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National Express board UK victory bus for employee wellness initiative
National Express has been named best in the UK for their employee wellness initiative at the British HR Awards held in London earlier this year.
Showcasing two initiatives, National Express came out on the top spot amongst entries from over 100 different organisations across the country.
Judges at the awards evening gave special praise for the transport company’s innovative Health Bus - a mobile health facility which travels across sites to allow employees with varied working patterns to access medical checks.
The National Express Health Bus was launched in 2014 and has reached over 11,700 employees. It was introduced following comments in an annual employee survey, which praised employee safety awareness and asked for similar support in health and wellbeing.
It is no exaggeration to say that the Health Bus has saved lives – with early identification of potentially serious conditions giving employees the chance to book follow-up appointments with their doctors and receive the treatment they need. The Health Bus also takes some pressure off the NHS as confidential advice is provided during visits.
Operated by a health coach and coordinator, physical health checks onboard include BMI, body fat, visceral fat, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose. Confidential discussions also take place around levels of exercise, smoking, alcohol, satisfaction with daily energy levels, sleep, work-life balance and stress levels.
National Express has also introduced a new ‘Mood Circles’ initiative as part of their mental health and wellbeing focus - to help normalise conversations around mental health. This initiative was again singled out for praise at the British HR Awards, for encouraging employees to openly communicate their day-today feelings and access support where needed.
Rachel James, UK Human Resources Director for National Express, said: “We are delighted to have been named as having the Best UK Employee Wellness Initiative at the British HR Awards.
“Employee wellness is at the heart of everything we do and this award really recognises all the hard work the teams have put into making these initiatives possible.
“Both initiatives are a real credit to the teams who built and run them. With the backdrop of Covid-19, there has been an intensified need to take a more proactive approach towards employee health and wellbeing. It’s been great to see the positive impact that both strategies are having on our people.”
Nate Harwood, Founder of New Possible and British HR Awards judge said: “The British HR Awards have a single aim, to recognise the organisations and individuals that are shaping a new possible for the future of work.
“We believe that a great experience is essential to building a healthy business and we’re immensely proud to celebrate the leaders that are being bold, transforming the people experience and helping to showcase the best of British HR. Congratulations to all the Winners and Finalists.”
The British HR Awards is an annual campaign that sets out to discover and celebrate the organisations and individuals that are truly passionate about delivering a world-class people experience.
For details of all vacancies and career opportunities at National Express, visit careers.nationalexpress.com
The value in customer research
As an ambitious and growing organisation in the field of risk management Leamington based Risk Evolves need to demonstrate that they are achieving the same levels of compliance that they are encouraging and advising their clients to achieve.
To this end Risk Evolves ascribe to the ISO9001 standard. This determines that they must understand whether they meet the requirements of their clients. What is more part of their strategy for growth is to be recognised as a thought leader in their field. As Helen Barge, MD of Risk Evolves says ‘We can only truly achieve that if we know that we’re not just meeting expectations, but exceeding them.’
The challenge is, that getting that honest feedback is difficult. Survey responses are low and offer limited insight into how things can be improved. Internally conducted customer research is compromised by the mutual desire to ‘not to offend’. So the independent and anonymous qualitative research that Engage Member Glued offers looked like a suitable methodology for getting the information to not only meet the requirements of ISO9001 but also to monitor the progress towards exceeding client expectations.
Glued advised Rsk Evolves on how to approach a cross section of clients and prepared a set of questions as the guide for questions. Glued gently approached the candidate respondents to set dates in the diary to have the conversation. At the appointed date Glued re-iterated the purpose of the call and the fact that the respondent’s feedback would be anonymous to allow for openness. The conversations were conducted in an open-ended manner allowing for exploration of unexpected topics and individual expression.
Glued collated the results into categories formed by the themes that arose and presented those to Risk Evolves covering: • Style of service • Level of Performance • Areas for improvement • Reason for choosing Risk Evolves • Quotes • Comparison to competitors • Would they recommend Risk Evolves and why
Risk Evolves has the evidence it needs for ISO9001, pointers on how to improve services and a rich source of testimonials which, subject to Glued securing specific approval to do so, can be attributed.
Helen Barge, Managing Director of Risk Evolves summed up the benefits as follows: “The qualitative approach is key. We’ve always said that we want a long term relationship with a client and don’t see them as just another ‘transaction’. If we did a multiple choice trustpilot / google type review, that’s transactional. Taking the time to want to listen to their feedback, I think, shows that we value and want to invest in the relationship and aren’t taking it for granted.”
A Coventry hotel which defied the Covid odds to open and has won national acclaim is marking its first birthday with an extra cause to celebrate.
The Telegraph Hotel, a 4-star hotel situated in the city centre, opened in May 2021 after its original launch date was postponed several times because of the Coronavirus pandemic lockdowns and the tier system.
The plight of the hotel was featured in national and international media as opening plans were repeatedly shelved, but the first year has proved a commercial success,
Since then, the hotel, recently named as one of the prestigious Sunday Times 100 Best British Hotels, has taken 30,000 room bookings and welcomed 50,000 overnight guests - who have got through over 44,000 toilet rolls.
The Generators outdoor rooftop bar at the Corporation Street-based hotel is proving to be a smash hit, with more than 16,000 cocktail lovers purchasing one of the hotel’s signature cocktails in the last 12 months.
Those figures have seen it record in excess of £2 million in sales, surpassing targets and expectations – and cause for further celebration.
Amy Windsor, General Manager of the Telegraph Hotel, said the commercial success was the ideal birthday gift at the end of the first year.
She said: “It’s been a whirlwind journey for us so far, and I can’t quite believe we’re celebrating our first birthday and to hit that figure is a real bonus.
“We’re incredibly grateful for the great feedback we’ve received from visitors in our first year of inception and are delighted by the support shown by our fellow Coventrians and the rest of the public over the past twelve months. “To record over £2 million in sales, surpassing targets and expectations along the way, is something we’re proud of and indicates to us that our efforts to provide an elite level of service to all of our guests are bearing fruit.
“Our cool Mid-Century style and 1950s theme has been received well– and we’re looking forward to welcoming Telegraph Hotel newbies, as well as old friends, to sample the atmosphere and immerse themselves in our hospitality.”
The Telegraph Hotel, created by Complex Development Projects from the then-unused former Coventry Telegraph offices as part of a two-year, £20 million investment programme, have 88 individually designed air-conditioned bedrooms available to prospective guests, including loft style penthouse suites on two levels.
The hotel is operated by Bespoke Hotels, the largest independent hotel company in the UK, and features an all-day cocktail bar and restaurant dining experience called Forme & Chase, a rooftop bar with unique views over Belgrade Plaza and versatile function rooms that can cater up to 140 delegates.
Brian Harrabin (CDP), Councillor Jim O’Boyle (Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change at Coventry City Council), Amy Windsor and Ian Harrabin (CDP)
For further information about the Telegraph Hotel visit www.telegraph-hotel.com
What you need to know about Engineering patents
What is a patent?
A patent is granted by the government to the applicant. This gives the applicant the right for a limited period to stop others from making, using or selling an invention without the permission of the applicant.
What do you have to look out for when filing for an Engineering patent?
• One of the important aspects of patenting an invention to remember is that once the marketing of a product begins, the public becomes aware of your invention.
Although part of patenting an invention does include publicising the invention, the patent itself can protect your market share and give you legal grounds to pursue anyone who would copy your invention.
• The difference between protecting your invention with a Patent or a Trade Secret is important information for engineers to understand. Whilst a Patent can protect your innovation, a Trade Secret protects valuable, secret information. Such as data client lists and software secret.
To read the full article by Pure Ideas Ltd visit https://pure-ideas.co.uk/news
Alsters celebrates one year with new website
It's been just over a year since we launched the Alsters Kelley brand refresh and new website. Looking back, it's incredible how much has changed in that time – both for the firm and the world at large.
When we started the project, our website was at least five years old and didn't necessarily give visitors an accurate sense of who we were as a firm of solicitors. The firm had evolved; one significant progression being the expansion into Stratford-upon-Avon through the acquisition of Bonell & Co. We knew we needed a refresh to better reflect our values and position ourselves as the approachable and forward-thinking solicitors Alsters Kelley had grown to be.
We also wanted to ensure a cohesive online experience for our clients, making it easy for them to find the information they needed no matter what device they're using.
Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded midway through the project, which presented some unique challenges. But thanks to the hard work of everyone involved, we were able to adapt and ultimately deliver an exceptional website that better meets the needs of our clients.
We embarked on a brand refresh to better align our visual brand with our company values, which put the client first in everything we do. The new branding included a refreshed logo, a colour palette representing each department, an illustration for each office, and a refreshed website that’s easier for our clients to use.
The new website is easier to navigate, faster to load, and adapts well to mobile and tablet devices. New content was written to help potential clients find us when searching for a local solicitor online. The department pages include frequently asked questions to help prospective clients make a decision about what steps they may need to take, and whether Alsters Kelley is the right firm for them. We are very pleased with the result of the refresh, which has better aligned our online and offline presence with our company values.
For more information visit https://www.alsterskelley.com/
Law firm launches litigation funding with DBA option
For the first time, Stratford-upon-Avon law firm Shakespeare Martineau is to offer damages-based agreements (DBAs) as part of its portfolio of litigation funding options called FeeManage.
DBAs – a fairly new addition to English law – are contingency-based agreements where legal fees are payable as a percentage out of the damages received in the event a case is successful. Shakespeare Martineau is proud to be in a position to offer DBAs as part of its FeeManage proposition.
If a DBA is entered into and the pre-determined success criteria is achieved but the recovery from the losing party is relatively low, the DBA percentage fee from recovered monies may be a sum significantly less than that which would have been payable by the client on a normal retainer basis or pursuant to a conditional fee arrangement (CFA) – meaning an increased shared risk between client and legal advisors.
In addition to DBAs, the firm is working with a variety of funders to offer third-party funding (TPF) and after the event (ATE) insurance in combination with CFAs as potential options. Unlike competitors, Shakespeare Martineau is not tied to a single funding provider to flex requirements and offer full or part funding for litigation claims.
Barry Jervis, partner and litigation expert at Shakespeare Martineau, said: “Too often businesses are put off from pursuing debts and assets that are rightfully theirs due to the associated costs, impact on the balance sheet and risk.
“Litigation was buoyant across the country before the pandemic and, as we emerge into a post-pandemic economy, we can expect disputes to increase further. However, the costs of litigation are climbing sharply, alongside increasing numbers of businesses experiencing cashflow issues as a fall-out from the pandemic.
“Our new ‘FeeManage’ service helps to reduce the financial risk of litigation. Every individual and every business is unique and while traditional CFAs might work for one client, third party funding might be more appropriate for another. Whatever the size or complexity of the litigation, we have an option that will suit.”
For more information visit https://www.shma.co.uk/
Regal rendezvous by residents for residents
Residents of Houlton in Rugby are reminiscing fondly on the community spirit that was showcased as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations and giving thanks to the team of residents who coordinated proceedings.
Volunteers who form the Houlton Residents Events Group pulled out all the stops to bring the community together to mark the iconic celebrations. Shared spaces across the development, including Dolman Farm, The Barn and the playpark, were buzzing with residents, who came together to commemorate the Queen’s 70 years on the throne.
From sumo wrestling, football shootouts and traditional noughts and crosses, neighbours took part in a host of activities designed to bring people together and ignite a sense of community and competition amongst residents.
A selection of Houlton residents, and neighbours who joined the celebrations from nearby Rugby, also set up shop to showcase crafts, art, handmade treats, and gifts for guests to peruse and purchase on the day.
Laura from Bear Bakes was on hand to tantalise everybody’s taste buds with her delicious, sweet treats whilst Emily and Ryan from The Warwickshire Wax Co bought along a vast array of luxury handmade candles, wax melts and burners.
Sophie from Oh My Gifts showcased her personalised selection of name gifts and Tracey from Trace on Paper shared her beautifully bespoke animal portraits for pet and wildlife lovers.
Local band ‘The Intruders’ entertained crowds into the evening, playing rock covers and hits from across the decades which kept everybody up dancing and singing along together.
Kyle Smith, communities and partnerships lead at Urban&Civic, said: “We’re lucky at Houlton to have a group of residents who truly support and champion one another and this event further reinforced that true community spirit!” Steve Ellard from Houlton’s Resident Group said: “My experience left me lost for words due to the hard work everyone had put in, not just on the day, but for all the weeks of dedicated time given prior to the event. It was also amazing to see what our Houlton residents had to offer.”
Houlton community supports new Ukrainian residents
Residents of the Houlton development have joined forces for a community meet and greet with their new Ukrainian neighbours.
The gathering, which took place at The Barn in Houlton, gave 25 women, young adults and children from Ukraine the opportunity to meet, make new friends and to share donations collected by the local community.
Initiated by Houlton’s residents’ group, the event was created to bring together Ukrainian refugees with other Ukrainians who have moved in with UK host families as part of the Homes for Ukraine initiative.
The community came together in their droves to make the event a success, donating clothes and toys, as well as providing and making refreshments for those in attendance.
The Urban&Civic community team donated refreshments and use of The Barn, whilst The Tuning Fork team provided cups for teas and coffees.
Hannah Craig, office & community facilities coordinator at Urban&Civic, said “This event was a true showcase of what an amazing community we have here at Houlton.
“The residents came to us to see how we could support in hosting a meet and greet event and within less than 24 hours, with the support of the wider community, we were able to pull off a great event that brought the neighbourhood together. “Everyone pulled together to make it a success and what a fantastic end result. It was heart-warming to see the coming together of friends and neighbours and the blossoming of new friendships too!”
Do I have to work if it’s too hot?
With many parts of the UK – including the West Midlands – likely to experience temperatures exceeding 30 degrees on occasions during the summer, Mike Hibbs, employment partner at law firm Shakespeare Martineau, discusses what businesses should be doing to ensure their employees stay cool – wherever they’re working.
The fact that many employees are still working from home does not mean employers can suddenly forget their health and safety responsibilities. Plus, if people are uncomfortable, it’s difficult to maintain a productive workplace.
Employers usually rely on air conditioning and ventilation to regulate temperatures within the workplace. However, with many employees still working at home they may not have this option, with their only means of keeping cool to open windows.
This could lead to the potential disturbance from street noise and neighbours when trying to make telephone or video calls, and therefore can make this option impractical.
Businesses should think about what else they can do to be of practical assistance; for example, by providing workers with electric fans if appropriate.
For those employees who have returned to the workplace, although there is a minimum working temperature of 16 degrees, currently there is no maximum temperature.
This is because some work environments, such as a bakery or foundry, will reach higher temperatures far quicker than in an office. Therefore, it’s difficult to set an appropriate limit for all.
Employers have no legal obligation to ensure suitable working temperatures. However, they do have a duty of care for their employees, so must provide a safe environment where staff are not at risk of falling ill from the heat.
With regards to the usual workplace, installing air conditioning or making sure there is always access to cold water could form part of this.
To protect workforce wellbeing when remote working is in place, employers should follow a sensible plan. This should involve line managers checking in with staff at least once a day and reminding employees to stay hydrated and take proper breaks.
For those employees who’ve returned to the workplace, in hot weather, businesses should consider relaxing the rules around restrictive clothing, such as ties.
