Member News

With August now here, Shield Health & Safety recently celebrated its one year anniversary since launching and what a year it has been!

Late summer 2014 saw Shield Health & Safety come to fruition, forming from a single ideal – to offer a training service that focuses on customer satisfaction.

By focusing on this ideal, Shield quickly became a successful brand that has seen its client base explode over the past twelve months.

Of course all of this would not be possible without the help of a certain individuals – all of whom deserve a massive thank you:-

First off, Neal & Sheila Carr for their massive support in getting Shield up and flying (without their love and encouragement we would not be here!)

A massive thank you goes out to Shields first three instructors, all of whom helped shape the focus of quality in training and customer satisfaction. Their dedication and professionalism has helped drive Shield forward as they continue to set the bar for a first rate service.

All of our suppliers and designers who helped create the successful Shield Brand.

Debbie Hilliam, Shields Operations Director – who continues to be the driving force of love and support that has made Shield what it is today. She has steered Shield through its first year, helping to drive growth whilst maintaining its core principles

What’s next?

• Year two has already seen Shields Instructor numbers increase to help maintain our ‘Customer Focus’ ideal – and with our continued customer growth, we will look for new instructors in the coming months.
• Shield will be moving towards the end of the year to a brand new site so as to help us spread our wings further which in turn offers our clients additional services.
• Our online booking service is currently under development and when ready, will offer our clients more flexibility in managing their requirements.
• Shield will be adding to our training portfolio in the coming months so what this space.

On a final note Shield would like to thank all of our clients, without whom none of this would be possible!

For all of your H&S training needs, please visit – https://www.shieldhealthandsafety.co.uk/

A refreshingweekend atLatitudegot me thinking about whyfestivals are now so popular. Like many other people, I’ve discovered there’s farmore to them thanmuddy wellies and smelly loos.

Have you been to a festival recently? Have you been raving about the experience to your friends ever since? If so, you are not alone.

The 50 members of theAssociation of Independent Festivals(AIF) entertained 635,000 fans in2014. The average festival-goer spent £466 each time (at the event itself and in local businesses), making festivals an important part of Britain’s summer tourist season. So what lessons and inspirations can other tourism businesses take from this surge in festival going?

Having just returned from a fabulous family weekend at Latitude in Suffolk, I think there are four key things we can learn about what makes festivals so popular. Tourism providers in particular should take note. After all, according to an AIF audience survey,49% said they chose a festival instead of a holidayin 2014.

What’s the big attraction?

1) Socialising – The whole family spends time together

Festivals have come a long way from the days of only appealing to teens or twenty-something music fans. There’s now a whole raft of family-friendly festivals; one of the oldest is theLarmer Treenear Salisbury, which has been going 25 years. Their big selling point istheir ability to appeal to all ages.

Although they often have special areas for children and teens, the main areas tend to be for the whole family. Here people can mingle with friends, listen to music and comedy acts, craft, watch theatre performances or fashion shows, or shop. The opportunity for children, teens and adults to enjoy time together ina relaxed, friendly and safe environmentis a big draw for many people.

2) Diversity – There’s something for everyone

Many festivals have cultivated an all-round appeal to cater for families or groups of friends with a variety of interests. For example, theElderflower Fields Festival, held over four days in Ashdown Forest, East Sussex, has wildlife and environmental projects, theatre, dance and science camps, as well as the more usual sports activities including a climbing wall. You can even relax in the hot tubs before the Sunday picnic.

3) Entertaining – The food is an event in itself

At most festivals, the food has a vibrant street-food feel; Latitude even had an impressive pop-up restaurant. The quality’s good and the range is huge – from gourmet burgers and organic pizza to Mexican and Vietnamese for the more adventurous. Festival organisers recognise that eating is an important part of the overall experience. It’s another opportunity for people to have fun and socialise, as well as to experiment with more exotic foods.

4) Experience – It’s about the way you make people feel.

Most fans will tell you that festivals are not just about the music, the facilities or the events. For them, it’s the overall experience that counts. Festivals appeal to all the senses; they have an emotional quality and a distinctive, yet intangible, vibe.

In fact, in the AIF’s 2014 audience survey,58% said that the single most important factor was “the general atmosphere, overall vibe and character of the event.”Only 8.3% said the “headline acts” (and 21.5% said “the music generally”) were the most important factor. If your tourism business is focusing on the functional excellence but not creating an engaging experience, you may risk losing your customers.

Between 2010 and 2014, independent festivals contributed around £1billion to the UK economy. To me, the attraction is clear. They bend over backwards to appeal to everyone in the family, providing a fun, cool but safe holiday atmosphere.

The crowds at Latitude enjoyed everything from lake swimming to tranquillity zones. There was even the opportunity for ambitious teenagers to gain UCAS points by completing aTrinity Arts Award.Are there any other tourism attractions or holiday venues that offer such choice?

Festival organisers focus on providinga complete experience– the music, the facilities, the staff, the food, the events. It’s not just the core product itself (the music) that attracts people – but how the festival experience makes them feel. For many, this is an expression of their own identity – if other tourism businesses could create that level of personal buy-in, they might be on to something.

What’s your experience of festivals? Do you think other tourism businesses should try to emulate the best of them? Please post your comments below – it would be good to hear from you.

Judy Randon is Regional Director ofShopper AnonymousNorfolk & Suffolk. She is passionate about excellent customer service and will have a stand at the upcoming 2015 B2B exhibition, come and visit us!

Norse Commercial Services and its subsidiaries around the UK have added over £2.3 million worth of new cleaning contracts in the last month.

The Norfolk based group have won two major new contracts in Norwich and Cambridge, and three others through its joint venture companies in Enfield Medway and Devon.

The three-year agreements cover educational establishments and empty housing stock being prepared for new tenants.

“Premises cleaning is worth around £25m a year to Norse and we are seeing significant wins in competitive tenders around the country,” said Sales Director Geoff Tucker. “We are providing employment for almost 10,000 people across the UK and over 6,500 within East Anglia.”

The company will be investing around £40k in new equipment to run the contracts, primarily using suppliers based in the area in line with its local supply chain support policy.

Anglian Water has over six million customers and has made ITV sponsorship an important part of reaching out to many of them with key water-saving messages. We’ve had the great pleasure of working on those messages for over a year now, producing idents for daily sponsorship of ITV1 Anglia weather. This includes the soundtrack production and compliance approval.

Having produced a set of idents for their 2014 campaign, this year we’re working on a further 13 – a combination of brand new copy and a refresh in style of our previous productions.

But alongside this, we’re also producing a series of MPU’s and Leaderboards for display across ITV.com and even a mobile banner for those viewing ITV.com via smartphones and tablets.

Plus we’ve now been commissioned to produce, from the videos, a matching series of print artwork for an Anglian Water press campaign in the East Anglian Daily Times.

It’s a little out of the ordinary for us to produce on so many platforms at once – in this multi-platform world, we’re always keen to acquire skills which add value for our clients.

Considering a sponsorship campaign and need a full service production partner? Talk to our team today.

We recently interviewed one of our clients about their experiences working with us. The feedback we got made us very happy indeed!

Naked Element develops pricing application for IDSystems

“Naked Element were a breath of fresh air”

Naked Element are working with Norwich-based company IDSystems to develop a bespoke web application. IDSystems are specialists in all aspects of glazing and supply and install German bi-folding doors together with manufacturing high quality aluminium sliding doors and windows. The new application is designed to aid their trade partners through the complex choices and range of options available to IDSystems customers. Founded in 2000 IDSystems offers tailored glazing solutions for unique properties – so impressive is their product range and installation service, that they have been featured many times on the popular Channel 4 show ‘Grand Designs‘. Because of the complex nature of the product and service that this Norfolk company offer, the software used to handle their sales and quotes, both internally and when with a potential customer, has to be truly unique.

Their current system employs a combination of Access, Excel and an SQL Server database, but they wanted to make their system more efficient. Carl Farrow, the Technical Development Manager at IDSystems, was introduced to Naked Element after receiving a referral. After meeting with Carl to discuss the specific requirements, Naked Element recommended development of a single web application, using Ruby on Rails, which could be used both internally by employees as well as externally by trusted trade partners, via the trade arm of their business; Sunflex UK. The application would present pricing options, produce quotes for customers, process orders and present the numerous options available such as colour, types of material, design of doors and more. This web application would also have the ability to integrate with a mobile app in the future. Previously IDSystems’ partners were having to contact them and ask an agent to manually enter the details of each order or quote into a spreadsheet. After this was completed, the results from the spreadsheet would have to be entered manually again into Access, a process that proved cumbersome and prone to errors. The new application from Naked Element will save both time and money, as well as minimising the risk of errors and making the whole sales process more efficient.

Carl said “I haven’t done anything like this before so I didn’t really know what to expect, but everything’s gone really well. It was always extremely clear what was happening, what work was on going and what they were expecting to do in each iteration of the project. Compared to some other companies we have worked with, Naked Element were a breath of fresh air.” As with every project there were some challenges, namely the sheer variety of options and products IDSystems has available to its customers, but Carl said the Naked Element team took it in their stride. “They’ve always managed to solve any issue that has arisen and deal with any complex rulings required.”

Paul Grenyer, Director at Naked Element said, “I have really enjoyed working with Carl at IDSystems as he understands innovation and what technology can do for his business. It was clear from the outset that our solution would add value and help streamline their processes. I was able to employ my experience of bespoke software development to quickly solve each issue as it arose. I worked closely with Carl at every stage to make sure he was always satisfied with the software and service IDSystems received.”

When asked if he would recommend Naked Element to others, Carl said just one word. “Absolutely”.

The 2016 Cooper Lomaz Salary Survey is live!

Every year Cooper Lomaz runs a Salary Survey to take a look at average salaries across the regions and sectors we work in. We also want to know things like why people like (or hate) their current jobs, and how long it takes them to get to work.

Last year we received an unbelievable 1,500 responses to our online survey (thanks!) and paired this with data from over 15,000 candidate interviews to produce our annual report. This year we’re hoping for more!

Every year local businesses eagerly await the release of our Salary Survey report. Companies find the report really useful for hiring new staff or just to get an idea of what’s going on in the region.

Now the survey is live again. What’s more, it’s easier and quicker than last year! We’d really appreciate if you’d fill it out, it should take less than 5 minutes. Take the Salary Survey.

Norwich based security company SSY Group Ltd (Security Solutions Yes) are the latest local company to show their support for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) nook appeal by signing up to the charity’s corporate scheme – the nook business network.

This new scheme will look to generate funds to help deliver a new purpose built children’s hospice in the heart of Norfolk. The nook business network encourages companies small, medium and large to commit to raising either £10,000, £15,000 or £25,000 over the duration of the appeal in return for a number of benefits and support the charity will provide.

SSY who offer the complete security package from Event Stewarding, Door Supervision, Manned Guarding, CCTV, Fire and Security as well as other essential security services have pledged to raise at least £15,000 over the duration of the appeal with their 280 staff all playing their part.

The company whose services are used by a number of local high profile events and businesses including Desira Motor Group, NWES, The Royal Norfolk Show, Sundown Festival and Reload will also promote the nook appeal on their fleet of vehicles, promotional literature as well as on their staff uniform encouraging others to support the appeal too.

Nigel Briggs and Shaun Yallop, Owners and Directors of SSY Group, said: ” It is a privilege to be asked to be associated with EACH and the nook appeal. We are committed to helping raise funds and awareness of the appeal. I am sure you will see our teams at many events across East Anglia and we would be grateful of any support you can give when you do.”

Gary Cook, the nook appeal corporate fundraiser, said: “I’m delighted that Nigel and Shaun have agreed to support us by signing up to the nook business network and are looking to raise significant funds to help make our vision of a new hospice, for local life-threatened children and young people a reality.

I know that their can do attitude and ethos will ensure that they and their staff will undoubtedly achieve at least their target and I look forward to working with them over the duration of the appeal and beyond.”

Anyone who is interested in finding out more about the appeal or the nook business network should contact the Norfolk Fundraising Team on 01953 666767 or funding@each.org.uk or for more information on the SSY Group please visit www.ssy-guarding.co.uk

The introduction of new rules in 2013, allowing employers to hold “pre-termination negotiations” with employees, without evidence of those discussions being admissible in a future unfair dismissal claim, was welcomed by employers as a positive development.

The changes, which were introduced under the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013, mean that employers are able to raise the possibility of termination with an employee without the need to follow a full (or indeed any) procedure and without fear of the discussions being used against the employer, in the event that the negotiations break down. Such negotiations can be particularly useful in the context of underperforming employees, with successful negotiations resulting in an agreed termination, with a settlement agreement.

At Steeles Law, we are finding that some employers are not taking advantage of the new rules, either because of lack of knowledge regarding them, or concerns about the consequences of getting it wrong. But just how vulnerable is an employer when it starts having such conversations with a poorly performing employee, which then break down and to what extent does this prejudice any subsequent formal performance management process? It cannot be denied that there are potential traps for the unwary. For example, the rules only apply in relation to claims of “ordinary” unfair dismissal; if an employee subsequently brings a claim for discrimination, or a claim for one of the automatically unfair reasons (for example, whistleblowing), evidence of a pre-termination discussion will be admissible. Employers must also be careful not to engage in what is known as “improper behaviour” in the manner in which it deals with the confidential settlement discussions, for example by bullying or harassing the employee, or placing undue pressure on them to accept the terms on offer.

However, these potential pitfalls should not discourage employers from having protected conversations with underperforming employees. Performance management processes are lengthy and can be difficult to deal with fully and fairly; it is perhaps for these reasons that many managers shy away from them, with the result that businesses often retain poorly performing individuals for far too long. Where performance management processes are undertaken, it is often at the point when the business has already decided that the employee is not up to the job and no longer wants to retain him or her. The managers and the HR professionals involved in the process can then be involved in a dishonest hoop jumping process, which can be demoralising for all concerned. Having a confidential discussion with that employee, with a view to agreeing mutually acceptable exit terms, not only makes much better business sense but can often also allow the employee concerned to leave with dignity.

It is essential, of course, that the manager engaging in the confidential discussions with the employee is aware of the limitations and is careful with the language he or she uses and the manner in which he or she broaches the subject. There is no “one size fits all” approach but by following a few simple guidelines, it is possible to have a properly protected conversation which, in many instances, will result in the desired effect of mutually agreed termination, achieved relatively swiftly and with the protection of a settlement agreement.

Employment law experts from Steeles Law will be providing further detail and guidance regarding pre-termination negotiations at the forthcoming HR Forum on 9 September 2015. We will offer practical guidance on how to have good protected conversations, whilst making sure that you are also aware of the limitations.

We will also be looking more generally at the art of dismissal, in particular the more tricky aspects, such as: Cumulative incidents and prior warnings; “bumping” and redundancy selection; maternity dismissals; TUPE related dismissals; and the removal of senior executives.

KLMUKE took part in Eastern Airways Aviation Cup 5 Aside Tournament on Saturday 11th July in Derby. Thirty six teams played from the airline & aviation industry and KLMUKE finished third, a great result for their first tournament! They played 10 matches, only loosing 1 and went onto win third & forth place play-off. The team were presented with a team/company trophy and individual trophies. KLMUKE looks forward to the 2016 tournament and retaining a place in the top three! Thank you to the players, driver & behind the scenes helpers!

A Norfolk technology company has become fundraising ‘allies’ with East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) and will offer support for the nook appeal which aims to raise £10 million to build a new purpose-built children’s hospice in the heart of Norfolk.

Allies Computing Ltd, the leading UK supplier of address data quality solutions, is based in Framingham Pigot; in the neighbourhood where the nook will be built. As previous supporters of EACH, the Directors decided that they too wanted to play their part in supporting their soon to be neighbours.

The Framingham Pigot-based business has signed up to the nook business network scheme to raise at least £10,000 over the term of the appeal. The nook business network asks for companies small, medium and large throughout Norfolk to commit to raising either £10,000, £15,000 or £25,000 over the duration of the appeal in return for a number of benefits and support that the charity will provide.

Sarah Nice, Finance Director of Allies, said: “EACH is a fantastic local charity that cares for and supports local families at an unimaginably difficult time and having previously supported the charity, we were only to happy to support them with their fantastic appeal for a new children’s hospice and we welcome them as new neighbours soon.”

Gary Cook, the nook appeal corporate fundraiser, said: “We’re delighted the team at Allies are continuing with their support for the charity to help make our vision of a new hospice for local life-threatened children and their families a reality.

“We need the support of all sectors of the Norfolk community – individuals, schools, community groups and of course the business sector to achieve our fundraising target, so Allies support is fantastic and we very much look forward to working with them.”

Anyone who is interested in finding out more about the appeal or the nook business network should contact the Norfolk Fundraising Team on 01953 666767 or funding@each.org.uk or for more information about Allies please visit www.alliescomputing.com

Breakwater IT, a leading IT support and technology solutions company, would like to announce the beginning of a new and exciting partnership with Swains Plc, one of the UK’s premier communications providers.

Business telecoms has always been one of the core solutions offered by Breakwater and, as the company expands, it continues to be a service that is being developed and invested in. As Breakwater explores ways of further enriching its telecoms channel, the fundamental approach has to be to partner with a prominent regional provider with the capacity to provide excellent service to its customers.

Peter Davies, Chairman of Breakwater commented: ‘Strategically we want to align ourselves with companies that are strong in this region but also who have a national presence. This alliance means we can work together seamlessly, so that both IT and Telecoms can be dealt with as one. This is a significant decision for both companies and we look forward to working with Swains for many years to come.’

Swains represent all of the values Breakwater look to offer to their clients, including carrier grade telecoms coupled with high levels of customer service, support and flexibility. This is a partnership equally sought by both businesses, as Swains recognise the importance of joining forces with an IT Provider in a world where Telecoms and IT are converging and previously separate technologies now interact in a single network.

Charles Wilson, Managing Director of Swains Plc commented: ‘The new partnership between Swains and Breakwater enables us to pool resources and knowledge to deliver the benefits of new technologies and innovation to our customers, with best of breed solutions, combined with a joined up exemplary customer service.’

The affiliation between Breakwater and Swains represents the resolve of both companies to develop the service and solutions they offer, and in turn, their relationship with customers; an undertaking which is paramount in this world of ever connecting digital technologies. Both companies value the need to offer the latest products and technologies, coupled with cost effective packages and quality of service. It is through a partnership such as this that telecoms and IT providers can continue to grow, whilst being committed to offering the best solutions for their clients.

Please watch for further news of an exciting joint venture coming soon.

With the summer holidays underway, many university graduates across the region will be looking to find their first step on the career ladder. So we’ve asked Gemma Pritchard-Jones, our Graduate Trainee Recruitment Consultant, to share her top tips for fellow graduates looking for work.

Gemma explained: “I started working at Pure in April, as one of the first employees to take part in the company’s new Graduate Training Programme. Before that I was a candidate with Pure myself, so I’ve got the benefit of recent experience from both sides of the fence. It wasn’t long ago that I was looking for my first career role. Now I’m helping others to find theirs.”

Gemma’s top tips for graduates:

Be determined and don’t give up

Having worked so hard for several years to gain your degree, it can seem depressing if you’re then faced with what feels like a further slog to find a job at the end of it all. But stay determined and don’t give up. Someone who is obviously resilient and who finds interesting and useful ways to fill their time is a big selling point to prospective employers. A degree shows your level of education and knowledge, but perseverance speaks volumes about what your attitude would be like as an employee.

Do your research

If, after years of searching for facts, figures and information for numerous assignments you thought internet research was behind you, think again! The research skills you’ve gained will stand you in good stead when looking for work. Being as prepared as possible is incredibly important in an interview, so do your research on the company first. Remember, you may be up against others with exactly the same qualifications, but how interested and knowledgeable you appear about the organisation can really set you apart. If you’re not sure what research to do, we’ve put together a handy guide here.

Gain experience

It may not be your dream role, but remember temporary positions can provide valuable experience while you look for your full-time career path. Evidence of hands on experience is extremely important for employers, and many skills are transferable. In my case I took on a temporary role in HR Administration, which enabled me to focus on recruitment skills, before I was offered my role here at Pure. Internship opportunities or voluntary work can also really help to boost your CV.

Seek expert advice

Signing up to a recruitment agency not only provides access to exclusive vacancies, not advertised anywhere else, it also opens up a wealth of support. Our expert recruitment consultants offer valuable career guidance: whether its interview techniques, CV advice, industry information or general career mapping. Our job is to work with you to ensure you are maximising all opportunities to ensure you find the right job.