National Constrcution Magazine Issue 108

Pric e £ 4.5 0

GEORGE Osborne’s budget speech on March 20 resulted in a combination of responses from all sectors of the construction industry. The housing and property sector were particularly excited, with responses to the speech flooding into my inbox at a rapid pace.

The Government’s Help to Buy scheme was very warmly received by much of the industry, with Richard Threfall, Head of Infrastructure, Building and Construction at KPMG calling it the governments

“get out of jail free card” and Ian Fletcher, director of policy at the British Property Federation, saying: “This is a strong package of help for housing. Annual transactions are half what they were and that has a knock on consequences for all those parts of the economy that rely on people moving. Helping people needing a deposit has for some time been cited as the missing piece of a coherent housing policy and both is therefore welcome.”

Overall, it is clear that this scheme will be a welcome kick-start to the industry that has arguably suffered the most during the recession. As always though, we have companies featured this month that have bucked the trend, with a number, including Yorkshire Demolition, seeing success despite starting up just before or during the difficult economy.

However, it was not just attitudes toward the recession that stood out to me this month. A large number of companies we spoke to this month displayed a strong moral and ethical compass. Auditoria Services, for example, a family run business specialising in seating, works very hard to ensure they keep their manufacturing in the UK despite the fact that it may cost a little more. Based in Yorkshire, the company also source 70 per cent of their raw materials from the local area.

Elsewhere in the magazine, we spoke to a number of housing associations who were nominated for the UK Housing Award 2013. One that really stood out was RHP and Mears, who are working with Microsoft and UK Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) in a bid to heighten internet security, thereby protecting more children within the communities they work from online abuse. This is just a very small part of the wider aims of RHP, and we wish them, along with the other associations, the best of luck for the awards.

With positive news and stories all around, let’s hope the weather picks up in the coming months and we see a lot more of that ever-reclusive sunshine!

Office Manager Anthony Hamilton

Features Manager Michaela Henson Joanne Cowan

Features Manager - Scotland Kimberley Richardson Stacey Aitcheson

Editor Sabeeha Coates

Design and Artwork Mark Alsop

Admin Beverley Wood

Publisher Mohammed Faraz Steve Rushworth

S&S Publishing Ltd T/A National Construction Magazine UK

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Tel: 01924 910 483 Fax: 01924 910 484 Email: [email protected] Web: www.ncmagazine.co.uk

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CONTENTS

AUDITORIA PG 14

DOUBLE PARKING PG 11

AMD PG 8

DAS PG 18

FIRST CHOICE HOUSING PG 20

ENSYS PG 24

NATURAL HOMES PG 31

WH SURFACE PREPARATION PG 52

RHP & MEARS PG 26

SOIL ENGINEERING PG 34

DERVENTIO PG 60

TRADING DEPOT PG 28

FRANK-KEY PG 48

ST ANDREWS FIRST AID PG 64

GRAFTERS PG 66

AB 2000 PG 68

RECYCLE FIFE PG 71

CHANNEL COMMERCIALS PG 74

NATURAL HOMES PG 31

WH SURFACE PREPARATION PG 52

RHP & MEARS - PG 26

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CONTENTS

FIRST AID SCOTLAND PG 82

TUFF SHOP PG 92

AUDLEY RETIREMENT PG 95

ST BASILS PG 98

MK LESLIE PG 102

PER HIRE PG 104

YORKSHIRE DEMOLITION PG 106

QUALITY DRAINAGE PG 110

ABINGDON AND WHITNEY COLLEGE PG 112

VOLTCOM GROUP PG 114

ECOMERCHANT PG 118

LIFT LIMITED PG 116

DYNAMIC HOME IMPROVEMENTS PG 108

GUINNESS HERMITAGE PG 84

DRAIN FIX PG 78

SOUTH LONDON YMCA PG 89

TUFF SHOP PG 92

LIFT LIMITED PG 116

GUINNESS HERMITAGE PG 84

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NEWS

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ONLY SEVEN PER CENT OF CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES EQUIPPED WITH LIFE-SAVING DEFIBRILLATORS – AND EVEN LESS KNOW HOW TO USE THEM

LESS than one in ten construction firms use life-saving defibrillators, and many that are installed are effectively useless as staff would be unwilling to use them in an emergency, according to a new survey by DOC UK.

The research concluded that, of respondents who worked in construction firms equipped with defibrillators, two fifths (39 per cent) said they did not know how to use the equipment and overall a tenth (NINE per cent) reported that they did not even know what a defibrillator was.

Vincent Mathieu, managing director of DOC UK, is calling for more education around the use of defibrillators and heart health in the industry. He said: “There are 124,000 heart attacks annually in the UK, but construction, with its large workforces and physical labour, has a heightened risk of heart attacks on sites. In countries such as Switzerland it’s common to see defibrillators on construction sites. In the UK, however, very few construction firms have this life saving equipment.”

“Recent high-profile scares such as footballer Fabrice Muamba and rugby player Lee Mears unfortunately highlight the need for defibrillators. It’s also about more than just buying the equipment – unless you make your staff aware of what the machine is and why they should use it, it’s little better than a strange-looking wall ornament.”

The responses indicated that many people’s hesitations towards using emergency equipment are based on risks which do not exist. For instance, 58 per cent of respondents in the construction industry said they would be worried about accidentally electrocuting someone who was in fact well, or being held liable if something went wrong. This is alarming as defibrillators will only work on someone who is having a cardiac arrest, and there have been no recorded cases of people being sued for using a defibrillator.

30 per cent of respondents said they would not use a defibrillator under any circumstances.

When asked how they would respond if a colleague appeared to be having a heart attack, only 14 per cent said that they would use the defibrillator first. The most common response (64 per cent) was that they would call an ambulance, other responses included attempting to find the company’s first-aider, asking a colleague to take over, or asking others what to do, all before eventually using the equipment.

Dean Floyd, Managing Director for

Chigwell construction, a firm regularly uses portable defibrillators, said: “Defibrillators are essential pieces of kit for a construction firm. Partly because of the physical work involved, and partly because you can be working with dangerous materials, electricity and heights, construction has a high risk of accidents and health and safety incidents compared to other professions. There is a higher than average risk of heart attacks, which is why we feel that defibrillators are necessary.”

DOC UK manufactures a defibrillator which is constantly monitored and which connects a user to a call centre so an expert can guide the user through the defibrillation process.

WOLVERHAMPTON FIRM HELPS NATIONAL FOREST FLOURISHWOLVERHAMPTON based manufacturer Morris Site Machinery, formerly ArcGen Hilta, has once again taken part in a tree planting for the National Forest’s ‘Business Benefits’ scheme – ensuring the continued development of the local beauty spot.

Commercial Director Phil Winnington was on hand to plant 50 young saplings at the Forest at their annual Business Benefits planting event.

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The scheme offers local businesses the opportunity to work in partnership with the National Forest Company in the creation and future development of the Forest.

Morris Site Machinery, one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of onsite power equipment, has taken part in the event for the past three years, showing local support for the Forest and recognising the environmental benefits the scheme has to offer.

Phil Winnington said: “We have now planted an average of two trees for each of our employees, which we are very pleased with.

“Achieving our ISO14001 environmental certification in 2010 has cultivated a strong, companywide environmental ethic at Morris Site Machinery, from how we run our premises to the machinery we manufacture.”

BARCLAYS TO RECRUIT A FURTHER 1,000 APPRENTICES AND ANNOUNCE GROUNDBREAKING NEW PROGRAMME TO SUPPORT 10,000 YOUNG PEOPLE INTO WORKBUSINESSES across England will be able to receive free support to take on a local apprentice under a new nationwide Barclays Bridges Into Work programme that will support 10,000 young people into work.

The new programme launched at major events in Newcastle, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and London will be available for businesses large and small to access support across the country.

Local Barclays teams will play a key role in matching up suitable apprentices and businesses in their area. The programme will be delivered in partnership with the National Apprenticeship Service, charity partners Tomorrow’s People and The Princes Trust.

In addition Barclays will also double the number of apprentices that it is recruiting into its own workforce to 2,000 specifically helping young people in long term unemployment with little or no qualifications into permanent and fully paid jobs.

The new drive will build on Barclays successful programme which is recruiting 1,000 apprentices this year, and the National Apprenticeship Service’s existing support to help SMEs in particular to create Apprenticeships.

The Bridges Into Work programme has been designed to overcome perceived barriers to the creation of Apprenticeships especially in smaller businesses.

The package of free support available includes:

• Pre-apprenticeship training to help get candidates ready for their apprenticeships and work, through programmes run by Barclays charity partners Tomorrow’s People and The Princes Trust, as well as Route 2 training.

• Assistance to help businesses find suitable potential apprentices in their local area for them to interview before making a decision.

• Advice for SMEs on how Apprenticeships work, access to Government grants, and how they can help local businesses to develop talent.

• Ongoing mentoring and support for both the apprentice and the employer throughout the Apprenticeship.

Following two successful pilot events in Romford and Stoke last month, already

16 businesses have pledged to take on apprentices of their own.

To find out more about the programme and how to get involved as a business or jobseeker visit our website www.jobs.barclays.co.uk/apprenticeships or telephone 01928 703974.

For detailed information about Apprenticeships and the AGE 16 to 24 Grant of £1,500 to help cover the costs of taking on a new apprentice, visitwww.apprenticeships.org.uk or call 08000 150 600.

CIRCLE HOUSING GROUP APPOINTS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FINANCECIRCLE Housing Group has announced that it is appointing Robert Kerse as its new Executive Director of Finance. Robert Kerse, who is currently Executive Director of Resources at Genesis, will be joining Circle in July.

Trained as a Chartered Accountant at PricewaterhouseCooper, Robert has a strong track record as a Finance Director in the sector. He will be joining Circle from Genesis Housing Association where he leads Genesis’ Finance, IT and Procurement functions. Prior to Genesis Robert was Group Director of Resources at Arcadia Housing Group, following three years at Bristol Community Housing Foundation

Robert will be leading Circle’s well established finance team, which recently won the Outstanding Finance Communication award at the HANAAs for work that was led by Corporate Finance Director, Paul Rickard. Circle has a strong reputation as a financially robust organisation, and has issued several successful bonds in the past few years.

Circle’s CEO, Mark Rogers said: “Robert has an impressive track record in the sector, which combined with our already established leadership team in finance, will help strengthen our financial position and our mission to enhance life chances.”

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Robert said: “The scale and reach of the Circle business provides a tremendous opportunity to expand the provision of housing and associated services at a time when many Associations will be constrained by financial or management capacity to deliver in a changing environment. I am looking forward to being part of an organisation that makes a considerable difference to so many peoples’ lives.”

FOUR HOUSING GROUP APPOINTS HEAD OF CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATIONSNOT for profit housing provider, Four Housing Group, has appointed Davina Brain as Head of Customer Engagement and Communications.

As part of her role, Davina will ensure that the company’s services, which range from the provision of affordable housing to door-step support and advice in the community, are informed and shaped by customers who use them.

She will be responsible for identifying the needs and expectations of customers and creating effective methods for involvement and feedback between the housing provider and its tenants across the North East. This includes making continual improvements to the company’s customer contact centre and other communication channels to meet the changing needs of customers.

Davina said: “Four Housing Group already involves customers in lots of different ways and is currently developing tenant scrutiny panels which will enable tenants to review and challenge our performance and recommend improvements.

“I want to build on this progress by widening customer involvement and influence so that however they choose to get involved our customers can clearly see the difference they are making and can hold us to account for the services we provide.”

Davina has had a career long commitment to involving communities, partnership working and developing public services from the perspective of service users. She has worked for Newcastle Tenants Federation, developing the capacity of the federation and its network of tenant groups to become an influential voice for council tenants and leaseholders in Newcastle.

In addition, she worked for North Tyneside Council for the past five years, with responsibility for managing the involvement of the borough’s council tenants and leaseholders and developing tenant scrutiny.

Davina continued: “I am looking forward to using my experience in developing customer driven services within an organisation that provides a wide range of services to a diverse range of customers.

“Having responsibility for customer engagement and communications gives me an opportunity to influence all our key points of contact with our customers and make sure that we are listening and using their views to deliver services that meet their needs and priorities.”

E-LEARNING LEADING TO FORMAL HEALTH AND SAFETY RISK ASSESSMENT QUALIFICATIONS NOW AVAILABLE FROM THE BRITISH SAFETY COUNCILA NEW set of e-learning courses that provide delegates with the knowledge required to conduct or review health and safety risk assessments have been launched by the British Safety Council.

The e-learning courses can be used by employers in all sectors of business and industry to provide managers, supervisors and team leaders with a thorough understanding of how to carry out both general health and safety risk assessments and specific assessments for fire safety, manual handling, display screen equipment and the control of substances

hazardous to health (COSHH).

Upon completion of each course, delegates carry out an online risk assessment task linked to their workplace, and, subject to approval by an independent examiner, achieve a BSC Level 2 Award in Risk Assessment. This is a formal qualification accredited by Ofqual, the government-appointed qualifications regulator.

John Phillips, director of qualifications and standards at the British Safety Council, said: “Effective risk assessments are the cornerstone of good health and safety in the workplace, allowing employers to identify hazards and decide on the best ways of eliminating or controlling the risk of harm and accidents.

“These new e-learning courses are fully interactive, teaching the essential stages in the risk assessment process. They are also flexible, since risk assessors can study at a time and place that suits both them and their employer without the need to attend face-to-face, classroom training.”

The e-learning courses have been developed in line with Health and Safety Executive guidance on risk assessment and feature a risk assessment ‘simulation’ with voiceover. This provides advice on how to complete the online risk assessment task required to pass the qualification.

The Level 2 e-learning courses cost £98 + VAT (including qualification assessment fee) and discounts are available for volume purchases.

To purchase Level 2 Risk Assessment e-learning courses and assessments, go to: https://www.britsafe.org/level2AwardsElearning, or contact the British Safety Council on (Tel) +44 (0)20 8741 1231 or (email) [email protected]

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QUALIFIED OPERATORS MEANS QUALITY SERVICE FOR AMD CONTRACT SERVICES LTDFOUNDED in 1967 by Albert M Dykes, AMD Contract Services Ltd is a family run business operating throughout the UK from their base in Dumfries, Scotland. The business is now run by Bert’s two sons, Trevor and Fraser, who have carried the business forward in terms of growth and service.

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FAMILY EXPERIENCEAs Bert’s background was in farming, he naturally started the business by providing machinery to the local Agricultural sector. After 30 years trading as Albert M Dykes Contractor, his sons Fraser and Trevor Dykes took over the business in 1997 with a name change to AMD Contract Services Ltd.

As well as maintaining their foothold in the agricultural sector, it was decided that the business needed to expand and diversify. Initially, due to local demand, the move was made into the Forestry business and then a further step was made to expand into the Construction Industry.

Today AMD still maintain the same friendly, personal, standard of service to some of Bert’s original agricultural clients as well as providing a highly professional service to companies on a national level covering Plant hire & Construction services, Forestry Operations, Environmental Services and even Snow-Ploughing and Gritting for the Local Authorities.

“Dad provided us with not only a sound knowledge and grounding of the business and industry we operate within and have come to develop and expand to a nationwide level, but as a local family running a local business, it has given the added benefit of a solid reputation which is an extremely valuable asset to maintain and build on,” says Fraser, who manages the agricultural sector of the business including the land drainage operations,providing the same personal, local service that his Father started, while Trevor deals with the Plant hire sector, Forestry Operations as well as the general development and expansion of the business.

Both brothers are able and qualified to operate the machinery themselves and do so on many an occasion when the need arises, as well as having a sound knowledge and qualifications in the field of engineering.

MILESTONESOver the years, the company has achieved a large number of milestones, with a few of the more recent ones listed below.

• In 2009 AMD achieved the Platinum Award Status by the CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) as being a company committed to improving competence

in the construction industry and have registered more than 90 per cent of the workforce under the CSCS scheme.

• This year Fraser was elected as Vice President of the SPOA (Scottish Plant Owners Association). This, without a doubt, is not only a great personal achievement but lifts AMDs profile to a nationwide level. It is also a great asset to benefit from the experience of the many other members of the Association while having the opportunity to be involved in any future developments within the Plant Industry.

• AMD have managed to not only survive during this recession but to expand. They moved premises in 2012 to a larger more modern site in Dumfries which has enabled them to improve and expand their fitting shop. This not only allows them to maintain and repair their own machinery more efficiently,but also provides them with another source of revenue by having the space, equipment and skilled workforce to carry out repairs to Plant and equipment other than their own. Having this improved facility has enabled the company to employ yet another apprentice.

The new premises have also enabled AMD to keep everything under one roof from Reception to Accounts. It is their intention, in the near future to expand further by building a Training Room, which will allow them to carry out ongoing training for all of their Operators which all further enables them to be more efficient and up-to-date, which inevitably has a positive knock-on effect to their clients.

QUALITY SERVICECurrently AMD Contract Services Ltd employ a total of 48 people including office staff, drivers/operators and fitters.

With an annual turnover in excess of £3.5million, AMD aim to continue on the same coursethey are currently on; maintaining well looked after modern machinery, keeping their operators qualified and competent while continuing to strive to offer a competitive, personal service which will build on their commitment to developing customers for life.

“It is our mission to exceed our customers’ expectations in efficiency, quality and service while at the same time aiming to become one of Scotland’s leading Plant Hire Contractors,” says Fraser. “We feel very strongly that all of our Operators should be qualified in their field and do our utmost to ensure that this is the case. This doesn’t necessarily make us the cheapest firm around but it absolutely ensures that the service we provide is second- to-none and that our work-force are as safe and competent as possible.

“We apply the same principle to our machinery. We continually strive to keep our fleet of machines up-to-date, modern, efficient & clean – again, this is not always the easiest option but providing shoddy equipment or incompetent operators is just not an option. We also have an on-going policy when machines are replaced they are fitted with tracking systems, this enables us to improve efficiency with fuel consumption, servicing and machine location”.

The majority of the company’s work-force are qualified in First Aid, all are provided with Quarry Passports, regular Tool-box talks are provided and Environmental Awareness Courses are a must with

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regular refresher courses. This is all in keeping with AMD’s motto: “Safety Smart From The Start”

SATISFIED CUSTOMERSVery recently, AMD were involved in some work with E-On Climate and Renewables in the development of a wind farm at Loch Urr near Moniaive. The company assisted with the installation of two 80m masts, for which they received a letter outlining E-On’s gratitude and overall satisfaction with the work. E-On complimented AMD for their “excellent service” and “professional manner” and indicated a desire to work with them on future projects.

“At the risk of being repetitive, we feel that resisting the temptation to cut corners and continuing to provide the same high level of service has made us stand out. Keeping our operators motivated and qualified and providing first class machinery while not losing touch with reality, inasmuch that we are in a recession so we still have remain competitive, is without a doubt a

juggling act and downright hard work but we adamantly believe that sticking to these principles will keep us trading throughout these austere and very tough times. We have a lot of committed and long-standing clients and we aim to keep them – providing them with an inferior service will not be the way to do so!” concludes Trevor.


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KLAUS DOUBLE PARKING SYSTEMS PUT CUSTOMERS AT THE HEART OF BUSINESSPROVIDING uncomplicated parking solutions in constrained, densely populated urban areas is at the centre of what Double Parking Systems UK endeavour to do.

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As the UK Partner of the Klaus Company, Double Parking Systems has been around for the last 10 years. The original company, Klaus, was established in 1907 as a wheelwrights shop in Bad Tolz, Bavaria, and quickly gained a reputation as suppliers of high quality products such as auto body structures, air brake tippers, carousel designs, excavators and side loader cranes.

In 1964, Klaus developed the first vehicle parking systems which laid the foundation for their current position as one of the worldwide leaders in supplying specialised mechanical parking equipment. With almost 50 years of experience in the planning and production of parking systems, Klaus, through their global network of 65 sales partners on all continents, provide reliability and first-class customer service as an integral part of their successful business philosophy.

Double Parking Systems in the UK attract clients from all market sectors, including commercial, office, retail, industrial and automotive. Involvement often starts from project inception by architects, and customers include developers, contractors, clients, and their appointed project managers.

CONTINUED SUCCESSDouble Parking Systems have very recently seen the successful completion of the installation of the AP-R3 Automatic Parking System for 48 spaces at The Shard in London. The Shard is the tallest building in Western Europe and was developed by the Sellar Property Group in association with London Bridge Quarter Ltd. Designed by Renzo Piano Architects, the building stands 310m tall with features including a hotel, office space, retail space, restaurant space and

a public viewing gallery which opened on 1 February 2013.

Managing Director of Double Parking Systems, Derek Guiver, said that The Shard project was just one of many the company have successfully completed since its inception in the UK 10 years ago. Derek is responsible for all sales, marketing, installation and maintenance of parking equipment in the UK and Channel Islands.

“My activities are all ‘hands-on’ and involve meetings with clients, technical

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input, site surveys, and project planning,” says Derek. “Technical knowledge, research, and development and innovation is key to our continued success. Our investment in these areas will definitely continue”.

CUSTOMER-FOCUSEDThe Klaus Organisation, including its worldwide network of sales partners, never forget that customers have the freedom of choice when it comes to their preferred suppliers. They continue to focus on providing their customers with a quality of service they cannot find elsewhere, which helps to ensure they return time and again.

The company continue to develop a range of state of the art products which include upgrading and streamlining of floor and door finishes. All products are covered by a 12 month warranty and support by planned maintenance programmes through Double Parking Systems UK.

The highest levels of health and safety are adhered to and all products have achieved CE or DIN conformity to EN 14010.

MILESTONESAs a whole, the Klaus Company have been at the forefront of innovation since their beginnings, but particularly since the 1960s. As well as their development of the first mechanical parking system in 1964, they were market leaders in obtaining first foreign licences in the 1970s. In 1988, Klaus pioneered semi-automatic systems and in 1993 this progressed to fully automatic systems.

Additional achievements since the new millennium include an innovation prize in 2005 for developing an adjustable independent model (Multivario 2082).

Although the economic downturn has affected the company, especially within the construction industry, the need to maximise availability of car parking in urban areas, with what is a unique product, has offset this to some extent.

“We have had to work extremely hard to in orders in a very competitive marketplace,” says Derek. “Space constraints, particularly in densely populated urban areas, present challenging logistical problems. It is our ambition to provide uncomplicated parking solutions to all customers with a straightforward, common-sense approach”.

Double Parking Systems, 132 Heathfield Road, Keston, Kent, BR2 6BA

Tel: 01689 856636

www.doubleparking.co.uk [email protected]



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KEEPING MANUFACTURING IN THE UK AND TRAINING STAFF KEEPS AUDITORIA AHEADSEATING specialists Auditoria Services Ltd are a family run business based in Yorkshire. All of their products are manufactured in their South Yorkshire factory, with 70 per cent of the raw materials being sourced from suppliers within the region.

Auditoria Services Ltd

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FAMILY IDEALSCurrently entering into the second generation of ownership, founder John Penistone is still the Managing Director and very much involved in the day-to-day running of the business. However, Patrick Donoghue has been employed in the role of Sales Director and has responsibility for the sales, commercial and marketing aspects of the business. Despite the busy nature of his role, Patrick still maintains direct contact with customers andcarries out site surveys, client meetings and customer liaison.

Patrick is getting more involved with the marketing of the business and overseeing the company’s projects abroad. Furthermore, he is Chairman of BASES – the British Association of Seating Equipment Suppliers, a position he has held for just over three years.

“Having the trust of family and close friends in the working environment has been one of the cornerstones of our success,” says Patrick. “The candid honesty afforded from working with family and close friends helps us to be productive – the trust to know everyone is working for the same goal is absolutely invaluable”.

As one of the UK’s few remaining companies within the industry who manufacture all their products in the UK, Auditoria are dedicated and passionate about maintaining this status as it gives the company complete control over the manufacturing process. It also means they can create bespoke designs, offering customers what they want rather than what the company makes.

AUDITORIA TODAYWith just over 50 employees, Auditoria recently opened their own in-house powder coating plant which has given them improved quality control and enabled them to offer a much better product to their customers.

The company have also expanded their international work, generating a global interest in their products. They have very recently sold goods into Africa, and plan to further extend their reach depending on demand.

Above all, the company pride themselves on their people, and this according to Patrick has been key to their survival in a tough economy.

“We have worked together to achieve the needs of the customers, allowing

us to maintain a good level of business through the recession. Even John (our MD), who is in his 60s gets out on site and is probably still one of our best fitters!”

“The flexibility of the staff in both time and thought process has kept us strong in these difficult times. We are benefitting from continued investment in both our people and machinery. We operate with a lean and flexible workforce seeking to achieve the same goals. During the recession, our turnover has actually increased slightly so I suppose the things we are putting in place must be working”.

One of the Auditoria’s key ambitions is to maintain the fundamental philosophy of the business and continue to manufacture all products in-house using local suppliers. The company pride themselves on being honest with their customers.

Having been in business for over 35 years, Auditoria have always endeavoured to employ local people, and many of their employees have been with the company for more than 20 years.

“As a company we recently reached our 36th birthday. Many of our customers and agents have been with us from the start. We’re very proud of our history, the experience we have and the knowledge we’ve built up over the years. This counts for a lot when we’re advising our

customers. They have the confidence they are dealing with professional specialists who know the business and can provide the very best solutions for them based on a wealth of past experience”.

LOOKING FORWARDLooking to the future, Auditoria continue to make investment in plant and machinery, meaning that they have control over what they produce. Along with capital investment in machinery, the company are also undertaking improvement works to the office and factory in order to give their workforce a pleasant working environment,ensuring their on-going well-being and security.

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The business is also looking at cost efficiency and trying to balance savings while maintaining high quality products in order to keep them competitive in the marketplace while offering their customers the very best value.

“We do not take for granted our current market position in the UK so we are putting every effort and recourse in the domestic market with some exciting developments on the horizon,” says Patrick.

“We are looking to venture deeper into the international field and improve our export business, improving the quality of local literature and dealer knowledge” this is a daunting and exciting challenge.

STAFF TRAININGAuditoria take staff training very seriously as they believe it is essential for the health of the business. The company have regular in-house training sessions and staff are encouraged to attend whenever possible.

“If there are training courses our employees believe will be beneficial to them and will assist with their role, they will be supported,” explainsPatrick “Our site staff undertake the greatest level of education not only to operate safely but also to understand the best methods of working”.

As a small company, Auditoria offer their staff membersflexibility to run their own workload to fit in with their lifestyles, suit childcare or other personal

commitments. Hours of work are flexible to suit the individual;each member of staff knows their role and is given the autonomy to manage this for the benefit of both parties.

“We find this approach brings the best for all involved; the staff feel trusted (which they are) and the company get the on-going commitment required. We have an extremely low turnover of staff which we believe is a reflection of how we work together with our people” asserts Patrick.

FINAL NOTE“I think we have to say thanks to our suppliers – we have been loyal to them over the years and as a reward they have given us a good service, competitive prices, and been there for us when we needed them”.

“Being in the business as a bespoke manufacturer has its great pleasures but also immense challenges. We’ve relied on our suppliers, workforce, and customers to work with us and help bring us the success we’ve enjoyed over the years. Entering into the next phase of our development is a daunting and exciting prospect. If we make as much progress in the next 36 years as we did in the first, we’ll be delighted. We’re putting every effort into growth and development. We strive to be better every working day.”

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DAS TECHNOLOGY – MAKING THE COMPLEX SIMPLE!DAS Technology Ltd has a low tech business philosophy – which is to make their products and service solutions as simple to understand as is possible. In the relatively complex and fast paced world of technology, DAS provides a leading edge solution, simply delivered, without ever over complicating the customers experience.

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The company pride themselves on supporting both the private and public sectors together with the non-industrial and housing markets.

The number of technology segments they operate in is growing daily but as things stand they provide stand alone or managed service operations for Digital Signage, Solar energy, CCTV, Door Entry, Fire Alarms, LED Lighting and of course Digital TV and Satellite Systems which is where they made their name during the digital switchover of the past decade.

DAS currently employs more than 100 people, some based at their purpose built head office in Nottinghamshire with a strategic contingent based across the country. Utilising innovative employee placement and outsource partnering techniques provides DAS with the field operations reach that is truly nationwide. The company boasts a turnover of £12m with an ambitious target of £50m within the next three years.

We had the opportunity to speak to Andy Bell, Managing Director at the company. Here’s what he had to share.

“As the founder of DAS I guess it was my original vision to capitalise on the then emerging digital TV market and set up a business that optimised those

opportunities across the UK. I also wanted to create a business that would help its customers see the woods for the trees in terms of the jargon and technology out there. Now a number of years on, as Managing Director of the company I essentially feel that I have realised my original business ambition. However as you would imagine though our journey hasn’t finished just yet, I’m still very passionate about what we do and as a result we have just made some high level appointments within DAS that will secure our continued success and growth”.

“The DAS business strategy roadmaps our journey for the next few years and will see us continue to develop and grow intelligently securing our place as a leading technology solutions business.

The plan provides business continuity, whilst still allowing us to be dynamic and responsive to the constantly evolving technology world. We relish working with and listening to our customers so that we can apply our learning into the next solution. Embracing technology, creating a solution, investing in people and keeping simple will always lie at the heart of how and why we do business”.

“We want to be the UK’s leading managed service technology supplier, turning over £50m+ P.A in three years. Our ambition you may say is a high one, but we feel that it is completely realistic. We shall reach our goal by keeping each and every customer experience first class and realise that by doing this, success is a natural by product”.

Find out more about our latest technology by following us on Twitter, @DAS_Technology

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INNOVATIVE FIRST CHOICE IS THE LANDLORD OF CHOICE FOR ADULTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIESCELEBRATING 25 years since their conception in 1988, First Choice is the only housing association in Wales solely providing homes for adults with a learning disability.

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Despite Social Housing Grant from the Welsh Government diminishing, First Choice continues to offer a development programme, ensuring housing needs for people with learning disabilities are met. As a forward thinking organisation, First Choice borrows private finance to develop more properties and has delivered its biggest development programme to date. 35 new bedspaces were delivered in 2011-2012 with a further 47 bedspaces expected in 2012-2013.

With a small, closely knit team comprising of eighteen staff which includes the Chief Executive, Senior management team and twelve operational staff covering development, maintenance, housing management, performance management, and HR, all functions are fulfilled in-house, thereby achieving efficiency, cost savings and services appropriate for the business and tenants.

SERVICES First Choice has housing management, maintenance and development services with all work including HR, finance and IT undertaken in house, including bespoke databases tailored exactly to the Association’s unique needs. First Choice does not stop at providing and maintaining a quality home, it maintains a regular contact with all tenants by a variety of means and mediums, including over 20 taking part events spread across Wales, with literature in a variety of accessible formats.

All FCHA new build homes are built to Level 3 Code for Sustainable Homes. The association has been awarded Green Dragon Level 2 award in recognition of its commitment to effective environmental management and offers an environmental management system relevant to the specific and individual needs providing financial savings, compliance with legislation, environmental performance and increased competitiveness.

First Choice has a further 16 properties and 60 bed spaces planned for delivery in 2013/14 with all new-builds fitted with sprinkler systems as well as other safety devices and extensive equipment to aide independence. They aspire to deliver flats this year, thereby offering even greater independence and choice to those able to enjoy it.

“Our key aim is to continue to provide

quality accommodation in the face of on-going cuts in social housing grant, by use of private finance. To mitigate we also plan to diversify within our field, by extending our client groups and finding alternative procurement methods,” says Donna Lloyd-Williams, Director of Corporate Services at First Choice.

THE LANDLORD OF CHOICEWorking in partnership with 18 local authorities and one health trust the association provides quality, bespoke accommodation solutions suitable for the individual needs of adults with learning disabilities, thereby enabling greater independence. Their surveys show consistently high standards of tenant’s satisfaction with 95 per cent of tenants stating that First Choice is a good landlord. The association hosts a large number of “Taking part“events for tenants throughout the year all tailored to individual needs with 100 per cent of tenants stating they felt their views were listened to.

First Choice was set up in 1988 as part of the resettlement programme for long stay institutions for adults with learning disabilities. First Choice now provides homes to 480 individuals enabling them to live a full and valued independent life within the community. The association is committed to improving the lives of people with a learning disability and offering an alternative to the traditional options of long stay institutions or care homes.

Committed to staff development to provide bespoke services to tenants, First Choice has a comprehensive learning and development plan in place to equip staff with the skills to provide good quality accommodation, accessible communications and services to meet the needs of tenants.

First Choice offers more than just bricks and mortar. It is a forward thinking organisation that offers increased independence to its tenants, developing social skills through its Taking Part events and treating tenants individually and with respect, tailoring services to meet their needs.

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PARTNERSHIPDespite being a small association First Choice is passionate about quality of service, offering bespoke housing management, development and maintenance services to its tenants. Recently, First Choice has embarked on a partnership arrangement with the Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board to deliver its “Closer to Home” Strategy. This strategy has been implemented to provide more homes for people with a learning disability and behaviours that challenge, enabling them to return to their local communities and enjoy a better living environment.

The ABMU partnered with Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot and Bridgend local authorities to develp the Closer to Home Partnership. First Choice were approached to provide the landlord function of the partnership and source and develop suitable accomodation to meet tenants individual needs and behaviours. The first property from this initiative has been completed in partnership with Swansea CBC and is now home for three individuals previously housed in accommodation deemed unsuitable for their needs.

To address the lack of funding available to provide these much needed properties, First Choice, which is a not for profit organisation, has invested in private finance to ensure succesful completion of the scheme.

INNOVATION, GROWTH, AND SUCCESSFirst Choice has always been recognised as an innovator in tenant participation for people with learning disabilities, evidenced by the many awards we have won.

“Celebrating our 25th anniversary this year, we are proud to have empowered so many individuals with learning disabilities, sensory and complex needs to live independently within the community and privileged to be able to see the positive impact that appropriate, quality housing has on their lives and that of their families,” says Donna.

FCHA has expanded rapidly over the past five years with over 30 per cent growth in its housing stock. The association has been recognised with a number of awards highlighting its success over the past two years including WCVA award for Good Governance, Small Workplace Health Award – Gold, Investors in People Gold, CIH UK Housing Awards - highly commended for Small Housing Association of the Year 2012, TPAS Cymru - Active Inclusion, Positive about Disabled and Promoting Independence awards for Investing in staff.

“Our key ambition is to raise awareness of the dire need for appropriate accommodation for people with learning disabilities and thus to

ensure that sufficient funding is made available to deliver it,” explains Donna. “Also to continue to deliver innovatively procured, value for money accommodation for people with a disability, identifying and meeting the need for accommodation; and to maintain our individualised service to tenants during our growth”.

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HAVING EVERYTHING IN-HOUSE GIVES ENSYS COMPLETE CONTROLHAVING their own engineers is something the team at Ensys Ltd are very proud of. Established in 1989, the air conditioning and installation service company are still trading well 23 years later, with a range of additional services added to their catalogue.

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With offices in Berkshire, Surrey and Cheshire, Ensys carry out design, installation and maintenance of air conditioning, cooling, heating and ventilation services in offices, hotels and apartments, shops, factories, computer rooms, server rooms and telecoms sites, among others.

ECONOMY-BEATING STRATEGIESDespite the current recession, Ensys have managed to continue growing with their latest office in Warrington, Cheshire opened only very recently. They attribute this success to their careful strategising at the beginning of the recession in 2009.

“We analysed our existing customer base and what business they brought in. We also looked into American companies and public sector work. The London Olympics, and particularly hotels has brought us a lot of business over the last few years,” explains Douglas Cheke, the company’s MD.

As Managing Director, Douglas maintains a very hands-on approach, overseeing finances, sales, marketing and the running of projects.

Douglas is very pleased with the company’s progress during the recession, with one of the greatest achievements to him perhaps being the fact that he

has kept all staff and engineers during this time, a task many companies have not managed. In addition to this, Ensys have ensured that as well as achieving a good level of business currently, they have systems in place so they are set and ready to go when the economy gets better and the market opens up further.

QUALITY SERVICES AND PRODUCTSWith the help of their comprehensive in-house team, Ensys are a self-sufficient company who take technical jobs on as a challenge. Having everything in-house means that they have full control of their operations and are therefore able to guarantee their customers the highest quality service.

Ensys see the task of keeping their customers happy as a very important one, and as a result they have been with some of their customers since their early days. Keeping the same members of staff has meant that customers are familiar with the people they are dealing with and record keeping is very consistent. The company boasts a very comprehensive archive, which is ever expanding.

Since their inception, Ensys have earned a reputation for quality of service in every aspect of the business. They promise

customers the very highest of standards and take great pride in the quality of their professional after-sales service program.

Ensys offer a total solution for all air conditioning and heating requirements from the initial free site survey through to the project completion, handover and beyond.

Warranty periods of up to five years including parts and labour are also offered on most systems supplied, installed and serviced by Ensys. This can also be extended to seven years on certain products, giving their customers total peace of mind. It is therefore no wonder that more than 90 per cent of customers return to Ensys for any further works they require.

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RHP AND MEARS WORK TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM ONLINE ABUSEBEING an excellent service provider is pivotal to the work done by Mears and RHP.

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WHO ARE THEY? RHP

The RHP Group is a dynamic, innovative and customer focused organisation made up of two Registered Providers (RPs). They now own and manage over 10,000 properties in South West London. They are focused on providing excellent customer service and constantly monitor their performance against their customer commitment.

The RHP Group is made up of two registered social landlords – parent association RHP, and Co-op Homes, which is a subsidiary. RHP is a local housing company, regulated by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), a member of the National Housing Federation and a charitable industrial and provident society. Established in July 2000 following a stock transfer from Richmond Council,

23 per cent of their customers are leaseholders. RHP has 18 retirement schemes and one Extra Care scheme.

Their purpose is to provide good quality, affordable homes for people in need, to deliver excellent customer service, and to support the development of successful communities. They are a not-for-profit organisation that has had consistent upper quartile performance since their inception. They also achieved a top five rating in the Sunday Times Top 100 Best Not-for-Profit Companies Survey 2012 as well as Investors in People Gold in 2011.

Mears

Mears is the leading social housing repairs and maintenance provider in the UK and a major presence in the domiciliary care market – bringing the highest standards of care to people and their homes.

Partnering with clients, 15,000 Mears Group employees maintain, repair and upgrade people’s homes, care for individuals and work in communities across the country – from inner city estates to remote rural villages.

PROTECTING CHILDRENPresentations put together by Microsoft and the UK Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre were given at RHP’s Teddington office in June 2012. The aim was to highlight the main safety issues and common problems with online bullying and harassment – otherwise

known as ‘cyber-ASB’.

Initially, 120 customer-facing employees at RHP, Mears and Co-op Homes joined representatives from the local Council, Community Safety Partnership and Victim Support Services in learning how to best to communicate important safety messages to customers.

Subsequently, Police Community Safety Officers have continued to deliver this training module in schools across Richmond and Mears operatives have been able to signpost RHP customers to advice and support.

Three RHP employees have now received additional Ambassador training from CEOP, along with a member of Mears’ regional staff. They can now deliver training to community groups, including on estates outside of Richmond. RHP and Mears hope to prompt similar schemes across the UK, helping to significantly reduce online abuse.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIESMears operatives in Richmond and Hounslow have distributed more than 2,000 information leaflets since the campaign started in June 2012, signposting customers to additional safety software and giving advice on simple steps to take to protect their family and friends.

RHP also runs a social inclusion programme for 7-21 year olds across Richmond and Hounslow called Urban Academy and Project Manager Bertie Morse received Ambassador training from CEOP. Bertie and his team work

with vulnerable young people and since this project began they have received great feedback from young customers who now realise the far-reaching consequences that cyber-bullying can have.

As a result of the project, Mears and RHP employees are equipped to highlight issues surrounding online safety in a sensitive manner – particularly face-to-face with customers. They also provide online resources at www.rhp.org.uk.

RHP and Mears are both committed to providing excellent customer service. The partnership between RHP, Microsoft and Mears is the first of its kind in the housing sector and social housing customers are an audience that Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre campaigns have historically failed to reach. There are over 5000 children aged 11-16 years living in RHP homes, and RHP prides itself on being more than a just landlord – striving to go the extra mile for its customers.

Ian Whiteway, ASB Manager at RHP, says: “We are committed to supporting our customers in all areas of safety, and with the increasing popularity of digital media we want to make sure that parents and guardians are aware of the potential dangers and know how to deal with them.”

Stephen Wakefield, Partnership Manager at Mears, says: “Mears has a strong record of supporting communities and delivers in excess of 20,000 repairs for RHP each year - meaning we can raise awareness about the dangers of cyber-ASB on potentially every visit.”

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COMPETITIVE PRICES ENSURES TRADING DEPOT EXPANDS IN SPITE OF ECONOMIC BLUES‘TOP Brands at Trade Prices’ is what Trading Depot offer their vast array of customers. Established in July 2007 with the goal of creating the leading DIY and Trade website, www.tradingdepot.co.uk was launched in March 2008 as a one-stop solution for the Trade, DIY Markets and retail.

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WEBSITE DEVELOPMENTOriginally launched with just 7,500 products, the website now boasts over 19,000 products available to buy online, with hundreds of new ones being added each and every month. The wide range of stock enables the company to cater for most projects, and includes Plumbing Supplies, Electrical Supplies, Heating Products, Lighting, Showers, Shower Trays, Bathroom Suites, landscaping, garden furniture, or safety wear.

“We sell some of the best brands in the business at low internet prices such as market leaders like Aqualisa Showers, Bristan Taps, Aurora Lighting, Stuart Turner Shower Pumps and Dimplex Heaters” says Phil Stears, head of web Marketing at the company.

Phil is responsible for the company’s online presence, both on their own sites and externally, and produces the content for Trading Depot’s blog (blog.tradingdepot.co.uk) as well as updates to their twitter, facebook and youtube accounts. Additionally, he monitors external reviews of the company, and press releases from companies that Trading Depot deal with.

“I am personally responsible for building and maintaining Trading Depot’s sub-sites which all cater to different product niches. We currently have five sites live, including Dimplex Depot, Hamilton Depot and Underfloorheating Depot and there are two more planned to go live in the next couple of months,” explains Phil.

“I handle the ongoing development of our current website platform and am involved the addition of new features, and the reporting of any bugs. I also supervise and advise our three web developers who are employed full time to add product content to our site,” he continues.

In February 2010 Trading Depot moved into a new purpose built warehouse to allow them to keep a larger inventory of stock and increase the speed of delivery still further. They currently aim to supply a fantastic range of stocked items, dispatched throughout the United Kingdom within 48 hours, at competitive prices.

BEATING THE RECESSION BLUESIn the early days, the company had just one full time employee and shared cramped office space with another company. Now, nearly five years later

there are 15 staff and the company operates out of a purpose built 30,000 square foot office and warehouse in Furze Platt, Maidenhead.

They also run several websites – www.tradingdepot.co.uk being the main one with several others set up to take advantage of particular niches such as www.underfloorheatingdepot.co.uk

Moving to the purpose built unit in 2010 was a major milestone for Trading Depot as it allowed them to start putting in place processes and procedures that could be scaled up as they grew.

The end of March marked the fifth anniversary of the company and in those five years they have come a long way. 2012 alone saw them not only meeting predicted sales targets, but beating them significantly and celebrating three consecutive record months.

“We are focussed on selling products that people want at realistic prices. We know it has been a tough time for the majority of the country but we know we can save people money with a lot of the products we sell. The difference between buying a bathroom suite from us, or a competitor could be hundreds of pounds,” explains Phil.

“With a large number of people choosing to improve rather than move house we have seen particular success with products that are suited to helping people make the best use of their homes.”

“Having a broad range of products also helps. The website caters for not only those on a limited budget, but also those shopping at the higher end looking to get the top brands at the lowest possible prices”.

CONTINUED EXPANSIONThe plan for the company’s expansion has always been the same - Slow and steady growth without compromising customer service. They are constantly talking to new suppliers and expanding their product range all the time and have

three full time staff dedicated to adding new content to their website(s).

“We have a current planning application submitted that if successful will allow us to almost double the size of our

warehouse and this alone will mean we are able to drastically increase our stock levels. We are also actively recruiting new staff to help with the office workload,” says Phil. If the application is successful the company are also looking to add a dedicated counter to serve local customers.

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LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

“The main ambition of Trading Depot has to be to elevate awareness of the brand name. We would ideally like to get to a stage where our brand is a household name,” asserts Phil.

“These days there are thousands of companies selling on the internet and it can be difficult to make a major impact, but we believe we are headed in the right direction and that as the number of returning customers grows over time our brand name will become much more well known.”

“We strongly believe that even though customers may initially find us through the brands that we sell, it will eventually be the Trading Depot name that becomes the one people remember”.

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THE NATURAL HOME : BUILDING CLIENT CENTRED HOMES WITHOUT LOSING THE NATURAL TOUCHHighly Commended in the Green Shoots New Business Category at Cornwall Sustainability Awards in December 2012, The Natural Home Eco Building Consultancy isa start-up SME in its second year of trading.

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Set up by Adam Rowse and Sara Samuelsson, the company have been invited to speak at Eco Build 2013 as part of the Natural Materials panel. With Adam’s background in conventional construction and Sara’s in the Arts, the pair met on a Masters of Science course in Sustainable Architecture at the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales. Post graduating and returning to their small holding in West Cornwall they embarked on setting up their own green building consultancy, design and project management practice.

SERVICES The Natural Home offers a range of services from advice regarding suitable insulation materials and energy efficiency measures for traditional, historic buildings to the full new build design and planning permission package as well as project management, liaising with contractors and budget control.

Whether making sure your cottage is in sound health or embarking on an eco new-build the company is able to offer expert, bespoke advice helping you live your dream lifestyle in comfort.

Both Adam and Sara are building designers specialising in natural materials, however Sara fronts the Interior Design and Space Layout side.

“My approach to building design is different in the way that it takes an insider view of interiors, meaning spending a considerable amount of time working in-depth with the client to establish their needs and living patterns. My approach is not so much about fashion and trends but instead a human-centred one, concernedwith giving a home a personal connection to its inhabitants allowing them to grow and be supported within their everyday surroundings,” explains Sara.

“In combination with this human-centred approach I also bring my knowledge and expertise on sustainable and natural materials into the design process. Incorporating natural materials connects the inhabitants to the wider environment, but also allows them to benefit from their health and well-being enhancing properties”.

“I see my role vary as a facilitator and coach, reflecting and guiding the client towards a deeper understanding of their needs, helping them in turn to make informed decisions”.

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NATURAL HOMES FOR THE FUTURE A Natural Home is a space to be yourself in, with opportunities for physical and mental shelter as well as stimulation and development, which is why the practice encourages client involvement to make a house your home.

Specialising in natural materials with smaller carbon footprints, holistic client driven design, architectural psychology, healthy design technologies and practical aesthetics, The Natural Home is a practice with a difference.

Looking to the future Sara says: “Our plans are modest, and as a start up to survive in our financial climate practising what we are passionate about is our goal first and foremost”.

As a business that started up during the recession, Adam and Sara have kept their overheads low, such as designed a self-contained office. As a knowledge based business, their overheads and initial investment is generally low. Currently, they have no employees and run every aspect of the business themselves.

Natural Homes Tel: 01736 740696 www.thenaturalhome.co.uk

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2013 marks a golden anniversary for Soil Engineering Geoservices Limited services. For 50 years we have been at the forefront of UK geotechnics, we have introduced innovative processes and applications that have helped to shape the site investigation and grouting industries.

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF INDUSTRY

the gold standard

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OUR HERITAGESoil Engineering began life based in Leeds as an internal specialist department of Holst, carrying out investigations and designing foundations for their concrete structures. Holst was taken over by Norwest Construction in the 1970’s and in 1973 Soil Engineering emerged as a limited company trading as Norwest Holst Soil Engineering Limited.

In 1993, Norwest Holst was taken over by what is now the VINCI Group and for some years Soil Engineering operated as part of Vinci Construction UK Limited until in 2012 when, Soil Engineering was transferred within the Group to the geotechnical specialist, Bachy Soletanche UK.

SERVICE EXCELLENCE IS OUR REPUTATIONWith offices strategically located throughout the British Isles, Soil Engineering’s technical staff are always available to provide direct assistance and expert advice for any geotechnical problem. We have one of the largest company owned fleets of field investigation and drilling plant in the UK. Backed by a resource of over 150 geotechnical specialists ranging from expert chartered engineers and engineering geologists, to lead drillers, drillers and field technicians, every member of our team is appropriately trained and qualified to industry standards.

We continue to evolve our commitment to provide appropriate and adequate geotechnical solutions that are safe, cost effective and quality assured.

EXPERIENCE ISN’T EXPENSIVE – IT’S PRICELESSFor over half a century Soil Engineering has been involved in the UK geotechnical industry, pushing standards in safety and innovating and refining the techniques that today for the backbone of our industry. This pro-active, partnering approach remains central to our success as a preferred contractor, industry partner and sub-contractor for expert site investigation drilling and sampling, laboratory and in situ testing services and specialist consolidation and TAM grouting works.

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AN ON-SIDE PARTNER YOU CAN TRUSTOne of the most important things we have learnt along the way is that building solid relationships in business comes from constantly offering best-in-class products and services – “value for money”. We have also learnt to value the fundamental trust you place in us to deliver the best the industry has to offer and to continue to improve and grow our service offering to suit your needs.

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So whether it’s enhancing drilling and field techniques or innovating new technology or supplying alternative methods, our engineers, technicians, project managers and field crews will continue to develop and deliver the products, technology and services you need to succeed.

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CUSTOMER SERVICE AND INVESTMENT ALLOW FRANK KEY TO MAINTAIN QUALITY THROUGH RECESSIONSERVICE, service and service. These are the three disciplines of Frank Key Hire, established in 1977 by Robert M Sansom (owner of the Frank Key group, which includes three builders’ merchant depots).

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THE COMPANYRobert started the hire division to compliment the requirements of the merchants’ customers. The business was a one branch companyfor this time. There are now over 20 people employed in the hire division and over 100 in the Frank Key group. Along with the acquisition of Parker Severn (builders’ merchants) came the second hire depot three years ago. This number rose last year with the acquisition of Sinbad Hire, another long established hire company in Nottingham. Frank Keyare now the largest hire company in Nottinghamshire with four depots.

The company currently have a plant fleet of more than 40 machines ranging from one-tonne to three-tonne machines. In addition, they have a very comprehensive general hire fleet that covers most requirements. They also have a large gardening/groundcare fleet including compact tractors and ride on mowers.

“We pride ourselves on our hire fleet and offer quality well maintained and well serviced machines,” says Richard Johnson, Group Hire Director.

Richard began working at the company

in 2008 to give it direction as Robert and the other two directors wanted to improve and increase its presence in Nottingham. He has a diverse role that covers most aspects of any busy hire company.

“On any given day I can be negotiating with suppliers, meeting customers, recruiting, resolving issues, setting targets, budgets, overseeing cap ex, attending buying meetings, in house meetings, board meetings and serving customers when required. As with

any hire business it is important to be involved in as many aspects as possible, this is the only true way of knowing your business”.

SURVIVING A DIFFICULT ECONOMYWhilst many businesses were maintaining and consolidating their fleets, Frank Key focussed on growing and investing more than ever. This has allowed them

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to develop the business and at the same time offer the same quality and service as they have always done.

The company hope to continue to grow within their chosen marketand become the largest independent hire company in the region. They are part of the HAE and last year were runners up in the Executive Hire News “passionate hirer”

All their staff enjoy the usual benefits found working for a family owned business. They have an average service of over ten years per employee which includes five new starters in the last six months. Additionally, they have 40, 30 and 20 years’ service from some of their team.

“We don’t get it right every time but aim to, and if we do get it wrong we put it right as soon as possible. We are always honest with our customers and they respect this,” concludes Richard.



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HUSQVARNA CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS UKTel: 0844 844 4570

www.husqvarnacp.co.ukEmail: [email protected]

Copyright © 2012 Husqvarna AB (publ). All rights reserved.

Scan the QR code for more information about Husqvarna K 760 with Oilguard.

Husqvarna K 760 with Oilguard.The Husqvarna K 760 Oilguard is specially designed to prevent engine damage resulting from an incorrect oil-fuel mixture. The K 760 Oilguard uses specially colored OilGuard oil, developed specifically for dusty environments like construction sites and ideal for aircooled two-stroke engines. It is also possible to use standard two-stroke oil in a K 760 Oilguard, as the OilGuard feature can easily be deactivated. An optical detection system indicates if there is a sufficient amount of the correct type of oil in the fuel. The K 760 Oilguard also has features like the new generation of Active Air Filtration™, one of the market’s most efficient centrifugal air cleaning systems that delivers up to one year’s operation without a filter change and SmartCarb™, built-in automatic filter compensation and a highly efficient vibration dampening system. It is also outfitted with an X-Torq® engine, which reduces emissions up to 75 % and lowers fuel consumption by 20 % and DuraStarter™, a dust-sealed starter that boosts reliability and product life. Air Purge and a decompression valve make it very easy to start.

Husqvarna K 760 Oilguard. A power-to-weight ratio in a class of its own.

THE HIRE OF SURFACE PREPARATION EQUIPMENT IS WHAT THE WORK IS ALL ABOUT AT W H. SURFACE PREPARATION UK LTDNICK Forbes, Director at W.H. Surface Preparation tells us more about the business and the industry at large...

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W.H. SURFACE Preparation was formed in 2002 to fill a gap in the hire market for a specialized hire company to offer a unique service across the UK for a range of equipment dedicated to the surface preparation market.

Another important aim of the company was to offer add-on products and ancillary items to give customers a full service from the start of a job or project where a surface had to be removed using blasters, planers, grinders, scabblers and strippers prior to new coating or covering being applied, but then hire of mixing, spraying and application equipment to apply the coating, followed by use of scrubbers, sweepers polishers and biodegradable chemicals to keep the surface looking good.

And so the creation of our tag line

“If you fail to prepare your surface, prepare for your surface to fail”

EXPERT SERVICES From day one, we have strived to ensure we take the time to offer an expert service with concentration of the correct equipment for the task in hand, combined with expert knowledge of its use and application added to a strong service regime on all items. Following each hire items are fully serviced with sometimes up to a 50 per cent strip down and rebuild to make sure there is less chance of mechanical failure whilst being used- since most contractors work evenings and weekends when everyone else is shut. We always have the back up to make sure someone is available to sort out any technical problems even if it means having to travel to a site 200miles away after hours.

We have also tried to network between contractors and clients and are frequently asked whether we know contractors who could do the job rather than the client doing it themselves - just as we have networked between manufactures and end users to ensure right product at the right price.

Our client base has grown over the years and you will now find our products are hired by national and local tool hire companies. At the same time, we can offer our customers general hire on a local basis, so if we have a customer who hires a machine from us and travels to a job 100 miles away and then realises they need an alloy tower or something of a general hire nature just one call to us and we can access a hire company within proximity and arrange what they need

while they get on with the job.

In the early days we were asked what the “W H” stood for, it means many things but mainly “We Hire” since we are not contractors (as we would upset 50 per cent of our customers who are) and yet with over 15 years in the surface prep hire industry we can offer valuable hands-on experience and pass that on to you. In turn we are always being asked for the names of contractors and looking to add them to our database for future use.

DELIVERY We have always tried to offer a nationwide delivery service either through our own dedicated vans (which are enclosed large space hi top vehicles fitted with state of the art sat-nav, computer tracked, one-ton capacity integrated folding ramps yet are economical to run and comfortable for our drivers) that helps us maintain a excellent cost effective service - so to get equipment to London or Birmingham next day before 12 can cost as little as £125.00. Additionally, we can offer to our experienced contractors a next day pallet service for less than £75.00 helping to keep their costs down. We also use parcel companies to send smaller attachments and accessories around the UK for less than £20.00.

SAVINGS THROUGH HIRE One major saving is that most of these machines can cost several thousand pounds to buy and need regular preventive maintenance to keep them fully operational, whereas they can be hired at a fraction of the cost from us. Customers also have the advantage that

if it breaks down or stops working we can swap it usually the same or next day and when they are finished using it we clean, service, test, and store it ready for next user.

Should customers want to buy equipment, then when WE sell them a machine we offer the service that should the machine break down, they can hire one from us the same or next day at a greatly reduced rate while we inspect and advise what is wrong with theirs. If it is found to be covered under warranty they may get the costs covered and can be assured that we will give back the item in a better condition than when we had it following our in house policy of only allowing clean machines in our building and to be worked on.

If you buy a machine from a manufacturer or other agent all you will get is a RTB (return to base) warranty and so you could lose the machine for several days and would have to hire one in (hopefully from us).

STAFF There are currently eight people here including myself and my co-director who offer many years experience within the hire industry from workshops and transport to hire desk and administration.

Our staff are very flexible and are able to operate within various roles in the business to make sure all departments are kept operational - from our service staff who can also do technical deliveries, to hire desk staff who can service our equipment.

Being the founder of the company (over 10 years ago) and having over 25 years experience in the hire business with

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many roles from sales manager, depot manager, plant manager and general manager for a variety of market leaders, I have a greatly varied role at W.H., from Technical Director which involves being able to read the job being requested, convert it into an approx price to hire with plenty of technical literature and instructions, then visit the job and advise best use and practices, train and certify operators too managing the direction internally on a technical and financial level to ensure the company maintains its standing in the market place.

My role is supported by my co director Mark Gater who, with over 30 years in same industry, looks after the sales, marketing and general ops of the business. Since joining the company a few years ago his job has been to give the company its corporate colours and identity to make sure the name looks the same across all mediums, his aim is to make sure we remain available and reliable and offers a service second to none.

Between us we are constantly updating our websites, marketing our products and giving great technical advice on the full range of equipment.

PRODUCT RANGE Our wide variety of equipment ranges from the smallest hand tool to the largest ride on scrubber with vast stocks of diamonds and blades to chemicals and coatings - just about everything you would need to keep your surface prepared, cleaned, coated, and maintained, we try to keep a minimum of 3 machines available which is some cases means we have a core stock of 15 to 20 machines. We are currently have the largest stock of SPE Floor blast machines

for hire in the uk with over 10 machines on the fleet as well as selective specialist machines that very few if no one else hires out, such as ride on tile strippers, DFG700 grinders and 3 phase bench saws to name a few.

We can arrange a site visit where we come along with a selection of equipment to establish which works best for you and leave it there for hire with the knowledge that it does work.

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Using our technical website and the full details enclosed therein on machines, approximate daily coverage as well as full prices, you can easily get a quote on what your surface preparation costs will be.

Some of our equipment can be technically challenging and may fail in inexperienced hands. We therefore offer to train your workers on site or at your premises, and this training can be certified and is approved by most manufactures such as SPE on the range of their equipment.

So from our approx. 4000sqft facility here in South Wales we endeavor to offer a full range of surface preparation

equipment across the UK as well as local tool hire to the local market of builders and DIY-ers.

GETTING THROUGH THE RECESSION AND FUTURE GROWTH Using modern technology, keeping control of costs and investing in the core equipment of our business as well as searching out new markets and new opportunities has helped us greatly in getting through the economic recession.

We have invested in a world leader Orion software (Sirius) in a hire industry computer system which is based in Canada but has many varied users across the globe where a combination of backgrounds constantly feedback to ensure the system is at the leading edge of technology.

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With this system we can offer immediate hire and sale quotations which can emailed to you within seconds. They can easily be converted into reservations that give us the daily operational needs and then quickly converted into hire contracts and delivery, pick up slips and finally invoices all of which can be emailed immediately. Furthermore, it also gives us our workshop and fleet information which has helped us invest almost £500,000 in our hire fleet equipment and accessories.

It has always been believed that hire shops should grow through a recession as there is less reason to buy and more reason to hire to keep costs down. Also, a lot of people take on work themselves and so don’t have the money to buy and maintain new equipment or invest in major capital purchases, but still need to get projects done within budget.

We have looked at how the market has changed through facilities such online websites for used equipment which can be purchased for a fraction of new cost and following a small refurbishment can perform the same as new. We have also offered to purchase from our customers any unwanted equipment for surface preparation and after refurbishment either resold them to other contractors or grown our own hire fleet without major capital outlay. Additionally, we have identified our vehicle fleet to be modern and fully loaded to help deliver our goods safely and on time. We have invested in our workshops to make sure it can handle the variety of equipment by daily testing using modern PAT testers with printers to computerised service records that are completely traceable and help keep track of any or all work carried out after each hire.

Looking to the future, our ambition is to have a network of depots across the UK in most major cities: London,

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Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Exeter, and others, all within a few hours of each other, all offering the same level of availability, reliability, and service, on a local basis with national support. We want to be the first choice for contractors, factories, construction sites, end users and most equipment and coating manufactures.

We are constantly searching for new ways to make hiring the right equipment with the right accessories affordable and achievable to current and future customers. This will involve looking at geographical areas where we could benefit from having remote satellite branches to give better service to our customers and save them time and money, but all controlled from a central point so it is just ‘one call does it all’.

TRAINING The hire industry does suffer from a lack of training. On a local basis there is no facility to get a young person trained with basic requirements needed to get them ready for the complex world of the hire industry, so we are the same as most companies, meaning that we have to use our experienced staff to teach and learn from each other based on daily use

and feedback from our customers. We try to make sure that our staff have the right facilities, tools, vehicles as well as achievable targets and bonuses to make sure the company can maintain its high standards of customer support across the UK.

We use the support of our equipment manufacturers such as SPE who can offer on site or in house sales and technical training on their full range of surface preparation equipment. We are also

looking to the future of employment and thinking outside the box so the facility to be operational 24 hours a day running staff on a shift basis to help support an industry that works outside normal working hours but having three times

the amount of staff in each depot to have a lot more flexibility so that they do not get overworked, the same as other industries are currently doing.

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IN CONCLUSION... The hire of surface preparation equipment can be less than 25 per cent the cost of a job and yet can have the biggest impact on a coating failure or having to redo the same surface on a regular basis, so regardless of whether you spend £500 or £5000 on your choice of coating just remember our tag line:

“If you fail to prepare your surface prepare for your surface to fail”

Call 01482 620400 email [email protected] www.stonegatetooling.com

Eight hEads arEbEttEr than onE…

With a full range of accessories and sanding discs available, the C43 floor sander is one of the most versatile pieces of kit you will ever buy, tackling jobs such as:

• diamond grinding• removal of adhesive, foam backing and

vinyl flooring• cutting back old concrete• finishing freshly poured concrete• latex smoothing• providing a key on power floated

concrete• light cleaning to heavy dirt

When you need a smooth and level finish to your concrete floors there is only one choice.

Call Stonegate now for more information.

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DERVENTIO AT THE FOREFRONT TACKLING HOMELESSNESS IN DERBYSHIREENDING the cycle of homelessness is the key focus at Derventio Housing Trust, a Derbyshire-based not-for-profit organisation which provides accommodation, support and prevention services to tackle homelessness head-on.Derventio is a flexible organisation that is fast on their feet, quick to see gaps where homeless people are struggling and adept at coming up with new and exciting solutions.

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The organisation has been working with homeless people for more than ten years, and have used their extensive experience to apply fresh thinking to the private lettings sector. They have combined a professional approach, numerous landlord and tenant benefits and a clear set of social aims to create a range of highly effective services that meet the diverse needs faced by disadvantaged people within their community.As one of their clients put it: “I was rock bottom before I came to Derventio. They changed my life more than they will ever know.”

ROOTS Derventio Housing Trust is firmly embedded amongst the homeless community and within the local voluntary and community sector in Derbyshire. Their story began in 2002 when the Managing Director Sarah Hernandez MInstLM LLB took action to respond to the high number of rough sleepers in Derby by setting up the city’s first night shelter. Sarah has over twenty years’ business and senior management experience and has led Derventio with an uncompromising creative edge and passion to deliver services that meet the changing needs of the organisation’s clients and other stakeholders.

In the following years a range of housing services were developed to provide longer-term independent and supported living opportunities for homeless and vulnerable people. In 2008 the original night shelter was closed and the service moved to Milestone House, a multi-agency purpose-built centre with modern facilities and higher capacity. The name ‘Derventio’ was chosen for the organisation in 2010. Derventio was the name given to the old Roman settlement of Derby. It means a ‘valley thick with oaks’ but is also associated with the name Derwent.

The organisation is still fairly young but over the last three years has received numerous awards, commendations and positive outcomes for their housing services, demonstrating the impact they have had. They are proud winners of the Local Public Service award at the Landlord & Letting Awards 2012, and a finalist in 2010. One of their project’s, Rooms4Two, has been commended as a best practice model by its funder, Crisis, and in 2011/12 was one of the top performers for Crisis in the country, exceeding the targets by 25 per cent.

Derventio’s yearly satisfaction survey with

tenants has yielded consistently positive results - last year 92 per cent were very happy or happy with their house or flat, almost half said their repairs were dealt with quickly and 93 per cent claimed to be very happy with the time it took them to be housed. Around two thirds of the formerly homeless people living in Derventio’s supported shared housing have moved on in a positive way, whether to another of their housing projects with less support, back with family and friends or into their own tenancy – a sign that they have successfully escaped the negative cycle of homelessness.

ROOMS4TWO One of the organisation’s key projects is Rooms4Two, which is currently in the running to win Small Social Landlord of the Year at the UK Housing Awards 2013. Rooms4Two is a strong example of an innovative response to welfare reform, addressing the lack of suitable homes available for young people who are subject to the Shared Accommodation Rate (SAR) of Housing Benefit.

It also fills the gap in services between supported accommodation for people who need help to live independently and permanent unsupported housing. Rooms4Two carefully matches two compatible people to share a home, and then gives them the support they need to enjoy a successful tenancy.

Last year Sally (27) and Dija (20) were both struggling with their living situation. Dija was born in East Africa and moved to Derby as a baby. “Because my mum’s from Africa we have different cultures

and beliefs. I wasn’t allowed to go out, go clubbing or meet my friends. When I turned 19 I met my first boyfriend. In my mum’s culture you’re not allowed to associate with boys before marriage. We fell out and I started to sneak out at night. But one night she found out. It ended in a massive argument and I moved out.”

Sally is from Derbyshire but spent the last ten years living in Yorkshire with her partner. When the relationship ended she moved back to her parent’s home in Derby. “It wasn’t suitable. They only have two bedrooms and my 16 year-old brother’s there too. I phoned the council and they suggested Derventio. They took my details and about a week later phoned me back and said they had somewhere for me. I was shocked that it happened so quickly.”

Dija and Sally were matched to share a Rooms4Two home. Since moving in together, they have got on brilliantly, and both girls are moving on with their lives. Dija is starting university to study nursing, and her mum visits regularly. Sally is looking for a job; she’s not used to being out of work. She says, “If we stay here or not, we’ve got a friendship out of it. Derventio have been a big help to both of us. I’m genuinely grateful for how quickly they’ve housed me. They’ve made me feel so settled and relaxed.” Dija agrees: “If it wasn’t for Derventio I don’t know where I’d be.”

OTHER PROJECTS In addition to Rooms4Two, Derventio are

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currently delivering a number of housing services that are meeting targets, supporting local and national strategies and, most importantly, helping people who are in need.

SmartLets is a pioneering scheme which opens up access to the private rented sector for people who are on low incomes or who are at risk of becoming homeless. The organisation has worked closely with landlords to offer an attractive service so they can be confident in offering their properties for use to a group often avoided by private landlords – people in receipt of benefits. Last year 424 people were successfully supported through the scheme.

Derventio’s well-established SmartShare service provides shared accommodation and support for homeless people who are ready to take their next steps towards independent living by moving on from residential hostels or institutional establishments. They provide flexible support to suit each individual’s needs, giving people the best chance possible to escape the trap of homelessness for good. Last year the lives of 340 vulnerable people were changed thanks to this project.

Rooms4Two PRS (Providing Real Support) is a highly focused housing and support service specifically designed for people who have multiple needs. The project benefits people who are falling through the cracks, never receiving the help and support they need, whose life is a vicious cycle alternating between insecure housing, homelessness, prison and hospital. By providing Housing First, with one-to-one support, the Trust give people with complex needs, including homelessness, substance misuse, mental ill health and offending, the chance to have a stable life and prove they can live in the community just like everyone else.

SERVICES Derventio’s mission is to end the cycle of homelessness for as many people as possible. They have responded to the needs of people in their community to develop a range of long-term solutions that truly make a difference. Their services include emergency accommodation, personalised support, shared housing, managed tenancies and a wide range of learning, training and volunteering opportunities to help people progress further in their lives. Several of their staff are former service users or have previously volunteered with Derventio.

The organisation view their role as being to address housing needs in an equitable way, providing support and assistance to ensure that appropriate accommodation is available to all. As a registered provider of social housing they comply with the Homes & Communities Agency Regulatory Framework.

Derventio currently employs 54 people, including seven maintenance and housing standards staff and 28 front-line support and housing workers. They are governed by their board members and have a committed team of staff and volunteers. Most of their funding is from contracts and project grants, and they rely on fundraising and donations from the community to keep their services running.

Last year Derventio supported 800 tenants across 342 properties and 35 units of emergency accommodation.

LOOKING FORWARD Derventio is a forward-thinking organisation and they are committed to continuing to work with the community and their partners to try and test new ideas to find genuine solutions to the problem of homelessness.

They are currently working on exciting plans to develop a new housing scheme at their organic farm in Derbyshire – converting an old Hunting Lodge and run-down barns into specialist residential units for people with mental health, alcohol and/or drug addictions, care leavers and offenders.

They also have some new social enterprises in the pipeline which will give vulnerable people the chance to take part in enhanced training and work experience. This will open up fantastic opportunities for the people who use their services, whilst adding to the stability and sustainability of the organisation.

Alongside these new ideas will be the continued development and delivery of the accommodation services at the heart of the organisation. Derventio wants to use the success and recognition of their Rooms4Two project to develop it into a franchise that can be replicated across the country – not only reaching more vulnerable young people, but also strengthening the sustainability of their organisation.

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The next three years for the organisation will be concentrating on growth, sustainability and people development. They believe that these three objective areas will ensure that they are the organisation of choice for people who need to find responsive housing solutions coupled with services and projects that help people to grow their potential, becoming self-sufficient and empowered resulting in happy and fulfilled lives.

“We want to do everything we can to end the cycle of homelessness. We will continue to use our knowledge, experience and resources to deliver services that are responsive to the diverse needs faced by homeless and vulnerable people. The journey we aspire to for our customers is: hope – change – choice – life; the services we offer help to put people in control of their lives to achieve this ambition,” says MD Sarah Hernandez.



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ST. ANDREW’S OFFERS INVALUABLE TRAINING FOR CONSTRUCTION WORKERSTHERE were 9,551 reported injuries to employees in Scotland last year and 1.7 million working days were lost due to work related injury and ill-health .

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Twenty workers were fatally injured at work but this figure does not include deaths of people who became ill at work and could have been saved by first aid intervention.

St Andrew’s First Aid Training and Supplies Ltd is a market leader in the provision of First Aid in Scotland, training over 20,000 people every year. The organisation is well known within the construction industry in Scotland where of course, safety is paramount. The organisation is proud to have trained huge numbers of construction personnel to its high HSE approved standard of First Aid at Work.

Skills learned through St Andrew’s First Aid Training and Supplies Ltd courses are invaluable in the construction industry for those little (and unfortunately sometimes big) emergencies. Providing this high level of training to your employees could positively impact on their wellbeing as well as possibly saving a life.

There are a variety of workplace courses provided by St Andrew’s First Aid Training and Supplies Ltd available in venues all over Scotland or even in your workplace. With its national team of Trainers the company is able to offer courses wherever there may be a demand.

COURSESCourses include HSE Approved ‘First Aid at Work’, ‘Fire Marshal Training’, ‘Moving and Handling – Principles’, and the HSE Approved ‘Emergency First Aid at Work’. In an industry where accidents can be catastrophic without adequate First Aid provision, it is vital to equip staff with these skills. In addition to offering First Aid courses the organisation also provides First Aid supplies to keep companies and individuals well stocked in case of accidents or emergencies. Supplies range from bandages and First Aid Kits to Biohazard Clean Up Kits and Automated External Defibrillators, all of which have their place in a construction environment.

St Andrew’s First Aid Training and Supplies Ltd’s has a strong reputation for quality and innovative learning and teaching methods. The organisation believes that the first aid training of employees should not be seen as a legislative burden but as part of their commitment to corporate social responsibility and community resilience. By selecting St Andrew’s First Aid Training and Supplies Ltd as your First

Aid supplier of choice you will be supporting this belief as all profits are gift-aided back to the charity arm.

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KNOWING THEIR INDUSTRY SETS GRAFTERS APARTAN in-depth knowledge of the construction industry is what sets Grafters (Scotland) Ltd apart from its competitors. The company specialise in providing Temps to the construction industry.

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THE TEAMOpened in September 2008 by Steven MacInnes and Denis McLaughlin along with Office Staff Darren McEwan & Kathy Brearley, the company has gone from strength to strength growing slowly year on year.

Sadly, in September 2011 Steven MacInnes passed away, affecting the team deeply, however Denis McLaughlin and all the Staff in the office have continued his work ethic and zest for life and will continue to push Grafters Scotland Ltd forward.

At the moment Grafters (Scotland) Ltd employ three people in their Glasgow Office - Darren McEwan – Office Manager, Calum MacIntyre – Sales Consultant and Stephen McLaughlin – Payroll/Admin Assistant. The company also have a small Payroll Office based in Cheshire where they employ Kathy Brearley - Accounts Manager and Gill Davies - Accounts Assistant.

“I am the Office Manager of Grafters Scotland Ltd. Although everyone knows their own jobs inside out I am here as a buffer for any problems that may arise from Sites , Companies or Temps. I oversee everything in the office from Payroll, Filling Bookings, Queries etc to dealing with Companies’ Credit Limits, Credit Control and making sure we get paid when we are supposed to. Just ensuring that the Office runs as smoothly as possible,” explains Darren McEwan.

CONTINUOUS GROWTHGrafters Scotland Ltd are a relatively small company in comparison to others within the same Industry. However, the

company are growing year on year at an impressive rate for the current economic climate. They have supplied many temps to companies that have found their workers to be the right people for their own company and have taken them on full time.

“At the moment our key ambition is to keep the business building slowly and to be in a position to take on the workload as required with the expanding economy in the years to come,” says Darren.

The company have downsized their offices, cutting out unnecessary overheads. They have had steady work through the recession and have an amazing band of clients that have helped them by coming to them through the recession to supply them with temps, as and when they can.

Over the last few years, the company have seen a tremendous increase in their turnover, with the following impressive figures:

2012 - £2,041,487

2011 - £1,671,472

2010 - £882,784

“What differentiates us is our knowledge of the industry,” says Darren. “We ONLY supply workers to the Construction Industry. We don’t supply temps to any other sector, so we know our temps and we are aware of our clients requirements. This is why we have so much repeat business. We also have a very upfront and honest approach to filling our bookings, we have constant contact with the client and would let them know in plenty of time if we couldn’t fill the booking”

HEALTH, SAFETY AND THE ENVIRONMENTGrafters (Scotland) Ltd place the highest emphasis on Health and Safety at work for all their Temporary Workers and Contractors. They work very closely with the companies they supply to and ensure that all the temps go through a Site Induction to make them aware of any Health and Safety issues on each site they work on. Furthermore, they ensure that all their workers have a CSCS Card or a CPCS Card to ensure they understand their trade before stepping on a Building Site.

The company also has an Environmental Policy that they adhere to and this is implemented by their Managing Director. They have as close to a Paperless Office as possible. Most of their records are Scanned into their Shared Drive and then shredded and disposed of by an external company.

TRAINING“We have always been of the opinion at Grafters that the best way to train is on the job,” says Darren, who has almost 10 years experience plus five years onsite experience in a Civils environment. Calum has five years, with five years as a Time Served Bricklayer plus an HND in Building Surveying and Stephen has almost three years, with three years onsite Civils experience.

“Although we have all this experience in the Industry, we are still learning every day”. Phone - 0141 611 7771 Fax - 0141 420 2003 Website - www.graftersscotland.co.uk Email - [email protected] Facebook - Grafters (Scotland) Ltd

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CONTINUED INVESTMENT IN FLEET PUTS AB2000 AT A GOOD PLACE DESPITE ECONOMYAS the largest independently owned plant hire company in Scotland, AB2000 has a large range of plant and equipment in their fleet, including Construction Plant (dump trucks, bulldozers, excavators and shovels); mobile Cranes and Road Rail Vehicles and Machines (RRV’s).

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The Company has over 250 machines and support vehicles operating and maintained to the highest standards from their depots at Glasgow, Inverness and Aberdeen.

The Managing Director made a key strategic decision to continueinvesting in their plant, especially railwayequipment and cranes, during therecession. This

THE COMPANYAB2000 was established in 1995 by Adam Bruce in Glasgow, and has seen steady growth over the years through organic expansion and acquisition.

Adam Bruce, a Past President of the Scottish Plant Owners Association,has over 40 years experience in the Plant Hire Industry. In2002, the company acquired the specialistrail plant assets of G Plant RailLtd, to assist with the continued expansion of their involvement in railways. The business outgrew their previous base and moved to their current base at Cambuslang, Glasgow, in 2003.

The Company has three main trading divisions:

Core Construction Plant Hire-including dump trucks, dozers, excavators, crushers, low loaders, shovels, road brushes.

Railway PlantHire- road rail machines with a wide range of attachments.

Cranes and Contract Lifting- Mobile cranes up 120Tonne and experienced Projects Managers who undertake contract lifting and movement of machinery and other equipment.

A new Plant Hire depot to serve the North and North East of Scotland was opened at Seafield Road, Inverness in 2012 and the Company has a small depot at Aberdeen. The company’s depots are perfectly situated, with easy

access to the motorways and main roads.

AB2000 prides itself on givingexcellent customer service, and Bill Marsh, Plant Manager,ensures that all of their equipment is delivered in goodworking order.

CONTINUED SUCCESS THROUGH A DIFFICULT ECONOMYLike many others involved in Construction, the Company was forced to reduce turnover in2009/2010 from £16m to £10m, but has since resumed steady growth in the last few years. Adam Bruce’s knowledge and experience of the Plant Hire Industry, his contacts and connections in the Construction Industry,and the strength of the Company’s balance sheet have been important factors in the Company’s

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ability to grow and develop.

AB2000 supplied equipment to a wide range of exciting and innovative projects,including supplying plant and equipmentto Whitelees Windfarmat Eaglesham, the largest in Europe requiring construction of 90km of access track using rock quarried onsite.

The company has also worked withScottish Power, moving ash at powerstations, and constructing ash lagoons and haul roads. They worked recently on the new M80, and M74 extensions, construction of the access to the new Forth Road Bridge, and many of Scotland’s major projects.

The Company is well knownand trusted and commitment to service helpsthem maintain and grow their client base.

The range and number of machines the Company has available and continuinginvestment in new plant and equipment each year sets AB2000 apart in a competitive marketplace.

With a total workforce of 235 staff and annual turnover of £15m, the Scottish company is continuing to develop and expand the operations and geographical coverage of each trading division, profitably.

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AWARD WINNING RECYCLING FIRM CREATES JOBS FOR THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITYIn her own words...Jackie Dunsmuir tells us more about Recycle Fife:

Recycle Fife – Aims & Objectives

1. To divert waste from landfill, raise awareness and provide education about the benefits of recycling and other environmental issues.2. To create employment, training and volunteering opportunities particularly for those who are furthest from the labour market

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Recycle Fife operates as a social enterprise. My partner, Frankie Hodge and I founded the business nine years ago with two main aims, to stop waste going to landfill and to create jobs and training opportunities in our local area. Back in 2002, we joined a local action group to oppose plans for a landfill site at Westfield. What came out of the public enquiry was the realisation that no, we don’t want landfill, but what are the alternatives?

At that time Fife’s recycling rates were only 2per cent. It was then that we decided to set up a business to provide commercial and domestic customers with recycling services and that we would reinvest the income generated to create jobs and provide training, particularly for those who struggle to find and sustain work. Our overall aim was to be, within 10 years of setting up, the first multi-materials recycling facility in Fife, and 9 years later with a lot of hard work and a tremendous amount of support we got there.

We are now widely regarded as one of Fife’s leading recycling companies. We have an excellent track record of providing our customers with a reliable, responsible and economical service.

We offer an extensive range of recycling solutions including kerbside uplifts and skip hire to commercial customers, public bodies, local authorities and domestic customers.

From our custom built multi-materials processing unit we can recycle any material including cans, plastics, metals, soil, WEEE electrical items, builders waste, UPVC, PVC, pallets, bubble wrap,

polythene, paper, cardboard and light-bulbs to name but a few.

Since inception, we have created over 138 jobs, of which at least 70 per cent were classed as furthest from the employment market. We are one of the largest training placement providers in Fife.

Recycle Fife are proud to be able to address a number of issues faced in our local community:

By providing additional training opportunities within the local community, which in turn leads to full time sustained employment. This area is classed as semi rural and comprises a number of small villages and towns, many of which remain areas of very high unemployment and multiple deprivation with little inward investment from businesses. Providing a stronger more flexible and diverse economy – through the creation of an increased number of full time job opportunities for those furthest from the employment market.

By generating additional income for the local economy.

Improving the health and well being of people in the local area - by enabling more people to move out of poverty through the provision of paid employment opportunities.

Developing a well educated and skilled workforce - by using the management skills available to ensure the workforce is fully trained.

We have a site specific and generic staff induction process for all new starts which covers, Health & Safety, staff

responsibilities and contacts, policies and procedures, payroll, absence management, sickness management, disciplinary and grievance. Depending on the job, we also have an induction relating to the various machinery and equipment. The induction usually lasts one day, an additional day then follows which includes a discussion around individual training needs, support needs and and personal goals. Review dates are also set on this day. In house training on subjects such as Health & Safety, First Aid, Manual Handling is provided. Accredited Qualifications to an SVQ level can be gained through partnerships with local colleges, organisations and other training providers. We encourage all CJF employees to register with ILA Scotland so that they have access to training any potential employed may want them to undertake.

We also help to support individuals to develop core skills such as literacy, numeracy, timekeeping, team working, confidence and communication skills, therefore helping them to become more employable.

RECYCLE FIFE ARE PROUD TO HAVE ACHIEVED THE FOLLOWING AWARDS:Green Apple Environmental Award

Scottish Waste & Resources Award

Green Business Fife “Green Service Award”

CRNS Member of the Year Finalist

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:• 15 members of staff

• ½ million turnover

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• Jackie Dunsmuir – Chief Executive Officer

• Frankie Hodge – Operations Director

• 15 Training places provided every 4 weeks as part of the Mandatory Work Programme – helping those most vulnerable get into employment

Recycle Fife have a proven track record in working with Local Authorities as recycling partners and have significant Public Sector experience and understand how the strategies and priorities of our Local Authority partners are set and managed. We ensure that our reporting and performance data is robust, on time and relevant.

As a charity we are keen to make financial returns to the communities within which we work, subject to available surpluses. This is a core part of Recycle Fife’s overall strategy and we also know this is something which Local Authorities value, differentiating us from many of our private sector competitors.

We also ensure that we provide supported employment opportunities within our communities and engage with local delivery partners also, to add value to their social objectives and activities.

Recycle Fife contribute significantly as strategic partners within the economic regeneration process in Fife.

Recycle Fife is one of the most successful social enterprises in Fife and has firmly established itself as an organisation to be reckoned within the social enterprise and commercial sector. We provide recycling and waste management facilities for businesses and households across Fife and the surrounding areas and create employment, training and volunteering opportunities, particularly for those who are furthest from the job market.

2011/2012 was a year of change, fresh challenges and exciting developments. We saw our turnover, staff and tonnages suffer as a result of the loss of a major contract and due to a market collapse in the materials we deal in. Recycle Fife had to diversify the business and it expanded into skip hire and increased the intake of materials. An investment from Social Investment Scotland allowed us to bring in new capital infrastructure, which increased trading and turnover and subsequently both the environmental and social impact of the organisation and the sustainability of our operation into the future. We were able to provide more services to more businesses, thus helping us to reach our overall aim of being Fife’s first multi materials processing facility, recycling all Fife’s waste, creating valuable employment and training opportunities and contributing to the economic development of our local area.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION• 15 members of staff of which 60 per cent were former trainees.

• Half million turnover

• Jackie Dunsmuir – Chief Executive Officer

• Frankie Hodge – Operations Director

• 15 Training places provided every 4 weeks as part of the Mandatory Work Programme – helping those most vulnerable get into employment

• 185 tonnes of materials diverted from landfill every month

• Providing a service to over 1000 customers.

These statistics demonstrate that Recycle Fife helps the environment and the local community in a big way. The organisation is an excellent example of best practice and innovation in the community recycling sector. Increased employment and training opportunities have enabled us to provide the best service we can to our local community and has significantly increased the tonnages we divert from landfill.

Recycle Fife is well placed to encourage the development the community sector and to lead by example. As an innovative organisation, Recycle Fife are looking forward to a bright future in which we aim to further evolve, expand and thrive with our dedicated team of staff, volunteers and trainees.

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KENT’S COMMERCIAL VEHICLE DEALERS OFFER AN ENVIABLE SERVICECHANNEL COMMERCIALS PLC is an established commercial vehicle and LCV dealer in Kent, providing sales, parts and servicing for DAF Trucks and Nissan vans.

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Alongside new and used trucks and vans, Channel Commercials provides an impressive portfolio of additional products and services including a fully equipped paint and body shop where accident repair, shot blasting and sign writing is carried out, as well as a specialist engineering and fabrication department, where expert technicians offer both light and heavy commercial vehicle modification, welding and rail wagon maintenance. Some of their other more specialist services include Waxoyl rust-proofing, tachograph services, Speedliner spray liner, and various other commercial vehicle safety and security products.

As a leading commercial vehicle dealer in Kent, the company have factory trained technicians at four locations (Ashford, Strood, Sevenoaks and Canterbury), who are able to offer 24 hours Servicing, 365 days of the year for commercial vehicles, that will get customers back on the road so as to minimize the impact to their customers business.

As the main DAF truck parts dealer covering Kent and East Sussex, Channel Commercials offer great value for money on genuine DAF parts and are also able to offer competitive parts for all makes of

commercial vehicles.

For light commercial vehicles they have recently acquired the Nissan Commercial vehicle franchise and have added Nissan van parts to their portfolio. Parts for all other makes of van can be supplied on request, and they are continuing to stock LDV parts to serve their established parts customer base throughout the Kent area.

Channel Commercials has recently expanded into the Diamond Blade and Construction Fixings market, expanding their product offering and developing new areas of the business.

They always have great offers available on a variety of vehicle parts in Kent. With all this supported by their expert staff and fast, efficient service customers can count on Channel Parts department to keep them moving.

TRUCK AND VAN CONVERSIONSThe company’s specialist engineering facilities in Ashford, Kent, enable Channel Commercials to completely repair, refurbish and carry out re-engineering design work. They can offer commercial vehicle modifications,

including cab and body modifications with full corporate livery refurbishment.

Truck and van conversions are their speciality, with no job too big or too small. From ply lining a van to heavy truck engineering and chassis alterations, Channel Commercials aim to modify clients’ vehicles to suit their specific business needs.

The fitting of ancillary equipment can also be completed at their specialist engineering department in Ashford. Here, Tachograph, road speed limiter (RSL) work, the fitment of truck and van security systems and the fitment of accessories take place. From ply ling vans to fitting van racking and tow bars.

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They provide a range of commercial vehicle equipment and installations, with a bespoke service to meet all of their clients’ requirements.

RAIL WAGON SERVICING AND REPAIRDChannel Commercials are proud to be part of the Link-up UK Rail Industry Supplier Qualification Scheme. Channel Commercials rail division was conceived in October 2006, when a large haulage contractor approached the company regarding the paint and maintenance of 20 rail freight wagons.

The ethos of Channel Commercials has always been to provide a ‘one stop shop’ for all customer needs. Therefore after much research, they embarked on an extensive 12 month assessment regime and training of their technicians to competent levels from basic weekly inspections to full wagon repairs.

The assessment and training undertaken showed that there were similarities to their core business and from this synergy they further improved their credential within ISO 9001 to include Link-up and Safety Critical GM/RT2450 which were

included after successful audits.

Channel Commercials believe that their own and their clients’ success lies in bringing the best from the Road Industry to Rail with innovative ideas for old and new problems with minimum downtime.

Channel Commercials Rail Division currently manages three fleets of over 200 wagons, offering full rail wagon servicing and maintenance.

THE FUTUREHaving just celebrated their 25th year as a commercial vehicle dealer, Channel Commercials are proud of their achievements. In that time the company has grown from humble beginnings at one site employing 35 people and through its commitment and diversity

to where it now employs over 200 staff across six sites throughout Kent and the rest of the UK.. It is through their diversity that Channel Commercials have weathered the recent recession so well, and as we come out the other side this company is set to continue to serve its customers in a confident and committed manner.

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DRAINFIX - REVOLVING AROUND QUALITY, VALUE AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTIONQUALITY and the most up to date training is a priority for Drainfix, and they have therefore taken the time to become quality assured and gain the prestigious FMB Masterbond Warranty indicating the high quality of service that can be expected from them.

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Drainfix believe in ensuring the safety of their staff and providing customers with peace of mind and the belief that they can deliver what they say claim they will.

QUALIFIED STAFFAll staff are qualified at the highest level in rescue techniques and have achieved CS2 confined spaces training, to become fully skilled in the use of full breathing apparatus.

Staff are provided with Health and Safety training, have a Street Works License and are fully qualified to use all machinery necessary to complete any job to WRC standard.

VALUE FOR MONEYDrainfix offer customers small business values with big business experience by providing them with the skills of larger corporate companies and the refined essential techniques and know-how of a specialist company in one effective, professional package.

With their vast experience and the specialised knowledge of Drainfix Operatives, trained and accredited to ISO Standard, customers are assured a smooth delivery from beginning to end.

SERVICESDrainfix Currently Offer the following services:

• CCTVSURVEYING

Only the best technology is utilised by Drainfix when surveying to discover structural drainage concerns, investigating causes of blockages, and tracing drainage runs from as little as 40mm to a maximum 1000mm diameter. When tracing maximum diameter pipes the use of specialised Crawler Camera Units are employed.

The results of completed surveys are collated and translated into a detailed report specifying drainage layout plans as well as a survey coding report and full recommendations, with estimate costs for repairs. Along with the report details customers will receive a copy of all CCTV footage supplied on a choice of DVD or video.

Drainfix also have a fleet of vans, fitted with specialised jetting equipment, ready to pre-clean all pipes in preparation for any surveys.

• HIGHPRESSUREJETTING

The company’s vehicles are supplied with all necessary equipment including pre-clean high pressure jetting equipment necessary in any situation to maintain the high standards of Drainfix.

Drainfix clear blockages and pipe-work in drainage runs using the latest high pressure water jetting equipment. Operations are carried out mainly from Van Pack Jetters delivering 4000psi (subject to WJ sewer jetting code of practice). Jet Vac Combination Units are the system utilised by operatives in procedures which involve clearing larger pipes and emptying septic tanks.

Regular maintenance programmes are made available and are created to meet customers’ individual needs. These have proved particularly useful in more complicated drainage systems of which wear and tear is particularly heavy. A maintenance plan may include time tabled service treatments, annually or through-out the year dependant on size and usage of the system and customer requirements.

• EXCAVATIONANDREPAIR

Having a ‘Street Works License’ and training provides Drainfix with the qualification needed to work with the Public Sector on the highways. Ground movement, root infestation, subsidence and corrosion, all which can cause cracks and total collapse of drains and sewers; leaving devastating consequences. In some circumstances the only way to resolve this problem is by excavation and replacement of the defective section of drain run or the installation of Soak Aways.

Very competitive rates are offered for all the cmpany’s drainage repair work.

• TRENCHLESSTECHNOLOGY

In more common, less complex cases, defective drain runs are repaired by means of trenchless technology.

Various techniques are used for this including more specialised multiple bend lining. The minimum area treated can be anything from 75mm up to a maximum of 1000mm using the specific lining technique needed to meet the needs of the client and the job. This may involve using a technique which repairs the damaged pipe or, if needed, re-lining the whole section of damaged pipe. In cases where the lining repair crosses a junction all connections are cut out by the use

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of a Lateral Cutter to allow the continuous flow of water.

Trenchless technology is a much less intrusive repair method and eliminates the disruption of digging. Drainfix have the capabilities to re-form and re-round faulty and collapsing Pitch Fibre pipe work from the 60’s and 70’s when many other companies have not. This gives customers the opportunity to save on the costly outlay of a whole new system.

Customer needs are a priority for Drainfix and as such are considered when deciding on the chemical mix to cater for asthmatics, sufferers of allergens and to minimise odour.

• FOUNDATIONINVESTIGATION

The operatives at Drainfix have vast cumulative experience and knowledge in soil and foundation investigation. This enables them to carry out quality, guaranteed work using extensive and varies techniques with equipment to meet individual specifications.

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Site investigations for subsidence are carried out using a variety of methods. Auger drilling rigs and Premier/Archway limited access drilling rigs are used to obtain undisturbed sampling and U samples for Triaxial testing. These methods also facilitate the use of Continuous Probes and SPTs where needed.

CFA drilling rig is used to ensure the correct depth of boreholes is achieved. When testing to check for effective load bearing soil further extensive tests are carried out. Desktop and Environmental Studies are yet another service that Drainfix are able to offer.

On completion of all investigations a factual report is compiled from findings retrieved from the site and is provided to the customer. This includes a guide indicating location of where and why tests have been carried out, techniques and methods used and all test results. Customer satisfaction is a priority at Drainfix, offering customers a friendly, professional service at all times.

Where appropriate, suggestions and advice on foundation designs can be supplied as a report commissioned from qualified GEO Technical Engineers. All

technical data is analysed and compiled into a final report with recommendations outlining any further investigative tests that may be needed.



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FAS - PROVIDING ESSENTIAL LIFE SAVING TRAINING IN SCOTLAND FIRST Aid Scotland (FAS) are a Glasgow based HSE approved training organisation formed in 1985, and providing statutory first aid, manual handling, fire warden training and associated training to small, medium and large businesses including government department and Councils throughout Scotland.

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CUSTOMER-CENTRED APPROACHWith a mission to provide customers with the most up to date, valued and trusted training available in Scotland today, FAS are constantly working to develop, innovate and provide effective training methods within an established training framework.

“First Aid Scotland trade on the old fashioned business principle that customer service is the most important aspect of any business,” says and Managing Director Duncan Turnbull, who is responsible for liaising with customers and overseeing the daily operation of this busy training provider.

“We have a robust quality assurance process, which, according to external auditors far exceeds the requirements of our governing body, the Health & Safety Executive”.

As a small, family-run business, FAS are able to respond quickly to their customers’ needs, with a personal touch often difficult to access from larger companies. They are also able to adapt to specific environments, whether manual handling courses for construction industry, to first aid courses relevant to remote, outdoor workers.

STAFFFAS currently employ five permanent members of staff from their Glasgow headquarters, with freelance trainers and assessors commissioned as required. Employees receive training in first aid, manual handling and presentation skills so that the company can maximize the enjoyment of their customers and their staff

With an annual turnover in excess of £120,000 per annum, First Aid Scotland are pleased to announce that they have just recently moved to a prime city centre location with planned expansion over the next five years to Edinburgh and the North East of Scotland.

HEALTH, SAFETY, AND THE ENVIRONMENTHealth and Safety is the responsibility of all staff at FAS, who are encouraged to take an active part of all aspects of health and safety, both within the training centre, and when on customers’ premises. As a whole, the health and safety policies and adherence is overseen by Duncan himself.

First Aid Scotland have an environmental policy whereby they recycle and re-use where possible, as they believe that they have a responsibility to care for and protect the areas in which they operate. They also encourage their business partners and members of the wider community to join them in this effort.

COMPANY SUCCESSFirst Aid Scotland have developed a standardized training programme, which simplifies, instead of complicates all aspects of training delivery, this now being accepted industry wide as the most effective available. This approach to training is especially popular with their existing customers.

The company have been extremely fortunate in the last few years in that existing customers have stayed loyal to them due to their competitive pricing policy and adherence to quality assurance issues. As one major customer put it to the Managing Director “we keep using you because you do what you tell us you’re going to, are reliable and never disappoint”.



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HELLIERS LANE DEVELOPMENT LEADS TO 2013 AWARD NOMINATION FOR GUINNESS HERMITAGE DELIVERING good quality homes that meet future needs and enables Guinness Hermitage to support its residents to fulfill their potential is a key ambition of the company.

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STRUCTUREGuinness Hermitage is a division of The Guinness Partnership, one of the country’s leading providers of affordable housing with over 60,000 homes and more than 120,000 customers.

The Guinness Partnership is a charitable organisation and is registered with the Industrial and Provident Society. The Guinness name has been synonymous with affordable homes for over 100 years.

The Guinness Partnership has more than 3000 staff operating across England with 300 of these working directly for Guinness Hermitage.

SERVICESAs well as building affordable homes Guinness Hermitage is a socially responsible landlord that provides residents with a range of services to help with sustaining tenancies, and neighbourhood services to improve the communities where it operates. It also

provides estate and property services to maintain the standards of its homes and the immediate areas, and asset management to invest in its homes for the future.

Guinness Hermitage provides a wide range of services including neighbourhood investment, housing management and rental or ownership opportunities to over 15,000 homes across South and South-West of England.

It creates sustainable neighbourhoods; places where people with a range of incomes, backgrounds and ages can live together in homes that help each one of them achieve their ambitions. Its successes are achieved by anticipating and responding to customer demands.

Guinness Hermitage offers a range of social and affordable rented homes, a range of home ownership options as well as market sale and market rent.

PROJECTSGuinness Hermitage has a significant programme of housing projects on a diverse variety of sites in rural and inner-city locations. One project of particular interest that it is about to progress is a 56-home scheme in Plymouth. The scheme, which will have a contemporary appearance, has been designed to respond to a very complex site with extreme and differing ground levels in central Plymouth.

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Guinness Hermitage has also been building affordable homes in Poundbury, the urban extension to Dorchester in Dorset, famous as a pioneering example of urban development. Poundbury seeks to implement the principles expounded in The Prince of Wales’s 1989 book ‘A Vision of Britain’, and is a result of The Prince’s belief in town-planning coupled with a long period of public consultation between 1988 and 1993. Since 1990, Guinness Hermitage has developed 218 affordable homes at the scheme, and has aims to build at least a further 48 by 2016.

HELLIERS LANE - AWARD-WINNING POTENTIALGuinness Hermitage has been shortlisted for the UK Housing Awards 2013 for its Helliers Lane development in Cheddar.The awards, which recognise outstanding work by housing organisations to improve the lives of people in their communities, are organised by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and Inside Housing magazine.

Helliers Lane is located on the edge of Cheddar – a picturesque village in

Somerset set amongst the Mendip Hills. The development is unusual for a number for reasons. It is an uncharacteristically large Rural Exception scheme providing 77 affordable homes. It is a 100 per cent affordable home scheme – a requirement of the policy of the Rural Exception land. The rented homes are all set at social rent, a tenure that has largely been superseded by the introduction of affordable rent (80 per cent of market rent) for new homes.

The two to four bedroom houses and one and two bedroom flats have been developed by a partnership between Guinness Hermitage, First Step Homes, Sedgemoor District Council’s Affordable Housing Team, Cheddar Parish Council and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).

Features of the scheme include:

• Mixed tenure development (30 rented, 22 shared ownership and 25 affordable sale) that has responded to local housing need and enabled people to stay in, and return to, the village they grew up in

• Built to Level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, designed to be

25% more energy efficient than minimum building regulation standards

• Carefully designed, after extensive public consultation, to fit in with the traditional style of the village

• Developed with strong support from local people and using locally sourced materials wherever possible

• Built to the Lifetime Homes standard, including wheelchair accessible corridors, the ability to install downstairs showers and removable panels to enable floor platform lifts to be installed

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A ‘sense of place’ has been achieved through the special attention to local material and thoughtful design response. The design adopts the use of local stone laid as random pattern (but leveled every third course) to create a unique and location-focused design. The natural stone came from a local quarry, helping to support the rural economy of the area. The stone was used on houses and garden walls across the scheme in order to maximise visual impact. The effect has been transformational for the scheme as a whole.

The scheme has been provided with a play area suitable for children aged 3 to 12 years old. In addition to the public open space all houses have private rear gardens and all flats have shared communal gardens.

INVOLVEMENTGuinness Hermitage co-ordinated the delivery of the Helliers Lane project by working closely with developer First Step Homes Ltd, and other partners including Sedgemoor District Council and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). The homes were designed by POD Associates Ltd and constructed by Leadbitter, who won a CCS Bronze Award in 2012 for Helliers Lane, Cheddar (Leadbitter have been an Associate Member of the Considerate Constructors Scheme since 2008).

Guinness Hermitage was able to secure funding to develop the homes at Helliers Lane through its own borrowing as well as through grant funding from the HCA.

It worked closely with the local community to ensure that the design responded to local housing need, and it was able to influence the mix of tenures to create a balanced community.

Guinness Hermitage is actively working with its residents to support them with the changes to the benefits system, in particular to create opportunities to help them achieve financial independence.

COMMUNITY AND ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLYGuinness Hermitage used locally quarried stone for the facades of some of the houses and garden walls that help it blend in with more historic houses in the village. The use of stone from the local quarry also ensured that their development had a wider economic benefit for the local community. A further interesting design feature of the scheme is that much of the parking is on-plot but ‘hidden’ beyond the building line- helping to reduce the visibility of parked cars and ensuring that the architecture is more visible, and the estate more attractive.

The scheme is built to Level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, designed to be 25 per cent more energy efficient than minimum Building Regulation standards. Because the homes are well insulated they will use less gas for heating and therefore contribute less carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

MILESTONESThe housing and development environments are continually changing and Guinness Hermitage has had to be agile in its response to keep ahead of change, while retaining its social purpose. The introduction of Affordable Rent two years ago created a whole new tenure which now dominates the supply of affordable housing and has been coupled with the development of alternative funding models.

As new housing associations have been created, particularly through transfers of stock from local authorities, there has also been a trend towards the emergence of larger group structures. This has created a diverse range of organisations with local, regional and national focus. The diversity of housing associations maximises choice for residents and customers.

ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITMENTGuinness Hermitage has investment plans in place to improve energy efficiency across its older stock and has exceeded the Government’s Decent Homes Standard. It has undertaken a number of projects to reduce energy costs and promote affordable warmth within its homes including the installation of solar photo-voltaic panels and thermal external wall insulation in some properties. This is particularly pertinent in some of the rural locations the housing association develops in, where services are often unavailable and it must be creative about how it provides sustainable and energy efficient homes.

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LOOKING TO THE FUTUREGuinness Hermitage has an ambitious programme of development, with schemes secured for delivery up until the end of the current HCA delivery programme in 2015 and beyond.

In future, Guinness Hermitage will be considering how it can use its developments to benefit the economy of local communities in which it operates even more, and offer capacity building and training and employment opportunities to its residents.

It also plans to use demographic and census information to identify future housing needs. Between now and 2015 Guinness Hermitage will be completing over 800 affordable homes.

STANDING OUTGuinness Hermitage sets uncompromisingly high standards to ensure that its developments meet the diverse and ranging needs of its residents. It has a design guide which is produced by its development team and incorporates residents’ views and feedback. The guide ensures that Guinness Hermitage meets the changing needs and expectations of its existing and future residents.

Guinness Hermitage embraces the importance of place making and values the creation of communities achieved through careful design and attention to detail. It also recognises the importance of integrating its designs and homes with both the existing built environment and the local community.

STATEMENT FROM GUINNESS HERMITAGE Stephen Lodge, Guinness Hermitage Director of Assets & Development says:

“Sustaining the viability of rural villages is an ongoing challenge. The National Housing Federation estimates that the average home in the rural South West costs 13 times as much as local incomes. Helliers Lane was one of the four rural schemes featured in its summer 2012 newsletter as an example of ‘Keeping rural communities alive’.”

“The Chartered Institute of Housing has identified that community opposition is one of the five key barriers to successful rural development. It has also pointed out that when local people can be mobilised to support housing development this is a significant plus factor.”

“Managing the detailed consultation process was a vital part of the development of Helliers Lane. A number of well attended public consultation meetings were held, with speakers explaining all aspects of the scheme and the opportunities for local people on low incomes. The vast majority of people welcomed the scheme.”

“The high level of public support, and healthy demand for the homes once built, were a strong indication of how much this scheme was needed in Cheddar. All properties are occupied, many by young families, and demand exceeded supply.”

“As well as meeting local needs, the development has provided a playground and supported local employers like the quarry that provided building materials for the scheme.”

“But the main benefit is enabling people to live in the area they grew up. Some have also been able to return to Cheddar after being forced to leave because of the lack of affordable housing.”

“Rural Exception schemes are vital if we are to meet the needs of local people who face considerable financial barriers to finding a home of their own, not to mention problems with availability. This scheme demonstrates what can be achieved when housing associations, parish and district councils and local people work together to achieve common goals.”

“Helliers Lane is a shining example of how communities can be enhanced by providing quality homes that are built with the support of local people. It is no exaggeration to say that this development has transformed the lives of local residents. And because the properties are built with energy efficiency and the changing needs of residents in mind, they will continue to provide people with safe and secure homes”.

TESTIMONIALS - WHAT THE RESIDENTS SAYHelliers Lane has dramatically improved the lives of local people.

Resident Michael Simpson now has the house he needs to manage his MS after losing his home and newsagent shop. He says: “It is a great house on a great development and I can get around easily in my wheelchair. I know lots of people here from the newsagents and it’s a real community. My life was a nightmare and now it’s turned into a dream. My lifestyle has improved and I’m more independent.”

Another resident to benefit from the scheme is Carol Postings, 68, who was renting in Cheddar before moving in to the scheme in December 2011. She says: “I’m retired and my husband had medical problems so we were desperate to find somewhere. We were on the housing list and when this came up we went to every meeting held about it. At our age on state pensions it’s just amazing to be here.”

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SOUTH LONDON YMCA COMMITTED TO MAKING A LASTING DIFFERENCE TO LIVES AND COMMUNITIESNOTORIOUSLY, homeless accommodation is often very run down, worn out, and unfit for purpose. It is often ugly and regarded by neighbours and the community as a blot on the streetscape. Vulnerable people do not feel good about living in a hostel in the first place and when that accommodation is decrepit and uncomfortable and this only serves to reinforce the stigma.

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South London YMCA has committed to ensuring that wherever possible they will strive to secure funding in order to redevelop hostels and turn them into bright, well designed spaces that not only improve the efficiency, security and safety for customers, but raise their aspirations for themselves. The organisation believes that how you feel about where you live, can reinforce or challenge negative beliefs you have about yourself.

The troubled backgrounds of many of their residents frequently give them the clear message that they are of little worth, are entitled to little and can expect little in the future. A big part of South London YMCA’s job is to challenge these beliefs, and help their customers begin to have faith in themselves, take control of their lives, and build a better future.

“Conversations with our customers show that top-quality, tailor-made accommodation, combined with quality support from kind and caring staff, plays a vital part in this process of re-building self-worth,” says Alex Campbell, Executive Coordinator of the Organisation.

THE ORGANISATIONSouth London YMCA was formed from the merger in 2005 of Croydon YMCA Housing Association and the YMCA of Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark.

The first YMCA meeting in Croydon took place in 1861, with the first accommodation offered at the beginning of the 20th Century and they currently provide Supported Housing to over 450 vulnerable homeless people in Croydon and Lambeth, including young people, ex-offenders, teenage parents, and those with mental health and substance misuse needs. Their services in Lambeth are based in King George’s House, which was built in 1904, with the freehold of the site transferred to the National Council of YMCAs in 1978 and then onto Lambeth YMCA in 1999.

The organisation have almost finished implementing their Asset Management Strategy, which was originally devised in 2006 and was approved by key local authority partners, Croydon Council and Lambeth Council, as well as the Homes and Communities Agency, which has provided grant funding to complement their investment. Their new state of the art buildings range from small, specialist housing services to larger supported

accommodation services.

The Association currently employs around 100 staff, with approximately 10 volunteers and their core business is supported housing..

Support is funded by a grant called ‘Supporting People’ from the Local Authorities. In addition, the organisation collects rent and service charge for their buildings.

MILESTONESIn their years of existence, South London YMCA have achieved a great deal for local communities and reached a large number of milestones:.

• In 1999, the freehold for King George’s House was transferred to Lambeth YMCA.

• In 2004, Croydon YMCA became a corporate trustee of Knights

Millennium Foyer.

• In 2005, the YMCA in Croydon merged with the YMCA of Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark to become South London YMCA.

• In 2009, the redevelopment of their services in Stockwell was completed.

• In 2010, the development of their Mental Health Services, Eva House and Emily House were completed.

• In 2011, the development of Palmer House, their 60 bed service for rough sleepers and those with complex needs, was completed.

• In 2012, two services, Alexandra House, their 80 person supported housing service and Ingram Court, their 44 person young people’s service, were completed.

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SERVICES AND OPERATIONSSouth London YMCA provides a range of supported housing services. These include three large supported housing hostels in Croydon, housing people with a variety of needs including substance misuse and mental health issues, ex-offenders, those who need support with living independently and young people.

Additionally, in Croydon they provide a number of smaller specialist services, including a 44 bed service for young people, a substance misuse housing service and three mental health specialist housing services. They also have a very small number of general needs properties. In Lambeth, they have a large young person’s hostel, with a Teenage Parents’ Service on the same site, as well as general needs accommodation. The supported lodgings service - ‘Community Host’ is also based there - this places young people with host families across London. In addition, they have conferencing facilities on the same site in Lambeth.

Furthermore, the organisation also provides initiatives within their local communities, including events such as a recent community football tournament in Croydon.

RECENT PROJECTSSouth London YMCA recently undertook a complete redevelopment of Alexandra House in Croydon; a large hostel for the single homeless which was old and unfit for purpose. The redevelopment sought to provide accommodation that was not institutional, aspired to have a positive effect on residents’ self-esteem and would afford flexibility to meet the needs of differing client groups in the future, whilst serving the local community and providing a positive addition to the visual landscape of Croydon.

The new building is 10 storeys high, housing 80 people. The top eight floors are for accommodation in a mixture of self-contained studios and specially designed shared flats for two people, with 32 studios and 24 shared flats arranged in electronically controlled clusters. Every unit is 30 square metres, which not only provides very spacious accommodation for single customers, but also allows the flexibility to adapt the service should the customer group change, i.e. provide a mother and baby service or service for couples. Within the shared flats each bedroom has an en-suite bathroom and a kitchen shared

between two people.

The remaining floors provide communal facilities, which include a large recreational area, IT suite, training suite, teaching kitchen, laundry, meeting rooms and staff and community office areas.

Alexandra House was recognised for its excellence by winning the award for ‘Best Project Under £10m’ at the Construction News Awards in July 2012. Whilst in addition, Alexandra House has also been nominated for ‘Development of the Year (Large Schemes)’ at the Chartered Institute of Housing, UK Housing Awards 2013, the winners for which will be announced on Tuesday 16 April.

Our next redevelopment is about to start on site, at Sylvan Hill in the north of the borough of Croydon. Planning permission for this new 80 bed hostel has recently been granted by Croydon Council, with funding secured and the anticipated completion date of early 2015.

Aside from the redevelopment of Knights Millennium Foyer, South London YMCA are planning to expand their work within the local community and this includes running a mentoring programme, providing mentors for over 300 boys ‘at risk’ in Lambeth and Croydon. They are always looking to develop services and create opportunities that make a lasting difference to lives and communities.

COMMITMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENTFor Alexandra House, the organisation ensured that they were contributing positively to the environment. For the project, the construction waste was extremely low, achieving the target of

less than 0.5 per cent of the mass of the total construction materials.

They ensured high insulation and enabled combined heat and power energy generation via photo voltaic panels, generating a guaranteed power supply for the next 20 years. The organisation achieved a BREEAM excellent rating for this highly sustainable building and were awarded an Ecosite Award.

All materials used were from renewable sources and many components have a 30-year life span. They employed a modular build with off-site construction, enabling very high quality control, with minimal waste. The components are robust and durable to withstand the wear and tear associated with running a hostel, with smart card entry control and motion activated CCTV.

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KEEPING OVERHEADS LOW MEANS TUFFSHOP EMERGES STRONGERTHIS month we had the opportunity to speak to Tim Banks, Manager at Tuff Shop, about his role and the company’s upcoming plans.

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WHAT IS YOUR AVERAGE DAY AS MANAGER OF TUFF SHOP LIKE?My role from day to day is a varied one. I could be meeting clients in a morning, and by lunchtime training a new member of staff. On an afternoon I could be looking at new marketing ideas or mucking in with the team. One thing is guaranteed though; I will be cleaning once the staff have gone home! I work long hours but I’m passionate about our business and want the steady growth to continue. I used to be a manager for a different work wear company and whilst I believed in my ideas for taking the company forward, the owners had different ideas. 5 years later, my company is going from strength to strength whilst theirs has moved away from work wear.

HAVE YOU GOT ANY EXPANSION PLANS FOR TUFF SHOP?We intend to grow the company by expanding our online web shop – tuffshop.co.uk. Currently we have over 2000 work wear and PPE products online. We are constantly developing the site by adding products and information, to give the customer the widest choice possible. We are now working with big brands such as Helly Hansen and Blaklader which tends to attract the fashion conscious worker.

I believe there is a huge amount of potential not only for Tuffshop, but for the work wear market in general. 10 years ago very few workers had a dress code which included their company’s logo. Now it’s standard practise. Safety at work is also imperative, so the need for PPE is even greater. In an ever increasing market, Tuffshop would like to evolve with this market.

CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT PROJECTS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE AT THE MOMENT?Tuffshop trades from Lofthouse which is in between Leeds and Wakefield, we ship throughout the UK and Europe and have just started to receive orders as far away as the USA and Australia. Wherever our orders come from we are sure that the customer will be given the same personal level of service.

We have just installed a top of the range digital printer that gives us the ability to print high quality graphics from any format. Experts have trained myself and the rest of the team ensuring we know the equipment inside out.

IF YOU HAD TO NAME ONE KEY AMBITION OF TUFF SHOP, WHAT WOULD IT BE? We would like to become a well known, trusted brand. Whilst we already have a large repeat customer base, we would like to continually grow through our expanding product range and dedication to customer satisfaction. I wouldn’t mind a day off once in a while either!

HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO CONTINUE EXPANDING DURING THE RECESSION? TO WHAT EXTENT?We started Tuffshop in the middle of the recession and have expanded slowly. Initially we didn’t keep many products in stock and only had one printing machine. We now stock a

wide variety of products, have more machines including Digital printers and embroidery machines. We have also recruited more staff.

WHAT HAS HELPED YOU GET THROUGH THE RECESSION?We have from the outset kept our overheads to a minimum and only spend our own money not the banks! We work long hours at times to make sure orders are completed on time and have a very dedicated, likeminded team.

WHAT TRAINING AND BENEFITS DOES YOUR STAFF RECEIVE?Our staff receive extensive training in various software and graphic design packages as well as admin and customer service training. All staff are very hands on and are encouraged to be involved in all areas of the business. Staff never seem to have the same day twice which keeps them motivated and interested. The customer benefits from this as they have a dedicated member of the team working on their order from start to finish.

ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE?We sponsor a local football, cricket and girls’ rugby team as well as a cycling club, it’s a fantastic feeling being asked to sponsor a team and we’re very proud to be able to put our company logo on their team wear.

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AUDLEY RETIREMENT VILLAGES – ROBINSON COURT DEVELOPMENTWE caught up with Audley Retirement Villages about their newest development - Robinson Court.

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Can you give me some history and background into Audley Retirement?

Audley Retirement Villages (Audley) is one of the leading and fastest growing retirement village operators in the UK. The company has led the way in introducing a completely new concept in retirement living; the luxury retirement village.

Audley has built a reputation for the sensitive renovation and redevelopment of important yet neglected buildings. Audley choose properties in substantial grounds and desirable locations, creating the Audley Club and apartments in the centrepiece property, then adding a number of beautifully designed apartments and cottages around it.

Residents own their homes and enjoy full membership of the Audley Club, which provides access to the restaurant, bar/bistro, swimming pool, luxurious treatment rooms and a host of additional services. The result is a genuine village, complete with its own facilities and 24-hour security, yet also forming part of the wider local community.

The first Audley Village opened in Tunbridge Wells in 2000. Audley Retirement now has nine sites in various stages of development across the UK.

How many people are currently employed?

Currently around 300.

Can you tell me a little about the construction of Robinson Court?

Robinson Court is a new phase in the development of Audley St. Elphin’s Park, and a Topping Out ceremony was held in February 2013. Building and interior work is due to be completed thisSpring 2013.

Robinson Court will provide 20 new apartments for older people, which will add to the already thriving community at St. Elphin’s Park. The Village buildings and grounds have a long and fascinating history, with St. Elphin’s House starting life as a private residence, before being used to house a hydro-spa and eventually becoming home to a well-known, and much loved, girl’s boarding school between 1904 and 2005.

Construction is by Cruden.

What factors did you consider when choosing contractors?

Having established a benchmark by

tendering earlier phases of development we now seek to work on a serial basis with 2 to 3 contractors across all of our schemes. This is to ensure that we feed forward lessons learned on each project but also improve the consistency of delivery and quality of our proposition. Larger contractors with a secure supplier base are also important, providing that extra confidence given the wider economic concerns.

How have you ensured that health and safety is/was adhered to during the building work?

Audley retain a full professional team including CDM appointment but we insist on the contractor providing full details of their H&S record both prior to appointment and during construction. We expect immediate attention to any risks identified by the professional team, other visitors and the contractors own team to be addressed and fully rectified.

What will you do to ensure you are contributing positively to the environment?

All our schemes respond to, and respect, their local environment. Most recently at Chalfont St. Peter we have created a new pond which will not only serve as an attenuation feature for surface water drainage, but also is designed to enhance biodiversity on the site.

In addition we are installing a ground source heat pump, PV panels and a CHP plant to provide both heat and power for the development.

Are there any other major projects at the moment that are of specific interest?

See above Chalfont St Peter – planning required 10% sustainability measures and we are achieving over 37%.

Can you tell me about the structure of the Village(s) and how exactly you operate?

Audley is growing fast despite the stagnant property market. The business model allows the company to develop the village, which comprises an average of 100 units based around a heritage property which houses country club style facilities, and then benefit from a dual income stream. These streamscome from retaining the freehold of the properties and running a substantial property management, hospitality and care business.

Individuals who move to an Audley village own their home on a 125 year lease and enjoy independent living with access to flexible care and support should they need it. The village is also a fully secure environment with all maintenance/gardening undertaken by our excellent team.

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9. Can you tell me about the full range of your services and operations?

Audley Retirement Villages enables residents to live an independent and healthy later life in their own homes and in a like-minded community with access to the Audley Club facilities and flexible care and support through Audley Care.

The Audley Club offers a fine dining restaurant, bar/bistro, Health & Wellbeing centre (including treatment rooms, gym and a range of classes) and a swimming pool while Audley Care provides a tailored service based on individual requirements – as much or as little as is needed and delivered to the highest standards.

The villages also offer a range of activities and initiatives such as a Wine Club.

Have you got any present and future plans?

Apartfrom additional phases at our existing sites (Malvern, Edgbaston, Chalfont St. Peter, as well as Mote House, St Elphin’s Park, Clevedon, Inglewood and Binswood) we are negotiating the acquisition of further sites with active discussions on 5 sites at present, but with a focus on the south east.

What sets you apart from others?

Audley pridesitself on consistency and quality. Each village offers the same facilities and the same high service standards but each with its own individual style, a reflection of the environment and local community. No other retirement village operator has such consistency of offer.

In addition to this we have a second to none understanding of our customer base, built on extensive research and segmentation, which means we can respond to the very diverse ambitions of the growing older demographic and tailor our offering accordingly.

If you had to name one key ambition, what would it be?

In construction our aim is to seek ways to maintain high quality of finish but build more quickly. Overall Audley is keen to continue its rapid growth and increase its portfolio of villages, cementing its position as the leading retirement village operator in the UK. Alongside this, the aim is to ensure that credible, alternative and tailored retirement living options

become the norm in society, liberating older people to choose positive downsizing and enjoy a happier and healthier later life.

What are some of the major milestones and achievements you have seen in the last 5 years?

From an organisation that had just one complete village we now have four villages with their main facilities (Audley Club) open, and two more opening this year. This is quite a transformation not just in staff numbers but scale and visibility in the marketplace. There is a growing recognition by customers of the benefits of positive downsizing and moving into this kind of independent living. We are proud of having introduced choice to the retirement living market and of leading the debate on how we as a society best respond to and meet the aspirations of an older demographic.

Has the recession changed the face of retirement villages?

The main challenges have been two fold, firstly with customers sometimes struggling to sell their existing homes (although this is changing with definite signs of a market pick up) and in construction too many contractors squeezing their margins to win tenders and then finding that they have to adopt an adversarial approach to recover their costs (similarly with their sub-contractors who risk insolvency because of their tight margins).

For purchasers positively downsizing to a retirement village can be beneficial from a financial standpoint allowing them to release some equity from their former property and end the situation of being asset rich but cash poor.

Anything else you would like to add?

Audley is confident in its proposition and sees tremendous potential for continued growth.With a growing older population with changing needs and wants the retirement living model presents significant opportunities for investors. The Audley brand is infinitely scalable and positioned to respond to the changing retirement landscape.

From a construction standpoint surprises and delays are always unwelcome impacting on funding but also end purchasers who are keen to move in as quickly as possible.

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ST BASILS - TACKLING MORE THAN YOUTH HOMELESSNESSAS a Specialist landlord, St Basils believe that their responsibilities to their young people go beyond just providing good quality accommodation.

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ABOUT THE ASSOCIATIONSt Basils has now been operating for 40 years; they celebrated 40 years of preventing youth homelessness in October 2012.

On 1st October 1972 the late Revd Les Milner founded ‘St Basils’ as a charity working specifically with younger homeless men, originally opening up the church hall area of deconsecrated St Basils church in Digbeth, Birmingham, to provide basic emergency shelter. Three years later St Basils opened Yardley House, aimed at helping homeless young women and in 1979, St Basils opened Trentham House aimed at supporting homeless young mothers.

Gradually over the years, St Basils has added to its accommodation stock and has built up a range of good quality accommodation to support different needs, from emergency accommodation, fully supported accommodation, longer term accommodation and varying degrees of semi-independent accommodation for both young men and women and young families with babies or small children.

In 1997 those accommodation services expanded into neighbouring Solihull and in 2005 into North Worcestershire.

From the beginning, St Basils has provided advice and assessments to young people to help them access more support. Since 1999, they have added to their prevention services with a family mediation and a schools service.

Since 1998, they have established services specifically aimed at helping young people move on with an accredited life skills programme and resettlement services and ongoing support in young people’s homes for a set period of time.

They have also established structures to ensure the young people are fully involved in reviewing services and decision making and there are procedures in place to ensure staff can consult with young people and young people can feedback. In 2005, they established the Youth Advisory Board, which eight years on is now an integral part of their operations.

Since 2000, St Basils have become a registered Housing Association and achieved Foyer Federation accreditation. They have achieved a number of recognized standards including achieving consecutive Investors in People’s Awards, the Matrix Quality Standard for Information, Advice and Guidance,

becoming an RSL Centre of Excellence and becoming a Level A Supporting People provider.

They have also achieved a number of Awards including the CIH Branch Innovation Award for their Schools Training and Mentoring Project, the federation of Black Housing Organisations National Diversity Award, the National Housing Federation iNbiz Award for Customer Engagement and the Birmingham City Housing Partnership award for Resident Involvement.

STRUCTURE ‘Young people first’ is one of St Basils’ principles to work by and there are structures in place to ensure that their young residents have a say in how the organisation is run.

They have a Youth Advisory Board who meet on a monthly basis and have their own terms of reference separate to the main board. The Chair and Deputy Chair of the Youth Advisory Board are democratically elected by St Basils young people on an annual basis. These young representatives work in partnership with the main board to review the effectiveness of services at St Basils.

The main board of directors consists of 13 members and has two Apprentice Board members annually who are former Chairs and Vice Chairs of Youth Advisory Board. They also draw support from their St Basils Business Support, Service Delivery and Fundraising and External Relations committees. All Board and Committee members are voluntary and offer valuable external advice and best business practice.

SERVICESSt Basils works with young people aged 16-25 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness across Birmingham, Solihull and Worcestershire.

Prevention services

• They have a range of prevention services and 80 per cent of what they do is aimed at preventing youth homelessness happening in the first place.

• They have a 24/7 helpline called Youthline that young people can call for advice.

• They operate a multi-agency ‘Youth Hub’ in Birmingham so that young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness only have to visit one location and can get a full assessment of their needs to find the best solution for them.

• They operate a Schools Training and Mentoring Project with secondary school children aged 13-18 across Birmingham and surrounding areas, raising awareness of how young people can find themselves homeless and where to go for help.

• Family arguments, abuse and breakdown are the biggest causes of youth homelessness. St Basils operate a family mediation service for families who have children aged 13-25 to encourage effective communication.

Accommodation services

• St Basils have 27 Supported Accommodation schemes which offer a range of accommodation from single rooms for individuals, one-bedroom flats for couples and two-bedroom flats for families with young children.

• They also offer a range of different support levels from schemes which are staffed 24/7 onto varying degrees of semi-independent accommodation.

• Across Birmingham, Solihull and Worcestershire they offer Supported Lodgings Schemes. This is particularly for young people who are isolated, have no support networks or have been in Care and are under 18, and is where young people live with host families in the local community.

Preparation for independence and move on services

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All projects offer accredited Life Skills training to train the young residents in all the skills they’ll need such as budgeting, cooking, social skills and basic DIY to ensure they will be able to cope once they’ve moved on to independent living.

They have a comprehensive Learning, Skills and Work team who meet with young residents, and address training needs by arranging external placements and in-house workshops with young people.

They place huge emphasis on youth engagement and have a lot of youth involvement opportunities for young people.

They also offer ‘floating support’ for young people who are at risk of homelessness or have recently moved on from Supported Accommodation to ensure they are coping living on their own and are budgeting effectively and keeping up with paying bills.

UK HOUSING ASSOCIATION AWARD (UKHA) NOMINATION 2013The UKHA nomination is in particular reference to St Basils employability scheme pilot last year with construction and facilities management company Interserve Plc.

St Basils believe that this partnership and the programme which developed was unique and innovative for several reasons. Firstly 11 senior Directors from Interserve took the time to work with 11 homeless young people from St Basils to develop a better understanding of the barriers to employment and the expectations of employers.

Secondly, informed by the young people, the Directors then developed a range of offers, all supported with travel, clothing and food expenses to remove

that barrier for young people. These included structured site visits, work experience from one day to 12 weeks, a senior mentor for each young person, CV and interview techniques and practice, and priority access to entry level jobs following satisfactory completion of a 12 week placement.

Thirdly, as Interserve are involved in construction, engineering and site management including hospitals and schools, in providing this opportunity, the young people had a broad range of careers and experience to choose from, including practical jobs such as electrical and mechanical engineering, or back office roles in admin, HR or IT.

Lastly, the offer from Interserve was not just restricted to opportunities at Interserve. The aim was to encourage young people to think about their futures whether that be at Interserve, somewhere else or in self-employment.

27 young people took part in the pilot programme overall, attending the structured site visits, CV building and interview workshops. 24 young people went from NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) to EET (In Education, Employment or Training) during the course of the programme, 15 young people undertook extended placements and three young people were offered paid employment following their placements with Interserve. An evaluation has been carried out and the learning applied to planning for phase 2 of the programme.

This scheme has laid the groundwork for similar schemes to be launched with other businesses and will mean St Basils can take up offers they have had from Greggs, Wilmott Dixon and The National Federation of Builders.

LOOKING FURTHER AHEADSt Basils have plans to launch an intensive employability programme, ‘Boost’ to support homeless young people who struggle the most to engage in education opportunities and move into employment.

Many of the young people that they work with have experienced a crisis or trauma, crushed from the experience of homelessness, they face enormous barriers to participating in education, training or employment, having no experience of role models that work, poor basic skills and little education.

Their support networks are minimal and may not always include those with a positive influence or the resources to encourage and motivate them to move on into a positive outcome and progress in society. Their trust in the adult world is distorted by their experiences, which leaves them extremely vulnerable without the tools to grapple with the complexities of career planning and aspiration. Their feelings of self-worth and belief in themselves is often minimal which makes them under-confident and low in self-esteem.

Due to many of these factors St Basils are finding that when some young people gain jobs or a place on a course or work apprenticeship, often they are not equipped to keep the job or finish the course. St Basils have identified this ‘hard to reach’ group and their high level support needs as a gap in current provision. Therefore they have designed an intensive employability programme to bridge this gap and address the current high level needs of some of these young people. This will involve working more intensively with young people and designing and implementing a schedule of training and workshops as well as one-to-one sessions to address skills and confidence building to help them overcome their individual barriers.

St Basils also plan to work with external partners and organisations to source

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access to work opportunities with the help of this ‘wrap around’ support that will lead to their development and long-term economic stability. This project aims to help these ‘hard to reach’ young people find routes into employment and activities that will enable them to make a positive impact on society and have a positive impact on their self worth and belief.

They are currently in the process of trying to raise funds and encourage partners to help them to deliver this more intense ‘ Boost’ programme.

ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE LAST YEARDuring 2011-12, St Basils have achieved the following:

• Accommodated 898 homeless young people with 89 per cent of young people moved on in a positive planned way

• 76 per cent of young people re-engaged in education, training or employment (82 per cent are NEET when they come to the Association)

• 87 per cent of young people reported positive outcomes from the family mediation service

• 98 per cent reported overall satisfaction with St Basils’ services

St Basils firmly believe that homelessness should not be part of growing up. Their Vision, Mission, Principles and Practice are firmly focused on that outcome.

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M.K. LESLIE: KEEPING CUSTOMERS SATISFIED SINCE 1983COMMITMENT and loyalty are two qualities that M.K. Leslie Civil Engineering Solutions do not compromise on. Established in 1983 by Keith Leslie, the company has seen significant growth in business from its base in the Shetland Islands, although the headquarters has now been moved to Inverness.

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OVER THE YEARSKeith began with only one excavator with work mainly focussed on agricultural contracting, hill roads, drainage and other similar works. However, M.K. Leslie has since grown and today employ more than 70 people and operate more than 50 construction machines, 20 road haulage vehicles, 10 crushers and seven screening plants. In addition to their staff members, the company also employ subcontractors as and when they are needed.

In 1996 M.K. Leslie began operating on the Scottish mainland with a base in Inverness. After the establishment of a secondary office on the mainland, the company were able to acquire a number of contracts on the mainland with companies such as Balfour Beatty, Morrison Construction Ltd, R J McLeod Contractors Ltd, Forestry Commission, George Leslie Ltd, Robertson Construction Ltd and McInnis Construction among others. Their contracts have included work on a large windfarm and hydro scheme projects.

SERVICESThe company’s Shetland office is now run by Contracts Manager Gary Burns, Operations Manager Douglas Leslie, Construction Manager Ivor Smyth and Admin Officer Jonathon Gifford. Keith manages the company from the Inverness office, working alongside Office Manager Rosanne Leslie and Contracts Manager Colm McGahan.

M.K. Leslie is today involved in civil engineering works throughout Scotland, England and Wales. As well as civil engineering, the company carry out a host of other works including road construction and surfacing, marine works, pipelines, contract crushing, landfill development services, demolition, plant hire ( Shetland, Scotland and the rest of the UK) forestry work and services (Scotland), Sports Pitch Development, Site Surveying Services and Airfield Works.

FUTURE PROSPECTSAlthough the company do not have any immediate expansion plans, there are talks about future growth and development.

“If the economy gets better than expansion is something we would look at,” says the company’s Colm McGahan.

In the meantime, the company will continue keeping their margins tight and resourcing only the jobs they actually have in order to ensure their continued success in a difficult economy. With the success of the plant hire division of the business, their excellent quality labourers and machine operators, and competitive prices, it is not surprising that the company has done and continues to do so well.

COMMITMENT“Our aim is to deliver a flexible and professional approach to providing construction solutions for all our customers, regardless of project size or location. Often working in logistically demanding locations, our experience, expertise and resources - combined with our teamwork approach - have allowed us to build a proven track record” explains Colm.

M.K Leslie are committed to continual improvement through safety, customer satisfaction, delivery of a first-class service, a responsible approach to the environment and respect for the communities where they work.

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PER HIRE BUCKS RECESSION THROUGH INNOVATION AND CUSTOMER SERVICEHIRE company PER Hire is at the forefront of technological advancement with the use of new anti-theft technology developed in-house to protect its fleet.

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ANTI-THEFT“The new technology incorporates tracking and immobilising software, which can be activated from our mobile phones”, explains Managing Director Matthew Munson. “This means that a machine can be tracked or stopped at any given time so if a customer asks us to we can set alerts on our machines, which gives us and them peace of mind. The technology is particularly useful for customers who are concerned about leaving equipment on site once they have gone home for the day. Our construction machinery can be immobilised after working hours, which helps to protect them from the rising theft problem”.

The use of the technology comes after a significant rise in theft of expensive fleet and machinery, which could cost hire companies thousands of pounds every year.

THE COMPANYSet up by Matthew himself about 18 months ago to provide high quality cost effective plant hire in the Thames Valley Area, PER Hire places customer service at the forefront of all its operations.

“I have always had a passion for diggers and bought numerous pieces of construction machinery to build my house. Once the house was built I started hiring out the equipment to friends for their own DIY projects, before deciding to set up PER Hire,” explains Matthew.

Today, PER Hire has £3.5 million worth of equipment, despite being a relatively new company, and serves the Thames Valley construction industry and agricultural sector UK-wide.

“My role is to oversee the company. It is my responsibility to raise finance, if it’s

needed, for new equipment. I help the construction and agricultural managers with decision making if necessary and oversee the running of the accounts,” explains Matthew. The company currently employs 10 staff members who undergo regular training.

Some of the training is mandatory and some of it is staff motivated. There are JCB courses to better understand about machinery operation and some of the staff have done an HGV course.

PRODUCTS AND SERVICESPER Hire offers a range of products including dumpers; excavators; tele-handlers; tractors and groundcare; and trailers and transport. The length of time customers are allowed to hire machinery for is very flexible, as different jobs require varying durations of hire. People can hire the equipment for as little as one day or as long as six months. Most machines can be supplied the next business day with an operator if required.

The products the company offers are dictated by the needs of its customers and currently there is a market push for bigger equipment. As a result, it has recently purchased eight new 13 tonne machines.

The company’s fleet is very new, less than a year old on average. The fact that it can offer decent machinery at good prices means it is winning customers from competitors. PER Hire’s approach to business is a lot more personal than some other companies in the field and it has very strong relationships with customers, ensuring that they are at the centre of operations.

SUCCESS IN A DIFFICULT ECONOMYDespite being set up in the midst of an economic recession, PER Hire has managed to quickly gain an excellent reputation within the hire market, and continues to increase its turnover on an on-going basis.

“I think getting to where we are now in a safe financial position with the number of machines and the customer base that we have is a massive achievement. We have built up a lot in 18 months,” states Matthew.

“The company hasn’t been around for the whole of the recession so fortunately

we haven’t been affected too much. Obviously customers are trying to make savings wherever possible to keep their costs down so rates are tighter across the industry. But the last couple of months have been really busy for us so we’re hoping this will continue. Certainly the general industry consensus is that 2013 is more optimistic than 2012”.

MOVING FORWARDPER Hire is currently in the process of expanding the construction side of the business to meet demand, which is why it has recently bought eight new significantly larger machines. The company is also planning to open another depot within the next few months.

Looking further into the future, PER Hire hopes to replicate the current expansion in other areas of the business, with a particular focus on agriculture.

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COMPETENCE CRUCIAL FOR SUCCESS OF THE YORKSHIRE DEMOLITION AND RECLAMATION COMPANY LTD.STARTING a new business is never easy, but starting just before a major international economic crash is much more difficult. However that was the story for The Yorkshire Demolition and Reclamation Company Ltd, founded in 2008 by Paul Thurlow.

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Paul worked as a Contracts manager in the demolition industry for many years before deciding to start his own demolition business, and despite the down turn in the economy, he has managed to expand the business to a reasonable size and now employs 10 members of staff.

Based in East Yorkshire, the company has managed to achieve an annual turnover of just under £1m in four years, and hope to continue increasing this as the business expands.

SERVICESUsing modern plant, equipment, and hands-on supervision, every job undertaken by The Yorkshire Demolition and Reclamation Company Ltd. is project managed meticulously from start to finish, with a full health and safety risk assessment and method statement being completed beforehand.

The company’s demolition services include:

• Demolition and dismantling • Stripping out work • Excavation, earthwork, and site clearance • Concrete breaking, crushing, and screening • Salvage and reclamation • Recycling of brick and hardcore for re-use • Segregation of materials.

The company also specialise in demolition/asbestos surveys and removal services involving;

• Safe removal of all asbestos • Legal disposal of asbestos • Project Planning and Management • Full on-site supervision • Monitoring and Review • Analytical Work

AMBITIONSDespite being a relatively young company, The Yorkshire Demolition and Reclamation Company Ltd. have gradually become more established and have now a better foothold in the industry, built relationships with clients and are now in a position where they are able to negotiate work as well as tender for it.

Getting where they are today is a

major achievement for the company, as they have been forced to compete with businesses that have been well established and around for a much longer time. They are now seen as one of the established players in the East Yorkshire area.

“The market is coming back slowly, and we are well placed to win any work that comes our way,” says Paul. “We have started at the very bottom and have gradually eased our way into a market alongside well established and respected companies in just a few years. Our aim is to be the first name in Demolition in East Yorkshire; we want to be synonymous within the field in we operate”.

With plans to expand further as the economy improves, the company are hopeful that they will win more work with local authorities and private companies on further challenging projects.

COMPETENCECompetence has been a crucial element in the success of The Yorkshire Demolition and Reclamation Company Ltd. Combined with their attention to detail, good working relationships and thorough health and safety procedures, it is hard to be surprised at what the company has achieved in the short time since its inception.

Professionalism begins at the top of the chain, with Paul taking a very hands-on approach in the running of his company. An average day for him usually includes tendering and estimating, running ongoing demolition projects with senior site staff, preparing safety documentation, site liaison with clients and site meetings.

All of his site staff are trained to Demolition Industry standards. Training is an ongoing process throughout their development within the company, and Paul ensures that they are competent before putting them on any demolition project.. Individual members of staff receive on-going training throughout the year.

The company boast a number of accreditations including CHAS and Constructionline. Additionally, Paul himself is a member of the Institute of Demolition Engineers, which he adds… “fosters the company’s attitude.”

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DYNAMIC HOME IMPROVEMENTS - YOUR NO 1 BATHROOM INSTALLERDYNAMIC Home Improvements (DHI) install bathrooms throughout Glasgow, Lanarkshire and surrounding areas.

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SERVICESOur target market is entirely within the residential market and we execute projects from small en-suites to large bathrooms requiring major renovation which requires a high level of technical expertise and experience. We carry out the entire process using our own employees and never use unreliable, sub-contracted labour. Installations typically include tiling, joinery, electrical and plastering work, of which we do all.

If you are looking for a Glasgow bathroom company to provide outstanding quality at a truly affordable price, then you have come to the right place. Dynamic Home Improvements take immense pride in creating beautiful, modern bathrooms at an unbeatable price every time.

If you are sick and tired of your old 1980s style bathroom then one simple call to this outstanding Glasgow bathroom company is all you need to get the stunning new bathroom you really want at the price you can afford.

PRICES START FROM JUST £2795......which includes your choice from the very latest Italian or Spanish wall and floor tiles, new bath and taps, electric or mixer shower, shower screen, wash hand basin and taps, delivery and complete, stress free installation.

Would you prefer a standard, run of the mill bathroom installation or a stunning, professionally designed and expertly created bathroom which you can be proud of for many years to come for the same price?

Of course you want a wonderful, professionally remodelled new bathroom. You also want amazing value for money and a stunning new addition to your home that you no longer feel embarrassed about when friends and neighbours visit.

W e ha ndle everything for you, from your FR EE desig n throug h to the c om p lete insta lla tion. Our c ustom ers sim p ly c hoose from our ra ng e of top qua lity b a ths, b a sins, show ers, ta p s a nd tiles, then sit b a c k a nd rela x a s the rest is ta k en c a re of b y our tea m of hig hly sk illed c ra ftsm en.

W e g ua ra ntee to b e the b est va lue G la sg ow b a throom insta lla tion c om p a ny there is. Plea se feel free to c hec k out our c ustom er testim onia ls p a g e to see w ha t they ha ve to sa y.

Here are 7 things that this bathroom design Glasgow company promise:

• Completely FREE plan and design. (Simply call 01698 300820 to arrange your appointment)

• Unrivalled craftsmanship. (you deserve the best highly skilled bathroom installers )

• Your project completed on time. (Absolutely no unreliable tradesmen, guaranteed)

• Hassle free customer service. (Got a problem, no worries, we are just a quick call away)

• 100% satisfaction guaranteed. (Your satisfaction is our reputation.)

• Incredible value for money. (No need to pay through the nose for premium quality)

• One stop shop for your bathroom needs. (Designed & installed by our very own craftsmen)

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FACING A DIFFICULT ECONOMY THROUGH SATISFIED CUSTOMERS AND QUALITY WORKQUALITY Drainage Company Ltd (QDC) was started in 2006 by Ben Lawrence with just one van. Since then, the company has grown tremendously and today boasts a healthy turnover, and operates four vans with the help of its eight employees.

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THE MAN BEHIND THE BUSINESS“I had worked for a big blue chip company for many years and decided it was time to put my extensive experience and knowledge into a company that could offer a professional personalised service without the excessive charges of a larger cooperation,” says Ben, who still maintains a very much hands-on role in the business.

“I have many roles - Director, Operations Manager, Business Developer, Supervisor, Engineer, First Aider - but being a small family run business, this helps keep control of the day to day running plus gives that personal service to the customer, as I will be the one the customer speaks with on phone to book an appointment, I could be the engineer that arrives, I supervise all my employees, I attend business development meetings and am First Aider if needed,” explains Ben.

CUSTOMER SATISFACTIONDespite being a relatively young company at the beginning of the economic recession, Quality Drainage have managed to stay on top. Over 75 per cent of the company’s work is won through recommendation according to Ben.

“Without the good recommendations of our clients, who knows if the company would still be running? People don’t always save for that emergency drainage issue but if we are needed people can trust that we will get the best price possible and complete the work to the highest standard. Our testimonials speak for themselves”.

Just a quick look at their website confirms this, with one customer quoted as saying: “We really appreciate working with a company who does what they say they will do when they say they will do it! It’s always a pleasure working with you”.

Further evidence of customer satisfaction is the company’s award for ‘Loved Business in Drainage Category’ voted for by local people.

STANDING OUTQDC cover all aspects of drainage including emergency call out, High Pressure Water Jetting, CCTV surveys, Drain Lining, Excavation & repairs, Installations and Preventative Maintenance contracts.

Quality Drainage Company Ltd pay to provide engineers with Health and Safety, Drain and Sewer, CCTV survey, Drain Lining Training, pay for engineers to hold valid CSCS cards and obtain CRB checks.

All employees are given a Health and Safety Induction on their first dayand they are given full Health and Safety information including handouts, leaflets and the company’s Health and Safety Policy. Toolbox talks are given on a regular basis and engineers are involved in writing risk assessments and method statements.

The company also has an Environmental Policy which they stick to which states that they recycle all their paper and cardboard, print double sided, all equipment/lights are switched off when not in use and they use a licensed Waste Clearance Company.

All the company’s vehicles are always kept clean and presentable showing that they take pride, and all their engineers areCRB checked and carry ID badges. QDC are fully insured and have a Health and Safety Representative, and they are also members of many accrediting bodies as well as, of course, being an Award Winning Company!

As a family run business, QDC are able to give 100 per cent customer satisfaction as their home address is their registered address and Ben’s wife Sarah does not want and has never had an unhappy customer on the door step according to Ben!

The company are proud members of a large number of accreditations includingConstructionline, Checkatrade and Safe Contractor and their current aim is to gain IS09001 accreditation as well as winning a contract with a local council.

As Ben quite aptly states: “We are not your average drainage company we are your Quality Drainage Company!”

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THOROUGH FOCUS ON HEALTH AND SAFETY WINS ABINGDON AND WITNEY COLLEGE INTERNATIONAL SAFETY AWARDWINNER of the International Safety Award,Abingdon and Witney College, is a medium sized further education college in Oxfordshire with approximately 4000 full time equivalent students and 400 staff.

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The college has three main sites and a further two smaller specialist sites including a Construction Skills centre in Witney. The Witney Campus, which was the focus of their International Safety Award submission has, in the last three years, undergone a huge transformation culminating in its official opening in July 2012 by Prime Minister David Cameron [Witney’s local MP].

Abingdon & Witney College was dubbed as Oxfordshire’s most successful College for progression to university or employment and the most highly rated by its learners. (Source: Department for Business, Innovation and Skills ‘FE Choices’ 2010-11). They hope to be recognised as a progressive college that transforms lives and secures futures by providing only the best teaching, education and training.

WINNNG THE AWARDAbingdon and Witney College is led by a Senior Management Team (SMT) that cares about the health, safety and welfare of its staff and students. They have demonstrated this in many ways but perhaps the level of authority and freedom given to the Head of Health and Safety is key. This role is not tied down with targets or results but has a real hands on approach. The SMT allows actions and decisions to be taken, including those with a budgetary implication, without SMT interference. Knowing this the staff are always happy to talk things through with the Head of HS.

John Revis, Head of Health and Safety at the College said: “I have been Head of Health and Safety for the past two years, prior to that I worked at the college as a Lecturer and Work Based Learning Manager. I have control of all aspects of HS across all sites and all areas of work off site, including Work Experience and Apprentices.”

“A major part of my role is in the continuous audit and inspections of the workplace and documentation. This process allows staff to see HS in action and to know we will follow up any issues identified. I am also active within our staff training programme delivering bespoke short courses to staff and British Safety Council qualifications to staff and students. My role is a highly demanding but hugely enjoyable.”

“We hope that winning this award will show prospective students and their parents that we are a college who puts safety high on the agenda and that students will be learning in a safe and healthy environment. We are also aware of the expertise in Health and Safety at the college and intend to expand our portfolio of courses to include a wider range of HS provision to local businesses”.

HEALTH AND SAFETY IN PRACTICE“I rewrote the college Health and Safety Policy in 2011 in line with HSG 65 with far more detail in the organisation than before. Itis updated each yearand approved by the college Corporation Board and signed by Principal, Teresa Kelly, and Chairman of our Board, Stephen Dexter. Once this has been completed it is posted on the Health and Safety pages of the intranet and staff are made aware and reminded of the requirement to read and comply with the content,” says John.

Each year the HS department at the college identify three key objectives for the coming year. This year the objectives will be:

Communicate – They are looking at different methods of making sure that staff, students, contractors and stake holders are aware of expectations with regard to HS. This includes better inductions to staff, students and contractors. They have also produced a monthly newsletter for staff and increased the membership on all their HS committees to include students and staff.

Clarity – many oftheir policy, procedures and guidance notes were written in great detail but without any consideration of the reader. All documentation is under review with the aim of producing systems that are not only clear and readable but also ensure our compliance.

Transparency – they have no secrets! They need to be able to have all processes and documentation instantly accessible by staff and outside agencies. They are investing in an online Fire Risk Assessment tool and CoSHH management tool.

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STAFF TRAINING AT THE CORE OF VOLTCOM’S INCREASED CAPABILITIESVOLTCOM is a power transmission service provider, operating on a truly global scale via its network of departments and international divisions maintained by its head office in the United Kingdom. The company was formed in 2006.

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Working closely together with their own group of companies, clients and the community, Voltcom has become an industry leader bringing innovative design and pioneering solutions, not only to its own structure but in assistance to that of their partners and clients.

Their capabilities operate across all power networks in new construction, maintenance and refurbishment of High Voltage transmission from 132kv to 400kv HV transmission.

They also have a training department which delivers a number of bespoke training courses to the Overhead Power Lines (OHL) Industry

WINNNG THE AWARDAbingdon and Witney College is led by a Senior Management Team (SMT) that cares about the health, safety and welfare of its staff and students. They have demonstrated this in many ways but perhaps the level of authority and freedom given to the Head of Health and Safety is key. This role is not tied down with targets or results but has a real hands on approach. The SMT allows actions and decisions to be taken, including those with a budgetary implication, without SMT interference. Knowing this the staff are always happy to talk things through with the Head of HS.

John Revis, Head of Health and Safety at the College said: “I have been Head of Health and Safety for the past two years, prior to that I worked at the college as a Lecturer and Work Based Learning Manager. I have control of all aspects of HS across all sites and all areas of work off site, including Work Experience and Apprentices.”

“A major part of my role is in the continuous audit and inspections of the workplace and documentation. This process allows staff to see HS in action and to know we will follow up any issues identified. I am also active within our staff training programme delivering bespoke short courses to staff and British Safety Council qualifications to staff and students. My role is a highly demanding but hugely enjoyable.”

“We hope that winning this award will show prospective students and their parents that we are a college who puts safety high on the agenda and that students will be learning in a safe and healthy environment. We are also aware of the expertise in Health and Safety at the college and intend to expand

our portfolio of courses to include a wider range of HS provision to local businesses”.

INCREASING Voltcom have increased the capabilities of their workforce and Management teams to position the company for the expected growth in global requirements for the expansion of high voltage power lines. They have identified and harnessed sound working relationships with leading players in the industry and increased their workload with a strong performance and exemplary Health and Safety Performance while carrying out their work. These combined factors have been key to them beating the difficult economy.

“We had a lean period in 2009-10 but have more than doubled our workforce during the last two and a half years,” says the company’s HSE Manager Brendan Fogarty.

Brendan manages the company’s 9001, 14001 and 18001 Management systems, carries out audits within the offices and also on their live sites on their performances against the procedures within the Management systems and also regular H&S and Environmental inspections on all of their live sites.

Furthermore, he is also involved in staff inductions and training in aspects of Health, Safety and Sustainability. He attends regular Health and Safety forums with industry bodies as well as attendance at regular client H&S briefings and forums.

In addition to all of the above, Brendan is also involved in setting objectives and targets in the area of H&S and Sustainability and monitoring Voltcom’s performance in these areas. He is currently working with a company called Luminous to review and update Voltcom’s website.

STAFF TRAINING With an aim to grow the business internationally and become a leading player in the global industry, staff training is key at Voltcom. They have approximately 180 site operatives working in the field backed up by office staff of 15 based in their head office in Abercynon, Wales, Doncaster and Manila in the Philippines

All the company’s field staff are fully trained to industry standards and they

operate an in-house training programme, spending approximately £10000 per operative each year, with regular updates using the very latest techniques available within the industry.

The company monitors their staff qualifications through their Progsafe system which collates the qualifications and training plans for all their operatives. This system was developed by Voltcom and is now available and used by other leading companies within the industry.

ACCREDITATIONS Voltcom have certified Management systems in 9001, 14001 and 18001.

They are an accredited centre with Energy & Utility Skills Council and have recently gained an additional accreditation with City & Guilds for NVQ/QCF centre status.

City & Guilds for NVQ/QCF centre status has also been granted for their Philippines operational office, based in the capital, Manila.

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MAINTAINING CUSTOMER RELATIONS IS WHAT LIFT LTD DO BESTFAMILY-RUN mini crane hire company Lift Ltd put a lot of effort into maintaining a good relationship with customers, with the added personal touch.

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SERVICESFollowing the success of their sister company, Darrenlee Construction, the company started up in 2008 with just one spider crane. Their success led to the purchase of more machinery, and soon the company began hiring out to companies they had existing working relationships with.

Over the next few years, the company grew into the large mini crane hire company it is today. They have an excellent reputation and offer customers reliable services and equipment. Lift Ltd run a fleet of mini cranes, trailer cranes, and additional lifting and hire equipment. They have our own appointed person for planning lifting operations, and many versatile operators on their books for many different types of machines. Working hand in hand with Darrenlee construction, a steel erection company, Lift Ltd are able to offer on-site assistance and advice.

The company have 10 operators, slinger/banksman, crane supervisors, and can add to that using Darrenlee Construction personnel, who currently have 36 or more operatives ranging from steel erectors and fabricators, to welders and plant operators. Both companies have various site safety passports, CPCS, CSCS, SSSTS, ECTIB, PTS and SHEA UTILITIES in GAS, WATER and ELECTRIC”

CUSTOMER RELATIONS“We put a lot of effort into our personal relationships with all of our customers from the domestic one-man band builder, to the large companies who spend a lot of money with us. We treat them all the same and take just as special care and consideration with each customer. Also, our equipment is well maintained and we believe this keeps our reputation for reliability strong and dominant,” explains Kevin …, Hire Manager at the company.

As Hire Manager, Kevin’s role is to look after new and existing customers, look at

the work and help clients with finding the right and most economic hire solution for them He also looks after the company’s website, advertising and marketing, as well as the health and safety side to the services with lift plans and method statements.

According to Kevin, it is the company’s working relationships that has been an asset to them through the difficult economy.

“We know that when times are hard, and our customers need to continue with their work to earn the revenue to continue, we will work with them through the hard times.In that respect we will happily go the extra mile in getting the work completed safely in order to be able to continue for the future, and to reduce costs to allow our customers to win the work. We also have excellent relationships with our customers and they have helped us through the recession by continuing with our services through the difficult times”.

With the company’s ambition to be the most reliable mini crane hire company in the UK, providing a one stop shop for lifting solutions, maintaining these relationships with customers is vital and something they do very well.

TODAY AND BEYONDLift Ltdhave recently become a member of the LEEA Organisation, the most recognised lifting equipment association in the UK. They have also been involved in the London Olympics 2012, where they assisted their customers in developing some of the key landmark construction projects in the country, like the Olympic stadium itself, and the surrounding structures on the Olympic park.

Presently, the company is aiming toward expanding their fleet and are are always looking for new machines to buy, as well as keeping their existing machines and equipment in perfect condition for reliability.

Their future plans are to expand their services even more by running machinery out of their second depot in the London area, so that they can offer competitive and reliable services at either end of the country. Once this depot is up and running, they will look at pushing their machinery and services further into the industry.

HEALTH, SAFETY AND THE ENVIRONMENTLift Ltd work closely with an external health and safety advisory company, who’s daily task is to be up to date with regulation changes and legislation news. They then have the advisors implement the changes to their operations. The company take health and safety very seriously and are Safecontractor/Exor accredited and maintaining safety remains their number one priority.

“As we keep our machines well maintained, this is our initial approach to keeping fuel consumption and waste production to a minimum,” says Kevin.

The cranes run on a combination of gas, lpg diesel and electric. Lift Ltd also hire out the SUTBUSTA for use on vehicles and machinery for other hire companies.

The company have also teamed up with CAWDELL who have designed and produced a Diesel exhaust emissions purifier unit called the SUTBUSTA. This is a device they attach to their cranes that eliminates the particulate in escaping into the atmosphere, reducing the danger to humans as well.

The company dispose of all of their own liquids and waste correctly, never leaving any waste on a job or site.

“The great thing about working with Lift Ltd is that there is an extended family attitude toward each other, everybody enjoys the work, and that everything is shared from excitement to personal issues, we support each other,” concludes Kevin.

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ENCOURAGING SUSTAINABLE BUILDING THROUGH A ONE-STOP SHOPHAVING more people building more sustainably is a phenomenon that Ecomerchant would like to see across the UK.

Formed in 1998 by an entrepreneurial ecotype, Ecomerchant has been trading under its current name since. The company’s focus is on ethical trading, healthy buildings and sustainable construction. Their ambitions include having sustainable and ‘green’ construction the default within the UK.

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SERVICESWorking from their Head Office in Swindon which is based in the National Self Build and Renovation Centre (NSBRC), the five members of staff aim to sell sustainable building materials to self-builders, merchants, eco-installers and builders, and the general public sector.

“Self-builders are very keen on education themselves,” says the company’s Will Kirkman, “For most people they are only going to be building their own home once, so they want everything to be perfect. As a result, they do a lot of research, and we aim to support them with this”.

Ecomerchant not only provide their customers with sustainable building materials from foundation to ridge, but they also work at understanding the motivations of their customers, giving equal focus to providing information to ensure their customers have spent money on products well-suited to them without being overwhelmed by the extensive range available.

PRODUCT RANGEAs an independent company that supports ethical trading, Ecomerchant always consider the environmental merits of every product before including them in their ranges, opting not to sell products which cause excessive environmental impact.

According to Will, the aim of their comprehensive product range is to ensure that the client’s entire house/building is the most efficient it can possibly be - which is why they only promote products that render the best results in this regard. However, the company acknowledges that customers also want products that are aesthetically pleasing, and so aim to deliver the best on both fronts.

“Ensuring that our products are effective and look good keeps the brand doing what it says it does,” explains Will.

RESILIANCEIt is perhaps their focus on delivering the best to their customers that has made Ecomerchant a resilient brand, even during a difficult economy.

“People want us to be around, and that is why we are still here,” says Will. There are many factors that set Ecomerchant apart, among them are their commitment to continual improvement, the mechanics of how they do things, the way they relate to customers, their constant ambition to make choosing the right products easier and their commitment to assist their customers to make informed and educated choices.

“For most of our customers, everything is new, every stage of the process in unique. We want to make the entire process from start to finish easier for them,” says Will.

Ecomerchant has seen continual growth, with a 20-30 per cent increase in their online traffic and enquiries. The company is hoping to expand online sales over the next two quarters of the year. To ensure they reach their targets, they plan to increase their online range and product range in general, and are hoping to look at introducing a specialised garden products range.

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Documents

National Constrcution Magazine Issue 108