Group Topstak TTC Driver Protect Turner and Townsend Project UBM Information United Counties Agricultural University of Liverpool Vault Printing Verder West Country Group Wicksteed Park Wise Software UK Woodbrooke Quaker Study Z+F UK Laser

22 18 108 104 IBC 56 109 56 44 108 42 107 62 86 51 48 58 58 63,65 107 92 109 24 44 110 44 88 83

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We could explain at a molecular level how our all new lighter, more powerful, more fuel efficient turbo diesel engine meets Euro 6 emission standards without the need for AdBlue.

But who has the time?

THE NEW GENERATION ISUZU D-MAX. IT JUST WORKS.

CALL 03303 335126 OR VISIT ISUZU.CO.UK TO BOOK A 48 HOUR TEST DRIVE #Over 40 MPG figure applies to manual transmission models. MPG figures are official EU test figures for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results. Official fuel figures for the Isuzu D-Max range in mpg (l/100km): Urban 30.4 - 38.7 (9.3-7.3). Extra Urban 40.9 - 50.4 (6.9 - 5.6). Combined 36.2 - 45.6 (7.8 - 6.2). CO2 emissions 163 - 205g/km. For full details please contact your local Isuzu dealer or visit isuzu.co.uk *3.5 tonne towing applies to all 4x4 models. **125,000 mile/5 year (whichever comes first) warranty applies to all new Isuzu D-Max models. Terms and conditions apply. Visit isuzu.co.uk