Construct, March 2012

construct March 2012

working well together

What’s been going on ‘ere then?

P Casey (Land Reclamation) Ltd are about to embark on a new contract for Lancashire Constabulary at their Hutton headquarters near Preston. This new contract is larger than one we delivered to this client exactly three years ago. The works comprised the upgrading of the police vehicle car park and the car park had to remain in use during the construction phase. In that instance, we completed three weeks early to the delight of the client.

Casey is delighted to have undertaken DDA alteration and refurbishment works to 23 Police Stations for West Yorkshire Police as part of the Yorbuild Construction Framework. So far the Building division, P Casey & Co Ltd, has completed 3 phases valued at £700,000.

The new scheme comprises drainage, infrastructure, kerbs, drop crossings and footpaths, as well as an upgrading of the main staff and police vehicle car park and entrance road. Lighting and fencing works are also included, with some soft landscaping to complete the works.

The key client requirement was to improve public access to designated external and internal areas within the various Police premises throughout West Yorkshire.

The same team who carried out the original contract will be at work here and coincidentally, it will be carried out at the same time over the Easter break. Our intention is to complete ahead of programme as we did last time.

Works included internal refurbishment and alteration works to welfare facilities and reception areas, and external alterations to provide new disabled ramps, steps, paving, handrails, signage and new disabled parking bays.

The works were undertaken in live Police Stations so client liaison was key to the success of the scheme.

The Casey companies each have their own specific focus, resourced by staff with specialist skills. Whilst each company operates independently, they regularly work closely together. This gives the Casey group the ability to successfully deliver a wide range of projects for various sectors, offering a seamless joinedjoined-up approach across all our areas of expertise.

The first project on behalf of the University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust at the Wythenshawe Hospital has just been completed by Casey.

Casey has been recently been awarded Contractor Partner status on the Cheshire East framework and has successfully completed the first project at Crewe Library. The client’s brief was to undertake a fast track internal refurbishment programme over the Christmas period. Casey’s building division have extensive experience in providing clients with high quality fit-out schemes under tight deadlines and we completed the project on time, much to the delight of the client.

The scheme focused on internal and external improvement works to offices in the hospital, including a comprehensive window replacement package.

To submit articles or information for this newsletter, contact Debbie Hubbard on 07834 867580 or debbie.hubbard@casey.co.uk.

construct Local Labour for Gamesley At Casey, we take our Corporate Social Responsibility seriously and one area of this is the employment of local labour wherever possible on the schemes we undertake.

Over the years the continued success of this initiative has led us to develop our own ‘Local Labour Policy’ that we aim to deploy as standard on new projects.

The Energy Efficiency scheme we are working on at Gamesley for High Peak Community Housing is a great example of our policy in action. On this scheme we are currently employing 9 people who live on the estate we are working on, or in the local vicinity.

At the end of February, Derbyshire County Council and High Peak Borough Council held a “Leap into Apprenticeships” Event at Gamesley. John Walmsley, Casey Labour Manager, made a presentation to young people from the estate about what an employer looks for when looking to take on apprentices. Getting the attention of and engaging young people can be difficult, but John made an impression and immediately after the event he was approached by Scott Hinchcliffe who lives on the estate. Scott had studied plastering at college but had been unable to find work in that field. Within a week he secured employment on the project as a renderer and we look forward to monitoring his progress. Well done Scott!

HEALTH AND SAFETY Release that tension When you are busy, under pressure and feeling stressed, tension can quickly build up in your neck, shoulders and back. If you work at a desk or with a computer all day, you can feel it in your wrists too.

• •

The human body is healthiest when it’s moving. Here are some tips to maximise your comfort.

•

• Keep hydrated and drink plenty of water.

• Reduce clutter in your work areas—you’ll work in a more organised way, feel less pressured and avoid trips and falls.

• Switch tasks if possible to manage repetitive tasks. This will keep your body and mind fresh.

• Part your lips slightly. It’s an amazing release for your jaw and neck—you can-

•

•

• • •

not clench your teeth when your mouth is slightly open.

Relax your shoulders.

Remember to breathe! And exhale for longer.

Take regular breaks from your workstation.

Change your posture as frequently as practical.

Avoid eye strain when using the computer by focusing on an object in the distance at least 6 metres every 10-15 minutes.

Take your lunch break away from your desk, preferably going for a walk outside for 15-20 minutes.

Make sure your chair is adjusted to support your lower back.

Place frequently used objects near you.

Here are some easy stretches taking only two minutes that you can do at your desk to relieve any tension and give you a boost of energy

1010-20 seconds 2 times

1010-15 seconds

8-10 seconds each side

3-5 seconds 3 times (left to right: Julie Shorthose - general labourer, Gary Fitzgerald - window fitter, Mathew Clayton – driver, Scott Hinchcliffe – renderer, Craig Warburton - window fitter, Nathan Hewston - window fitter, Rob Lomas – renderer, Adrian Lomas – renderer, Pete Egan – renderer)

That’s disgusting!

1010-15 seconds

A recent study carried out by Viking, the office suppliers, showed that office desks can be a serious health risk!

1010-12 seconds each arm

Swabs from 300 desks revealed bacteria such as Staphylococcus, Bacillus and Micrococcus, the cause of stomach upsets, on most keyboards. Some samples also showed evidence of mouldy food.

So the lesson is wash your hands after using the bathroom, wash them before and after handling food. And do not eat at your desk!

10 seconds

10 seconds

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Warning against early pension release offers Consumers have been warned to steer clear of pension offers that claim to be able to provide loans or release tax-free cash from pension pots before they reach age 55.

The Pensions Regulator, Financial Services Authority (FSA) and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have recently detected an increase in these schemes, with known transferred funds amounting to nearly £200m by the end of 2011. The organisations are urging individuals not to be taken in by website promotions, cold-calls or adverts encouraging them to transfer their existing pension to a new arrangement in order to access a cash payment or loan.

These schemes usually work by transferring some of the member’s pension fund into highly risky or opaque investment structures, frequently based overseas - with no guarantee that members will get their money back if something goes wrong.

By accessing pension savings earlier than the law permits, individuals are likely to be poorer in retirement – and can face substantial tax charges.

Victoria Holmes, case team leader at The Pensions Regulator said, “These offers are typically advertised on websites or small adverts in newspapers. If the offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is. It may simply be a scam designed to get hold of your money. Transferring your pension to one of these questionable investment models could result in you losing your entire pension. Immediate financial gain may sound tempting, particularly in the current economic climate. But don’t be taken in – you are likely to face substantial tax charges and will be poorer in retirement.”

Jonathan Phelan, head of the FSA's unauthorised business department, said, “Like The Pensions Regulator and HM Revenue and Customs, the FSA has seen an increase in firms offering "early pension release schemes", often referring to them as unlocking, liberating or releasing funds tax free.

There is a high chance that these are scams run by illegitimate firms trying to con individuals out of their pension money. All firms that sell personal pension plans, advise on them and arrange for the transfer of pension plans should be authorised by the FSA. You should check whether the firm that’s giving you advice or is selling or transferring a pension plan is authorised before engaging with them. If you deal with unauthorised firms you are not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme or the Financial Ombudsman scheme and you could face tax charges and lose your pension pot if things go wrong."

Graeme Hood, head of HMRC’s pension schemes office, said, “Tax relief given on

pension saving is intended to encourage individuals to save for the long-term to provide them with an income in retirement. That is why UK tax rules set a minimum age from which benefits from pension savings can normally be accessed.

“HMRC is committed to ensuring that the rules around the age from which benefits can be taken from pension funds are protected and that savings built up with the benefit of generous tax reliefs are not misused. We will take firm action to detect and pursue those who deliberately break the rules by offering schemes to access pension savings other than as intended by Parliament.”

Forthcoming Pension Changes Over the next couple of years there will be a number of pension reforms coming into effect.

The first of these is the abolition of contracted out option on defined contribution schemes, where some of your National Insurance contributions are available to top up your personal pension. From April, anyone who is currently contracted out will stop receiving this benefit (the reduced NI contribution), which instead will be put towards a second state pension S2P. This is in addition to the NI changes in April.

People are living longer. You could be retired for twenty years and whilst the State Pension is a foundation for your retirement, if you want to have more when you retire you need to think about how you’ll fund it.

From November this year, starting with very large organisations, the government is getting employers to enrol their workers automatically into a workplace pension so it's easier for people to start saving. When it affects you will depend on the size of your employer as enrolment will take several years to complete. You will be given an exact date nearer the time.

Also, of course, there are changes to the state pension age which have already come into effect. The latest changes in November 2011 mainly affects those born in the 1960s. If you were born after 6th April 1961 then 67 is your retirement age, but further changes are expected to be finalised by the end of this year.

Free, independent information and guidance can be obtained from The Pensions Advisory Service www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk

What is the catch?

The prospect of immediate cash may seem appealing but it will leave you poorer in retirement. There are high risks involved, including: The possibility that you will lose your entire pension if the arrangement is not bona fide.

Paying high fees to the firms making the arrangements for you. These fees may be deducted from your pension fund when it is transferred meaning that you could receive only 70% to 80% of your pension once the firm has taken its fees.

Significant tax charges. If you take money out of your occupational or personal pension plan early, this will normally be an unauthorised payment. Unauthorised payments will be subject to tax charges – these tax charges can be up to 55% of the value of the payment for a scheme member and at least 15% of the value of the payment for the scheme administrator. If you fail to tell HRMC, you may be charged penalties.

What to do if in doubt Check the FSA’s register which lists all authorised financial services firms: www.fsa.gov.uk/fsaregister If you are concerned that any of the above may apply to you or you are approached and offered the services we have described, please contact either the FSA via their Consumer Helpline on 0845 606 1234, HMRC’s Pensions Anti Fraud Unit on 0115 974 2147 or The Pensions Regulator on 0845 600 0707. Please provide as much information as you can about the services and the firms involved - their contact details and ‘firm reference number’ (FRN) if they claim to be authorised by the FSA.

Income Tax and National Insurance Changes— Changes—April 2012 Whether or not you have an occupational or private pension, there are changes coming into effect in April.

INCOME TAX Rate

%

Taxable income

Basic Rate

20%

£8,105 to £34,370

Higher Rate

40%

£34,371 to £150,000

Additional Rate

50%

£150,001 and above

Rate

%

Bandwidth

Basic Rate

12%

£146-£817 per wk

2%

< £817 per wk

NI

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Community Initiatives Stick the boot in!

Casey, along with subcontractors Direct Fencing, Chris Sice and Mad About Trees, have adopted 4 donkeys at EST Manchester (The Elisabeth Svendson Trust for Children and Donkeys).

Ellen Garton, Sarah Harwood and Joe Delaney visited Mary, Hannah, Toby and Cocoas at the stables at Green Fold, Abbey Hey, near Eastland.

Lee Valley has been a hive of activity over recent weeks.

Sarum Park was to be closed to the public during the renovation works, however The Riverside Community Artist and the Lee Valley Pensioners group asked if they could hold some community activity days there during February.

The donkeys love to play with old wellington boots and towels. If you’d like to donate your old wellies, Marie at Head Office Reception will gladly take them off your hands to pass on.

Gerry Beirne made sure the park was up to scratch, and Sue Gilbertson helped to keep the community entertained with competitions and pancake races.

Staff Moves and Grooves Welcome to Sue Gilbertson who has joined us as Resident Liaison Officer on our Lee Valley site, with Richard Charlesworth and Gerry Beirne.

Congratulations to Sarah Ives who recently passed her AAT level 2 exams. Sarah is a month ahead of schedule and in response to her 99% pass mark said “I really need to work harder.” Way to go, Sarah!

Congratulations to Mark Makin who has just achieved Level 4 QCF in Waste Treatment.

This is one of the first QCF (Qualification and Credit Framework) awards to be achieved through the North West Assessment Centre.

The QCF replaces the old NVQ award. Well done Mark!

Happy Birthday to John Hogan who’s looking a wee bit older than this photo now that he’s hit the big 50!

Also, welcome to Nina Dearman who is with us on placement whilst she studies for her MSc in Environmental Monitoring, Modelling and Reconstruction at Manchester University. She will be with us for a total of 15 days over 7 to 8 weeks, working with Tom Barr.

The local community centre also want to collect aluminium cans to raise money for a Christmas event in the centre. If you want to help, we can assist in getting those cans to them. At Head Office, we’ve got a collection box in the kitchen.

Astley Sand and Aggregates

Nina is hoping to do her dissertation on Odour Modelling at Arden Quarry, so over the summer we may see her around a little bit more.

Morleys Lane, Tyldsley, M29 7EW Tel 01942 603764

Casey is now the owner of Astley Sand and Aggregates at Morleys Quarry just off the A580 Inert disposal available at the recycling site or landfill PRODUCTS AVAILABLE for collection or delivery PRIMARY Building sand 5mm sand 40mm sand 75mm sand 7575-300mm sand

SECONDARY Soil Grit sand Pipe bedding MOT Type 1 6F2 40mm clean

Part of P Casey Enviro Ltd, a Casey Company

There is always a lot of input required to produce this newsletter, and it’s a team effort. We would like to say a big Thank You! to all contributors: Phil Hey, Andrew Varley, Sue Gilbertson, Sarah Harwood, James Billing, Chris Williams, John Hogan, George O’Neill, Dave Scott, John Walmsley, and AnnMarie Hopkins from Procure Plus.

The Casey Companies Rydings Road, Rochdale, OL12 9PS T: 01706 341121

F: 01706 861156

E: info@casey.co.uk

W: www.casey.co.uk