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KLM adds extra flights from Norwich to Amsterdam

KLM is launching extra flights from Norwich Airport to Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport from Monday (27th March), putting over 270 worldwide destinations within even easier reach, and just in time for the Easter holidays. The airline will be operating up to four return flights a day between Norwich and Amsterdam for the first time since the pandemic as demand for air travel continues to recover. And with a flight time of just 55 minutes, it means Schiphol Airport’s global network of international onward connections, or a city break in Amsterdam is less than an hour away. Richard Pace, Managing Director of Norwich Airport, said: “It’s great to see KLM’s Amsterdam route from Norwich getting back to full strength with four flights a day on weekdays and up to three a day at weekends. “It means passengers from Norwich have even more flexibility, whether that’s for a city break or onward travel from Schiphol to more than 270 destinations worldwide.” To celebrate the additional flights Norwich Airport has a competition to win a pair of return tickets to Amsterdam with KLM. The closing date is 31st March. Amsterdam is among the year-round destinations available from Norwich, which also include Tenerife with TUI and Aberdeen with Loganair, which is especially popular with business travellers. The airport’s full summer season gets underway in May with TUI offering a full schedule of eight sunshine destinations in Cyprus, Greece, Spain, and Turkey. Blue Islands also makes a welcome return with a twice-weekly service to Jersey, providing short breaks closer to home. In recent months Norwich Airport has been recruiting as it gears up for a busy summer and has launched a series of videos featuring airport employees doing the jobs they love. For the latest vacancies see here. For the full list of destinations available from Norwich Airport follow this link.

Why be a mental health first aider?

I used to work in an office environment. The workload meant I arrived early, worked through my lunch hour, left late, and still had a pile of files to come back to the next day. In addition, my worry was reaching the financial targets which seem to increase with alarming regularity; not great when you did fixed fee work, so finding increased fees was a nightmare. When I think back now, I really struggled, feeling constantly stressed because I couldn’t reach the targets and not wanting to say anything as it would seem I wasn’t good enough. The one time I did say something about the huge workload, I was told to give some files to Amy* as she goes home on time and so obviously hasn’t got enough work to do! That was the culture, so any thoughts about opening up and voicing my concerns were completely out of the question. I had my once-a-year appraisal and my supervisor spent the whole meeting talking about having one pot of money and those who put their head above the parapet will be rewarded at the expense of others, she even came out with the phrase ‘dog eat dog’. So, when she asked me if everything was okay I just said yes as there seemed no point in saying, well actually, I’m struggling with the targets. Soon after, I handed in my notice and left. That was about 20 years ago. I often wonder how many good employees who walked away from jobs over the years, may have stayed if only they felt confident and comfortable enough to approach their managers to talk about their concerns. How much would those Managers have saved (and made) financially if they had supported their employees better. Losing experienced employees plus  recruitment and training expenses all affect the bottom line. So, what has this got to do with Mental Health First Aid Training? We have talked before about the importance of starting in a good place and building on that to implement a health and wellbeing programme that works. Having regular one to one sessions with staff to discuss workload, targets, deadlines, to ensure no-one is feeling overloaded or stressed beyond reasonable limits. Often stress is not noticeable until that person has reached a point where they need to take sick leave. It is easy to notice signs of poor physical health, e.g. injuries, aches and pains, the need for medical treatment for conditions and illnesses, but not so easy to notice when someone is experiencing poor mental health. There is also a reticence to talk about mental health, often drawn from fear of saying the wrong thing or generally feeling inadequate to deal with a situation where someone needs help or guidance. I recently attended a two-day online course of Mental Health First Aid Training, and it has opened my eyes as to how helpful this training is in a workplace environment and outside of work too. If mental health first aiders were in existence 20 years ago, I may have had the confidence to talk about my workload, in the knowledge that I would not be perceived as not coping or incapable of doing my job, but instead to have the support and opportunity to talk and find a solution acceptable to both me and my employer. It’s the fear of what others may think that stops people talking. Having a mental health first aider available to listen could make all the difference. The course is comprehensive and guides you as to how to approach someone you feel may be experiencing poor mental health, how to actively listen and talk non-judgmentally and to support that person. If you put yourself forward for mental health first aid training, are you unsure as to what will be expected of you once you have attended the course? No-one is expecting you to suddenly transform into a counsellor, someone who has all the answers, providing solutions to every problem and handing out advice. It’s not about that. It’s learning how to give support and time in a confidential, friendly way which allows for open discussion without fear of reprisals. It is also about your own self-care. I would thoroughly recommend the course and can think of no better way to create a supportive inclusive environment for your business which will reap rewards both financially by retaining staff and morally by showing them that they really are valued and part of the team.

Larking Gowen bids a fond farewell to Tax specialist, as they welcome two newly appointed Partners

Leading regional accountancy firm Larking Gowen bid farewell to tax advisory specialist Partner, Richard Proctor, who’s set to retire at the end of March. This comes alongside news of two new Partners, Martin Bugg who’ll lead the digital focus for the Business sector and Laurie Hill who’ll join the partner team advising the Farms and Landed Estates sector. Martin has been a key member of the firm’s Business team for nearly twenty years and is well known for his digital and cloud accounting expertise. Commenting on the appointment, Martin said: “I’m delighted to have been appointed as Partner at Larking Gowen. I joined the firm at the outset of my career, and it’s great to be able to realise my long-held ambition. I’m excited to be part of the leadership team driving the business forward, providing an efficient and proactive service to clients.” “It’s an exciting time in our profession, as we adjust to new ways of working,” said Martin. “My message to the teams and our clients is that technology buys you time. We should aim to work smarter not harder, using the technology and embracing change. We understand the products well, we can demonstrate the value to our clients, and use the live data to help them grow their business and achieve their goals.” Laurie Hill joined the firm in 2019. With continued involvement in the family farm, based at Bradenham, in Norfolk, Laurie has the advantage of seeing his role from the client’s point of view. “Because I’m a farmer outside the normal day job as an accountant and business advisor, I have a view from both sides of the fence,” he explained. “I approach my work in the way that I’d like to be dealt with as a client. Good communication, trust and honesty are the most important things. I was always planning to specialise in agriculture, as I wanted to use my background and experience of working in that sector. You get to know your clients well, and become a trusted advisor in a family business, it’s a very privileged position,” Laurie said. Managing Partner, Julie Grimmer, added, “The Partners at Larking Gowen congratulate both Laurie and Martin on their promotions and wish Richard a fond farewell, with our thanks for his contribution to the firm. Laurie’s commitment to our client service values and to the development of people and new relationships is important to the growth and success of the firm. Martin’s knowledge of digital solutions and the benefits for our clients is invaluable, and makes sure our proactive approach continues.” Richard Proctor, joined the firm over eight years ago to head up the delivery of tax advisory services, having qualified as a chartered accountant in 1985. Richard said he’d enjoyed his years at Larking Gowen, both for the positive working culture and the professionalism of the firm. “When I arrived, I found a very professional but friendly working environment. Although I was a relative outsider, I was immediately welcomed into the ‘family’. From day one I felt my personal values were closely aligned with those of the firm,” he said. Julie Grimmer commented “We all send Richard our very best wishes on his retirement. Richard is hugely respected throughout East Anglia. He’s helped build a strong tax practice which he leaves in the very capable hands of Tax advisory Partner Dominic Carter, alongside VAT Director Gillian McGill, our clients can be assured it will be business as usual”.

Larking Gowen Tourism Business Seminar

After a three year break, Larking Gowen’s Tourism Business Survey is back for 2023! Join Larking Gowen on Tuesday 25 April at Applewood Hall in Banham, for an afternoon of networking and expert commentary on the results from our guest speakers, including Andy Wood CEO of Adnams, and Claudia Roberts CEO of The Zoological Society of East Anglia plus more to be announced. When: Tuesday 25 April – 12pm – 5pm Where: Applewood Hall, Banham, NR16 2HE This event is FREE to attend and includes lunch. Book your place now and join your peers from across the region to hear reflections on the results of the survey from the team of experts at Larking Gowen, alongside case studies and stories from leaders in the sector, focused on providing inspiration and hope for the future of tourism. Sponsored by Adnams   Camplings Insight 6 Lloyds Bank Book your place here

“It’s another generous donation that will hopefully give children a lot of pleasure and keep them busy during their school holidays” – EACH receives a bumper supply of Easter goodies

Charity shop customers have the chance to get crafty thanks to a bumper donation of Easter goodies. Items including card-making packs, foam magnets and photo frames and sand art kits have been donated to Attleborough’s East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) store by Ipswich-based Sew Pro Crafts. The company bought stock from another firm that had gone into administration and offered it to the EACH shop on Queens Square. Manager Leanne McGeachin said: “It’s another generous donation from Sew Pro Crafts, following hot on the heels of the goodies they kindly gave us at Christmas. “Thanks to them, we’ve got lots of supplies that will hopefully give children a lot of pleasure and keep them busy during their school holidays. “They’re affordable and friendly on the purse and wallet, which is ideal in these challenging times. “We’re also going to be giving out free make-your-own bunny masks at the till so everyone – children and adults alike – can get in the Easter spirit.” The EACH shop is running an Easter tombola from 1st to 15th April. Customers will have the chance to buy a ticket and be in with a chance of winning Easter goodies kindly supplied by the Wymondham branch of Morrisons. Leanne (right) is pictured with volunteer Lesley Harris, in front of the donated Easter items. To find out more about volunteering in Attleborough, pop into the shop or call 01953 715588. Alternatively, for more information about helping in your local shop, email volunteerservices@each.org.uk or contact volunteer services on 01223 205183. EACH supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex. It has three hospices, including The Nook, near Norwich, and The Treehouse, in Ipswich.

Clear skies ahead – East of England Energy Group boss to step down after turning organisation around

Photo: EEEGR’s Martin Dronfield steps down as Executive Chairman , here pictured at SNS 2022 Energy Integrated in the East. Credit: CHPV After successfully steering the not-for-profit organisation back onto a solid financial course, injecting new life into its board and its leadership team, and recruiting a new and highly energetic team, Executive Chairman Martin Dronfield is stepping down from the East of England Energy Group (EEEGR). Following the huge challenges forced upon the organisation by the Beast from the East, which caused the last-minute cancellation of its flagship conference in 2018, and the ensuing pandemic causing a reduction in membership and sponsorship, Martin, who has 41 years’ experience in industry, has championed new success for EEEGR during his stint as Chair. Not least was his part in helping to deliver one of the most successful Southern North Sea (SNS) conferences to date in 2022, upgrading the experience with revitalised layouts and stands alongside a new look and feel. Martin has pumped talent into the organisation’s leadership team, with the internal promotion of Rob Bush to General Manager and the addition of specialists such as Sophie Skipp, Head of Energy Skills, and Karim Massaad, Business Relationship Manager, bolstering capabilities and creating exciting opportunities for members and stakeholders alike. One such hire is Karen Freeman, Energy Sector Councils (ESCs) Project Manager, who oversees the four ESCs created (or revitalised) under Martin’s leadership. These include East Wind (the region’s offshore wind cluster), the Marine, Science, and Technology Council, as well as Hydrogen East (the region’s Hydrogen cluster), and the SNS Gas Transition sector council. Additionally, there are potentially four other ESCs on the radar including Onshore Renewables, Nuclear, and Net Zero & Energy Integration. Now, Martin says, is the time to take a step back: “It’s been a challenging few years for the energy sector, and it’s a challenge that’s been keenly felt in the East of England region. Our members have felt the pressure and, in turn, so have we at EEEGR.” “But we have weathered the storm, and I’m confident EEEGR is now in a positive position, with a resilient team and a clear direction. Now is the time for me to take a step back and allow that team to champion our industry and supply chain on a national scale and beyond,” he concluded. In his role as EEEGR Chair, Martin has also been instrumental in ensuring women are fairly represented at board level, supporting UK government’s ambitious sector deal goals to increase the representation of women in industry by at least a third by 2030. For EEEGR, there has been significant increase of female board members since 2021. Martin’s guidance following some tumultuous times has certainly not gone unnoticed, says Aquaterra Renewables Director and EEEGR board member Anne Haase: “Martin’s been fundamental to guiding EEEGR through some of its most challenging times and his strategic vision, network and ability to create trust and enthusiasm has ensured that the organisation continues to have relevance to the wider business community and energy sector.” “His knowledge of the heritage oil and gas and new energy sectors has created an opportunity for EEEGR to drive value for the East of England with respect to supply chain, skills and profile on an international stage.” “He’s helped set a strong foundation and direction for EEEGR and we are now looking for someone to take that baton and keep its momentum going,” she finished”. In the coming months, EEEGR’s board will elect a new Executive Chairman to continue to drive their message and advocate for the region’s supply chain on a national scale.

Leadership & Life Chat – The power of diversity, inclusion and coaching in leadership, with Brenda Harrington

This week’s episode is a fascinating insight into a brilliant mind! Brenda Harrington is a business coach, founder of Adaptive Leadership Strategies, and author, who advocates for the benefits of learning and development outside of our core competencies and professions. These skills were vital for business leaders to help them ‘survive’ the COVID-19 lockdowns. This period also allowed Brenda the space to put onto paper her thoughts and lessons on diversity, empathy and inclusion in business, publishing her book Access Denied: Addressing Workplace Disparities and Discrimination. Mark and Becky are both huge fans of coaching, a topic discussed on the pod many times, and they pick Brenda’s brain about why there are so many business leaders who still don’t have coaches. Brenda breaks down the difference between coaches and mentors, and how coaching provides a safe environment for leaders to not just vent, but also find inspiration and guidance, all whilst being respectfully held to account. GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today’s episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! You can now watch us on YouTube! Click here Show notes Brenda’s book – Access Denied: Addressing Workplace Disparities and Discrimination Connect with Brenda – LinkedIn, Instagram @theauthorbharringtonEmail Adaptive Leadership Strategies International Coaching Federation   Podcasts On the Balcony Philosophize This Tackling diversity in the workplace; Interview with Sue Liburd MBE, and Andy Nicol   Books Leading Inclusion – Dr Gena Cox Hope Leans Forward: Braving Your Way toward Simplicity, Awakening, and Peace – Valerie Brown The Magic of Creative Thinking: Tools and Tricks to Break Thinking Patterns and Make the Impossible Possible – Yarin Kimor 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management – Kevin Kruse   Listen here! Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP  

CyberScale Launches Affordable One Day Assessment Service to Boost Cyber Resilience for Small and Micro Businesses

The specialist cyber security consultancy will provide comprehensive risk assessments and recommendations to help safeguard against cybercrime. Monday 20 March 2023: Norwich-based Cyber Security Consultancy, CyberScale, has launched its One Day Cyber Assessment service to help strengthen resilience for small and micro businesses who have become prime targets for cybercriminals. According to the Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2022, 38% of small businesses in the UK fell victim to an attack in 2022, and around four in five (82%) of boards or senior management rated cyber security as a ‘very high’ or ‘fairly high’ priority. Despite this, only 19% of businesses have a formal incident response plan and only 6% have the Cyber Essentials certification to understand what risks they face. The One Day Cyber Assessment prioritises attack prevention by identifying gaps in security measures policies and offering expert advice on how to keep company and customer data secure. The tailored evaluations explore every aspect of a business across technology, people and processes. This includes network, email, laptops and mobile devices alongside staff and management awareness of the risks associated with business practices such as remote working. Specialist consultants identify areas of potential risk and recommend remediation to reduce vulnerabilities, signposting free or low-cost resources that help improve cybersecurity measure. At the end of the assessment, they provide clear actionable reports to help business owners make improvements to their security controls and understand specific legal or regulatory requirements and any security frameworks relevant to their clients. Darren Chapman, Founder and Principal Consultant at CyberScale said: “We identified a need to support those businesses who have no dedicated security resources and want to learn more about the risks they face. Our One Day Cyber Assessment will empower small business owners to make informed decisions about best security practices and help them gain a competitive advantage. Raising awareness among smaller businesses about the potential threats they face not only benefits them directly, but also the UK’s overall cybersecurity posture.” The One Day Assessment is available at a discounted rate for small and micro businesses. For more information visit https://www.cyberscale.co.uk/cyber-security-assessments/. Our one-day assessments, therefore, will retain the workshop element, and we will deliver these in largely the same way with the same experienced consultants that we use for existing assessments, but with the analysis and explanation all being completed on the day.  We will optimise the reporting element by providing a short summary which gets straight to the point, is consumable for small business owners, and critically reduces the time required from a consultant and therefore the cost of the engagement. We’ll be making our one-day cyber assessment available to book online via our website, and via selected MSP’s who see the value of these independent assessments to their clients – bearing in mind that our assessments cover people, process AND technology – all critical components of effective security.  In most cases, the biggest improvements smaller companies can make to their security and resilience aren’t about spending more money on expensive software or the latest shiny security box.  Improving processes, raising awareness, and doing fundamental things right are more important – but business owners don’t necessarily know what those things are or how to prioritise them.  This is what the One Day Cyber Assessment will tell you. One Day Cyber Assessments Security assessments and small business  Since CyberScale’s inception almost six years ago, one of our most popular and arguably most important services has been our cyber security assessments.  We undertake these for all sorts of companies, of various sizes across multiple sectors.  The assessments provide them with a clear view of cyber risks within their organisations, how they pose a business risk, and provide them with an equally clear action plan to address those risks and gain competitive advantage over others in their industry who may not be taking quite so much care of the security and privacy of their, and their clients’ data. At the core of these assessments is the understanding that business owners and leaders gain through engagement with our consultants.  Our security assessments have always been conducted by one of our qualified, experienced Cyber & Information Security team, who advise SME as well as larger clients day in, day out.  The assessments start with a workshop where the consultant leads a discussion with the appropriate people from the client organisation to obtain relevant information needed to understand the client business, identify risks and understand their potential impact on the business. Throughout the workshop process, the consultant will ask questions, explain the rationale behind them, and help the client start to understand their risks – even before any report is written.  We collect relevant information about the business operation, technology in use, policies and processes in place, employee and senior leadership awareness, interaction with suppliers and clients and many other things that contribute to the overall security posture of the organisation. Once we’ve collected all the relevant information in the workshop, we take this information away and analyse it in detail and write up a comprehensive report which outlines what we’ve learned, the key areas of risk, and a prioritised list of recommendations. We’ve always wanted to make these accessible to small and micro business owners who see the value in specialist advice, as these are in many cases the types of organisations that are most at risk from today’s cyber threats.   However, consultants with the skills and experience needed to conduct these types of assessments and deliver an exceptional standard of advice are in high demand, which along with the time needed, contributes to what we need to charge for our assessments.  This can put them out of reach for smaller businesses with limited budgets. We’ve noticed more recently that there’s a growing awareness amongst small business owners of the need for specialist advice, but that our peers in the security industry typically have the same challenges as we do with cost. How about automating assessments? One way to reduce the cost to the client would be by leveraging automation, and this seems to be largely the trend in the industry.  This typically means filling in a form consisting of several questions about your IT infrastructure and devices and current security practices, and receiving an automated report based on this information. We’ve looked at this option carefully and compared it with how we deliver our assessments now, and what the key benefits have been to our clients, in considering our best approach.  Here’s what we concluded. Firstly, we can see the logic in providing automated reports.  There are a lot more smaller businesses than there are larger businesses, which requires an ability to scale delivery.  That means potentially more businesses helped, and a reduction in cost to provide assessments, therefore making them more accessible to smaller businesses. There are however several challenges and limitations with these types of assessments and reports.  They’re usually broad, designed for as large an addressable market as possible, and don’t take account of the specific challenges in different sectors, different working practices, company structures or other organisation specific context. There’s no real way of telling whether the business owner or other representative filling in the form has really understood the questions correctly or has access to all the information required (often they would need to get this from an IT provider/MSP for instance).  In some cases, there may be a motivation to try and get the best result possible from the report (treating it as a compliance exercise rather than a genuine effort to increase security), which may influence the answers.  As you can imagine – the output of the report is very dependent on the input. There’s also a lot of variation in the level and quality of questions, the logic used to generate the reports, and the output.  In many cases, one might reasonably draw the conclusion that the questionnaire and output constitutes more of a lead generation tool, rather than something really useful for the client – particularly with the free versions that are widely available. Secondly, and focusing on our own assessments, we looked carefully at where the value is.  There are really two key aspects to the assessments that we deliver; firstly, the workshop and secondly the report.  Many medium and larger organisations benefit from a detailed assessment report, which is something that we’ve always provided as a key deliverable.  This is particularly the case where they need to share the findings of the assessment with other people internally or share with external parties such as insurance companies or clients to demonstrate their commitment to cyber and information security.  But for a small business, we’ve realised that this may not be quite as necessary. We believe that the most important aspect of our assessments is actually the workshop.  When we conduct a security workshop with a client, we ask questions, often questions that have never been asked or considered before by the business owner and their teams.  The experience of the consultant means that they can expand on questions, provide context and explanation, and make appropriate judgments where full information may not be available.  During the workshop, we often see what we might refer to as light bulb moments where the client comes to realise the link between cyber security vulnerabilities and risks to their business. When we compare the value of that workshop against a standard form and an automated report, we feel like our decision is pretty straightforward. Enter consultant-led, one day cyber assessments So, our key conclusions are:

  • the experience of the consultant is vital;
  • the workshop is more important than the report for small businesses; and
  • we still need to reduce the cost for small businesses.

 

New People Puzzles Regional Director for East of England

People Puzzles are strengthening our regional team with the addition of Sarah Ironside as its new Regional Director for the East of England. The company, which matches part-time HR experts with ambitious businesses to create high-performing teams and achieve their business goals, has supported more than 124 businesses in this region over the past ten years. Sarah is no stranger to working with growing businesses – a marketing specialist with years of experience at large organisations such as GSK and Camelot, she joined People Puzzles eight years ago to create and lead its marketing function. Since then, the business has grown from £2m turnover per annum to £8m, with its headcount quadrupling to more than 100. Her years of experience at People Puzzles has brought a deep understanding of the people challenges that growing businesses can face. ‘The journey that we’ve been on as a business is exactly the kind of journey, we can help our clients go on,’ she says. ‘We understand the growing pains that sometimes accompany success and can help clients create a bespoke people plan that aligns with and supports their ambitious business plans.’ Sarah is currently working with businesses across Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk. If you’re curious to know how a people strategy can help your business achieve its goals, contact People Puzzles on 0203 633 6830 to book a free consultation with Sarah. Image provided by People Puzzles

Looking for an Interim HR Director?

You’ve got a gap in the HR Director role, or you need some senior HR capability. History says you need an interim. We believe there is a better way to outsource your HR services. We believe there is a better way to outsource your HR Services   At People Puzzles we provide part-time, strategic, short and long-term People Directors who are hand-picked to hit the ground running. You may also have heard them referred to as fractional HR Directors. Chosen for their commercial acumen, people expertise and business focus, they take the time to understand the big picture, then quickly get started on solving problems and moving your organisation forward.  The beauty of People Puzzles is that you aren’t just getting a lone practitioner. You’re getting one expert, chosen for background, fit, skills, and personality, reinforced by our wider team resource and the collective experience of our extensive network of People experts. Before you write this off as simply marketing noise, consider: Is a career interim HR Director REALLY best for your business? Career interims specialise in moving around from one project to the next. On some occasions they are involved in a whole project, end to end. In other cases, they just do a slice of the work, but are often not there long enough to measure, or oversee – the long-term impact of their work. They are not really incentivised to deliver your long-term growth, profit, or cost savings. They typically earn a day rate for a project, regardless of the success or failure of that project. Additionally, you are reliant on a single person, rather than having a more comprehensive framework and proven methodology to help your businesses succeed. How does a strategic HR Consultancy work?  Our People Directors are selected from the top 1% of senior HR experts across the UK, and all have elected to work with a portfolio of clients, rather than full time with one employer, to most effectively share their considerable experience.  Working anything from a couple of days per month, up to three or four days per week with our clients. Each client gets exactly what they need, without paying for time they don’t want, or can’t afford. We love getting stuck in with the leadership team to help develop the future plan and then build an aligned People Strategy. Equally, we love getting our sleeves rolled up to deliver a change programme to get you through a business challenge.   Adrian Bates joined People Puzzles in 2022 after several years as an interim HR Director. One of the key differences from being an interim is working on more than just the short term. Adrian says, I am passionate about helping companies scale, in the medium to long term, not just the short term, as is often the case on an interim assignment. I want to go on the journey with the client.” The People Puzzles Model The People Puzzles model enables Adrian to use his strategic planning skills and experience, which are not often required on an interim people assignment.   Adrian adds, “I joined People Puzzles because I want to work with businesses, as an integral member of the leadership team, helping the business achieve its long-term strategic objectives. I want to be part of the success and feel I have made a real impact to that business. When I first engage with a client, I know I can hit the ground running and make an immediate difference, quickly assessing a company’s problems and issues and putting into place immediate solutions that have an impact.”  One of the other differences that Adrian highlights on an interim capacity is the complexity of organisational politics. “I prefer to keep things simple,” he says, “I just want to design and implement solutions to organisational and people issues. That gives me a real buzz.”  The People Puzzles model also enables our part-time HR Directors to utilise their best-in-class business and people experience, supplemented by our team of over 85 People Directors. As Adrian says, “What I don’t know, I can call upon the help and advice from my colleagues because collectively we have more than likely faced every conceivable business and people challenge.” It’s that powerful collective of experience and resource that sits behind every individual People Director, giving your business a huge competitive advantage. Find out how we can help If you have been considering an interim HR Director, it’s worth setting up a no-pressure, exploratory conversation with your local Regional Director to see whether a part-time or fractional HR Director could be a better option for your business.  You can also check out the team bios here. With people pressures at the root of many organisational challenges in today’s business world, you need to be confident you have the best possible toolkit at your disposal. Why not take 5 minutes to complete our free HR Healthcheck? In return, we’ll send you a detailed report which helps you to gauge your current people strategy and identify where you might benefit from some expert support. Or call 020 3633 6830 or email hello@peoplepuzzles.co.uk for a chat.           Image provided by People Puzzles

Industry placements introduced by the Department of Education

Industry placements have been introduced by the Department of Education to give students on technical courses the chance to put into practice the knowledge and technical skills they have learnt. These technical courses are known as T Levels. In essence the core elements of the T-Level placement are that the position students are given needs to be meaningful, to allow them to apply the theoretical knowledge they have gained in the classroom into a place of work and vice versa. The placement should allow the students planned and unplanned opportunities to grow their skills and take part in new situations through a range of activities and tasks in the areas that the organisation is able to accommodate them in. The minimum hours that the students need to achieve over the two years of the course is 315 – with no maximum limit. Support will be given to the employers from the College and your main point of contact would be myself, to liaise with in relation to gaining further details about the placement requirements, processes etc. https://employers.tlevels.gov.uk/hc/en-gb/categories/4403442821650-About-T-Levels-and-industry-placements https://employers.tlevels.gov.uk/hc/en-gb/articles/4403450083346 https://employers.tlevels.gov.uk/hc/en-gb/articles/4403450099090 https://employers.tlevels.gov.uk/hc/en-gb/categories/4403442822418-During-industry-placements

Inspiring the next generation with Anglian’s Green Scheme

Norfolk based waste recycling company launches new initiative to encourage recycling within schools across East Anglia. Anglian Waste Recycling are excited to have launched their latest initiative, the Anglian Green Scheme, which aims to educate school pupils on the importance of waste reduction and responsible recycling. The waste management company hopes that this engaging scheme will create a long-term change in the way young people approach recycling to protect our environment. With concerns over climate change and environmental damage on the rise, the recycling initiative seeks to inspire students across the region to reduce the amount of waste they produce and introduce positive recycling behaviors into their daily routines. Influencing the next generation to make sustainable choices that have less harmful impacts on the environment will play a key role in the solution to limit global warming in the future. Designed to make recycling fun, interactive and accessible, Anglian aspired to make all activities within the scheme rewarding, to encourage children to recycle using the separate waste streams. Participating schools receive a range of educational resources including workshops and assemblies led by Anglian, digital toolkits, and their most popular learning tool, the Anglian Recycling Station. “We believe that educating our future generations about the importance of recycling is crucial in creating a sustainable future,” said Matthew Raven, Field Sales Executive of Anglian Waste Recycling. “Through the Anglian Green Scheme, we hope to ignite a passion in young people to become environmental stewards by instilling a culture of recycling in them from an early age.” Bawburgh School are one of the first schools to sign up to the Green Scheme initiative to increase recycling rates within their facility. Zoe Courtney, Caretaker of Bawburgh School, said “It’s fantastic to see how Anglian Waste Recycling have helped to raise awareness for recycling among our pupils. Our students are having so much fun while they learn about this topic and it’s wonderful to see them taking an active interest in protecting our environment.” After running a recycling themed poster competition for the students at Bawburgh, Anglian hosted an assembly where the two winners were announced and awarded with goody bags – Asta (Kingfishers – Year 2) and Evie-Rose (Jackdaws – Year 4). The two poster designs have been printed onto the Anglian Recycling Station in the playground by CIM Signs & Graphics, who kindly donated their time and materials to this project.Anglian Waste Recycling would like to encourage all schools in East Anglia to participate in the Green Scheme to support their local communities in creating a cleaner, greener environment for all. Established in 2007, Anglian originated as a demolition and asbestos company, but has rapidly grown over the years to include multiple divisions, including waste management. Providing commercial waste and recycling collections, skip hire and scrap metal processing, they are also the new preferred waste supplier for Norwich Business Improvement District – offering levy payers access to exclusive rates to increase recycling across Norwich City. To stay up to date with Anglian Waste Recycling’s initiatives, visit their website, www.anglianrecycling.co.uk or find them on social media.