Workplace priorities for the incoming administration
EVOLVING THE HYBRID MODEL
The need to empower and support remote workers
SCOPING MECHANISMS
The complexity and criticality of measuring Scope 3 emissions
Condition monitoring
WFM professionals consider what they can do to manage the mental and physical stresses of the role
2014: THE BEGINNING
Pareto Founded: Andrew Hulbert establishes Pareto, securing major contracts and marking a new era in facilities management.
2018: BREAKING NEW GROUND
Award-Winning Excellence: Pareto becomes the first facilities management service provider to win a Great British Entrepreneurship Award, showcasing its innovative approach.
2020: CHAMPIONING INCLUSION: E MBEDDING IT IN ITS DNA
Inclusion Committee Established: Pareto creates an Inclusion Committee, dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion within the company and the wider industry.
2021: RECOGNITION AND GROWTH
Sunday Times Fast Track: Pareto ranks number 51 in the Sunday Times Fast Track, celebrating its rapid growth and dynamic progress.
2022: A YEAR OF TRIUMPHS
Industry Awards: Pareto wins seven major awards, reflecting its ESG agenda, excellence, and strong client partnerships, proving its leadership in the facilities management sector.
Carbon Neutral Status: Pareto achieves carbon-neutral status, underscoring its marketleading commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.
Remarkable Growth: Achieving a 75% increase in organic turnover, Pareto hits £32 million, reflecting its strategic success and market impact.
2023: NEW LEADERSHIP AN D EXPANSION
Acquisition: Pareto makes its first acquisition, signalling a bold new chapter in its journey.
Global Presence: Pareto now boasts 495 employees across six countries, demonstrating its expansive reach and influence.
ESGM Consultancy Launch: Pareto launches its ESGM consultancy and starts its journey to Net Zero status, reinforcing its dedication to sustainability and governance.
Holborn Town Hall, 193-197 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7BD
BRITTANY DAVIES-SMITH FM Operations Coordinator
CHRIS BARNES Account Director
COLIN KIMBER Operations Director
DAN COOK Senior Technical Account Manager
DANNY BROWN Building Services Engineer
DELE AGUNPOPO
HOLLY WHITE Engineering Manager
KATIE DEE-DAVIES Account Manager
PRIYALA TENZING Procurement Administrator
SAMANTHA PEACOCK FM Operations Support Manager
10 KEY PEOPLE AT PARETO FM TODAY
ANDREW HULBERT
PARETO FM: A DECADE OF CHANGING THE FACE OF FM
When Pareto FM started out, we had a simple vision: to shake up the facilities management industry with an inclusive, no-nonsense, customer-first approach. From day one, our ESG agenda has been at the heart of what we do. We didn’t just want to meet standards; we aimed to set them. Our commitment to sustainability and social responsibility isn’t a box-ticking exercise – it’s who we are.
We’ve built a market-leading business by staying close to our customers, understanding their needs, and adapting our services to fit. Our technical competency has allowed us to deliver high-quality, reliable solutions tailored to each client’s unique needs. Our flexible, agile business model means we can pivot quickly and effectively, ensuring we’re always one step ahead. Whether it’s implementing sustainable initiatives or customising our solutions, we’ve shown that being customercentric isn’t just a strategy – it’s our DNA. Our journey hasn’t been about following the pack; it’s been about leading with clear values and technical excellence. This has got us to where we are today, a respected name in the FM industry. We’ve proven that a strong ESG agenda, combined with technical competency and a flexible approach, can drive success and make a real difference.
Looking ahead, the next 10 years are all about continuing to lead and innovate. We’ll keep pushing the boundaries, staying true to our values, and putting our customers at the heart of everything we do. It’s been an amazing journey so far, and I can’t wait to see where the next decade takes us.
ANDREW HULBERT is Vice Chair, Pareto FM
Client Feedback: Pareto Partners
In Pareto we found a great business that fully got to grips with our requirements and built a proposal to suit us. There was also a great synergy around company cultures, which was a key driver.”
We’re excited to partner with Pareto FM for our mechanical and electrical services. Their dedication to excellence and brand values mirrors our own commitment to maintaining the highest standards in operational efficiency and service quality.”
Pareto has been very innovative looking at new ideas and ways of working ensuring we are aligned to get the best possible value for our current contract; they bend and flex to all our needs at CrossCountry, which is why we choose to work with them.”
In Pareto we found a company that had great focus on delivering a customer-centric solution and understood the required standards to deliver to our organisation.”
In Pareto we found an exceptional culture that truly understood what we were trying to achieve and has already assisted us way beyond the base contract delivery. The service provided by our dedicated team has been second to none, and the support and knowledge we receive from our account manager has been priceless!”
Demonstrate Safe Working Practices and Competency With Assured Training for the FM Sector
Last year, over 10,000 delegates chose PPL Training to deliver their Safe Systems of Work and Technical Compliance training.
You can train with us at our York and Slough Campus or Livingston Centre, with some of our courses available on-site at your premises and online via remote tutor-led sessions.
We were recently awarded City & Guilds Assured status, as an evolution of our long-standing relationship with the City & Guilds organisation.
13 of the UKs top 15 FM organisations were among our clients in 2023, as we provided training for over 1,200 of their employees.
18
FRONT DESK
08 A clean sweep? What changes does FM need under a new government?
10 Welfare alert ‘Wellbeing washing’ could prevent genuine change in worker health
14 Transforming built spaces
CIBSE’s vice-president David Stevens on what lies ahead for FM
17 End this period drama
Workplace managers must do a better job of supporting people who menstruate
FEATURES
22-29 Under pressure
How are WFMs faring under the growing physical and emotional demands of their profession?
30-35 Emission impossible?
Reporting on Scope 3 emissions, be they incurred through operational or construction project activity, is a rapidly emerging challenge for the sector
38-39 The Warn identity
Always look beyond the immediate to avoid being overwhelmed, advises Mark Warn, VP for CRE and workplace solutions at Baird Europe
KNOW HOW
47 Transition strategy
Adoption of EVs is essential to the UK achieving net zero
48 Breath of fresh Air
FM outsourcer Mitie reports revenues up 11%, Wates announces a restructure and Nurture Group branches out 12
The new TR19® Air specification – what do you need to know?
49 PFI handbacks Is fire safety receiving sufficient attention in PFI handovers?
53 Group problem-solving Five rules of collaborative creativity to remove obstacles from thorny challenges
55 Higher CO2 learning Financing decarbonisation of university and HE institutions’ is more manageable than it sounds
56 RACC tracking
Indoor mapping is advancng the management of reinforced aerated autoclaved concrete
VIEW POINT
40 Perspectives
Four FM professionals seek to influence your insight agenda
44 A bit about you Behind the jobs of Roy Keldie and Alex McCann
SUPPLY SIDE
61 Mitie sees revenue climb by 11% in FY24
ONLINE
COMMENT
Focus on individuals not labels
Accommodating individuals’ different physical, emotional, neurological and psychological needs is at the heart of creating working environments where people can succeed, says Guy Osmond, founder of Osmond Ergonomics. tinyurl.com/Fac24145
What we want from the government
Provide better funding to support training and development – in schools or with real-world experience of working FM – or opportunities for those starting FM careers, says IWFM People Development SIG chair, Wayne Young. tinyurl.com/Fac24146
Fear Labour’s employment revolution
The UK cleaning industry especially depends on a flexible labour market so the result of Labour’s proposed laws will be profound, stifling flexibility and pushing up costs for employers and their clients, says Cleanology’s CEO Dominic Ponniah. tinyurl.com/Fac24147
Make window cleaning work safer
Every year, tragic incidents underscore the grave risks faced by window cleaners working near overhead power lines, says Steve Kennedy, vice-chair of the FWC. tinyurl.com/Fac24152
REPORTS
Building costs will climb
Building costs will rise by 15% over the next five years while tender prices will rise by 19% over the same period, according to data from the Building Cost Information Service. tinyurl.com/Fac24148
Waste sector lacks skills
A survey from a collaboration of bodies reveals a significant green skills gap in waste management, leaving UK businesses unprepared for a sustainable future. tinyurl.com/Fac24149
Office workers embrace AI Full-time office workers in the UK and the US are positive about how AI can enhance their skills, personal growth and opportunities, according to research by tech firm Jitterbit. tinyurl.com/Fac24150
Avoid plastic package waste
Nearly 1 million tonnes of plastic waste could be avoided by standardising materials, says Biffa and WSP. tinyurl.com/Fac24151
FACILITATE
YOUR AWARD-WINNING MAGAZINE
Facilitate is the magazine and online news content resource of the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM). We inform members and others about the latest thinking around workplace and facilities management. In 2019, we were judged Best Magazine (1032,000 members)
at the Association Excellence Awards, the body which assesses the media brands of trade bodies, membership organisations and associations. In 2023, Facilitate and IWFM were judged to have conducted the best association digital transformation at the same awards, the work
described as ‘a stellar example of how a digital transition driven by deep understanding of the audience’s needs can future fit a professional body’s content strategy. At the same time opening commercial opportunities for new revenue streams’ Got a story? email editorial @ facilitatemagazine.com
Facilitate, incorporating FM World, is the publication of IWFM, the professional body for workplace and facilities management. For information on membership, qualifications and training contact us:
Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management
Suite 15, Thremhall Park, Start Hill, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, CM22 7WE, UK
PRODUCTION MANAGER Aysha Miah-Edwards 020 7880 6241 aysha.miah@redactive.co.uk
PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Joanna Marsh 020 7880 8542 joanna.marsh@redactive.co.uk
Subscriptions
IWFM members with Facilitate subscription or delivery queries should call the IWFM’s membership department on +44 (0)1279 712650.
Facilitate is sent to all members of the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management and is available on subscription to non-members. Annual subscription rates are UK £110, Europe £120 and rest of world £130. To subscribe call 01580 883844 or email subs@redactive. co.uk – alternatively, you can subscribe online at www.facilitatemagazine.com/about-us/subscribe/
Editorial Advisory Board
Simon Ball, market director, EQUANS UK & Ireland
Rob Greenfield, regional health & safety consultant, Croner Ian Jones, director of workplace services and estates, ITV Kate Smith, executive director, consulting, CBRE UK Liz Kentish, managing director, Kentish and Co.
Simone Fenton-Jarvis, group director of workplace consultancy and transformation, VPOD Smart Solutions
Printed by Warners
net circulation
(July 2022 to June 2023)
(Print) ISSN 2752-5171
COMMENTS
PROGRESS
AT ANY STAGE
Our community came together at EuroFM, where several themes dominated, including professional development. Through training and qualifications, recruiting and retaining the next generation of leaders –creating rich career paths is a WFM imperative.
Results from our Skills Survey in June and July, will help IWFM to ensure the competencies and behaviours that WFM professionals need to succeed at every career level remain fresh and relevant.
We launched our Strategic Leaders Forum, which has evolved from the International Special Interest Group (ISIG), to support members in strategic leadership roles and those aspiring to senior levels. The new body sits alongside IWFM Networks that serve specialist groups, including Rising FMs, Veterans in FM and Women in FM. It underlines a commitment to advance and diversify the profession working with volunteers.
Recently, we announced The Deborah Rowland Scholarship, created in collaboration with one of WFM’s highest-profile practitioners. Debi, director of public affairs at Sodexo UK and Ireland since 2017, lives with advanced cancer and the scholarship will cultivate tomorrow’s WFM leaders through financial and mentoring support. It aims to demolish barriers to progress and to foster future leaders from diverse backgrounds. Please spread the word to benefit prospective applicants and encourage donations – details to be announced soon.
Whether you are new to the sector, moving up, or at the top, we strive to enable all professionals to do their best at every stage to forge a stronger community where WFM professionals progress in tandem with their vital work in organisations.
MARTIN READ
From the editor
It’s not easy talking about the imminent shifting of political sands when you’re producing a comment piece two days out from a general election. Yet here I am, expectant but uncertain about how the political map of the UK will look in the week commencing 8 July. So in the absence of certainty, and with my professional duty not to assume anything the pollsters say until there is hard evidence, all I can do here is consider the preparedness of this sector to make its case to whichever party or parties now forms our new government. And in this regard, the good news is that it is difficult to think that this sector has ever been in a better position to make its case.
For one thing, representative bodies including IWFM have put forward cogent, practical proposals covering everything from fair pay to workplace health and environmental protection. At no previous election has the involvement of WFM professionals in the development of policy, legislation and guidance been so pronounced. Perhaps we needed the powerful triggers of Grenfell to move things forward on building safety, but move forward they most certainly have.
It’s what’s happened since the last election that shows the scale of change
It’s what’s happened since the last general election that shows the scale of change. Of course, there’s the ongoing impact of the pandemic, and while some may bracket the events of 2020 and 2021 an all too brief period in which facilities services were in the public view rather than hidden from it, there is little doubt that Covid-19 has left an indelible mark on politicians.
2021’s COP 26 in Glasgow put this country’s climate commitments in the international spotlight, and there has also been the commitment made by government in 2021 to its nascent 2019 Net Zero legislation, with the adding of interim targets to be running a net-zero power system and reducing its
emissions by 78% in the year 2035.
All of this has helped move WFM into top-level conversations about productivity, wellbeing, safety and sustainability. The task is to make sure those from our sector making its case are sufficiently resourced. I commend this statement to the house.
MARTIN READ is the editor of Facilitate magazine
LINDA HAUSMANIS is CEO of the IWFM
LINDA HAUSMANIS
10
FRONT DESK
Wellbeing washing could prevent genuine change in worker health
B12
The future workplace will balance all ways of working to suit individual needs
y the time you see this, it will be the week after a general election has reshaped the political landscape. And because it was due to happen just after Facilitate went to press, we’ve looked at the policy areas affecting WFM that require changes no matter which party –or parties - form the new administration.
In its own manifesto document, IWFM highlighted four key areas the Government needs to act on to “stimulate and sustain” the UK’s WFM sector.
In Priorities for the Next Government: 2024 General Election Manifesto, IWFM called for dealing with the economic malaise, decarbonising the country’s infrastructure and habits, and investment in education and health. The publication outlined how WFM is now a major contributor to the UK economy, with outsourced sector / service providers representing about 5% of all UK enterprises; 250 key WFM enterprises had a turnover of £50 million or more each.
Another IWFM document, its Market Outlook Survey for 2024, identifies four key areas to realise these priorities, all of which are cross-cutting to a degree: skills; sustainability; building safety; information management, data and technology.
Growing the economy
Most professionals in FM think the new government must focus on growing the economy and developing a coherent plan to achieve net zero. This was according to a snapshot survey that took place in an IWFM webinar examining key findings and strategies from its market outlook report.
Around 50 webinar attendees were asked what measures the profession would like to see to improve the market. About 33% chose a focus on growing the economy and the same percentage chose developing a coherent plan to achieve net zero.
Developing an overarching skills strategy was preferred by 10% of respondents whereas 17% wanted more focus on
17
Workplaces need to do a better job of supporting people who menstruate
18
Head of policy and research
Sofie Hooper outlines the course of IWFM’s latest work
The WFM challenges for our new government
by Herpreet Kaur Grewal
supporting people with the cost of living and only 7% felt that encouraging workers back to the offices in town centres was a priority.
The panel for the webinar discussing the Market Outlook Survey report findings included Sofie Hooper, head of policy and research at IWFM; Stuart Rutherford, senior research manager at IWFM; Jenny Thomas, director of communications and insight at IWFM; and Mark Whittaker, IWFM chair.
Hooper said when it comes to sustainability “we are seeing that wonderful increase in investment but what we are not necessarily seeing is the investment from other research that is done to the right degree and return on investment expectations aren’t realistic”.
Skills for the sector
On skills, Whittaker said that generally
many organisations had recently been “fire-fighting” when it came to recruitment, and would need to wait until “the dust has settled to know what the future will be looking like”. This was why many WFM providers “haven’t necessarily come up for air and understood what is going on in the marketplace”.
On the skills shortage side of things, he said organisations should be looking more at “upskilling their people” because “retention is critical” as “recruiting new people is a challenge, so we need to go down that professionalism route and develop our own people”.
Separately, in terms of skills development, the Labour Party’s proposal to give businesses more flexibility over how to spend training cash can help the industry.
Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the proposals would allow
businesses to use up to 50% of the cash provided by the government to fund apprenticeships or training for existing staff.
Apprenticeships are partly funded by money raised through taxes as well as through an Apprenticeship Levy contributed to by larger businesses with a yearly wage bill of £3 million. Smaller businesses can then use that money to train apprentices.
Kelly Dolphin, people and culture director of SBFM, said: “In the FM sector, that lets us tailor our training needs to specific industry demands. The Level 2 Cleaning Hygiene Operative Apprenticeship was approved this year, and it exemplifies how expanding training and development activities beyond traditional apprenticeships can bring new people and skills into a variety of industries.
“We welcome the introduction of flexible traineeship funding because it means that we could develop even more people with government support.”
Green goals
Although proposals targeting climate goals were made by all political parties, many fell short.
Rebecca Newsom, head of politics at environmental charity Greenpeace UK, said Labour’s “climate plans are like a breath of fresh air” but added there were “major gaps in nature, the party clearly recognises the huge opportunity for green jobs, warmer homes and cleaner air that the green economy presents. And, unlike the Tories, Labour will bring an end to climate-wrecking oil and gas and turbocharge renewable power – delivering
genuine energy security and lower bills”.
But Newsom argued for more funding, saying: “You can’t deliver real change with spare change. So, after the bold green pledges and fair tax reforms set out by the Lib Dems and Greens, it’s clear that Labour’s plans don’t go far enough.
“Repairing our crumbling public services, restoring nature and supporting vulnerable communities facing climate impacts is going to require government investment. So, instead of strait-jacketing the UK’s finances, Labour should tax the super-rich and polluting companies more so they pay their fair share towards fixing this broken country.”
Employment gains
Labour’s other proposals include new employment rights, tougher labour market enforcement, and an innovative approach to setting sector-wide standards in social care.
The Resolution Foundation think tank stated that the manifesto’s promise of the right to a contract reflecting regular hours worked “will need to strike a balance between tackling the inappropriate use of zero-hours contracts (which at over one million are close to a record high level, despite a tight labour market) while maintaining the flexibility needed in sectors like hospitality”. It added: “Similarly, ‘day one’ rights to improve job security should include a probationary period to avoid the risk of deterring firms from recruiting.”
Separately, recruitment challenges continue to affect Scottish hospitality’s ability to grow and those in the industry are calling on the new government to recognise this in the UK’s immigration system. Figures show that vacancies in Scotland increased by 60% in April 2024, compared with January 2024.
We welcome the introduction of flexible traineeship funding because it means that we could develop even more people with government support
The research, conducted by the recruitment website Caterer.com, said chefs, front-of-house staff and restaurant management were the three most difficult roles to fill in Scotland.
Mental health
Some of the pledges made by parties promised greater investment in mental health to combat ‘sick note’ culture. For instance, the Conservatives pledged to
WHAT WFMS
WANT FIVE MAJOR GOVERNMENT PRIORITIES FROM IWFM MEMBERS:
1 Focus on growing the economy
2 Develop a coherent plan to achieve net zero
3 Reduce uncertainty about government policy
4 Provide support to people to help with the cost of living
5 Develop an overarching skills strategy, make it easier to recruit talent from outside the UK, encourage staff back to offices in town centres and reduce business taxes.
SOURCE: IWFM’S MARKET OUTLOOK SURVEY 2024 REPORT
give more funding to talking therapies such as counselling services for an extra 500,000 people. This would, in turn, save the economy £12 billion a year as it would mean more working-age people now claiming benefits have jobs.
Since the pandemic, the number of people inactive for health reasons increased by 33% to 2.8 million, according to the Office for National Statistics. Dolphin stressed the need for catered workplace support so that those on long-term sick leave get the help needed to thr ive, but added: “The government may think of mental health support outside of work as the priority, but that support needs to extend within the workplace too.”
With the election now over, we’ll be looking at the political direction of policy online and in our newsletters.
There has been a lot said recently about increasing sickness absences in this post-pandemic world.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) recently reported the highest levels of sickness absence in the past 10 years. Data from the CIPD/ Simplyhealth study shows that “this is the highest level we’ve
reported in over a decade and two whole days more than the pre-pandemic rate of 5.8 days”.
Ths upsurge comes at a time when employers are under “increasing pressure with recruitment and retention challenges”.
For some time now, rganisations have been introducing wellbeing benefits and initiatives in support of newly minted wellbeing
strategies. This is partly the reason why employment law firm Winckworth Sherwood decided to conduct research to understand whether there was “an increased acceptability regarding taking time off and what more employers could do to promote wellbeing in the workplace and prevent sickness absence”.
Researchers surveyed more than 1,000 employees and 250
Is ‘wellbeing washing’ blocking genuine boosts to workers’ health levels?
by Herpreet Kaur Grewal
senior HR leaders between 30 April to 7 May 2024. They asked what employers and employees feel are the key factors for promoting wellbeing in the workplace; what strategies, benefits, and initiatives employers actually have in place; whether ‘wellbeing washing’ was taking place with employers giving the appearance of caring about wellbeing but not actually implementing meaningful strategies; and whether employers could be more effective in their wellbeing offering to improve the health of their employees.
The results proved instructive. Most (86%) employers and employees (69%) canvassed agreed that it is now “more acceptable” to take time off work when unwell. The report, Wellbeing Strategies: Effective in Managing Sickness Absence? Insights and Recommendations for Employers, also looks at the effectiveness of existing strategies and initiatives in promoting mental health and reducing sickness absence because of mental ill health, and whether more could be done given the high levels of sickness absence in the UK.
Most employers questioned (84%) believe that their wellbeing strategy, initiatives or benefits have reduced levels of sickness absence. Although on the face of it this statistic is positive, when employers were asked why such benefits and initiatives were being offered within their organisation, many admitted the main purpose was not to reduce sickness absence but to improve productivity.
Employers (68%) and employees (67%) agreed with the proposition that there is too much responsibility on employees to improve
their health and wellbeing, as opposed to organisations improving their work environment and culture. Only 9% of employees and 14% of employers surveyed disagreed with this.
Employers and employees were predominantly aligned on the most effective factors in promoting mental health and preventing sickness absence for mental ill health: “Good work” (autonomy, job satisfaction, work-life balance); fair pay and reward; and promotion of flexible working (eg, remote working, condensed hours).
However, these results expose another gap between employers’ beliefs and actions, with only around a half of employers surveyed admitting that they offered their employees fair pay and reward, “good work” and promoted flexible working.
Combined, these findings were seen as clear indicators that ‘wellbeing washing’ is happening within organisations, with employers publicly embracing the importance of wellbeing and implementing wellbeing initiatives while not genuinely supporting employees and ensuring a healthy working environment.
Interestingly, employers felt that employee perks were more effective in promoting mental health and preventing sickness absence than their employees.
Cultural change
The report concluded that firms could be “even more effective in genuinely promoting wellbeing in the workplace and reducing sickness absence levels, if employers did not just offer ‘sticking plasters’ such as free fruit and yoga classes, and instead looked at
THE SHIFTING WELLBEING AGENDA
86% of employers and 69% of employees agree that it is more acceptable for employees to take time off work when they are unwell than previously, particularly in relation to mental health issues
The No.1 reason for organisations having a wellbeing strategy or offering is to improve the productivity of their employees.
18% of employees and 26% of employers feel it is now more acceptable to take time off work for menopause symptoms
Only around 50% of employers admit that they offer their employees fair pay and reward, “good work” and promote flexible working.
Gender Difference: Results were similar for male and female employee respondents except that more female employees considered that promoting flexible working was effective in promoting mental health in the workforce (43% of female respondents versus 33% of male respondents).
This was seen as not surprising with women predominantly taking responsibility for childcare in society.
84% of employers believe their wellbeing strategy, initiatives or benefits have reduced levels of sickness absence
cultural change”.
Co-author Louise Lawrence, a partner in the employment team at Winckworth Sherwood, said: “Following the CIPD and ONS both reporting that sickness absence has risen to some of the highest levels seen in over a decade, we wanted to understand the factors that could be impacting these figures. In particular, we wanted to determine whether
Too much onus remains on employees to manage their wellbeing
7th in the list of priorities for employers when putting in place a wellbeing strategy is striving for a healthier and more inclusive culture
‘wellbeing washing’ was taking place across organisations, whereby employers claim to prioritise wellbeing but are falling short when it comes to implementing meaningful wellbeing strategies.
“While employees and employers are aligned on several issues, some results highlighted a significant disconnect between employers’ and employees’ priorities and goals. Our recommendations aim to provide the tools and knowledge to employers for them to help bridge this gap.”
Report co-author Harriet Calver, senior associate at the law firm, added: “While it is positive to see that both employers and employees
Interestingly, more female employees 29% than male employees 21% thought that employee perks were effective.
SOURCE: WINCKWORTH SHERWOOD
agree that it is more acceptable to take time off work when unwell, particularly in relation to mental health issues, the findings reveal that too much onus remains on employees to manage their wellbeing and mental health.
“As such, we believe workplaces could be even more effective in promoting a healthier culture and preventing sickness absence for mental ill health if employers reconsidered the priorities for their wellbeing strategies and offerings; identified the specific challenges to wellbeing in their organisation; critically evaluated the success of their strategy; and adapted it accordingly.”
Agrowing number of companies are grappling with enacting hybrid working. A more flexible way of working gained undeniable momentum during and after the pandemic, even though some firms still want to mandate a return to the office.
However, many in the sector believe the future workplace will become more balanced between all ways of working with many adapting to what suits individual needs. A recent report states that UK firms are struggling to enable hybrid work, with 54% of organisations reporting challenges in balancing employee productivity, and 47% encountering resistance to change.
The Hybrid Workplace Whiplash survey by Lucid Software found that overcoming these challenges requires businesses to equip their staff with the tools and processes to collaborate effectively. Despite this need, only 38% of UK businesses have implemented digital collaboration tools and just 29% provide collaboration training to employees. Consequently, a fifth (20%) of workers are considering quitting their jobs because of their firm’s hybrid work policy. Despite widespread adoption over
Empowerment and the future of hybrid
by Herpreet Kaur Grewal
the past four years, UK firms are still feeling the effects of poor hybrid work; 27% of employees feel brainstorming and kick-off sessions fail to provide a clear understanding of the next steps, and 37% don’t think the ownership of tasks in teams is clear. Just over two-fifths (41%) report that, as a result, some projects fail to meet their objectives.
Productivity applications
One hindrance is that UK workers still aren’t being given the tools they need to operate as hybrid teams. Although 71% believe that visuals are either extremely or very important for collaboration, only a third (27%) are provided with a visualisation tool, and only 30% are given whiteboarding applications to use.
With worldwide IT spending expected to grow by 6.8% this year, companies need to ensure that they are not wasting money on technology that employees aren’t using, says the study. However, there is considerable appetite from business leaders “to invest in technology to boost productivity, often resulting in employees becoming stretched across several applications to complete work”.
This lack of adoption by employees is possibly driven by the fact that many report being consistently overwhelmed by the number of different applications they use at work. About 26% of UK knowledge workers are either “extremely overwhelmed” or “very overwhelmed” by the productivity applications they use, with 35% experiencing frustration about it.
WORK CULTURE
Jarom Chung, vice-president of product management at Lucid Software, said: “Despite the fact that companies have been practising hybrid work for years now, leaders continue to fall short in adequately equipping and training their employees with the essential digital tools and processes needed for success. Organisations need to intentionally evaluate the effectiveness of their tech stack, and focus on enabling their teams to work better together, no matter where they’re located. Specifically, the data demonstrates that effective visual collaboration is not just a luxury but a necessity in hybrid work, empowering employees to streamline vital information, collaborate seamlessly, and maximise their productivity.”
Companies set their own agenda
Hybrid working needs to be “agile”, and personal choice and flexibility must be constant considerations if it is to be redefined successfully for the future, according to others.
The topic of ‘Redefining the Future: Why Hybrid Working is Obsolete and What Comes Next?’ was discussed by a panel at the EuroFM conference in June with participants including FM specialist Alvaro Aguiar; Kanha Pou, head of workplace solutions division at the European Investment Bank; Tom Ryckaert, marketing and communications director at PROCOS Group; Hannah Wilson, DBA programme manager at Liverpool Business School; and workplace consultant Chiara Tagliaro.
Wilson, a senior lecturer in research methods in business, said healthy hybrid working is going to be different for every business as it would need to cater to everyone’s different needs.
‘Healthy hybrid’
She told delegates: “Hybrid working is really, really complex… What is healthy? What does it look like? It’s different for every single person depending on their life situation and their individual needs… or certain social challenges… For hybrid to be implemented effectively, we need to take into account that each individual is different and each individual’s situation at different points of their life will be different… so there needs to be personal choice but also flexibility.”
She added: “If we’re thinking of what is healthy hybrid, that is different for everybody. Going backwards to go forwards is going to be really important… bringing different people into the office for different needs and we need to adapt to that better.”
Wilson stated that there was “no one answer to it” and that “the best approach is for an organisation to understand and define” what they think hybrid working means for them.
Neurodiversity
As an employer reward for doing more to cater to individual needs, academic research has found that employees with higher levels of neuroticism experience “lower empowerment and wellbeing in a sudden change from working in an organisational premises to working from home (WFH)”. Such a scenario backs the need for nuance and flexibility in the workplace and how managers must adjust skills concerning their workers.
The study by King’s Business School and Norwich Business School analysed surveys of WFH employees and found the move to WFH during the pandemic “generally decreased perceptions of job satisfaction, overall wellbeing, and empowerment”.
neuroticism, with a potential lack of preparedness for the WFH environment exacerbating emotional instability, states the report.
Organisational support
The researchers also note that “greater organisational support should not be mistaken with increasing oversight by managers”. Managers who closely monitor employees will “inevitably make those employees feel less empowered”.
Jackson said: “If employees feel that their organisation supports and empowers them to get on with their job in the context of a sudden change, then those employees are more likely to experience increased wellbeing. Organisations need to show they support their employees and not just pay lip service to the idea of support.
“Managers need to remove any hint of micromanagement, pressure, and surveillance over employees when they’re working remotely. By showing that employees are trusted to manage their work activities, organisations and managers can develop an empowering environment conducive to wellbeing.”
Leaders continue to fall short in adequately equipping and training employees
Empowerment, in this context, refers to employees’ sense of control, competence, and autonomy in their work environment. If an employee felt more empowered, they were more likely to be receiving better organisational support and to experience greater wellbeing.
The research was undertaken by Duncan Jackson, a reader of organisational psychology and human resource management and Amanda Jones, associate professor in organisational behaviour and human resource management at King’s Business School, alongside George Michaelides, associate professor of work psychology at Norwich Business School, and Dr Chris Dewberry.
The sudden shift to WFH probably intensified feelings of anxiety and stress for workers with higher levels of
Moreover, employees who felt their homes were well-prepared for work reported higher levels of empowerment, which positively affected their wellbeing. Jones said: “Our findings clearly show that, in general, organisations should empower remoteworking employees if they want to protect their wellbeing and prevent them from seeking an alternative job.
“However, we can also see that a ‘onesize-fits-all’ approach to managing remote workers may be a mistake. Some people will require much more structure and direction than others, especially where remote working is a requirement, rather than a choice.”
The research comes from an analysis of 337 employees surveyed during lockdown and highlights changing needs and attitudes to WFH, and how it affects employee wellbeing. It was published in the June 2024 volume of The Journal of Vocational Behaviour.
David Stevens has been appointed as one of three vice-presidents for the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE). The organisation announced Stevens’ position alongside Fiona Cousings as its president for 2024-2025, with Mike Burton and Dave Cooper joining Stevens as vice-presidents.
CIBSE President-elect Vince Arnold completes this new leadership team. Stevens is director of estates for the East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT), and becomes CIBSE’s first vice-president in 20 years with an estates and facilities background. Chair of the CIBSE FM Group and its LGBTQI panel, Stevens is also a fellow of both the Institure of Workplace and Facilities Management and Institute of Healthcare Engineering and Estate Management (IHEEM), serving as a judge for the IWFM Impact Awards. He is also on the IHEEM Diversity and Inclusion Working Group.
What will your priorities be for the sector in your new role?
Fiona’s theme for the year is Building Performance Reimagined, to consider how we can measure the performance of buildings of the future. Traditionally, we have focused on occupant comfort, energy use, carbon emissions and cost efficiency – should we now also be considering further aspects of how our built environment performs, for instance, in relation to their ability to be resilient to weather, climate change, accidents, and emergencies?
One of my priorities will be to engage with operational engineers and the wider FM community to further this conversation and consider how the facilities sector will have to adapt to the needs of the future built environment as it’s FMs that play a critical role in enhancing the resilience of buildings.
What trends and challenges should the sector be aware of?
The sector needs to further develop and focus on key trends, especially
Q&A DAVID STEVENS
CIBSE VP David Stevens on what lies ahead for FM
by Herpreet Kaur Grewal
on the technical and supply side to stay ahead and ensure optimal building performance – if it hopes to remain a leading built environment profession. There are so many to focus on, but here are a few examples:
● Smart building technologies: Integrating IoT and building management systems for realtime monitoring improves energy efficiency and occupant comfort through data analytics. Sensor tech is significantly developing, costs are reducing and the scope for reducing maintenance costs through timebased PPM and reactive actions is immense.
● Sustainable practices: Sustainability bleeds through all we do, and this means sustainable in terms of financial sustainability as well as NZC. Sourcing eco-friendly materials, adopting energy-efficient solutions like renewable energy systems, and high-efficiency building systems, embedding circular economy principles are well within the gift of the FM as we develop and maintain our existing building stock.
● Supply chain resilience:
Considering the Building Performance Reimagined theme, and learning from the loss of suppliers like Carillion and the impacts of a global pandemic, FMs need diversify their supply chain to ensure uninterrupted operations during global emergencies and incidents.
● Skills and competency:
The Building Safety Act 2022 emphasises the importance of competency among professionals in building design, construction, and management – and this includes FM. Maintaining high competency standards is essential for ensuring building safety and protecting occupants. The operational arena is suffering a skills shortage and lack of technically qualified and competent personnel at all levels, so this focus will become even more intense, especially with the need for ongoing education in smart building technologies, energy management, and sustainable practices.
Ensuring technical competence through regular training is vital for developing our sector and optimising building performance.
What do you most hope to achieve in your role?
As a board member and trustee of CIBSE, we act collectively, and not on personal agendas; however, I hope to support the president on her theme and do my best to promote the interests of FM while raising its profile in the wider built environment and engineering sector. I hope to drive the conversation on innovation and collaboration in FM. Leveraging data analytics, IoT, and AI –promoting knowledge-sharing within the CIBSE and wider FM community – to address future challenges and improve the overall quality of our built environment I intend to use my platform as vicepresident of CIBSE and chair of the CIBSE LGBTQI panel to be a visible member of our community and show that sexual orientation is not a barrier to success in our industry.
Every unique challenge
Every demanding timescale Every rental solution
Sunbelt Rentals is the UK’s largest equipment rental provider. We bring our £1bn+ fleet of equipment, technology and people together to deliver end-to-end solutions.
As your trusted partner we’ll help you drive cost-efficiencies, enhanced productivity and reduced carbon footprint throughout your projects. You bring the challenge - we bring the how.
Leave the how to us.
When a building is finished, that’s just the beginning
PROTECTING AND PRESERVING
Testing and inspecting lightning protection systems is one of the vital services carried out by engineers from PTSG Electrical Services Ltd
PTSG is the UK’s leading supplier of specialist services to ensure buildings remain safe, compliant, clean and maintained – in ALL areas.
PTSG operates five independent business divisions, delivering a full portfolio of specialist services for buildings in all sectors. This ensures they remain in the same first-class condition as when they were built – from ancient monuments to iconic skyscrapers.
Ask us about what we offer in all five of our business divisions.
Workplaces from offices, oil rigs, and laboratories to outdoor settings need to “radically improve” their provision for people who menstruate, reveals research.
Researchers at Edinburgh’s HeriotWatt University say that women, trans and non-binary people managing periods at work are “still being stigmatised, silenced and ignored”. Challenges include inaccessible washroom facilities, poorly informed managers and continued shame, particularly around menstrual bleeding.
Recommendations for improvement include menstrual health education for organisations and managers, a review of uniforms and personal protective equipment worn in workplaces, and better toilet provision and shower facilities in all work environments.
The report specifically focuses on women working as researchers but has implications for all genders, workplaces and career stages, state the authors.
Kate Sang, a professor of gender and
employment studies at Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh Business School, led the research. She said: “Research and workplace policies on menstrual health, including periods, menopause and perimenopause, has been growing in recent years. But it is still an underresearched area, and the topic is still poorly understood in the context of the workplace.
“Workers in remote and nonoffice locations are particularly likely to face challenges managing their symptoms because of poor facilities and understanding.”
Personal protective equipment
The study, Recommendations For Improving Support For Researchers Managing Menstruation, is based on an evidence review on menstrual health, including periods and perimenopause and on more than 50 interviews with women working in many different settings.
Its other findings show that menstrual stigma, especially around any signs of
Challenges include inaccessible washroom facilities, poorly informed managers and continued shame
blood, remains “a powerful force in working women’s lives”. For those working in laboratories, personal protective equipment is often designed for men with sizes and fabrics unsuitable for those managing menstruation. Where employers do have menopause or menstruation policies, there is a lack of robust evidence bases to ensure they will improve working lives. The researchers also note that menstruation can be particularly challenging for neurodivergent, trans, racially minoritised and disabled researchers.
The report was led by Chiara Cocco, a research associate at Heriot-Watt University’s School of Social Sciences. She said: “Typically, the kind of lab coats and overalls worn by researchers in lab or outdoor settings are white and provided in generic sizes. So it can be tricky to find something that fits you. It’s also often up to the researchers and scientists to wash their own laundry – and spares are sometimes hard to find. This can make managing periods at work difficult – especially if you’re working in an area that might be some distance from toilet facilities.
“I hope that by revealing the voices of those who are often silenced at work, we can really create some positive impact to make their working lives better.”
are still seen ‘as a problem in workplaces’
by Herpreet Kaur Grewal
The Heriot-Watt team is working with employers to initiate workplace changes and remove the barriers identified. Sang said: “We also hope to add to the understanding of how different workplaces inform the experiences of women, as well as trans and non-binary people.”
The study is part of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Caucus (EDICa), a group led by Sang to improve EDI in the research and innovation sector. EDICa is funded by UK Research and Innovation, the UK’s national funding agency for investing in science and research.
Working together to further WFM’s cause
IWFM’s head of policy and research, Sofie Hooper, considers the collaborations – between people, departments and organisations – that’s so important to the institute’s future work in this new political age
What’s been the central focus of our recent work?
Any organisation wanting to remain relevant in our society must think and, more importantly, act to bring about a future where everyone benefits. A common theme in all of our policy work throughout May and June is this: collaborating towards a brighter future.
Our ongoing focus on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) has been an important motivator for IWFM. I hosted an EDI panel at EuroFM in May, which was not only important in changing attitudes and making the sector more inclusive, but also genuinely moving in a way that few industry discussions can be. The panellists’ honesty and openness when sharing their personal struggles and journeys touched me deeply.
The aim of the session was to move the importance of the agenda beyond the impact on the bottom line (as relevant and sizeable as it is for a profession with a skills and retention problem to the detriment of business success) to shed light on the costs on people of not investing in this agenda, and to share actionable insights of what has worked in the panel’s experience.
On top of regular meetings with the LGBT+ in FM network, IWFM is drilling down into our own governance and leadership structures to ensure we continue to embed EDI across our organisation to serve our members better. It’s important for us to be transparent about our ‘walk’, rather than just ‘talk’. If you haven’t already, read our EDI 2023 governance and leadership survey in anticipation of the 2024 report. We are currently analysing the results.
Also at EuroFM was IWFM Sustainability SIG member Sunil Shah, driving home the importance of ESG reporting.
IWFM continues to work with Sunil and the SFMI on the Scope 3 reporting standard published in December 2023. Our Sustainability Survey 2023 showed Scope 3 awareness is still lagging (see the feature on this subject on page 30) – despite Scope 3 emissions taking up an average of 75% of organisations’ emissions. We also hosted a roundtable event with SFMI about the urgent need for all organisations to implement short-term net zero initiatives and set longer-term ambitions. We will explore how FM can help to adapt to climate change and mitigate its effects.
We are working with Equans, our sustainability partner, to finalise our air quality webinar and compile guidance on how to draft effective business cases. With our Sustainability SIG, we’re building our annual Sustainability Survey – which goes live at the end of July – leveraging last year’s insights to dig deeper towards solutions.
Our 2024 Skills Survey is an important focus as we find solutions to close the profession’s skills gap and ensure our professional competence framework remains fit for future purpose.
Work in the Building Safety Alliance (BSA) is ongoing, following its recently published organisational capability standard. We’re clarifying next steps in its development under the auspices of the British Standards Institute. We’re also aiming to finalise output related to the Golden Thread.
Representing the BSA, Mark Snelling and I spoke at the Building Safety Regulator’s conference in Birmingham on individual competence and the new organisational capability standard noted above. We reminded the audience that PAS 8673, which we helped to develop, is the standard the regulator would use to assess individuals’
3. IWFM’s work through the Building Safety Alliance is one of our most important workstreams 1 2
1. Partnering individuals and organisations is key to seeing our objectives fulfilled
2. As the new government convenes, we have collated our list of priorities for the incoming administration
WHAT WE NEED HELP WITH – AND HOW WE CAN HELP YOU
We’re keen to hear from you about the topics you think we should cover, but this is a two-way street – you can really help us by participating in our surveys. We’d like to convince more of you to
take a volunteering role with IWFM. You can make a difference within the profession by involving yourself with our regions, groups or networks – or by putting yourself forward as an awards judge or board member. IWFM thrives through its volunteers and we’re keen for more of you to step forward. As for policy, we welcome your thoughts on our future work so please get in touch at policy@iwfm.org.uk
competence in managing building safety in residential buildings. The BSA organisational capability standard can also be used to show organisational competence.
FURTHER READING
● Market Outlook Survey tinyurl.com/Fac24901
● EDI governance and leadership sur vey findings for 2023 tinyurl.com/Fac24902
● Optimising productivity in a postpandemic hybrid world tinyurl.com/Fac24904
IWFM output I think you should see
We published our manifesto including about how FM can bring together the sustainability needs of landlords, end-users and the rest of the supply chain. We need a holistic strategy from the government to deal with net zero and climate change adaptation and mitigation – because buildings built to date cannot deal with the cumulative effects.
We also produced a second webinar based on our Market Outlook Survey Report, having used the data to compile unique insights aimed at corporate members and tailored to FM service providers’ needs. Contact IWFM business development executive Claire Lammiman at claire.lammiman@iwfm. org.uk for the recording.
Our Skills Survey has also been ‘in field’, and was due to close at the beginning of July. Through it, we want to ensure IWFM develops CPD opportunities that matter to you; to better understand what guidance we should produce to help you progress in your career; to feed into the development of IWFM qualifications to support your professional development; and to share your voice on skills and competencies
WFMs in your role require. The exercises are important to overall recognition of skills and our own understanding of individual requirements across membership levels.
Also on our agenda
Collaborating with our content partner, Accruent, we published a report about optimising workplace productivity. A legacy concern for UK organisations, this is important work for the sector and broader economy.
Prompted in part by our building safety work, especially the Golden Thread component and the update of the information management mandate by the IPA, we’re reviewing our Asset Management Good Practice Guide.
I also attended a meeting with the Procurement and Contract Management SIG about statutory compliance and why all of us in WFM need to speak about it in the same language with comparable metrics. This is fundamental to our collective success and feeds into many of strands of our work.
What’s happening as you read this
We’ve begun background research on our Workplace Survey, targeting workplace practitioners, taking stock of current trends, and complementing the 2024 Skills Survey We’ll be considering the general election results to ensure our policy priorities make it to the in-tray of the incoming administration. This is a pivotal time for the country; rest assured, we will measured in our approach to government in the months ahead. I write this before the election result is known, but whatever the flavour of the new administration we will ensure our work on your behalf is seen at the highest levels.
NEWS IN NUMBERS
£20,000
Only 30% of office workers say they have all the necessary technology to collaborate seamlessly with other colleagues, according to Ricoh Europe. A fifth of employees did not have access to essential collaboration software such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom, while 29% did not have access to any collaboration hardware/hybrid meeting technology and AV technology such as video conferencing.
19%
Despite 48% of the companies saying they have clear green goals, just 19% of professionals in the UK think their workplace is sustainable, according to a survey of UK professionals by recruitment company Robert Walters. The data shows that three in five professionals feel sustainability and climate considerations have moved up the agenda in the past 12 months – whilst only 22% of employers feel the same.
W/C 6 MAY
87% OF ORGANISATIONS ARE NOW OPERATING A HYBRID WORKPLACE STRATEGY
According to JLL’s Global Occupancy Planning Benchmarking Report 2024, these are evolving to accommodate a greater variety of work activities, with firms looking at occupancy planning and workplace design more holistically. Nearly 50% intend to expand their hybrid working policies in the next three years.
W/C 13 MAY
$20.9 billion
COMPASS GROUP REPORTS STRONG HALF-YEAR RESULTS
Rat and mice sightings could be costing British hospitality businesses up to £20,000 in lost revenue each year. Rentokil Pest Control analysed over 80,000 Tripadvisor reviews of 200 hospitality businesses across the UK, and found that rodent sightings drag down ratings by an average of one full star.
W/C 20 MAY 41%
£20 Billion
The UK M&E contracting market is worth approximately £20 billion and constitutes around a fifth of the UK construction sector’s GDP, according to the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA)’s latest annual Top 30 Mechanical and Electrical (M&E) Contractor report. Collective turnover is up by 16% on last year.
Despite “historic concerns about the future of offices and workspace”, a record number of participants in IWFM’s Market Outlook survey are positive about the future. 60% of organisations indicated they had “increased investment in carbon reduction solutions in the last 12 months”although just 40% indicated that their budgets had increased. 30%
The global service provider recorded a 1.2% increase in revenue, totalling $20.9 billion for the first half of 2024, compared with $18.8 billion for the same period in the previous year. This was attributed to double-digit organic revenue growth across all regions in which the company operates. The underlying operating margin has increased to 7.1%.
ONE IN THREE LGBTQI+ WORKERS BELIEVE THEIR IDENTITY HAS ‘NEGATIVELY AFFECTED THEIR CAREER’
41% of LGBTQI+ workers say they have faced discrimination at work, pushing nearly a third (29%) to quit roles, according to the Workmonitor Pulse survey from recruitment firm Randstad. A third said that their sexuality or gender identity has affected their career, pay or progression.
W/C 27 MAY 60%
IWFM SURVEY INDICATES ‘ENCOURAGING’ SIGNS OF SECTOR DEVELOPMENT
86%
Wellbeing Strategies: Effective in Managing Sickness AbsenceInsights and Recommendations for Employers, commissioned by UK law firm Winckworth Sherwood, found that employers (68%) and employees (67%) agree that there is too much responsibility on employees to improve their health and wellbeing, as opposed to organisations improving their work environment and culture.
Compliance firm William Martin has found that an increased focus on best practice is leading to heavier workloads for FMs, with almost 327,000 health and safety actions raised across all disciplines – a 22% increase year on year. It is frequently taking too long to remediate top priority actions from risk assessments, the average time to complete a Priority 1 action being 42 days.
W/C 3 JUNE
50% OF LGBTQI+ WORKERS FACE DISCRIMINATION AT WORK
About half of LGBTQI+ workers have faced discrimination or prejudice at work because of their sexuality or gender identity, according to research by recruiter Randstad UK. A third of 350 LGBTQI+ employees in the UK said discrimination at work had worsened in the past five years, with nearly 40% feeling more isolated than they were five years ago.
W/C 10 JUNE
93%
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero statistics show that heat pump sales continue to surge. Boiler Upgrade Scheme applications in April 2024 (2,138) were 93% higher than the volume received during the same month of the previous year (April 2023; 1,233).
79%
A survey by Apogee Corporation shows that overall, 79% of workers encounter issues with meeting technology when trying to collaborate with others, which has led to as many as 84% of extroverts being unable to work productively when remote.
327,000 327,000 327, 000
20% OF WORKERS WANT TO QUIT OVER HYBRID WORK POLICIES
UK firms are struggling to enable hybrid work, with 54% reporting challenges in balancing employee productivity, and 47% encountering resistance to change. The Hybrid Workplace Whiplash survey by Lucid Software found that only 38% of businesses have implemented digital collaboration tools and just 29% provide collaboration training.
W/C 17 JUNE 3% OF FIRMS ARE DEFICIENT IN AI SKILLS
SoftwareOne’s Cloud Skills Report noted a need to bridge the ‘human-machine divide’. It says the biggest pain point for firms’ digital transformation efforts is guaranteeing that employee skills growth matches the rapid rate of innovation. More than half (53%) have inadequate skills to leverage AI – and 50% struggle to find AI-skilled employees.
W/C 24 JUNE
4.1 MILLION THE TALLY OF PEOPLE IN INSECURE WORK
Trades Union Congress (TUC) statistics show the number of people in precarious employment rose by nearly one million between 2011 and 2023. In that period, insecure work rose nearly three times faster than secure forms of employment. Although the number of people in insecure work increased by 31%, those in secure employment increased by just 11%.
SUSTAINING OURSELVES
Workplace and facilities managers exist to serve the wellbeing of their clients, but what of WFMs themselves? How is their mental and physical health faring?
Martin Read and Bradford Keen set out to feel the pulse, take the temperature and gauge the wellbeing of this ever-pressured profession
Facilities management has its reputation as a profession into which people ‘fall’; a sector for those who enjoy the day-to-day variety of a role in which routine travel, situational novelty, resilience and adaptability to circumstance are constant requirements.
Yet what sets this sector apart can also be what ails its practitioners. While never less than mentally and physically demanding, the role of the WFM continues to encounter new pressures caused by uncertainty over future service levels, complexity in the delivery of environmental commitments and a shift in the way new generations of team members need managing.
All of this as well as a new and persistent demand for a tech-centric mindset that can only serve to unsettle
those for whom IT is intrinsically unsettling rather than exciting. There’s a divide between the tech savvy and tech averse, the latter suffering an underlying stress as the job evolves around them.
All of this is stress-inducing – and in a way, FM has always been about individuals managing and diffusing stress levels while sustaining their physical performance.
The physical and emotional demands Nick Fox, associate director with Capitec and a former IWFM’s members’ council chair, has struggled with his mental health.
“I reached a point of near-burnout a couple of years ago after years of operational life,” he confides. “FM is not an easy job and it is mentally intensive. There’s a huge inconsistency from the get-go in terms of how a contract gets issued. I’ve not worked on a contract yet where the tender and the mobilisation has been done correctly.
“So when it falls to operational FMs to drive the contract forward, it brings a range of challenges from an individual perspective around relationships, collaboration, expectation in terms of working hours and ability to switch off.
“In my experience, you don’t ever really switch off because the FM’s job is never done and people are always expected to be at the end of a phone. FM is so broad that not one single person can know everything so you become a bit of a generalist. But if you’re not supported with HR, procurement, and health and safety input, you end up being left carrying the can for all of it.”
Being short on hours to do what’s necessary to keep clients happy, coupled with a desire to please, leaves FMs exhausted and trying to please everyone, says Fox.
“It normally starts because the contract was poorly tendered or poorly specified at the outset, and the expectations of you are not clearly defined.
“You find yourself embroiled in client meetings all day, every day, and then you haven’t got time to do the day job. Contracts are resourced based on specifications in the tender, and that doesn’t help when you’re trying to deliver the contract.”
For Fox himself, the solution was to change the work.
“I got frustrated with going to places and finding the same issues. It got to
the point where I thought I needed a break from operational life, so I jumped into consultancy where there are clearer boundaries. You can turn off your laptop at night and not worry about it until the following morning, which a lot of people don’t have the luxury of doing.”
Karen Farrell, once an operational FM herself, is now a corporate wellbeing trainer with a focus on mindfulness and breathwork. She knows first-hand just how taxing WFM roles can be.
“Physically, these roles often demand long hours on one’s feet, heavy lifting and the need to navigate large properties.
Emotionally, they face high-pressure situations that often need to be resolved quickly and outside of regular hours, handling numerous complaints and balancing budget constraints. The need to constantly multitask contributes to the demanding nature of the profession.
“This relentless pace can lead to mental and physical exhaustion that can negatively impact upon their performance and overall wellbeing. Addressing burnout through proactive stress management is crucial to sustaining the health and productivity of FMs in the long term.”
Nigel Lucker, director of estates and facilities at the University of Suffolk, finds comfort in the wider FM community and is a proponent of networking with peers as a means to seeking solace.
Lucker’s concern is the pace of change in the sector as a result of the pandemic and emerging technologies.
“The challenges we face have changed, and the pace of change those challenges have introduced, can be overwhelming. Going back 10 to 15 years, we were all about the maintenance, the security and the cleanliness of our buildings. But because FM has since been so successful, evolving to influence the sustainability, culture, health and safety of organisations. I think FM’s have struggled to keep up. It’s the pace that has changed so much. And I’m not sure we have the training, or the wider support within the industry to help us with that pace.”
The stress of unrealistic expectations FM has traditionally been challenging from a financial perspective.
“Psychologically, that can cause problems,” says Jonathan Gawthrop, executive director, of risk & sustainability, EMCOR UK. “Physically, it can result in not getting enough sleep, lying awake at night thinking about it all the time.
“You can get locked into this cycle, which, from a health perspective, can be really debilitating. That is something the sector could perhaps consider, because you have this challenge from a customer perspective asking for one thing, and the employer perspective asking something slightly differently. When the two converge it can be quite a challenging space.
“One of the attractions of FM is the variation of the work but the sheer
“In my experience, you don’t ever really switch off because the FM’s job is never done and people are always expected to be at the end of a phone”
pace and variation of activity can have a detrimental effect on individuals’ mental health. A common thread to good health is understanding what your role is so there’s no ambiguity, and having the right motivators so there’s a clear purpose at work.”
Worth pointing out, says Claudio Rojas, managing director at Alex Young Recruitment, is th ose who ch oose to work in FM “like it because they always say, ‘no two days are the same’. There’s a lot going on”.
“If you don’t like having 101 things thrown at you at one time and you prefer routine or the same predictable day, then FM’s probably not for you,” Rojas argues. “You’re going to find it quite stressful.”
Added to the stressfulness of unpredictability, Rojas says some of his candidates have expressed the frustration that comes from clients
MANAGING EXPECTATIONS
IN-HOUSE AND OUTSOURCED VARIATIONS
Mental health factors can be very different between in-house and outsourced roles.
“If the FM team is in-house, they’ve got all of the usual in-house clients so they’re dealing with departments, the senior management, the directors and so on,” says FMHS Consulting’s director, Beth Goodyear. “But when you’re outsourced, you have two sets of clients. I’ve got my end-client who’s managing my contract and making sure I’m meeting my SLAs and KPIs; my employer client with the senior directors and different departments; and all the people in the client building who are contacting me with a whole other set of demands.
“But the biggest thing with being outsourced is job insecurity. If the endclient thinks my face doesn’t fit and my employer wants to keep that contract, they will move me to another account because there’s no other role for me.
You have to be more on your toes than you are in-house.”
As a recruiter with more than two decades of experience, Claudio Rojas of Alex Young Recruitment says there is still only so much accuracy in whether the candidate and the role are going to be well suited. “It’s difficult to tell whether someone’s going to be able to handle the pressure successfully. Experience doesn’t always mean they’re going to be good and an inexperienced person might be able to handle the pressures of the job quite well even if they have not done it before”.
A key trait in successful FMs, Rojas says, is they think of what they do as delivering excellent customer service rather than strictly managing facilities.
“They really want to help people. It’s common in everybody, whether in soft or hard services. They like fixing problems and helping people – and that’s where their job satisfaction comes in.”
INHALE, EXHALE
THE INS AND OUTS OF BREATH MANAGEMENT
Karen Farrell, corporate wellbeing trainer at Mindful Station and herself a former operational WFM, is a corporate wellbeing trainer focused on mindfulness and breathwork.
“Physically, these roles often demand long hours on one’s feet, heavy lifting and the need to navigate large properties,” says Farrell. “Emotionally, they face highpressure situations, such as urgent maintenance issues that often need to be resolved quickly and can be outside of regular hours, handling numerous complaints and balancing budget constraints.
Burnout, says Farrell, is a serious concern. “Addressing burnout through proactive stress management is crucial to sustaining the health and productivity of FMs in the long term. Routine meditation or breathwork sessions would be immensely valuable for FM departments.”
Research, Farrell shares, suggests that a minute of deep conscious breathing is enough to eradicate the stress hormone cortisol from your bloodstream, which is beneficial when managing the high demands and pressures of FM roles.
“Regular breathwork and meditation practices will help to reduce stress, improve focus and enhance emotional resilience, which will reduce burnout rates and improve job satisfaction. Additionally, practising breathing exercises on a regular basis will foster a sense of calm and clarity that can promote a healthier work environment,” she explains.
Farrell lists the following practices to pursue:
● Incorporating regular short breaks or movement snacks such as doing 10 squats when the kettle is boiling. These brief periods of physical activity stimulate the release of endorphins which can improve overall mood.
● Attending on-site or virtual meditation or breathwork classes can encourage employees to take some time out for themselves to manage stress and improve their mental wellbeing.
● Regular check-ins between managers and employees to discuss workload, expectations and any concerns can help identify stressors early and provide necessary support.
who are never satisfied (“what we do is never good enough”).
Tied to this dissatisfaction from the client, says Rojas, is the unrealistic expectations of what an “FM can actually deliver in an eight-hour working day”, and believing that “everything is always urgent”.
In anticipation of speaking with Facilitate, Rojas ran a poll on LinkedIn asking what makes an FM’s job stressful. Of the 71 responses, 58% noted unrealistic expectations placed on them by clients. A lack of support from their employer ranked second at 25%.
“If you’re on your own and the client is all over you, and you’re looking to your boss for support, and they might be a regional FM or director not on-site with numerous vendors reporting to them, then the support is not there,” Rojas offers.
Liz Kentish of consultancy Kentish & Co says “as operational FMs we need to be more in charge of our own destiny. We need to be bold, and to think about what works for us; to fit your own mask first before you help others. We can have a tendency to think that because we’re in FM, we have to be on site five days a week. I don’t think we’re doing ourselves any favours there.
“One of the things we need to learn is how to say ‘no’. Not just no to work requests, but other things too.”
Kentish’s team mentors many young people who struggle to say no, feeling that ‘if I’m not doing something, there must be something wrong with me’. “We need to learn to say no, and that it’s okay to do nothing sometimes,” Kentish says.
“As FMs,” she adds, “we are as important as every other individual working within the company, whether directly employed or through a service provider supplier. I think you have to respect yourself, your time, your health and your sanity for others people to respect it too.”
Lucy Jeynes of Larch Consulting says the relationships WFMs form with representatives of their suppliers can also have an impact their personal wellbeing. Too often these days, the increasingly rapid change in personnel being promoted or moving contracts means any consistency in the interface you once had soon goes. “We’re seeing clients reporting 200% turnover of interface in the first year,” says Jeynes. “If you’re not a major contract you feel like a training ground for major contracts.”
Many stakeholders, major headaches
On top of irregular hours, emergency responsiveness, heavy lifting and high daily step count, the life of an FM is often made more challenging by dealing with multiple stakeholders, managing resources, and ensuring compliance with health and safety standards, all of which “add layers of pressure, making FM a physically and
“Continued, sustained pressure from external sources, coupled with the pressure we put on ourselves to perform, is not at all healthy”
PROVIDING SUPPORT
ORGANISATIONAL INTERVENTIONS
Sarah Piddington, founder and CEO of Safe and Well Together, sees immense value to WFMs of organisational interventions made accessible to individuals.
“Initiatives such as stress management workshops, mental health first aid training, and wellbeing programmes are effective in helping FMs manage stress.
“Organisations can also provide access to Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) offering counselling and support services. Encouraging regular breaks, promoting physical activity, and fostering a supportive work environment can mitigate stress. Additionally, clear communication, recognition, and opportunities for professional development can enhance FMs’ wellbeing, helping them manage the pressures of their role more effectively.”
Intervention, explains workplace mental health consultant Amy McKeown, comprises two aspects. “One is how we teach people in the workforce to look after themselves better and prevent illness in the psychosocial risk way; how do we make sure that work isn’t making people ill?
That’s where the psychosocial risk assessments and health and safety and stress management standards come in, all the job design and contracting elements. And then, if someone is starting to get ill, what are the systems and processes that can help manage that?”
Giving people access to a counsellor or, specifically for FM, making sure there is an occupational health set-up can help those in the sector better manage their physical and emotional wellbeing. McKeown notes musculoskeletal issues having a high comorbidity with mental health.
mentally challenging profession”, says Sarah Piddington, founder and CEO of Safe and Well Together.
The environmental challenges WFMs regularly face – excessive noise, poor air quality, temperature extremes –need consideration for their impact on respiratory issues, fatigue, and decreased cognitive function.
“These environmental stressors not only impact physical health but also reduce overall job performance and increase the risk of chronic health conditions,” Piddington argues.
Owen Gower has many years of operational experience on the side of
FM service providers. Now an account manager for CAFM provider INVIDA Ltd, he tells of the factors that make FM uniquely stressful in ways that other professionals perhaps are not.
“What makes FM inherently stressful is the end-users we support often only think of us when things go wrong,” Gower says. “Sustained pressure from external sources, coupled with the pressure we put on ourselves to perform is not at all healthy. I predict burnout will be the next big thing that we will be discussing for years to come.”
Workplace mental health consultant Amy McKeown says:
““As operational FMs we need to be more in charge of our own destiny. We need to be bold, to think about what works for us first”
“FM people are often treated as service people rather than as professionals.” The result, she adds, can be WFMs dealing with others’ arrogance and aggression, which has the potential to negatively affect their mental health.
“It’s a combination of knowing your value in the organisation versus how sometimes you can be treated,” McKeown notes.
The lack of control in a WFM’s day, often caused by an emergency, and the consequent panic from clients or endusers requires frequent management of other people’s stresses, McKeown says.
“In a lot of the businesses I work with, FM and the more operational elements are being squeezed in terms of budgets so they are expected to do everything with less, or if people are leaving, they’re not being replaced. Projects are being oversold to win the work, and that then can’t be delivered, and pressure is then put on the person who is managing the contract.
McKeown echoes Fox’s earlier comments. “Most people in FM are wellmeaning and want to deliver well so they can’t switch off and are burning themselves out trying to deliver something that wasn’t set up properly in the first place.”
All very well
The wellbeing market, so important to clients across this last decade, has affected how WFMs can access help themselves. Unfortunately, “the wellbeing market is pretty stagnant right now,” says McKeown.
“But contrary to that, I’m having conversations where people have pulled back their wellbeing budgets but now have a mental health or a burnout problem.”
Beth Goodyear, founder of FMHS Consulting, trains around 1,500 people a year – mainly those in private sector companies. “Post-Covid, there has been a huge increase in the demand for mental health training,” she says. “Around 6570% of all the training I do is now mental
health whereas before Covid it was about 5%.
“Some of it is companies wanting to tick a box and to be seen to be doing the right thing, but organisations are realising that managers need help supporting themselves to then support their teams, and people are now realising this could make them unwell if they don’t manage it. There is a difference between stress and burnout, but stress leads to burnout. And if you’re stressed, you’re more likely to procrastinate.”
Companies taking action is encouraging, and Goodyear believes organisations cannot do too much in this regard, trying as best as they can to accommodate multiple users’ needs.
“Creating a little chill-out room in an office might work for some people, but if
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
THE ROLE OF TRAINING IN FM WELLBEING
How FMs sustain their continuous professional development (CPD) is an important personal health check now benefiting from more informal pathways. And the pandemic has led to growing interest, says Emma Bellingham, head of training and qualifications at IWFM.
“[Since] 2020 and 2021, people are more interested in their professional development and see it as an investment in their career,” Bellingham explains. The difference is they are demanding CPD courses that are shorter, online, face-to-face and asynchronous.
“We’ve adapted our delivery methods and invested in e-learning development, with products and qualifications set up on our new learning management system,” Bellingham says. “Members want information quicker, short bursts of it, like through webinars and podcasts.”
There’s a genuine interest from FMs to upskill themselves with a higher than typical volume of employers paying for
their people’s professional development. Which “means they’re invested in their people and shows that employers are seeing workplace and FM professionals as vital to their organisations”.
There’s also a less technical but potentially even more important component to the training conversation. Lucy Jeynes believes training interventions at different career stages need to consider the ‘human’ requirements, because these, once learnt, can alleviate certain stress points.
“Say you are a cleaner and get promoted to a supervisor,” she gives as an example. “All those things about navigating social elements, or back-to-work interviews, or disciplining individuals – we are not very good at training people on how to do that.”
Generic management training can plug some of these gaps, but there’s a specificity to the emotional issues FMs face when dealing with those they manage that could be better catered for, Jeynes believes.
you’re very introverted and feel awkward walking in there because you think everyone’s looking at you, you won’t use it.
A number of organisations have in-house, specialist clinical support teams, Gawthrop explains, “both from a preventative and recuperative perspective”. And for those that don’t have these resources in-house, there is a growing awareness of outsourcing these services to other organisations.
The power of choice
“When we were in the middle of the pandemic, I spoke to a colleague who was working at home and didn’t enjoy the experience because he needed that connection and wasn’t able to perform as well as when he was in an office space,” Gawthrop recounts. “If you just extend that out, that’s the same from the physical perspective as well, because the more able-bodied had the opportunity to get out and be active.
“You then have a whole cohort of people who never had a choice about whether they were working at home or not, because their place of work remained their place of work, and they still had to go there. That had both a physical and a psychological connotation to it.”
There’s a duty of care from the employer to inform and educate. There should be good information in terms of nutrition, exercise, not smoking and not drinking too much alcohol. Then there’s also the opportunity, where possible, to create positive opportunities for individuals through gym membership, which could and should be extended to family members, and to speak to people who might have some specialist knowledge through EAPs. In isolation that’s not the solution, but it can be part of a helpful care package for employees.
Many of the large FM service providers run employee assistance programmes. “But the extent of those, and how well they are utilised is, in my experience, pretty poor,” suggests Fox, “and they don’t always cover such things as gym memberships or meditation classes. So reviewing employee assistance programmes and the offerings under those could be an area of focus, and that would differentiate between the level of package that an employer signed up to.”
Gower believes: “FMs need to have the support of a team and the ability to lead and empower their workforce. Any FM trying to micromanage every aspect of FM delivery will soon relinquish to the pressure and fail.
“A good, strong team, with a trained and engaged workforce is an undeniable requirement. But the larger the team, the further from the issues an FM can become. They might become isolated from the needs of their end-user and end up refereeing playground politics. Effective supervision, correct line management, and keeping an eye on the overall goal are all key here.”
Many FM teams are public-facing, which, as Goodyear points out, “means they’re often on the receiving end of people not being very nice”. They need training to handle those exchanges, of course, “but people who work in FM are pretty special. They’re fixers and problem-solvers – and amazing at it. They want to fix things and solve problems, so there is something there around their personality.”
FM, Gawthrop concludes, is now an attractive sector to work in. “In the past it was relatively narrow but now it represents an opportunity which a lot of other sectors can’t do. But that is also a potential negative from the point of individuals’ health and welfare if it is not appropriately supported and understood by organisations.”
Add it all up and there is much to consider when seeking a healthy career as an FM, and it can all be unsettling.
“I’ve suffered with my own identity as an experienced facilities manager,” says Lucker, “and struggled to adapt quickly to this new world of FM. But I’ve found a way through. I found comfort through colleagues, through looking to our FM’s community.” More opportunities for localised, specialist networking with peers would be welcome, he adds.
Ultimately,“the most important thing is that you take care of yourself,” Kentish says. “You have to remember that, at the end of the day, it’s just a job.”
SCAN FOR MORE
Read about the IWFM’s mentoring scheme and more healthy FM tips from contributors
COMMON TRIGGERS
DRIVERS OF HEALTH CONCERNS WITHIN THE SECTOR
SELF-WORTH
“I doubt there is a single FM out there that is 100% satisfied they have a perfect set of tools and processes to deliver their role which is what makes strategic change a requirement in improving the delivery of FM” – Sarah Piddington
“There will always be that bone of contention around FM not being recognised. We don’t bang the drum enough but likewise, we don’t get recognised enough” – Nick Fox
OPERATIONAL AND STRATEGIC OVERLAP
“Because they are the one-stopshop for everything, [FMs] get caught in the strategic versus operational conflict whereby they’re trying to drive strategy but then trying to find an engineer to unblock a toilet. The boundaries are often blurred, and that can be mentally draining” – Nick Fox
PACE
“The pace has changed so much, and I’m not sure we have the training or the wider support within the industry, to help us out with that” – Nigel Lucker
STATUS
“You need to find a mentor within the industry, by all means, but also perhaps someone from outside who actually understands your challenges in your role as a director, and how that might help you” –Nigel Lucker
SOCIAL MEDIA
“FMs’ reactions to what’s going on in the world has changed. On social media, particularly LinkedIn, a very small number of people post a lot about their mental wellbeing. And then others might start to compare themselves. And that’s a concern for me; people who are not necessarily representative becoming a comparator” – Liz Kentish
SCOPING EMISSIONS
The three scopes categorise the different types of emissions by a company, its suppliers and customers.
Scope 1
Emissions from sources that an organisation owns or controls directly
Scope 2
Emissions that a company causes indirectly and includes where the energy it purchases and uses is produced. Emissions caused when generating electricity use in buildings fall into this category.
Scope 3
Emissions that are not produced by the company and are not the result of activities from assets owned or controlled by them, but by those that it is indirectly responsible for up and down its value chain.
Reporting on Scope 3 emissions, be they incurred through operational or construction project activity, is a rapidly emerging challenge for the FM sector – and possibly the most complex one it has ever confronted. Huw Morris reports on the latest developments
Reid Cunningham has a colourful way of describing the new era for classifying building emissions. Known as Scope 3, they will set demanding reporting standards for owners and FM professionals alike.
“I feel that Scope 3 is going to appear like the shark from Jaws out of the water and bite people’s legs off,” says Cunningham, who is strategic development director at BAM FM and BAM Energy. “It’s going to give everyone the fright of their lives when they realise that science-based targets include Scope
3 and they’ve all committed to net zero in five years’ time.”
So why is Scope 3 so important? And more importantly - is the FM industry ready for it? Buildings are responsible for almost 40% of global energyrelated carbon emissions, according to the EU. An analysis by Texas A&M University researchers of 95 commercial buildings in 2016 estimated that 10% of US carbon emissions are influenced by FM practices.
Following Cunningham’s example, Scope 3 certainly has a large dorsal fin. Many see calculating Scope 3 emissions as the most significant and most challenging source of emissions to identify, quantify and address. This goes far beyond a building’s embodied carbon and energy use. If people go to that building, all of the activities taking place there are part of its impact and covered by Scope 3. And then there are the labyrinthine supply chains.
Regulation in the UK and internationally is a powerful driver behind this new era. The Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures recommends that companies reveal Scope 3 emissions where they are a significant part of overall emissions. The next government will be weighing up whether to make Scope 3 reporting mandatory in line with the International Sustainability Standards Board. Meanwhile, the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive demands Scope 3 disclosure for significant categories.
“While there will be different standards across the globe, they will all ask the same kinds of questions and that information will need to be provided in some shape or form,” says Datore managing director,
A SCOPE 3 FRAMEWORK FOR FM
The Sustainable Facilities Management Index Framework, launched last December by Acclaro Advisory, aims to equip FM providers, corporate in-house FM teams, and building owners with the tools to precisely measure and mitigate their carbon emissions. Ultimately, it aims to give FMs the opportunity to be leaders in helping their clients understand their built environment impact.
The framework has three components:
● A methodology to measure Scope 3 emissions at a FM corporate level;
● A tool to measure contract-level emissions to allow FM to identify and take responsibility for where reductions can made in Scope 1, 2 and 3 on-site with clients;
● Alignment with the B8 component of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors’ (RICS) Whole Life Carbon Assessment for the Built Environment.
IWFM RESEARCH
SUSTAINABILITY SURVEY FINDINGS 1
in 3
facilities managers are ordinary stakeholders at best when drawing up energy efficiency and carbon reduction plans
“It’s going to give everyone the fright of their lives when they realise that sciencebased targets include Scope 3 and they’ve all committed to net zero in five years’ time”
“Most organisations are reporting on their Scope 1 and 2 emissions from properties and fleet vehicles in their control with information from bills and invoices,” says Sunil Shah. “Scope 3 emissions for FM ranges from 80% to 98%, so is by far the greatest impact of any organisation. If we are to get towards net zero, organisations need to look at where and how they can reduce these emissions.
“Calculating Scope 3 emissions can be challenging and difficult. Most importantly, it does involve the whole organisation and therefore needs involvement from senior management. It is also an iterative process, with improving
internal processes and data quality developed over time
“If FM drives the conversation on carbon impacts and how to deliver the decarbonisation journey it will increase the value of FM services. Relationships will improve across the supply chain as the FM aligns with customer zero-carbon values that are now becoming business imperatives for clients, stakeholders, investors and colleagues.”
The framework was developed with service providers BAM FM, Bouygues E&S, Skanska, and Optima Grupo, along with RICS, the IWFM and the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment.
of FMs lead the process for drawing up plans for Scope 3
see championing Scope 3 as an area where FMs can add the most value in the drive to net zero
see manning energy efficiencies and optimising workplace as the area where FMs add the most value 52%
of FMs feel they need to improve how they capture data to make the case for future investments in net zero
of organisations have drawn up plans for energy efficiency, decarbonisation or net zero
1.5°C
Graham Perry. “If you don’t at least have a plan, then customers will start looking for other suppliers.
“If you have UK-based providers and suppliers, that will become a problem more quickly, particularly for organisations that say it’s not a big deal. Organisations buying from them will say that doesn’t work for their customers.
“It tends to be driven by the top-tier global organisations and government. If government says we won’t buy from you unless you give us your Scope 3 results and top-tier organisations say the same, then fairly rapidly that rolls downhill to everyone in the supply chain.”
Numbers game
Owners and FMs will be under the cosh to not only measure the embodied carbon of their buildings but a panoramic range of activities associated with them. That means data, data, and more data.
“The biggest challenge we’re going to have with Scope 3 is around the data,” Perry adds. “It’s a vast quantity of information and it is being done in a way which is clever but very difficult and complex to put into effect.
“When you start involving the supply chain, you immediately involve the supply chain of your supply chain, which involves the supply chain of your supply chain’s supply chain.
“To track and trace every element of everything and every service and every service provider and every nut, bolt, washer and screw is going to be a massive challenge for any organisation.”
That challenge faces retrofit and new-build alike.
Cunningham says although it is generally accepted that efforts to reduce a building’s energy demand should be exhausted before introducing new generation or plant to decarbonise, Scope 3 requires further thought about the embodied carbon in the products, materials and methods used in
FM’S 3 BODY PROBLEM
Science fiction fans may well have come across the concept of the ‘3 body problem’ in recent months. It’s the name of a mindbending Netflix series based on the novels by Liu Cixin, and the titular problem can be explained
as follows: the gravitational influence of one celestial body in relation to another (the Moon’s effect on Earth’s tides is an obvious example), can be straightforward to predict – but when you add a third body to the mix, the myriad gravitational interactions/ permutations between all three make predicting the impact on the one by the others a calculation
so complex that physicists have deemed it essentially unsolvable. Hence, ‘3 body problem’.
For ‘3 Body’ read ‘Scope 3’. In many ways, it’s a similar dynamic. Although administratively burdensome, calculating emissions under GHG Scopes 1 and 2 involves fairly simple methods; organisations have control of their direct emissions, and they can
readily calculate those involved in the energy they purchase.
But add in Scope 3 and the administrative complexity of measurement increases exponentially. It’s not just that an organisation’s relationships/order volumes/working practice with supply chain partners can and will vary from month to month, it’s that those partners themselves will be
a retrofit as well as the intensity of carbon in the operating the building and FM services.
“Individual buildings, locations, retrofit solutions and operations vary too much for generalities, but it may be reasonable to predict that retrofit solutions which incorporate complex mechanical and electrical systems may have high life cycle embodied carbon, plus high labour and material requirements in operation which will increase operational Scope 3,” he adds.
“Similarly new facilities which incorporate complex mechanical and electrical systems to achieve net zero are likely to require high levels of labour and service support in operation which will Increase operational Scope 3. Alternatively, where passive design solutions can be considered – such as Passivhaus – then lower operational intensity may reduce the Scope 3 in operation.”
Scope and change
So is the FM sector ready? The IWFM sustainability survey showed how many FMs are simply not involved in key decision-making on Scope 3, just 13% leading the process. This falls to 11% of FMs in the private sector. It is particularly concerning when, as Cunningham argues, FMs are instrumental in fostering a culture of sustainability, influencing not only buildings’
“It’s going to be a marathon not a sprint, but it needs to start. The pressure to include Scope 3 is a pressure being brought for all the right reasons”
operational efficiency but also the overall environmental impact of the built environment and its interactions on the core business.
“The implications are that organisations fail to correctly prioritise their action plans to reduce organisational carbon emissions or overlook opportunities to coordinate carbon reduction measures between core organisational activity, their FM services and their build environment,” he adds.
Acclaro Advisory’s managing director Sunil Shah says FMs have a good understanding of the culture of the business and delivering its activities and initiatives. This expertise is missing on both the decision-making and implementation side of moving to net zero.
“For the operational Scope 3 emissions, these are often forgotten and missed out from the emissions calculated by materials and energy use, so are important to be captured and measured,” he says. “For both, they are important scope 3 impacts and can delay or even mean that net-zero cannot be achieved.”
The FM gap
So what is stopping FMs from becoming more involved? The reasons are myriad.
“It’s a very good question and one that needs to be asked of the industry,” Perry contends. “It is certainly something a number of the larger players are looking at but equally we are seeing smaller and specific service providers taking it on as a key differentiator.
“They are saying we are going to work this out for ourselves so they can tell their customers exactly where their mop comes from, where their cleaning fluids come from and so on.
“FM has always tended to be a reactive rather than proactive industry. We are seeing a shift and leading on sustainability is a proactive not
OPINION – MARTIN READ
routinely changing or refining their own relationships with their supply chain partners – with each change having its own impact on each supply chain partner. The result?
Scope 3 is a constantly moving target, a calculation in one month differing significantly from the same calculation in another. In this respect it’s not just a question of sourcing reliable data, nor of being
able to deploy sufficient internal resources to manage the process; it’s also the myriad changes up and down stream among supply chain partners themselves; a sea of constantly evolving policy and operational practice that affects your own Scope 3 calculations. As a challenge for this historically diverse sector, it could hardly be more difficult.
a reactive exercise. There is a lot of pressure around making sure work space is fit for new and agile methods of working, energy is a huge concern, where that comes from and the cost of it.
“And then there is the normal, day-to-day stuff – the lift doesn’t work, or the toilets are overflowing.”
One issue is that FM services are rarely represented on company boards, often reporting through finance or human resources. FM professionals are used to making the business case for service and energy efficiencies but may lack the confidence or experience to promote carbon reduction projects. Others will be hampered by sharing their responsibilities with the landlord or owner of other occupiers in a building.
Elsewhere, the IWFM survey revealed that just 27% of FMs saw championing the importance of Scope 3 as a top issue. Seeking to see the positive, Shah says that this figure is a good start, but “we should be aspiring to much higher numbers to meet the forward challenges of net zero”.
The message is clear. FMs need to be more proactive. Not enough of them are coming forward to suggest solutions to poorly performing buildings. That proactive approach and strategic decision-making significantly contribute to wider efforts to tackle climate change and create more sustainable buildings.
“It’s going to be a marathon not a sprint, but it needs to start,” says Perry. “The pressure to include Scope 3 is a pressure being brought for all the right reasons. If people choose to ignore that, it will be detrimental to their business over time.”
EMBODIED CARBON EQUATIONS
That said, there is considerable work being done to standardise processes in this area (“a singular methodology rather than siloed efforts”, according to the UK Green Building Council’s recently published guidance on the issue).
Historically, embodied carbon has been largely overlooked, despite accounting for roughly 11% of total global carbon emissions. In recent years, this has changed, with the RICS whole-life cycle
Organisations are increasingly recognising how their Scope 1 and 2 emissions are an ever-smaller part of their overall emissions. With embodied carbon in construction projects, as opposed to operational emissions, the supply chain issues are if anything yet more complex.
carbon assessment standard set to become the world-leading standard for consistent carbon measurement.
Fresh guidance from the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) suggests that Scope 3 represents a level of indirect embodied carbon emissions representing up to 80-95% of an organisation’s total value chain footprint.
And although there is a school of thought that retrofits will
become more popular than new-builds – with older estate having little to no embodied carbon to consider – there is work to do here.
The UKGBC puts forward the concept of ‘yearly embodied carbon’, whereby embodied carbon is quantified annually throughout the construction phase of a building project.
The organisation contends: “This could reconcile the timebased disparities between Scope 3 reporting and embodied carbon assessments (as-built embodied carbon assessments are undertaken at practical completion, whereas Scope 3 reporting takes place annually).”
In any event, the access to
and sharing of data between organisations remains a massive issue for effective Scope 3.
The UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard, currently in beta testing and due for publication later this year, should move the dial on what constitutes templated Scope 3 calculations for embodied carbon.
The organisation wants the government to incorporate mandatory measurement and reporting of whole-life carbon for projects with an internal area exceeding 1,000 square metres or more than 10 dwellings as well as legal limits on the upfront embodied carbon emissions, with a requirement for future revision and tightening.
THE SCOPE FOR CHANGE
REDEFINING THE FUTURE OF BUILDING MAINTENANCE.
Using our Artificial Maintenance Intelligence (AMI) platform, BGIS provides cutting edge data-led maintenance services for some of the UK’s most innovative and prestigious properties.
Creating best-in-class sustainable workplaces and helping organisations realise their net zero ambitions.
Facilities Management
Critical Environments
Project Delivery Services
Energy & Sustainability
Technical Services
Mobility Services
Asset Management Services
BGIS offers innovative and integrated solutions designed to create sustainable value for our clients and communities:
40-41
VIEW POINT
Perspectives: Matt Chapman, Sharon Slinger, Raj Jones, Colin Kimber
Where are we now?
Around six million commercial vehicles travel along Britain’s roads each year, but today, only 1% of vans, 8% of company cars, and under 1% of HGVs are electric. Increasing this is vital to achieve the government’s 2050 Net Zero target.
Businesses are charging ahead to install on-site electric vehicle (EV) charge points to decarbonise their commercial fleets and offer charging facilities to the wider public. We carried out research recently, which shows:
● 88% of businesses are already installing EV charging infrastructure; and
● 57% plan to double charging capacity by 2028 to reduce CO2 emissions and fulfil ESG goals.
Despite strong motivation, businesses face significant hurdles, including complex
42
Stephanie Welch, chair designate at IWFM, on the new Strategic Leaders Forum 43
Key industry events and IWFM training to further your career development
44-45
Roy Keldie and Alex McCann offer us insights into their jobs
regulations, an inaccessible National Grid, and unhelpful planning laws. Here’s an overview from our research:
● 70% of respondents say projects are delayed by the slow pace, high cost and complexity of working with electricity companies to upgrade the local power supply;
● 70% of businesses say navigating inconsistent planning laws is confusing;
● 27% struggle to get support from local councils to overcome issues; and
GUY BARTLETT is CEO at charge point operator Believ
● 74% of businesses need specialist help.
Where do we go next?
Businesses need to accelerate the installation of on-site charge points to reduce their reliance on public infrastructure. Some respondents say sales and delivery vehicles spend more time travelling to charge points than being used productively. The additional fuel consumption, vehicle wear and tear, and planning to optimise travel routes also increase operational costs. This obviously needs to stop.
How do we get there?
Greater collaboration between the public and private sectors is needed. The best CPOs have the knowledge and expertise many businesses seek about installing charge points and navigating complex planning laws.
National and local governments can help to solve many difficulties businesses face, such as easing access to the National Grid and better targeted funding for national public charging infrastructure to areas that are not commercially viable.
Collaboratively charged
Businesses have the appetite to roll out electric vehicle charging infrastructure, but they are being hampered by multiple challenges that require urgent, collective action to overcome, says Guy Bartlett
The national government’s promises, such as the £70 million investment at COP28, however, and the national rapid charging network are yet to be delivered and are needed urgently. It is vital for businesses, the economy and the UK’s global competitiveness.
Make a difference by:
● Ensuring the right charge point, with the right charging speed, is at the right location to serve demand;
● Demystifying how FMs calculate ROI, benefit from fully funded host remuneration packages and build robust business cases for installing EV charging infrastructure; and
● Ensuring EV charging is a part of ESG policies, and that it is understood how installing infrastructure can reduce Scope 3 emissions.
Mark Warn has worked in FM since the turn of the century. Along the way the man currently employed as Baird Europe’s vice-president for CRE and workplace solutions has developed ways to cope with the pressures of the day job - a theme we cover in our feature, p.20-29.
“To protect yourself from being overwhelmed it’s important to take a step back,” says Warn, “and here’s where we I give a nod to FM guru Martin Pickard, who has spoken in the past about how to separate your work by priority order from compliance, then risk, service and cost – you can normally separate things that way.
Speaking of project work and the extra responsiblity and pressure it brings, “the critical thing for me was to focus on day two and beyond. People tend to get too focused on the operational. It’s important to concentrate on what’s going to happen not now, but in two years time; focus on that to protect yourself. Always look beyond the immediate.”
Developing relationships, Warn explains, is key. “It’s important to get to know people and understand what their motivations are. And if those people themselves are struggling and need support, then that’s where I focus my attention.”
Warn also says that building ties with suppliers is invaluable. Doing so can lead to better peace of mind on the job and often brings about a few unexpected benefits.
“In one particular refurb job,” he recalls, “I bought in someone else who was able to help address the existing issue but also gave me a steer in moving things forward.”
Warn’s advice to busy WFMs is not to keep things to themselves. “Share it with others so it doesn’t all rest with you.” Taking this approach, he explains, means that “I can relax and go to sleep at night.”
There’s one more part to the jigsaw, and that’s how organisations view their WFM operations in the first place. This can play a major part on
Mark Warn –putting WFM experience to good use
Eighteen years ago, Facilitate (then FM World ) spoke to Mark Warn for our regular Behind the Job column. So when we turned our attention to the health and wellbeing of WFMs themselves, we decided to catch up with this experienced practitioner to update his column for 2024 –and ask his views on how others in the profession can best deal with the stresses of the role
the WFM’s personal wellbeing.
“I’m fortunate that my current employer provides an inclusive environment. Baird has a 5,100 workforce, but there’s a commitment from the top that they’ll call you back in 24 hours, and that’s a genuine commitment. When I delivered our (Baird Europe) London office refit, the executive board came over from Milwaukee and the chief executive personally sought me out. Of course, I told him it had been a team effort – I felt that was really important to get across. But it’s recognition, and that’s so important.”
What do you do? I am vicepresident, corporate real estate and workplace solutions for Baird Europe, an international financial services firm providing private wealth management, investment banking, capital markets and private equity services.
What attracted you to FM, and how did you get into the industry? As an in-house security supervisor at Reuters, I worked hard to obtain vocational qualifications, which enabled me to successfully apply internally for the role of facilities service manager at its iconic headquarters in Fleet Street.
Do you see yourself as predominantly a task or a people manager? Both. It is important to develop a structure to include policies, processes and procedures that help to ensure tasks are delivered and they continue to meet internal and external clients’ expectations.
Mark Warn in the Facilitate offices, June 2024. Above - the 2006 edition of FM World in which he first appeared
Would you describe your role as predominantly operational or strategic? Successful operational FM needs to be underpinned by a clear strategic approach. Prevention is better than cure – and taking time to complete a holistic overview will often ensure operational bumps are ironed out in advance and result in a less stressful life for the FM.
How many people are there in your FM / workplace team, and to whom does the FM team ultimately report? I lead a small in-house team in London, supported by key supply partners in managed premises. Reporting to the European finance director, I have a dotted line to the director of corporate real estate and workplace solutions at our global headquarters in the US.
My top perk at work is… During the summer of 2022, Baird arranged for all associates and their partner/ guest to attend an event in the US to celebrate being able to get together again after the global pandemic. No expense was spared and everyone was made to feel included and appreciated by the firm.
What has been your biggest career challenge to date? I spent 15 years at the UK Government’s Debt Management Agency, with an average annual turnover in excess of £3.5 trillion. As the head of facilities, I managed to ensure throughout my tenure no financial, operational or reputational losses.
If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be? That FM is rarely represented at the top table. It usually reports the executive board via other corporate services (finance, HR,or IT).
party at 10 Downing Street to celebrate alongside my peers.
If I wasn’t in FM, I’d probably be… My partner and I have refurbished two residential properties during recent years. We enjoy working together and with her interior design skills and my project management experience you might see us both on ‘Homes under the hammer’ one day
Which FM / workplace ‘myth’ would you most like to put an end to? FM only handles routine tasks with no strategic impact.
What advice would you give to a young WFM starting out? FM Guru, Martin Pickard, provided the following excellent advice in his regular column several years ago. The facilities priorities in order: compliance, risk, service and cost. I have relied on this simple way of separating and prioritising my workload ever since.
What was the weirdest day you’ve had in the office? I was once deployed to greet and escort then chancellor, George Osborne, from reception up to the CEO’s office.
Early bird or night owl? Early bird, but only after my first cup of coffee!
What FM job in the world would you love more than anything? Where I feel encouraged to put forward ideas, use my skills and experience to affect change. I am fortunate to work for an employer that allows me to do all of this.
And where would FM be an absolute nightmare? The opposite of the above!
It’s important to get to know people and understand what their motivations are
Any interesting tails to tell? In response to the government’s 10% carbon reduction commitment during 2010/11, I reduced electrical energy consumption by 40.8% and CO2 emissions by 25.8%. I was subsequently invited to a garden
Your life outside FM mostly involves… My partner and I have just returned from completing a hugely enjoyable two-week whistlestop tour of the North Coast of Scotland and I have just taken a road trip with my son (a police constable), in Norfolk.
WE MUST BE BOLD
Although innovation and technology are common themes in FM, it’s people, their passion, and the opportunities we provide that drive our sector.
Bridging the skill gaps in FM requires embracing our diverse identities – from faith and sexual orientation to gender and disabilities. To attract and retain talent, we must adopt an inclusive workplace culture, with a focus on not just providing jobs, but also building meaningful careers.
It’s evident that businesses within FM are recognising this and promoting EDI across a multitude of business practices, creating environments where all employees can thrive.
From inclusive hiring and promotion practices to EDI training, career opportunities and leadership development, ensuring equal chances for all and celebrating differences is being displayed across the sector.
Most firms in FM are enforcing comprehensive EDI strategies and embedding EDI as a basic principle in all aspects of decision-making, but these strategies are only typically shared internally.
EDI strategies need to be published and
visible to all, with a commitment from businesses to regularly report on EDI performance and improvements. This needs to be above and beyond the current legislative minimums of gender pay gap reporting and include regular EDI assessments and surveys against policies, with data gathered on the
EDI strategies need to be published and visible to all
effectiveness of practices and highlighting areas for improvement.
Data-driven insights can only be achieved through transparency and constant evaluation. Rather than just circulating strategies and performance to a businesses’ staff – being open and sharing with clients, colleagues, and competitors will mandate accountability and drive progress in the sector.
It’s our collective responsibility to be accountable for our weaknesses and areas for improvement, and commit to transparency on our performance and progress.
ROLLERCOASTER OF A RIDE!
For those focused on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), it often feels like a rollercoaster: breakthroughs and setbacks. So it’s important to celebrate impactful wins.
A prime example is FM firms supporting people with learning disabilities and autism through transition-towork programmes. Only 4.8% of people with such disabilities in England (4.1% in Scotland) secure paid employment compared with 80% of their peers. But charities such as DFN Project Search are changing this. They change mindsets, supporting people with learning disabilities to bring their talents to our industry. The results are impressive, with 70% of graduates gaining employment.
DFN Project Search’s Courtney Bruner in Scotland says firms such as Sodexo and Serco show that people with a learning disability and/or autism bring “progressive change” to business practices,
enriching the workforce.
But some organisations, particularly larger FM companies, lack the will to make positive cultural change or provide enough resources for EDI.
No transformation succeeds without the right people and budget, yet EDI efforts often lack support and funding. Some firms hire high-level EDI roles without providing support, leading to unmet targets. There is also a troubling trend of downgrading EDI roles from top leadership to junior management, which undermines inclusion efforts.
Emma McLaughlinEdwards, IWFM EDI focus group member, told me that scrutinised budgets make it hard for businesses to quantify the financial success of EDI efforts. Budgets are often cut, leading to “performativeonly measures that workers soon see through, and the risk of ‘quiet quitting’ becomes prevalent”.
A consistently upward EDI trajectory in FM would be more beneficial for all.
Some organisations lack the will to implement positive cultural change
MATT CHAPMAN is CEO of SBFM
SHARON SLINGER is director of Constructing Rainbows Limited
SHARON SLINGER
MATT CHAPMAN
FM IS UNIQUE
In FM there is wide acceptance that people are at the heart of our industry. We are unique in that we operate in increasingly diverse environments and, in our frontline operations, there is a great diversity of people and roles.
There are already many groups and initiatives within the FM industry focused on equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) including IWFM focus groups for gender and LGBTQ+ in FM.
The industry has embraced diversity, committing to apprenticeships and schemes to attract talent from a wide array of pools including veterans, people with disabilities, the long-term unemployed and those with criminal convictions.
There is, however, a lack of understanding about the industry and the breadth of roles and career opportunities it offers.
As we move up the management structure diversity dwindles and this is particularly visible in gender and ethnicity. In the area of gender, FM still struggles with this and the set working patterns that are often needed to deliver services can dissuade those with responsibilities outside of work to consider
it as a career choice.
This issue can be addressed with more flexible ways of working at all levels, providing everyone at each level with the chance to build their career whilst still having time, flexibility, and support mechanisms for important life moments.
Recruiting and retaining talent is a strategic priority
Recruiting
and retaining talent is a strategic priority for most organisations
for most organisations and business leaders need to hold themselves accountable for making change happen. When potential talent looks at an organisation and sees a lack of diverse roles, there is the danger that they will be put off, being left with the impression that you can’t be what you can’t see.
The emerging workforce of tomorrow is looking for potential employers who are taking real action to create an inclusive workplace with EDI embedded in their policies and practices.
IT’S AN ONGOING JOURNEY
FM is making notable strides in equity, diversity, and inclusion, particularly with information and collaboration.
A key success is FM’s collective approach to sharing information. No single entity claims ownership; instead, data is shared for mutual benefit. This collaborative
Previously, focusing solely on diversity had led to increased isolation of different characteristics. But higher awareness of intersectionality has since helped the sector better understand individuals’ lived experiences. This broader approach to collaboration has taught valuable lessons about how different communities’ learnings can impact on each other.
Each incremental step brings new insights and shapes subsequent actions
ethos is embodied by initiatives such as IWFM’s EDI steering group, which includes diverse representatives from clients, consultants, suppliers, and LGBT+in FM – a cross-industry network uniting corporate and individual members from several businesses in a common goal.
Reaching out to competitor FM firms to share information about neurodiverse networks and autism groups exemplifies this collaboration.
But there is room for improvement. FM professionals tend to analyse challenges from many perspectives, seeking comprehensive solutions to address business needs, customer experience and compliance. But this can lead to decision paralysis, particularly in EDI initiatives. FM needs to shift its mindset from trying to solve EDI challenges in one go to embracing EDI as a continuous journey. Each visible and incremental step brings new insights and shapes subsequent actions. These actions show commitment and create pathways for people to see themselves represented in the industry.
To attract and support diverse talent, FM must understand that EDI is an ongoing journey rather than a problem to be solved in one sweep.
RAJ JONES is head of diversity, equity and inclusion, Sodexo UK & Ireland
COLIN KIMBER is operations director at Pareto FM
RAJ JONES
COLIN KIMBER
ROWLAND SCHOLARSHIP, IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE IWFM CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
A chance to foster future leaders
In June, a new scholarship was launched in my name. The aim is to offer opportunities to those whose own circumstances – or those of their employer – make them otherwise unable to fund their professional development.
I’ve been diagnosed with terminal cancer and what I want this initiative to achieve is for someone to be given a chance to improve their life; to be afforded a career option in the way I was, being sponsored to do qualifications that allowed me to have a great career in FM. I want someone else to have that equal chance.
Attracting all talents
For me, it’s important that our sector does something to improve its levels of social mobility. FM is a career that anyone can come into from any background, and that’s what makes it great. But we need to ensure we’re attracting talent from all walks of life; diversity and inclusion are incredibly important.
The Deborah Rowland Scholarship has been created in collaboration with the IWFM to develop the next generation of WFM professionals through financial and mentoring support. It aims to demolish barriers to progress and foster future leaders from diverse backgrounds.
Who’s eligible
Our awardees will be those whose own circumstances – or those of their employer –make them otherwise unable to fund their professional development. They will be seeking to enter the profession, be at the start of their WFM career, or be employed in a junior capacity. It’s about giving capable individuals a head start.
FM has been the most fantastic environment in which to grow and learn. I have striven to ensure this is a profession to be proud of and attractive to future talent.
By providing this scholarship, I hope to give others the chance to improve their lives and compete at a higher level – onwards and upwards, no matter what their starting point – they just have to demonstrate the desire and passion to achieve their goal.
DEBORAH ROWLAND is director of public affairs for Sodexo UK & Ireland
Submissions close on 31 August 2024. To apply, or for more details, visit: www.iwfm.org.uk/about/the-deborah-rowland-scholarship.html
A STEP AHEAD FOR THE SECTOR
STEPHANIE WELCH, chair-designate at IWFM
IWFM’s new Strategic Leaders Forum’s (SLF), a network emerging from the efforts of the International Special Interest Group (ISIG), seeks to advance and diversify our profession through volunteer efforts.
As chair-designate, I will focus on what it means to be a leader. Our goals include:
● Promoting, supporting and fostering membership growth;
● Gathering insight and creating CPD opportunities for strategic leaders;
● Advocating for strategic leaders;
● Broadening network opportunities digitally and physically;
● Collaborating with global FM networks; and
● Positively influencing IWFM to make the profession a career of choice at any level of seniority.
It’s vital to respond to calls for more support in strategic leadership roles and for those aspiring to strategic levels.
Learning and development should be available at any career stage, and IWFM recognises the vital role strategic leaders play, offering tailored professional development and maximising strategic leaders’ impact.
In June, the community came together for an illuminating hybrid SLF
launch event. Speakers included Steve Gladwin (H) FIWFM, a key ISIG member who influenced the SLF, who offered insights on the forum’s purpose.
Next was Oliver Jones FIWFM, who drew on his extensive global experience with a leader’s perspective on data centres, AI and the impact on WFM. He said the brightest minds need to push the envelope, supported by industry experts, and focusing on performance, sustainability and energy sources.
L&D should be available at any career stage
I encourage the community to get involved. Most ISIG members are in strategic leadership roles and grades of Certified or Fellow, and have automatically moved across to the SLF. Anybody who presently holds CIWFM, FIWFM or (H)FIWFM is eligible to join.
Visit your IWFM account and update your contact preferences by opting in to the SLF.
I look forward to collaborating with you.
DIARY
Events, activities and publications for your attention
KEY EVENT
25 JULY – LEEDS AND ONLINE
IWFM Annual General Meeting 2024
The IWFM’s AGM provides members with the opportunity to engage with the board and exercise their vote to contribute to the future direction of the institute. tinyurl.com/Fac24134
SECTOR-WIDE
17 JULY – LONDON
Closing the Loop
With CIBSE FM Group
A panel of four industry experts discusses the carbon conundrum of addressing net zero collaboratively, data management and AI for BMS, and reducing stranded assets during refurbs. tinyurl.com/Fac24136
10 SEPTEMBER – LONDON
Make Work Better Conference
Delve into the latest trends in workplace wellbeing, with a line-up renowned speakers including Joe Wicks and Ruby Wax presenting on how best to lead, support, measure and improve the wellbeing culture at your organisation. tinyurl.com/Fac24144
15 OCTOBER – LONDON
Workplace Trends 2024: The User Experience
A convergence of expert minds exploring the future of work and workplace. tinyurl.com/Fac24136
15-16 OCTOBER – LONDON UNITE
This employee experience conference unites leading enterprises to learn, network, get inspired, and have fun, with deep dives into levelling up the employee experience. tinyurl.com/Fac24143
21 OCTOBER – LONDON
FM Technology Forum
Connects innovative and competitive solution providers with industry professionals to build
business relationships for all stages of an FM cycle. tinyurl.com/Fac24137
13-14 NOVEMBER – LONDON
Build2Perform
Join government officials, FMs, consultants, and property experts. tinyurl.com/Fac24117
2-4 DECEMEBER – LONDON
Anticipate London
This new event combines IFSEC, FIREX, Safety & Health Expo, and Facilities Show. tinyurl.com/Fac24019
26-27 FEBRUARY 2025 – LONDON
Workspace Design Show
Attended by the region’s top architects, designers, occupiers, developers, consultants, coworking companies and fit-out companies. tinyurl.com/Fac24140
IWFM EVENTS
16 JULY – LONDON
IWFM London Region members summer party Join for an evening of fun, with summer drinks, delicious food from Bartlett Mitchell and a saxophonist providing the soundtrack. tinyurl.com/Fac24135
IWFM LIVE VIRTUAL TRAINING
NEW 22 JULY
Environmental
sustainability skills for frontline workers – 1 day
Increase your environmental and sustainability knowledge to
implement with your workplace and facilities management teams. tinyurl.com/Fac23402
NEW 29-30 JULY
Environmental sustainability skills for facilities managers - 2 days
Enhance your understanding of environmental sustainability and the impact it has on your team and department.
tinyurl.com/Fac23403
1 AUGUST
Building Safety Act: what FMs need to know and do – 1 day
Get to grips with all of the essential information that you need to comply with changes brought in by the Building Safety Act 2022 and related legislation. tinyurl.com/Fac23014
NEW 8-9 AUGUST
Pathways to Net Zero for facilities managers – 2 days
The IEMA course gives FMs a strategic and operational overview of environmental sustainability. tinyurl.com/Fac23401
13-15 AUGUST
IOSH managing safely – 3 days
Prioritise the health and safety of all of your team members. tinyurl.com/Fac23309
NEW 14 AUGUST
Building Safety Act: Methodologies for Evidencing Organisation Capability - 1 day
Gain the competence required by any organisation to deliver services and show evidence of managing competence as required by the Building Safety Act 2022. tinyurl.com/Fac24138
2-3 SEPTEMBER
Effective property management – 2 days
Understand how to manage and maintain your property portfolio by creating an effective property strategy. tinyurl.com/Fac23503
4-5 SEPTEMBER
Contract management: commercial models – 2 days
Enhance your commercial skills
while learning to maximise value – both financial and functional –from your contracts.
tinyurl.com/Fac22020
16-17 SEPTEMBER
Operational space planning – 2 days
Design and use space effectively to improve the experience of your customers.
tinyurl.com/Fac24116
23-25 SEPTEMBER
Introduction to FM – 3 days
All you need to know for a new career in WFM.
tinyurl.com/Fac22028
NEW 26-27 SEPTEMBER
Environmental
sustainability skills for facilities managers - 2 days
Enhance your understanding of environmental sustainability and the impact it has on your team and department.
tinyurl.com/Fac23403
30 SEPTEMBER – 1 OCTOBER
Managing building services – 2 days
Learn how to reduce risk and improve the management of building services. tinyurl.com/Fac23511
1-3 OCTOBER
Effective facilities management professional - 3 days
Are you a junior FM? Find out how to sustain effective operations. tinyurl.com/Fac24101
14 OCTOBER
Building Safety Act: what FMs need to know and do – 1 day
Get to grips with all the essential information you need to comply with changes brought in by the Building Safety Act 2022 and related legislation. tinyurl.com/Fac23014
NEW 21 OCTOBER
Environmental
sustainability skills for frontline workers – 1 day
Increase your environmental and sustainability knowledge to implement across workplace and facilities management teams. tinyurl.com/Fac23402
What do you do? My job title is facilities lead. I work for KFC in their Restaurant Support Centre, looking after the building, regional training rooms, and off-site storage facility.
What attracted you to FM, and how did you get into the industry?
Short answer – I fell into it. I used to work in sales, fancied a change, so I left and worked as an agency driver for the council for a short time, before a friend of mine who worked in recruitment pointed me towards a temporary facilities assistant role at KFC UK&I.
How long have you been in your current role? With KFC for 12 years. In my current role for six years.
‘samples’ from the test kitchen on-site! Joking aside, we have a fantastic culture that supports who we are as professionals and individuals outside the workplace.
Do you see yourself predominantly as a task or a people manager? I predominantly manage people, whether that be my direct report, stakeholders, contractors, agency staff or other partner agencies. That said, I am fairly task-orientated, so completing and overseeing the ‘success routines’ I have created for my function is an important part of my work.
Would you describe your role as predominantly operational or strategic? Predominantly operational, but I do support more strategic, long-term projects on a semi-regular basis.
What has been your biggest career challenge to date? Moving into the current building we are in now. It was a sharp learning curve and a big change from our previous premises, it required a lot of adaptation to our ways of working.
If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be? We are not just: bins, bulbs, basins and bathrooms. A good facilities team is not just a cost to the business, it’s a function that can add value in many areas.
Any interesting tales to tell? I coach amateur boxing – actor
James Cosmo once came along to our show. As a Game of Thrones fan, I was delighted to meet Lord Commander Mormont!
If I wasn’t in FM, I’d probably be… I have previously been interested in the Fire Service –but I’m happy where I am.
Which “FM/Workplace myth” would you most like to put an end to? We are not janitors like Willie MacDougal in The Simpsons!
ROY KELDIE is facilities lead at KFC UK & Ireland and is based at Woking in Surrey
What single piece of advice would you give to a young facilities/ workplace manager starting out? Don’t be shy of having tricky conversations with your suppliers; you are the customer. If you don’t feel that you are getting concise, clear and transparent answers to your questions during account meetings, tender processes or other interactions, drill down further to get to where you want to be.
How many people are there in your FM team, and to whom does the FM team ultimately report? Myself, a facilities coordinator and several regular agency staff. I report to a people and culture business partner in our People and Culture Team.
My top perk at work is… My nearendless access to free
What was the weirdest day you’ve had in the office? The children’s Christmas parties we have, with nearly 70-80 children running around the office, have been interesting!
Early bird or night owl? 100% early bird – win the morning, win the day.
Roy Keldie
What FM job in the world would you love more than anything? A role where parking would never be an issue and people wouldn’t feel the need to pinch each other’s spaces!
And where would FM be an absolute nightmare? I feel for FMs with international roles – must be tough overseeing sites across multiple countries.
Your life outside FM mostly involves… Coaching boxing, taking my children to their extra-curricular activities, hosting family and friends and we have a house that requires a lot of work – so DIY.
What do you do? I am senior facilities manager, EMEA & APAC, at Informa, which involves managing an FM team across different geographies and time zones.
What attracted you to FM, and how did you get into the industry? I studied drama at university but after my career peaked straight out of uni as Darth Vader at a Star Wars show in Chessington World of Adventures, I joined Sony Playstation as facilities administrator on a temp basis. That became permanent, and from there I was fortunate to hold various positions in mostly technology and media companies.
How long have you been in your current role? About a year.
Do you see yourself predominantly as a task or a people manager? A people manager if I had to choose, but it is a mix. The people management side is by far the most rewarding. In FM, we are attracted to the industry as we’re interested in that people-engagement side.
Would you describe your role as predominantly operational or strategic? Strategic, as I set the agenda for the FM team, which is exciting, but it has an operational element as I provide day-to-day support to my team.
How many people are there in your FM team, and to whom does the FM team ultimately report? I lead a team of 32 members across a variety of positions, nine of which are direct line reports. I report to the head of real estate.
My top perk at work is… I get to travel for my role and work with amazing people from around the world!
What has been your biggest career challenge to date?
Getting my NEBOSH general
Alex McCann
certificate was tough as it was a two-week intensive course. Originally, it wasn’t a pass but I paid to get it re-marked and the moment I realised I had, in fact, passed was when I saw the refund in my account. Not sure what happened, but I was glad it got corrected.
to stop you from doing the thing you’re doing. We’re trying to keep you safe!
What single piece of advice would you give to a young facilities/workplace manager starting out? Your priority should be your education and growth and this isn’t always through formal courses or training. It can be just by following your engineer around the plant room and asking questions. Learning never stops and it’s important to give it the time it deserves.
What was the weirdest day you’ve had in the office? Again, at WMG, there was an event with a Neil Young Q&A (I promise I’m not just name-dropping!). The host mentioned that Noel had a question… It turned out to be Noel Gallagher (of Oasis) and he was standing right next to me! I don’t normally care about ‘celebrity’ but for me, this was pretty cool.
If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be? Postpandemic, it has begun – but I’d like to see FM involved more at the strategic level for business decision-making. We have a lot of insight and experience to offer.
Any interesting tales to tell? I was once made a cocktail by Mickey Dolenz of ‘The Monkees’ fame. I worked at WMG at the time and he was there promoting his new album.
ALEX MCCANN is senior facilities manager, EMEA & APAC, at business intelligence and exhibitions group Informa
If I wasn’t in FM, I’d probably be… I’m happiest when helping people, so, politics, maybe?
Which “FM/Workplace myth” would you most like to put an end to? We don’t just use health and safety as a made-up reason
Early bird or night owl?
Early bird! I often have early calls due to time zone differences. Plus, I love an early cup of coffee.
What FM job in the world would you love more than anything?
The European Space Agency or a commercial space exploration company!
And where would FM be an absolute nightmare? Anywhere too quiet with not much to do. In FM, we thrive on action and activity.
Your life outside FM mostly involves… I have two small kids, so I spend lots of time in the park or arranging activities with my wife for the little ones. I love a good BBQ, so I’m glad it’s summer! Does Facilitate hold an annual BBQ? Can I have an invite?
BEHIND THE JOB
RISK MANAGEMENT
Rapid digital risk assessments and data analysis reduce spend without compromising protection
The Keyholding Company (TKC) empowers security professionals to make datadriven decisions and design costefficient physical security solutions.
The Risk Management Tool, a new feature in TKC’s platform, combines inperson client consultations with digital site risk assessments. The in-person consultation captures risk appetite, assets, threats and impact levels to set protection baselines. Risk assessments are conducted via an app comprising 38 pre-configured questions, replicating NPSA best practice security guidelines.
The traditional approach led by a single consultant is often flawed:
● Subjective assessments lead to inconsistent risk modelling;
● Undynamic reports hinder effective analysis and solution design;
● Manual assessments and lengthy reporting are slow and expensive; and
● Traditional risk modelling contains a lack of integrated consideration of assets and unnecessary expenses.
A better way
TKC’s consultancy division, TKC Consult, addresses these challenges in three phases:
1. Risk experts analyse a client’s estate, recording risk data directly into the platform to create a protection baseline for each site;
2. Digital site risk assessments rapidly capture existing mitigations and vulnerabilities; and
3. Dynamic, real-time dashboards show if protection meets baselines and can be filtered by BAU and heightened security scenarios.
● Consistency: Methodology based on NPSA best practices eliminates biases;
● Quick answers: Standardised digital evaluations offer quick portfolio assessments; and
● Audit trail: The impact of security adjustments can be evidenced easily.
THE LATEST LEARNING AND BEST PRACTICE
KNOW HOW
48
TR19 Air has been published –here’s what you need to know to remain compliant 49 PFI handbacks present unique challenges, but don’t let fire safety be one of them 53 Tap into the power of creativity to make you better at solving problems at work
Businesses’ adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is essential to the UK meeting its target of zero emissions by 2050. In fact, the government has set out an ambition for 80% of new cars and 70% new vans sold in the UK to be zero-emission by 2030.
With that in mind, here’s what we’ve learnt from our adoption of EVs.
Challenge 1: Understanding power requirements
Understanding the power requirements of your EV charging infrastructure is vital, including your site’s current capacity and how the infrastructure is expected to be used.
For facilities where vehicles are on-site for long periods of the day or night, such as office buildings or logistics depots, fast 7kW or 22kW (AC) chargers may be suitable.
57
How using digital twins can help you plan and deliver better HVAC services
avoid delays and minimise any downtime.
An EV journey planner
Have you developed a strategy to transition your fleet from traditional combustion engines to electric vehicles? You need to, says Alex Chilvers
Alternatively, hubs with a high turnover of vehicles, like last-mile logistics centres, may need rapid (DC) chargers, which could require upgrades to your existing electrical capacity.
FMs must evaluate how charging will affect daily operations now and in the future to understand how much additional power capacity they will require.
Solution: Conduct a thorough site assessment
A site assessment reveals your power demands and charging patterns and aligns stakeholders across departments with your EV strategy and site requirements. Where proposed EV charging could create peaks in power demand above the site’s current capacity, implementing loadbalancing software to manage new
demands on the network is key. Where potential demand is significantly above the current capacity, which will be likely if DC chargers are installed, an upgrade to the site’s existing electrical capacity is required.
Challenge 2:
Dealing with Distribution Network Operators (DNOs)
If you need to secure additional power capacity, it’s crucial to plan and budget. It can at least 28 days for the approval to connect EV chargers, but if you need to obtain an upgrade or new point connection it could be more than six months.
Solution: Collaborate with your DNO
Working with a partner who has a good understanding of DNO requirements and has experience delivering complex electrical infrastructure will help you understand capacity requirements and initiate any upgrade processes early to
Challenge 3:
Planning for the future
FMs must consider long-term costs of electrical infrastructure and maintenance. Most organisations have long-term transition plans so they may be tempted to buy fewer chargers immediately or opt for lowercapacity infrastructure to save on cost. Although this may save money in the short term, once electrical infrastructure is installed, it is more difficult and expensive to dig it back up for upgrades, replacements or expansions.
Solution: Prioritise quality over short-term savings When investing in infrastructure, future-proof your site to give you more capacity than you immediately need. This will enable you to grow the number of chargers as demand increases. Also, select a back-office system that will make it easier to monitor infrastructure to ensure that it is operating as expected. Choosing a system that offers automatic notifications when chargers are offline, remote firmware updates and the facility to remotely reboot the chargers will save on the cost of an engineer having to attend the site. As the deadline for transition to net zero-emissions vehicles creeps closer, it is vital to begin the migration by working with the right partners.
ALEX CHILVERS is strategy and EV director at NG Bailey
Following landmark events such as the global pandemic and the Grenfell Tower fire, awareness of both indoor air quality and fire safety has been heightened. The new TR19® Air emphasises the importance of these twin concerns.
To provide a good indoor air quality, regular cleaning of the ventilation ductwork is necessary to ensure that the ductwork does not pollute the incoming air with dust, volatile organic compounds, bacteria or other airborne pollutants.
Measures such as classifying systems as high, medium and low, together with helpful tables giving intervals for cleaning each classification according to the nature and frequency of their use, remain in TR19® Air. However, there is more emphasis on inspection and testing. Regular inspection and testing should be added into the FM budget, as well as cleaning.
GARY NICHOLLS, managing director of Swiftclean, and co-author of TR19®
Adequate access
TR19® Air includes more specific advice about access, especially at the design, construction and installation stages. As an FM, you need to ensure that inspection and cleaning can be completed, so, if you have influence over the installation of a new or refurbished ventilation system, make sure access is adequate – and safeguarded for the future.
Where there are bends or turns in the system, it must be possible to clean around the turn in the ductwork. In some stretches, it is necessary for the technician to enter the ductwork to clean, but it is not always practical or possible for them to travel through a turn in the ductwork. There should be an access point within a metre –essentially an arm’s reach – either side of the bend. In too many cases, other utilities, such as gas and water
pipes or electric cables are installed across access hatches. TR19® Air says this should not be permitted.
Fire safety
Retrofitting an additional access hatch to replace one that has been blocked or to reach a fire damper or a turn in the ductwork is more expensive and difficult than installing it at installation stage. Ductwork may be twin-walled and contain insulation materials in some sections, and FMs rarely have details of where these stretches are.
Access for cleaning must also be safe for the technician, especially when working at height. It must be possible to position working platforms where technicians may safely enter or reach through ductwork.
TR19® Air –what’s the difference?
In 2019, TR19® Grease was created from the kitchen extract systems cleaning section of the TR19 document. The revised remaining document, the new TR19® Air specification, has now been published, explains Gary Nicholls
Some lengths of ventilation ductwork pass through internal fire-resistant walls. At this point the ductwork provides a channel through which fire can travel, so should be fitted with a fire damper – a set of metal louvres that close automatically in the event of fire to form a barrier to delay the spread of smoke and flames, restoring compartmentalisation.
Legal requirements
It is a legal requirement to test fire dampers at least every 12 months, which requires access points to be installed within reach of fire dampers. Fire damper testing is also an additional cost that should be budgeted for in FM contracts.
FMs should ensure that they appoint specialist cleaning contractors who are members of the BESA Vent Hygiene Register. Members can provide post-clean certification, which demonstrates compliance, forming valuable legal protection for FMs against any accusation of negligence.
TR19® Air has been hailed as a revolution in indoor air quality. It will be up to FMs and specialist cleaning companies to ensure, together, that this revolution comes about.
The handover process during the expiry phase of Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts is complex and resource -intensive. It should, therefore, be managed as a ‘project’, so as not to detract from day-to-day, businessas-usual activities.
Assets – meaning all assets and rights required to own, operate and maintain the project, including any books and records, health and safety manuals – need to be handed back in the condition as stipulated in the contract. That includes fire safety documentation.
Fire safety documentation
Many have noted the need in PFI projects to conduct an early survey of the building fabric, namely:
● Compartment wall construction
● Fire stopping
● Fire doors
● Fire dampers
● Fire alarm systems
However, when beginning the handback preparation process, few have identified the significant risk to handback posed by sub-standard documentation, incomplete data sets and inadequately documented fire safety management processes and practices.
Common problems with fire safety documentation
We frequently see:
● fire strategy reports that haven’t been developed to the final design stage;
● reports with omissions and errors;
● reports that do not reflect the as-built arrangements;
● fire strategy drawings that are not up to date and do not reflect existing room layout configurations and current room use;
● variations to the facility post-practical completion are frequently not addressed within fire strategy documentation;
● derogations originating from pre and post-practical completion, without supporting validation documentation such as fire engineering assessments and proof of stakeholder sign-off;
● original design intent is often unclear, performance specifications, test evidence, elevation drawings are seldom available;
● O&M information tends to be incomplete or contradictory;
Fire safety in PFI handbacks
Fire safety during PFI handovers is one of many considerations under the umbrella of asset condition, but is fire safety receiving sufficient attention? asks Stuart Kerr
● certificates of conformity are missing;
● fire safety management information is often absent; and
● maintenance records (including statutory compliance) are incomplete.
The handback survey should not be divorced from the need to regularly audit relevant documentation and fire safety management processes and practices. This should happen early.
Know your assets, fix your assets
Seven years before expiry, it is key to understand the asset base, its condition and the maintenance requirements and ensure that they are thoroughly documented.
Contractual asset condition requirements need to be fully understood in addition to the systems required to maintain and operate them. Early surveys, fire safety management audits and statutory compliance work will de-risk the expiry process.
Taking action early, (five to seven years before expiry), such as condition surveys, documentation audits, fire safety management audits and statutory compliance audits will ensure the asset condition
and information at handback meet contractual requirements.
Up to three years before expiry, a final asset survey is recommended. There may well be merits in this being a jointly appointed survey, working with the receiving authority.
The creation of a single data set that the authority has access to builds credibility and trust between parties.
What fire safety compliance looks like
Blindly applying statutory fire safety guidance, intended for the design and construction phase retrospectively, to a built, operational facility, for the sake of a box-ticking exercise, should be avoided. This approach does not embody the value-for-money ethos, and often results in unnecessary service disruption caused by construction/refurbishment activities that result in no tangible benefit. PFI projects ought to strive to achieve an appropriate level of fire safety based upon a suitable and sufficient assessment of risk and applying fire safety guidance proportionately. Risk profiling of buildings and facilities is an effective and strategic approach to managing property portfolios.
ASSET SURVEYS
STUART KERR is director a t Tenos
14 October 2024
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London
FINALISTS ANNOUNCED
Wednesday 31 July 2024
The finalists for the IWFM Impact Awards 2024 will be announced soon! Judging is currently underway, and those advancing from round two will be revealed as finalists. Follow our social media accounts for updates and to see who has been shortlisted.
If you are a non-entrant and would like to attend, we have a limited number of single tickets and supporter packages available which include a table of 10, please email awards@iwfm.org.uk for further information.
Contact us today
E engagement@iwfm.org.uk
T +44(0)1279 712 650
iwfm.org.uk
Are you ready to step up?
Are you due an IWFM membership upgrade? More importantly, are you selling yourself short?
IWFM’s 2021 Pay and Prospects research found that qualifications increase the likelihood of advancement in organisations (and associated benefits, like increased pay). Our membership grades link directly to qualifications and experience, so if you have the right credentials, make sure you carry the post-nominals you deserve.
If you feel you are ready to step up, please send your CV to engagement@iwfm.org.uk
For more information, log into your IWFM account and click on the ‘Membership’ tab.
Professionalising the workforce
Our common framework for workplace and facilities professional development can help your business ATTRACT, DEVELOP, and MAINTAIN your employees.
Our products and services are underpinned by the IWFM Professional Standards, developed with industry experts and bespoke to workplace and facilities management. The Standards provide a global competence model for the profession.
If you’re an employer looking to develop your teams, please getin touch.
Contact us today
E @iwfm.org.uk
T +44(0)1279 712 650
iwfm.org.uk
When half a dozen people come together to develop a creative solution to a thorny challenge, it can be a messy experience. A number of obstacles can get in the way, but here are a few ideas to make the process smoother.
1 Be clear about the destination
The brief might not be tight in its scope or deliverables and not everybody will have a shared understanding of what ‘good’ looks like. You run the risk of creating confusion and conflict as everybody heads in different directions. Paint a clear picture of the finish line and ensure that all stakeholders are on board. Illustrate the end point with a hypothetical example and keep it front of mind throughout the project. This gives everyone a common point of reference.
2 Don’t sacrifice introverts at the altar
Your team is likely to include introverts and extroverts. A common misconception is that problem-solving is always a team activity in which everyone huddles around a table, bustling their
way to a brilliant solution. Lots of noise, plenty of chat and a thousand Post-it notes.
But introverts often need solitude to get their creative juices flowing. Consider sending out the brief a few days in advance of the meeting to give everyone the chance to digest the problem and incubate it. Build in ‘metime’ at the event itself to be sensitive to the needs of those who don’t flourish in crowds.
3
Play to your strengths
It may sound counterintuitive, but creative problem-solving is a process of sorts. Having clarified the challenge in advance, the process typically goes through a number of stages:
● Explorer – a lot of ideas are generated;
● Detective – connections are made and ideas with greatest potential are spotted;
MARK SIMMONDS is the founder of marketing capability agency, Genius You
● Architect – spotted ideas are built on further, given shape and structure; and
● Judge – the mindset required to select the strongest idea to take forward.
These four behaviours underpin any creative process, but not every team
Five rules of collaborative creativity
Like oil and water, creativity and collaboration don’t always mix, but there are ways to deal with them more effectively, says Mark Simmonds
member will be equally strong at all four. Find out who is good at what and use everyone’s strengths appropriately.
4 Find your conductor
Any creative process has the potential to go off-track. The journey towards the solution is seldom linear and often derailed.
People lose sight of the end goal, stop listening, start using the wrong creative behaviours at the wrong time. Any problem-solving programme, meeting, or workshop requires the valuable skills of a facilitator who has responsibility for guiding the group in the right direction towards the finish line.
Every orchestra needs an expert conductor to see the big picture and get the most from everybody. Without them, there is likely to be chaos amid the creativity.
5 The workshop is not the end
Clarification of the challenge to be addressed before the meeting or workshop is critical, but it’s equally vital that momentum is maintained after the workshop.
More incubation time is required to let ideas settle and further evolve. The architect is likely to be required to fine-tune, seeking feedback from key stakeholders not at the workshop. Strong judging behaviours will inevitably be required to ensure that the best ideas make their way to implementation and execution.
Collaborating creatively as a team to develop winning solutions is one of the most important and satisfying activities in corporate life. However, to succeed, you need the five building blocks to be firmly in place. Otherwise, frustration and disappointment will rule!
More than a thousand universities and HE colleges worldwide, including 168 UK institutions, pledged to be carbon-neutral by 2050, with some aiming for 2030. This ambition is laudable, but it represents logistical and financial hurdles in a sector that continues to struggle for financial solvency.
The UK Government’s sustainability and climate change strategy acknowledges that school and university buildings account for 36% of total UK public sector building emissions.
Data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency shows that 133 UK universities accounted for 1.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions between 2021 and 2022.
Experts warn of patchy progress within the HE sector, which is failing to keep pace with current targets and the greater climate emergency.
Financing decarbonisation
baulk at the cost of decarbonisation. Specialist financiers are poised to bridge the gap, with financing solutions that can be tailored to the specific needs of an organisation. Buildings-efficiency-as-a-service (BEaaS), for instance, is a finance arrangement that can be leveraged either at the component or larger building level to facilitate investment in infrastructure without endangering cash flow. This aligns the cost of the technology with the expected rate of benefit.
Taking such an approach means that institutions will not need to make large upfront payments, instead spreading the cost of investment over a flexible period. The operational savings facilitated by this green investment can offset the cost of investment, in some cases paying for zero-carbon renovations in their entirety.
DECARBONISATION STRATEGY
Accounting specialist Grant Thornton prices decarbonising the UK’s HE sector at £37.1 billion. Although universities may bid for a share of a £230 million fund to facilitate low-carbon energy upgrades for public sector buildings, this still leaves a significant shortfall. At a time when almost half of all UK universities anticipate a financial deficit, it is easy to see why HE institutions may
TOBY
HORNE is a smart infrastructure financing partner at Siemens Financial Services UK
As well as improving upfront costs, these agreements often include guarantees based on expected energy-efficiency outcomes. In an era defined by high fuel prices, investment in green infrastructure can not only drive down carbon emissions but also reduce operational spending, cutting energy use by up to 40%.
Smart building impacts
Carbon cost of higher education
Financing university and higher education (HE) institutions’ decarbonisation is more manageable than you think, argues Toby Horne
There are impressive examples of HE institutions that have embraced new technologies. The University of Birmingham partnered with Siemens Financial Services in 2021 to become the first university to implement a large-scale Internet of Things (IoT) roll-out, installing 23,000 IoT sensors across its Edgbaston campus.This measure will provide insights into building occupancy so that the university can manage power and heating more effectively. It is projected to cut emissions across all campuses by 3,000 tonnes of CO2 a year.
1 The University of Birmingham (UoB) had big ambitions to transform its Edgbaston and Dubai campuses through connected digital technologies, AI, decentralised energy generation and storage, and renewable energy;
2 However, without the capital budget to invest outright, the project wasn’t financially viable; so,
3 We worked within the university‘s financial requirements to create a BEaaS solution wherein UoB can spread the investment cost over 10 years, covering equipment and services.
An opportunity to lead the way
With the right financial arrangements in place, institutions can afford to be more proactive in meeting ambitious carbonneutrality targets. Retrofitting university buildings into smart buildings can yield phenomenal carbon and operational cost savings, ultimately providing future generations with more efficient and sustainable operations.
Reinforced aerated autoclaved concrete (RAAC) has been found in more than 50 hospitals, 200 schools and many other public and private buildings. With an intended lifespan of 30 years, the material has long outlived its use in many locations. One of the main problems with RAAC is its vulnerability to moisture, which can weaken it and lead to collapse.
Airedale General Hospital has one of the highest quantities of RAAC panels in the NHS, with 83% of the hospital’s floors, walls and ceilings made of the material. Built in the late 1960s, the hospital in West Yorkshire discovered its RAAC problem five years ago and is due to be rebuilt by 2030, as part of the government’s New Hospital Programme.
Having used a manual, hand-written survey process to monitor RAAC until 2023, it was clear this was insufficient to deal with the volume of work. The hospital required a more sophisticated method of tracking defects and monitoring how different sections of the planks were deteriorating at different rates.
What was needed was a single, joined-up view of RAAC
Detecting and tracking RAAC
Indoor mapping is helping to advance the management of reinforced aerated autoclaved concrete, says Richard Burgin
risk to generate the inspection frequencies and inform the ongoing programme of remediation works.
The technology deployed BIS Consult was appointed by the hospital to implement a new RAAC data management solution. Using Esri UK’s GIS (Geographic Information System) software, the team created a system to replace paper-based processes with digital workflows to improve the accuracy and efficiency of RAAC inspections.
Esri GIS provides digital maps, apps, dashboards and tools to analyse spatial data. At Airedale, it has been used to map indoors of the hospital to reveal where the highest risk areas are in real-time, which informs the mitigation works, including temporary propping, steel reinforcements and fixing
roof leaks, to maintain the safe operation of the hospital.
RAAC has a major operational impact, sometimes disturbing clinical and operational functions so surveys and mitigation work needs to be accurate and fast –and the system underpins that.
The way it is deployed
Inspection data is now collected on iPads using custom forms, which helps dictate the risk rating of each plank. This data feeds back into the central mapping application.
Planks are surveyed monthly, quarterly, bi-annually or yearly, depending on their rating, in line with current guidance. The output instructs the survey team which wards to survey and
which planks to inspect. Improved insights are generated faster than before, as the GIS can run different spatial analysis and scenarios, including tracking monthly changes in residual risk and providing detailed information relating to each specific concrete plank. Patterns of deterioration can be clearly seen and investigated on an estate map, overlaid with drone imagery, which helps stakeholders understand the problem more easily. Factors that impact upon RAAC, such as the location of utilities and services, the orientation of a building and prevailing weather, can be better assessed using this method.
The
results
The digital approach has created a more resilient process, with a reduced risk of human error, and renders the information on RAAC more shareable. This improves the ability to communicate the scale and complexity of the problem with internal and external stakeholders.
RICHARD BURGIN is estates project manager at Airedale General Hospital
In terms of cost savings and return on investment, the system pays for itself; the process of inspections is 50% more efficient and has saved recruiting four additional fulltime surveying staff. Overall, the GIS is a powerful tool that helps manage the sheer volume of work, provides a single source of truth on RAAC risk and helps prioritise where interventions are required to keep the hospital running safely.
BUILDING SAFETY
Building Information
Modelling (BIM) is increasingly used to design mechanical and electrical services for buildings.
BIM uses a digital version or twin of a building as a template on which to design the detailed systems and interconnecting pipework and electrics that make up a complete HVAC system.
Creating a twin
The critical first step in the process is to create a digital twin of a building. Accuracy is vital, as all the services and internal works planned for a project must dovetail perfectly to avoid costly modifications later.
The conventional method of creating a digital twin depends on sourcing the original architect drawings and making manual measurements on site. This needs to include window and door dimensions, and account for existing services such as indoor units, radiators, ductwork, lighting and electrical sockets.
It is time-consuming and subject to error, leading to mistakes in project design that can result in time and cost penalties during installation. On older buildings, original site plans may also be outdated because of internal changes.
Improving efficiency
The use of sophisticated modern optical scanning systems makes for a far more efficient and accurate approach. These use laser-based lidar cameras placed at strategic points within and outside a building to build a detailed three-dimensional digital twin by stitching together successive scans. This includes individual spaces within floors and any existing HVAC services. The high-resolution file that is produced can be imported into standard HVAC design and BIM applications and be used to design a complete building services solution, ensuring that all dimensions are accurate, and equipment and pipe
JACK SMELT is head of BREng digital building
lengths are sized precisely the first time.
Using this approach dramatically reduces the time it takes to design and plan air conditioning, heating and ventilating services for buildings, in both new and replacement projects. It eliminates ‘guesstimations’ from project design, as the building layout and all dimensions are rendered accurately to the millimetre.
In addition to their use in HVAC project design, the 3D renders can be used to create virtual walk-throughs of buildings, with the ability to accurately measure dimensions.
Any building can be scanned, whether back-to-brick or fully fitted out. Buildings do not have to be empty – the process can be carried out on operating buildings, with an automatic face-blur function guaranteeing occupant privacy.
Making savings
The cost and time savings can be significant. We estimate:
● A 75% reduction in site visits required by project stakeholders;
● A 70% reduction in survey costs and BIM file creation versus traditional methods; and that ● 75% of project issues can be resolved without escalation.
With the need to improve project efficiency, BIM is increasingly being used across construction planning, particularly on HVAC services for large public and commercial buildings.
As well as savings on time and costs, digital scans can be used as records of pre-existing building condition before commencement of work on refurbishment projects, enabling any damage caused during work to be fairly apportioned.
To date, my own company, BREng, has created digital twins of multistorey offices, an NHS medical centre, internal HVAC plant rooms and complex building rooftops.
It is invaluable to be able to view and interact with the digital twin after a site visit to check details of, say, window heights or pipework layout, to make sure our proposed solution dovetails perfectly with the building fabric and any obstacles that need to be accommodated.
Digitally twinning
Using digital twins reduces the time it takes to design and plan air conditioning, heating and ventilating services for buildings, says Jack Smelt
INCLUSIVE RECRUITMENT
To attract the most talented to FM, we need to make organisations more accessible and inclusive to everyone –whatever their race, religion, gender or physical attributes, says Dan Reilly, talent acquisition manager at VIVO
Key takeaways:
● Abide by equality and disability legislation, but question whether it’s enough. Actively encourage people to apply and, importantly, stay;
● Create a safe place to discuss a person’s disability and ask what support they need; and
● Build a business in which employees strive to help. Adopting a mindset where they ask if enough is being done is healthy.
Read the full article at tinyurl.com/ Fac24130
The Know How learning continues at facilitatemagazine.com. Here is a summary of the key takeaways from a selection of our onlineonly articles
BE CAFM STRATEGIC
Using a computer-aided facility management (CAFM) system is crucial to address pervasive issues and elevate FMs to become more strategic leaders, says Idox product manager Esther Coleman
Key takeaways:
● Address the talent shortage using CAFM to take care of manual, tedious and repetitive tasks, empowering staff at every level to do the right job at the right time;
● CAFM enables engineers to raise reactive
jobs during PPM visits and check what other jobs are outstanding when on site, reducing the need for revisits; and
● Leverage CAFM systems to enhance operational efficiency and provide valuable insights for strategic decision-making.
Read the full article at tinyurl.com/ Fac24131
THERMAL SUPPORT
The best approach to retrofitting housing is to start with good quality data from infrared thermal imaging, says Stewart Little, managing director at IRT Surveys
Key takeaways:
● A thermal imaging survey gives an accurate picture of the true, as-built condition of the building, providing detailed insights into a range of energy-efficiency concerns;
● Using a vehicle for rapid, low-cost surveying, creates an extensive and detailed map and 3D model of the energy efficiency of large areas of housing; and
● The data is fed into our retrofitting software, which identifies the works required to improve energy efficiency in each building.
Read the full article at tinyurl.com/Fac24132
IWFM's comprehensive suite of qualifications provides a benchmark for the workplace and facilities management industry. They are fully regulated, internationally recognised, and provide a world-leading framework for professional development.
•Get ahead of the competition.
•Enhance your workplace credibility.
•Reach the next pay bracket.
ACL / Essex County Council
Level 2
W: aclessex.com
T: 03330 320584Witham
Associated Community Training (ACT) Ltd
Level 3
W: acttraining.org.uk
T: 02920 464727 Cardiff
Advanced Workplace Solutions
Level 2, 3 and 4
W: advancedworkplacesolutions.ie
T: +353 87 741 0635Co. Kildare
Axia-Solutions
Level 4
W: axia-solutions.co.uk
T: 01782 572777Stoke-on-Trent
Bridgend College
Level 2, 3 and 4
W: bridgend.ac.uk
T: 01656 302302 Bridgend
Capital City College Training (WKC)
Level 2, 3 ,4 and 5
W: capitalcct.ac.uk
T: 0207 025 1983London
College of Central London
Level 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6
W: central-college.com
T: 020 3667 7607London
CMI Communications & Management Institute
Levels 3 and 4
W: cmi-ireland.com
T: +353 014 927070Dublin
Dynamic Training UK Ltd
Level 2, 3 and 4
W: dynamictraining.org.uk
T: 020 8607 7850Uxbridge
GLP Training Ltd
Level 2, 3 and 4
W: glptraining.co.uk
T: 01905 670884Worcester
Get in touch!
We’re here to help with your journey in workplace and facilities management. If you have any questions relating to qualifications, please get in touch on +44 (0) 1279 712 651, or email qualifications@iwfm.org.uk
Available from levels 2 to 7, they serve both those new to the industry such as school leavers or career changers, and experts with years of experience. The higher the level, the more advanced your knowledge of the profession.
Explore our network of Recognised Centres with study options that include face-to-face, online and distance learning. Visit their websites for full details.
Gower College
Level 2, 3 ,4 and 5
W: gcstraining.co.uk
T: 01792 284 378 Fforestfach
Grey Seal Academy
Level 2, 3 and 4
W: greyseal.co.uk
T: 01773 829121Derby
Hopwood Hall College
Level 2 and 3
W: hopwood.ac.uk
T: 0161 655 6962Middleton
IWFM Academy
Level 2, 3 and 4
W: iwfmdirect.org
T: 01279 712 631London
Learnmore Network Ltd
Level 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6
W: learnmoreuk.com
T: 07463 816 680 London
Mercury Training
Level 2 and 3
W: mercurytrainme.com
T: 01384 482186 Birmingham
PIP Professional Training & Services
Level 3, 4 and 5
W: piptfw.co.uk
T: 0800 111 6303Dagenham
Portobello Institute
Level 3, 4, 5 and 6
W: portobelloinstitute.com
T: +353 (0) 1892 0035Dublin
Quadrilect Ltd
Level 3, 4, 5 and 6
W: quadrilect.com
T: 07483 348224Enfield
Resettlement Training Centre
Level 4
W: ctp.org.uk
T: 01252 349 602Aldershot
Sheffield Hallam University
Level 7
W: shu.ac.uk
T: 0114 225 3240Sheffield
Straight A Training Level 2, 3 and 4
W: straighta.co.uk
T: 01276 469020Hartley Wintney
The Business School (UK) Ltd Level 3, 4 and 5
W: thebusinessschool.uk.com
T: 0116 367 4858Leicester
The Sheffield College Level 3
W: sheffcol.ac.uk
T: 0114 260 2600Sheffield
Train Together Ltd Level 2, 3 and 4
W: traintogetherltd.co.uk
T: 0116 2358000Leicester
TSP Learn Level 2, 3 and 4
W: tsplearn.co.uk
T: 07790554605Reading
University of Bolton Level 6
W: bolton.ac.uk
T: 01204 903426Bolton
University of Gloucestershire Level 6
W: glos.ac.uk
T: 01242 71 4470Gloucestershire
Xenon Group Level 3, 4, 5, and 6
W: xenongroup.co.uk
T: 0330 912 5400Leeds
62
SUPPLY SIDE
63
Mitie sees revenues climb by 11% in FY24
by Facilitate team
FM and workplace services
outsourcer Mitie saw annual profits rise with revenues up 11% reaching a record £4,511 million (FY23: £4,055 million) – in accordance with the group’s forecast set out in April’s trading update.
Operating profit before other items was up 30% to £210 million (FY23: £162 million) and pre-tax profit for the year to March 31 was £156.3 million – up from £105.5 million the previous year.
The group’s order book recorded a total contract value of £6.2 billion on wins and renewals (FY23: 4.3 billion) and it saw strong free cash flow generation of £158 million (FY23: £66 million).
Phil Bentley, group CEO, said: “We are pleased with our strong performance in FY24, having delivered record revenue, operating margin expansion and a good return on invested capital. Mitie is a cash-
generative business with a robust balance sheet, and we are committed to investing in accelerated growth, as well as returning surplus funds to shareholders via share buybacks.
“Our divisions are all performing well, with Technical Services, Central Government & Defence and Communities delivering double-digit revenue growth, and Business Services more than replacing all of the revenue from certain short-term public sector contracts.
“As a result of this positive outturn, we have met or significantly exceeded all of the financial targets set out in the previous Three-Year Plan (FY2224), and this has been reflected in Mitie’s Total Shareholder Return over the period (80% TSR; #10 in FTSE 250).”
“We have now started to execute our new Facilities Transformation ThreeYear Plan (FY25-FY27), through which we expect to accelerate growth and extend Mitie’s market leadership position… We have secured a number of new contracts and projects in the fourth quarter of FY24 and first quarter of FY25, which give us good business momentum and we expect to offset, in the medium-term, the contracts lost and ending in FY24.”
KING CHARLES III BECOMES ROYAL PATRON OF CORPS SECURITY
His Majesty the King has been appointed Corps Security’s Royal Patron. The appointment began in May 2024, following a review of more than 1,000 Royal Patronages by the Royal Household following his accession in September 2022.
This continues a tradition that started in 1901 when King Edward VII consented to head Corps’ list of governors followed by George V, Edward VIII, George VI and Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving patron from 1952 until 2022.
He has chosen to become the Royal Patron of The Corps of Commissionaires as the Chief Life Governor. His selection of Corps exemplifies the relationship between the royal family and the security services offered by the firm for over 165 years. The news was received by the organisation on the first anniversary of His Majesty’s coronation.
Corps Security president
Lieutenant General Sir Robert Fulton KBE, KStJ, and chair of the board of directors, Air Marshal Christopher Nickols, CB CBE DL, said in a joint statement: “We are delighted to announce that His Majesty King Charles III has accepted the Patronage of The Corps of Commissionaires, as our Chief Life Governor.”
Mike Bullock, CEO of Corps Security, said: “The Corps of Commissionaires has been helping veterans in need since 1859 and this still holds true to this day. We are honoured that the monarch has chosen to continue to support our organisation, first established with His Majesty King Edward VII in 1901.”
Veolia upscales recycling with AI-driven robotic arm
by Facilitate team
Veolia has installed an artificial intelligence-led robotic arm at its Integrated Waste Management Facility (IWMF) in Southwark to optimise recycling operations.
Collaborating with Recycleye – an AI robotics business specialising in waste and materials management – Veolia has installed the technology, which it states is “as accurate as the human eye”. The robot is being used at the South London facility to extract paper, card, mixed plastics and drinks cartons, which often contain some aluminium layers from the aluminium processing line, leaving pure aluminium items for effective recycling.
As part of its strategic plan GreenUP, Veolia will use this data to run the facility
IN BRIEF
Mitie wins £297m deal with DfT Mitie has been awarded a new £297 million contract with the Department for Transport, building on its 12-year partnership with the agency.
Under the seven-year deal, Mitie will deliver integrated facilities management (IFM) services including cleaning, security, energy management, landscaping, and planned and reactive building maintenance across the DfT’s 800 sites across the UK.
at maximum efficiency and monitor seasonal changes in waste composition, accelerating ecological transformation through AI and other new methods.
The equipment comprises a camera, a six-axis robotic arm, a pneumatics system and a compute box. The robot can ‘pick’ up items using compressed air and a silicon gripper, then twists to face the correct sorting bin location and blows the item off the gripper into the bin. This technology means that the aluminium-picking process can be streamlined and removes contamination from salvaged material.
The robot handles 35 to 50 items a minute, increasing the quality and quantity of materials recovered. As the objects move down the conveyor belt, they are scanned and recorded and data is uploaded to the cloud for presentation on user-friendly dashboards.
Green technology
More efficient recycling will support the global demand for aluminium – used in many industries including the green technology sector, where large quantities are used in wind turbines and electric vehicles. This project is supported by The Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment, representing food and drink carton makers in the UK and Europe. ACQUISITION
BIFFA POISED TO BUY RENEWI UK’S MUNICIPAL BUSINESS
Waste management firm Biffa has agreed to acquire Renewi’s municipal business in the UK.
Contracts were exchanged in June, and the transaction is expected to be completed over the next few months. The deal involves five long-term residual waste treatment contracts serving local government clients in England and Scotland. In 2022, under the contracts, 930,000 tonnes of UK household waste were treated to avoid landfill.
Renewi’s decision to focus on its core operations in industrial and commercial recycling in mainland Europe means that about 550 Renewi staff will join Biffa.
The five deals are with the Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham (BDR) Waste Partnership, Cumbria County Council, Wakefield Council, East London Waste Authority and Argyll & Bute Council.
Biffa CEO Michael Topham, said: “The addition of these five contracts to our existing contracts in West Sussex, Leicester and Somerset further establishes our reputation as a trusted provider of complex, long-term waste treatment contracts to local government. Our combined expertise will position us well for the future as we seek to help local governments deliver their netzero targets. We look forward to welcoming the Renewi UK team to Biffa and to working with our new customers in due course.”
ISS renews FM services at Barclays Workplace experience and FM group ISS A/S has renewed its global integrated facilities services contract with Barclays until 2029.
ISS will supply services to the banking group globally until late. The firms began their alliance in 2012, and ISS will continue cleaning, technical, support services, catering and workplace solutions at branches in the UK & Ireland, Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, India and Asia & Pacific regions.
Briggs & Forrester chills at Guildhall Briggs & Forrester Special Projects has been awarded a £3.5 million contract by the City of London Corporation to replace the chiller at Guildhall.
Under the contract, the engineering services firm’s Special Projects team will be the principal contractor in the delivery of a new centralised chiller system in the 15th-century grade I-listed building – the ceremonial and administrative centre of the City of London and its Corporation.
Nurture Group branches out to buy Gristwood & Toms
by Facilitate team
National grounds maintenance business The Nurture Group is continuing on its acquisition trail with the purchase of arboricultural contractor Gristwood & Toms in Hertfordshire.
The strategic addition marks Nurture’s move into the arboriculture market, widening its services portfolio of landscape construction, winter gritting, interior and exterior plant displays, pest control and green solutions.
Gristwood & Toms, founded in 1974 and based in Shenley, near St Albans, works mainly in the public sector. A member of the Arboricultural Association approved contractor scheme,it has an annual turnover of £20 million and has 153 employees at 13 depots.
Andrew Brightman, Nurture’s group head of major bids, has been appointed as Gristwood & Toms’ new managing director. It will now operate as a wholly owned subsidiary, retaining its existing brand while leveraging Nurture’s national resources to increase its share of the UK arboriculture market.
This is Nurture’s 47th acquisition and follows recent additions Roy Cowie Ltd and Midland Pest Control. Peter Fane, Nurture’s executive chairman, said: “The acquisition provides Nurture with a profitable and scalable platform, building on our existing presence in the arboriculture market and integrating our existing arboriculture work into the Gristwood & Toms brand, creating a new £28 million turnover vertical for the Nurture Group.
“Both companies share a dedication to health and safety, environmental stewardship, and recruiting top talent. This acquisition allows us to enhance our service offering to clients, who now have access to industry-leading arboriculture services.”
Company founders Dave Gristwood and Andy Toms added: “Nurture’s growth and ambition resonate with our own, and we are eager to collaborate and expand our capabilities. Our clients will benefit from the combined expertise and commitment to quality that both companies bring.”
Over 16 years, Nurture has built up a national footprint and has a £200 million turnover and a 2,600-strong workforce.
PARETO FM ALLIES WITH ENEI TO BOOST EQUALITY AND INCLUSION
Pareto FM has joined registered charity The Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion (enei), as part of its commitment to foster inclusivity and diversity within the workplace.
As an enei member, Pareto FM, which has bases in London, Reading and Manchester, said it would gain access to more resources, tools, and expertise to enhance its efforts to promote equality and inclusion by enabling the company to stay informed of best practices, sharing knowledge with other industry leaders, and access tailored support to drive change.
Championing initiatives
Dave Richards, CEO, said. “At Pareto FM, we believe that diversity and inclusion are not just buzzwords but essential elements for driving innovation, fostering creativity, and ensuring the success of our organisation.
“Our partnership with enei will further empower us to champion equality and diversity initiatives.”
Amey on new 5-year ride with Network Rail Amey has been awarded two lots on Network Rail’s Eastern Routes Partnership Framework.
The infrastructure services company will deliver renewals and enhancements across Network Rail’s
Eastern region and help in maintaining and enhancing signalling and telecoms equipment (lot 2a) to ensure safe and efficient rail operations. It will also maintain overhead line equipment (Lot 3a), essential for electrification of train services.
Pinnacle heads to Cornwall Pinnacle Group has been awarded a housing management contract by Perran Housing in Cornwall, adding to a series of business wins and geographical expansions since the start of the year. It has begun work
with Redruth-based Perran, a housing provider connecting local people with sustainable shared ownership or affordable rental homes.
Pinnacle will carry out a full complement of housing management services.
United Living secures £205m works with L&Q
United Living Property Services has secured a 14-year contract with L&Q as part of its major works investment programme.
The deal, worth up to £205 million, encompasses all
planned investment and regeneration projects for L&Q homes in Trafford, contributing to the housing association’s north-west major works investment programme. The agreement ensures all L&Q homes meet the Decent Homes Standard.
IWFM is the professional body for workplace and facilities management, and we are here to help you prepare for future challenges before they impact you.
Contact us today
E corporate@iwfm.org.uk
T +44 (0)1279 712 675 iwfm.org.uk
Is your organisation facing extraordinary challenges?
We are business enablers.
We help organisations understand their FM matu build their FM strategy, and boost their capabilitie o deliver consistently across their operations and liver tangible business value.
e are thought leaders.
develop research, guidance and insight to infor FM profession, shape government policy and slation, and to help organisations stay ahead e game.
are standard setters.
’s Professional Standards define FM competences vels and inform our world-leading professional pment pathway, including qualifications, membership, and CPD.
We are a worldwide community.
IWFM assesses and recognises thousands of members for their competence at each career stage, and together with some of the largest organisations in the world, we collaborate to make change happen.
Let’s work together
ses members petence he o ther uidance, and u invest, ful are
With our support, guidance, and insight we can help you invest, recruit, and drive meaningful change in your organisation.
Wates announces restructure with new non-exec chairman
by Facilitate team
Family-owned building and property maintenance firm Wates Group has appointed David Taylor-Smith MBE as non-executive chairman of Wates Property Services (WPS).
Taylor-Smith brings a wealth of public and private equityowned business experience to the role, having managed businesses in 70 countries.
He began his career in the British Army, later becoming a FTSE 100 board director and then a private equity CEO. He chairs two private equity-owned companies – utility services business OCU Group and highway maintenance firm WJ Group. He is also a senior adviser to Swiss multinational private bank Pictet, and Haniel Group, a familyowned industrial conglomerate.
net-zero targets. In 2023, it retrofitted 2,000 homes, with 3,000 in the pipeline.
David Morgan, executive managing director for WPS, said: “David’s extensive experience, proven track record and strategic ability will be invaluable as we continue to develop and grow our business. His knowledge of the facilities management market will be particularly instrumental in helping us grow our market-leading proposition in social housing and FM”.
Eoghan O’Lionaird, Wates CEO, added: “Wates Group recently became the first major contractor to sign the TCPA’s Healthy Homes pledge, a campaign to ensure the industry is committed to creating healthpromoting living environments. This has always been the core of Wates Property Services’ mission.”
24-7 GROUP TAKES OVER JW JONES & SON
Multidisciplinary engineering company 24-7 Group has acquired Welsh electrical services, plumbing repair and heating systems contractor JW Jones & Son Ltd.
The acquisition aligns with Manchester-based 24-7 Group’s long-term growth strategy and expands its presence by gaining access to new markets and diversifying and enhancing mechanical and electrical products and services for its clients.
Colwyn Bay-based JW Jones & Son has delivered fully serviced heating packages since the 1950s to domestic and commercial clients. It supplies renewable energy sources including solar and air source heat pump packages.
The 24-7 Group said that this “evolutionary” story is something it values, and the plan is to continue to nurture this following the assimilation of “a group of highly skilled professionals” from JW Jones & Son, whose expertise and experience will be invaluable as the organisations work to pursue their shared goals.
Last year, WPS reported a record forward order book of £2.1 billion. The business maintains half a million homes through its work with more than 60 social housing providers and provides facilities management services to public and private sector clients. It specialises in decarbonising buildings to help clients to realise their
IN BRIEF
Jet Through wins Greene King contract
Drainage and plumbing firm Jet Through has won a three-year deal to service pub and brewery chain Greene
King. It will provide reactive drainage works to 445 sites across the North West of England, North Wales and the Midlands.
Sodexo Live! bats on with Kent County CC Sodexo Live! has extended its contract
Taylor-Smith said: “I have long admired Wates Group and I have been impressed by Wates’ passion for ensuring that the places where we live and work are maintained.”
Meanwhile, Wates Construction Group’s executive managing director Paul Chandler [pictured] is to retire from his full-time role at the end of the year.
with Kent County Cricket Club, which began in 2011, for three more years. The company will continue to deliver hospitality, conference and banqueting, retail bars and player catering at the Spitfire Ground in Canterbury.
ASG on guard with Bonhams Assist Security Group (ASG) has been appointed by international auction house Bonhams to provide on-site guarding services for its London salerooms in New Bond Street and Knightsbridge. Bonhams stages
Andy Hawes, CEO of 24-7 Group, said: “We are now capable of self-delivering renewable energy solutions including EV charging throughout the entire Northwest region and beyond.”
Richard Jones, partner at JW Jones & Son, added: “I’m pleased for the business to be joining the 24-7 Group. We know in their hands, the history and reputation that the Jones family has built up over three generations will continue.”
more than 150 auctions annually at its New Bond Street HQ in Mayfair and its Knightsbridge premises opposite Harrods.
Westgrove bags up Kingfisher Shopping Centre
The Westgrove Group has won a new contract with Kingfisher Shopping Centre in Redditch. The facilities services provider will deliver cleaning, security and guest host services to the 1.1 million-squarefoot retail mall in Redditch town centre, which is managed by Landswood de Coy.
EPH FM ERA
“I STILL CLEAVE TO THE IDEA THAT ONCE A POTENTIAL RECRUIT IS SHOWN THE FULL PANOPLY OF THE WFM FUNCTION AND ITS ASSOCIATED CAREER PIPELINE, THEY SHOULD BE HOOKED BY ITS SHEER VARIETY, NO MATTER THEIR AGE.”
FACILITATE EDITOR MARTIN READ RESPONDS OPTIMISTICALLY TO AN ARTICLE BY IWFM CHAIR MARK WHITTAKER ON THE LABOUR CHALLENGES FACING THE INDUSTRY
“The braver you are, the braver you’ll get – be yourself, be accepted or move on.”
KAT PARSONS, HEAD OF DIVERSITY, INCLUSION AND BELONGING UK&I AT ISS, SHARES HER ANSWER TO A QUESTION POSED AT UK CONSTRUCTION WEEK: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO YOUR 20-YEAR-OLD SELF?
“I never stop learning and being curious, I get to use both the creative and analytical parts of my brain every day… and I have the privilege of working with such a huge diversity of brilliant people and fascinating organisations.”
CBRE UK’S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CONSULTING, KATE SMITH, REVEALS WHY FM IS HER UNINTENTIONAL PORTFOLIO CAREER, OFFERING SUCH VARIETY
“The more I delivered workshops and programmes about the importance of ‘better breathing’... the more I saw the POSITIVE difference it was having on people’s lives.”
KAREN FARRELL, FOUNDER OF MINDFUL STATION, REMINDS US OF THE VALUE OF OUR INHALES AND EXHALES
“Consistency has always been a problem with FM. Too many suppliers rely on their people (most of whom are good) but don’t provide the consistent processes and systems to deliver a consistent operating model.”
PACS MANAGING DIRECTOR COLIN HALL EXTOLS THE VIRTUES OF CONSISTENCY
“AND THE BEST PART – MEETING OTHER PROFESSIONALS IN THE FM COMMUNITY WAS
TRULY UPLIFTING. IT IS SUCH A SUPPORTIVE AND OPEN COMMUNITY THAT I AM PROUD TO BE A PART OF.”
FIONA BENNETT, HEAD OF GLOBAL WORKPLACE AT SOUTH POLE, SHARES ONE OF HER HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE WORKPLACE EVENT
“I’ve heard the words ‘female-only shortlist’ used with increasing frequency over the last year and I’m not sure it’s taking us down a good path. Rest assured I’m on the side of women and true equity – but I also think most women I know want a fair chance not a head start.”
CARIE BARKHUIZEN, FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF SEYMOUR PR, POSITS THAT WOMEN WANT TO MAKE IT TO THE TOP UNDER THEIR OWN STEAM
“In a world where you can be anything, be an FM!”
SOUND ADVICE FROM PARETO FM’S ANDREW HULBERT
“CELEBRATION CAN RESCUE YOUR DAY – EVEN IF IT IS SOMEONE ELSE’S VICTORY. ENVY WILL RUIN YOUR DAY – EVEN IF YOU’RE ACTUALLY WINNING.” ATOMIC HABITS AUTHOR JAMES CLEAR PROVIDES ADVICE FOR A ROBUST MIND
