Linked Winter 2015 by i•creation

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Winter 2015

The magazine for First people in the West of England

Apprentice

overcomes autism to land

DREAM CAREER PAGE SEVEN

A copy of Linked has been printed for

EVERY EMPLOYEE Please take your copy to keep.

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Proof we are leading the way on staff engagement By Managing Director

James Freeman

FIRST of all let me congratulate everyone for the fantastic response to the Your Voice Survey. Not only did we have a record number of replies but raised a considerable amount of money for charity in the process. As Linked goes to press the first results have started to filter through and the equally great news is that our results as a business look very positive. A total of 66 per cent of West of England staff feel engaged – higher than in any other area in the country. More details will be released in my weekly bulletin The Word and a full spotlight on the actions we are taking based on your feedback will be published in the next issue of Linked. May I also take this opportunity to wish Jenny MacLeod, General Manager for First in Bristol, all the best for the future. Jenny is leaving the company after 19 years to have a career break and spend more time with her young family. I’m sure you’ll all join me in thanking her for her commitment. I’d also like to mention the continuing roll out of new buses as part of the multi million pound investment in vehicles. You’ll read about new colour-coded StreetDecks that have gone into service in Bristol in this issue and we have just seen the entry into service of new StreetDecks at Wells depot, which will revolutionise the 376 Service. In addition, we have just put in a joint bid to the Office for Low Emission Vehicles for 110 double decker bio-buses for Bristol. If successful it would mean that 40 per cent of our fleet would be low emission.

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Survey response is a record high record number of employees at First West of England had their say on shaping the company’s future by taking part in the Your Voice Survey. More than three quarters (75.78 per cent) of people at the OpCo – equating to 1,393 individuals – spent time completing the survey on paper or online. It also means £2,657 was raised for First’s Charity of Choice, Prostate Cancer UK, as the company donated £1 for each written entry and £2 for every online survey completed. Results are being compiled and engagement sessions will take place at each depot in the near future to report back on the findings. These will be attended by senior management team members, including Managing Director James Freeman. Human Resources Business Partner Clare Dalton said: “We’ve done extremely well when it comes to the number of people who took time to complete the survey. This really is an important tool in helping to improve things at First. Everyone’s commitment to helping not only raise money for

Human Resources Business Partner Clare Dalton who will now be analysing the Your Voice survey findings.

charity but also improving our business is very much appreciated.” “As well as the upcoming meetings, updated Your Voice posters will be displayed in depots and offices highlighting the results. There will also be focus groups and other news on how the survey results are going

to be used to make changes needed in the business.” Clare added: “The key now is engagement. We want to talk to as many people as possible to show how their ideas and feedback are really going to make a difference both on a local and a company-wide scale.”

Aim is to keep improving standards

Engineering Manager Doug West in the workshop at Lawrence Hill depot.

NEWLY-APPOINTED Lawrence Hill Engineering Manager Doug West has worked his way up through the ranks since joining First in 1997. From an apprenticeship position to Recovery Technician and Assistant Engineering Manager, he now has a wealth of knowledge allowing him to hit the ground running in his new role. His aim is to continually improve standards by focusing on increasing productivity and making sure fleet presentation is always at its best. Doug said: “It’s definitely been challenging at times so far. The realisation that you have responsibility for so many vehicles can be daunting, but I’ve got a great team behind me. “It’s important to do what’s best for everyone, engaging with staff and asking their opinions is key to help achieve our ultimate goal of making sure all buses going out on the road are safe and reliable.”

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Pledge on punctuality

Pictured with council award are Driver Trainer Beata Koscleszynska, back left, Human Resources Officer Lisa Bower, back right, and Driver Gail Weir.

Recruitment drive

scoops award UMAN Resources Officer Lisa Bower and Driver Trainer Beata Koscleszynska have scooped an award for their commitment to encouraging more people to join First’s driving teams. They worked with Bristol City Council’s Learning Communities

Team to develop the programme and also ran bus driving preparation training at Lawrence Hill. The Employment Skills and Learning Positive Partnership award was presented to them at a special ceremony attended by the Lord Mayor of Bristol and senior city councillors at The

Mansion House in Clifton. Gail Weir, a newly-qualified driver who attended the course, was also nominated for an Employment, Skills, and Learning accolade for her enthusiasm and commitment to the training after gaining a Level 1 award in customer service.

A joint pledge to improve bus punctuality across the city has been signed by Bristol City Council and First West of England. The Punctuality Improvement Partnership (PIP) has been established as a shared commitment to achieving a high standard of bus services by working together to improve reliability for the benefit of customers. The number of First bus services that start on time currently stands at 85 per cent, and the PIP has set targets of improving this by a minimum of two per cent each year to achieve 95 per cent by 2020. Peter Mann, Service Director for Transport at the council, said: “This partnership with First is absolutely essential in ensuring that we have a strong bus network in Bristol that meets the demands of the public.”

A cracking fundraiser A cracking total of £1,500 was raised by First West of England’s link up with the Wallace and Gromit Charity Foundation’s Shaun in the City appeal which involved sheep sculptures around Bristol. Every penny will be donated to Bristol Children’s Hospital and similar good causes to make a difference to sick children and their families.

Adapted mirrors trialled in Bath

Bath Driver Ben Quinsey adjusts the new adapted mirror.

ADAPTED mirrors are being trialled on two Streetlite buses in Bath to help make negotiating narrow country lanes easier for drivers. The single deck buses will now feature small mirror arms and, if approved, the change could be made to all Streetlites operating the area. Concerns were raised about the positioning of the mirrors as the length of the arms caused drivers problems on particularly narrow roads. Bath, Weston-super-Mare, Wells and Westbury General Manager Andrew Sherrington said: “A lot of effort has gone into finding a way around the problems of mirror arms – we’ve listened to suggestions from drivers and worked on how best to tackle them.”

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General Service Operative Peter Ricketts shovels grit out of a bin at Lawrence Hill depot.

New command and control centre set to improve safety A new command and control centre is being installed at Bath to help operations run more effectively by improving communication between drivers and the depot. Signals from GPS trackers on buses will feed back to the control centre, while drivers and staff will be able to contact each other on radio channels. This will allow drivers to quickly hear of any Driver Simon potential problems on the road and plan Johnson checks ahead, helping make services run more the notice board for proactively. weather warnings Previously, it was only possible to before setting contact drivers on their mobile phones, out. meaning an alert from the depot would not be received until they parked up. All vehicles will also be fitted with foot pedals which alert control centre staff of their location and information when pressed. Employees in the control room will be able to send alerts to individual vehicles, depots or whole regions. Bath, Wells, Weston-super-Mare and Westbury General Manager Andrew Sherrington said: “We’re really pleased to be investing in the network in Bath and continuing to improve services for both drivers and passengers. “The command and control centre will help ensure driver safety, as they will be PECIAL safety messages are able to contact the depot if they are being issued as winter weather unsure about anything. Useful information about individual vehicles can also be draws in and makes driving and collected by the trackers. operating around the depots more “Improving communication makes hazardous. monitoring buses easier and lets everyone Employees are being urged to take know what’s going on – and passengers extra care as snow, sleet, frost and can then also be notified of any problems storms create potentially dangerous on the road.”

Hengrove depot Supervisor Ashley Flowers with one of the new double deck Service 90 buses with its eye-catching, bright red livery.

Extra vigilance and care is

vital in winter weather

Drivers earn police praise for actions DRIVERS Andy Vizor and Neil Hooper received police commendations after their cool-headed approach helped to avert trouble between rival groups of football fans. They remained calm under pressure when asked to transport visiting supporters to two train stations following a League Two clash between Bristol Rovers and Newport County. Somerset and Avon Police were keen to avoid any incident following the 4-1 away victory for Newport and worked with First to get the travelling fans back to train stations as quickly as possible. To thank them personally, Superintendent Rhys Hughes paid a visit to Hengrove depot to pass on letters of commendation to the two drivers. He said: “These two excellent drivers helped us immensely during the Rovers match and I wanted to visit the depot to thank them personally.”

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road conditions and bring fresh challenges in the workplace. Even if there is no snow and the weather stays mild, dark nights and slippery conditions can also bring very real hazards with them in and around the depots. Hengrove Staff Manager Gavin Hawkins said: “We’ve had mild weather in the West of England for the last few years but winter is still a time to be extra careful. Around the depot we urge everyone to wear their Hi-Vis jackets so they can be seen at all times. Sticking to designated walkways is also very Lubricator Woitek Capik important. uses one of the “I would also ask anyone who designated sees a potential hazard to report it walkways at immediately and to make sure Lawrence Hill walkways are gritted whenever frosty depot. conditions turn them slippery.” Safety reps are also working with employees across the OpCo to warn Drivers are asked to be extra vigilant them about potential hazards and draw about motorbikes, bicycles and their attention to staying vigilant at all pedestrians. They should double-check times. their nearside lane mirrors when turning Being aware of other road users and maintaining eye contact with pedestrians left to make sure they will not be causing problems for road users on two and fellow drivers is seen as key in wheels. preventing incidents on the road.

Driver Roy Sweet checks his nearside mirror to make sure it is correctly positioned.

Increasingly popular service has its own branded livery A bus route in south Bristol now has its very own fleet of branded double deck buses in response to rising customer numbers. The environmentally-friendly StreetDecks, which have been assigned to Service 90, form part of First’s £15m investment in 59 new buses across the West of England. Until now most of the vehicles on the route have been single deckers but with the ever-increasing number of passengers, the route has been chosen to benefit from a fleet of brand new double deck buses. The front of the Streetdecks for Service 90 are painted in a

bright red. Each route corridor in Bristol will have a different colour, which should make it easier for customers to spot their bus. In Bristol, First have seen close to 25 per cent more people using their buses since 2013. In response, all the new double deck vehicles being delivered replace ageing single deck buses, almost doubling the current capacity across the network. ● In addition, egg-yolk yellow-branded B9s are being rolled out at Lawrence Hill Depot. There will be 13 in total operating on Services 1 and 2 across Bristol, alongside 23 brand new ADLs.

A great way to save money

And they are asked to pay particular attention to weather forecasts and check notice boards for any upcoming issues that could affect journeys. Gavin added: “We do have a central radio room so we can make quick calls on bad weather as it comes in but

drivers are also asked to keep an eye and ear on the forecasts so they are as prepared as possible.” ● For up-to-date traffic and weather information, colleagues should check depot noticeboards and the Better Journeys For Life intranet site.

EMPLOYEES can make big savings on everything from the weekly shop, cinema tickets and even holidays thanks to the First Bus My Rewards scheme. Partners offering discounts as well as exclusive deals already include Thomas Cook, Expedia, Toys R Us, M&S, Currys and PC World as well as Asda, Sainsbury's, Boots, B&Q, Argos and Pizza Express. The scheme, designed to help staff squeeze value out of every pound in their pay packet, also offers free UK bus travel, money off rail fares and useful information on pay and pensions. Signing up is simple – just log on at firstmyrewards.com with your National Insurance Number and get saving straight away.

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General Service Operative Peter Ricketts shovels grit out of a bin at Lawrence Hill depot.

Hengrove depot Supervisor Ashley Flowers with one of the new double deck Service 90 buses with its eye-catching, bright red livery.

Extra vigilance and care is

vital in winter weather

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Driver Roy Sweet checks his nearside mirror to make sure it is correctly positioned.

A great way to save money

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Moving safety performance to the next level A major campaign to engage colleagues around the country in moving safety performance to the next level will be rolled out early in 2016. The aim is to focus on safety and involve all employees in eliminating serious injuries and fatalities in the workplace by reinforcing and developing positive behaviour. New Head of Safety Angus Glasby said: “I have spent time visiting different sites.

“It is clear there is an enthusiasm and commitment to safety at all levels. “I am keen to build on this and over the coming months everyone will see a greater emphasis on changing workplace behaviours. The aim is for us all to take ownership of our own safety and others’ to enable everyone to ‘Be Safe’.” ● Look out for more news of ‘Be Safe’ in the months to come.

Celebrations of success mark a

busy year T’S been another fast-paced but thoroughly enjoyable year. We’ve overcome many challenges, and have more to face, but it’s been a year which has seen lots achieved! Firstly, I am delighted so many colleagues felt inspired and engaged to have their say in the Your Voice survey and on what we need to do to improve the business. We are currently

12,057 respond to staff survey SEVEN out of every ten First Bus employees took part in this year’s Your Voice survey... the biggest response ever. More than 12,000 colleagues took time to give the company their feedback, and a response of this size helps First Bus address areas where employees said improvements were needed. As a result of the fantastic 70 per cent response £22,715 has been donated to Prostate Cancer UK. Now the results are being analysed – they will be reported back and action to address some key issues will begin soon. First Bus Managing Director Giles Fearnley said: “Feedback really does matter and will help us create a better business for everyone.”

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By First Bus Managing Director

Giles Fearnley Pat Bennett, Worcester Depot Garage Liaison Officer for Unite the Union, with one of the posters promoting the Your Voice survey. working through all the responses we have received. Celebrating success at the inaugural First Bus Excellence Awards was undoubtedly one of the highlights of 2015. We received more than 1,100 nominations for outstanding individuals and teams. All of them deserve thanks and recognition. It was an honour to attend the ceremonies and the winners all now go forward to represent First Bus in the Group’s Be First awards in January. We’ve also celebrated a number of industry award wins in 2015, demonstrating our commitment to the business, our

people and our customers. We are all proud that colleagues’ actions so strongly embody the company’s vision and values: being committed to our customers, accountable for performance, dedicated to safety, supportive of each other and setting the highest standards. Within every one of our businesses, much has been achieved in 2015. We have seen very significant investment (not just in buses!), network changes designed to encourage more people to travel with us, greater use of mobile tickets and in some areas, smart ticketing – amongst

many other things. We have continued to work hard to strengthen the all important relationships we have with our local authority partners. It has been a good year. We do however have much more to do as we strive to our goal of delivering excellent customer service – always. I promise therefore that 2016 will be another busy year! I want to thank everyone for their great contribution through the year and hope all colleagues have a relaxing, enjoyable Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year.

Bring the page to life with our exciting mobile app

Download our free First Bus AR app from the app store.

Scan the photo or logo where you see the ‘Scan Here’ marker.

When the video starts, double-tap your screen for full screen view.

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Alex seizes his opportunity PPRENTICE Alex Griggs has put five years of job-searching frustration behind him by landing a “dream career” with First. The 23-year-old, who is diagnosed with autism, has struggled to find employment since leaving college. But after applying for a role at First this autumn he has not looked back and is now on a three-year apprenticeship as a body panelist based at Lawrence Hill Engineering. Delighted Alex said: “It’s everything I want in a job. Because of my autism I find it difficult to stay motivated if it’s something I’m not that interested in. I would basically struggle to

get out of bed in the morning. “But this is my dream career. I love working with big vehicles – I’ve always wanted to do it. “I’m up bright and early every morning and can’t wait to get into work.” After being turned down for a number of roles at different companies, Alex got the break he needed with First. Initially, he attended an interview and was then given a two-week trial to see if he would be suitable for the role. The Lawrence Hill-based HR team worked closely with him to help him settle in, build his confidence and successfully complete his induction. Alex is now set on a career in

Apprentice Alex Griggs, right, with Body Technician Lawrence Fielding in the workshop at Lawrence Hill depot. Alex is featured on the magazine front cover. mechanical engineering. He said: “I’m really grateful for the support I’ve got from the team here. First have employed me when others wouldn’t and because it is exactly what I want to do – it makes it even better.” HR Business Partner Clare Dalton said: “Alex was given the

opportunity to experience the environment before starting with us on his apprenticeship to ensure that he was comfortable and confident. We are delighted with his progress to date and it is a pleasure to be part of making a young person’s ambition a reality.”

Training in record time

MARVELLOUS MOUSTACHES: Movember fundraisers at Lawrence Hill, left to right, Driver Leo Saye, Traffic Controller Martin ‘Trigger’ Rogers and Driver Brod Gilbert.

Series of fundraisers are underway A series of charity fundraisers are underway at Lawrence Hill as employees bid to raise their biggest donation pot yet. Drivers raised £400 by donning their scariest Halloween-themed fancy dress for Prostate Cancer UK while a 48-hour non-stop cycling marathon is also planned in aid of First’s Charity of Choice. Four static bikes will be set up at Marlborough Street Bus Station between February 12 and 14 and employees will take it in turns to cycle until they clock a total of 3,000 miles. The marathon will see them power through the night and the bikes will be in full view of

the public in the hope of raising as much as possible for the charity. In addition, staff made November the hairiest month of the year – growing moustaches to raise money for men’s health charity Movember. Lawrence Hill Traffic Controller and fundraising veteran Martin ‘Trigger’ Rogers also got his New Zealand-based cousin’s entire fire brigade in on the challenge for the second year running. Martin said: “Last year I mentioned the challenge to my cousin in New Zealand and he was keen to get all the guys in the fire brigade that he works for involved. Around 35 fire fighters have grown their moustaches again to help us out.”

TRAINEE Wayne Lawrence completed all five of his driving test modules in just one day – a record for the training team in Bristol. He started at 7.30am and by 3pm was a newly qualified PCV driver ready to move onto the next stage of becoming a fully-fledged bus driver. Driver Trainer Andy Noakes said: “It shows that with hard work you can accomplish your goals. It is great for Wayne and great that the team were able to carry out these assessments in a record time.”

Distinctive uni buses A new service has been launched for students and staff at the University of Bath. U1 replaces Service 18 and operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All the buses have been painted in a distinctive purple colour complete with a new Bath University Bus identity. The smart new look will help students easily distinguish which bus is theirs.

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New recruit is a steam railway volunteer

CHEERS DRIVE: Ted York with some of the thank you cards he has received from customers.

Super six are up for WARD-WINNING drivers who have been recognised for their outstanding customer service are up for further honours at an event celebrating extraordinary people in the community. Lawrence Hill’s Ted York and Giovanni Marano, Hengrove’s Lukasz Cowal and Douglas Hunt, Bath’s Alexander Harding and

Marlborough Street’s Kier Cummins all scooped Cheers Drive awards for going above and beyond the call of duty. The super six are now attending the Bristol Post Gold Star awards after they were nominated for one of the event’s 12 Gold Stars. Driver of 18 years Ted York was commended for his helpful,

considerate nature and willingness to always provide passengers with route and ticket information. He said: “Being cheerful and having a laugh and joke with passengers costs nothing. I just love getting on the bus and chatting to everyone as they get on. If I can make one person smile or make their day, I’m happy.”

George bows out after 37 years’ service STALWART George Hunt has retired after nearly four decades on the buses. He served in Bristol and Bath as a driver and then an inspector for a total of 37 years. Bath, Wells and Weston-super-Mare General Manager Andrew Sherrington said: “He was always the first person to help out if something was wrong and always did his best to keep services operating even when roads

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were jammed solid. He deserves wide recognition for his work.” After serving his last shift, George has moved to Devon to live in his retirement. In addition, Lawrence Hill based Rodger Edwards has operated his last shift after a career spanning 46 years. He started with the Bristol Omnibus Company, progressing through City Line to First as a driver.

STEAM enthusiast Aled Williams has just joined First West of England after winning a place on the prestigious First Bus graduate development programme. Based at Bath, the 22-year-old is now working as a management graduate. He brings plenty of bus industry experience to his new role as he spent the last two-and-a-half years managing the Twitter and Facebook accounts at First Cymru while completing his Geography degree at Swansea University. Aled has been volunteering at the Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway in the Brecon Beacons since 2006 and is looking forward to combining his time at First with progressing towards his train driver qualification. He said: “I just love steam locomotives – they get into your blood. They’re the closest thing to a living machine in that you have to feed and water them and if you don’t they simply won’t perform well. “I’ve driven industrial locomotives and when I was a trainee fireman I fired the City of Truro which was the first steam locomotive ever to reach the speed of 100 miles an hour.”

StreetDeck on parade One of Wells depot’s eight new StreetDeck buses has been paraded alongside 100 floats at two popular carnivals – helping draw attention to the new investment. The double-decker buses are being used for the 376 route which runs between Street and Bristol, one of the busiest journeys in the area. Many people got their first glimpse of the state-of-the-art vehicles when one featured at both Wells and Glastonbury carnivals. They are the first double deckers at the depot since the 1980s.