Government Business Volume 18.2

www.governmentbusiness.co.uk | VOLUME 18.2

GB AWARDS

Recognising excellence and creativity within the public sector

BUILT ENVIRONMENT – Improve carbon management within your organisation

PUTTING oUr eNerGY INTo reNeWAbleS Expert advice

Training/qualifications

Spares/consumables

Fast delivery

After sales

SolAr VISIT US AT ecobUIld (STANd N1830) for more INformATIoN

Government Business | Volume 18.2

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Dear Reader,

www.governmen

tbusiness.co.uk

| Volume 18.2

2011 is going to be a difficult year for many of us, with savings and cuts across the public sector. It will also be an opportunity for effective business practices to flourish, something that we will celebrate at the Government Business Awards. For a preview of the event and to find out which local authorities and central government departments have been shortlisted, please see page 9.

Intense or prolonged rainfall can spell disaster as flooding causes thousands of pounds worth of damage in just a few hours, destroying homes and putting companies out of business. The Environment Agency has been pioneering new tests for flood defence products that could protect homes across the country, which they explain on page 36.

If you are responsible for health and safety within your organisation we have two event previews for you in this issue – IOSH 2011 and regional event Health+Safety 11 South – where you will find advice and guidance on best practice and compliance, as well as the latest products and services. Please turn to page 47 for more information.

GB AWARDS elle

Recognising exc

nce and creativi

ty within the pub BuIlT eNVIRoN lic sector meNT – Improve carb on man agement within

your organisatio

n

Enjoy the issue.

Sofie Lidefjard, Editor editorial@psigroupltd.co.uk

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE If you would like to receive 12 issues of Government Business magazine for £95 a year, please contact Public Sector Information, 226 High Road, Loughton, Essex IG10 1ET. Tel: 020 8532 0055, Fax: 020 8532 0066, or visit the Government Business website at: P NEWS P FEATURES P PROFILES P CASE STUDIES P EVENTS P AND MORE

8 www.governmentbusiness.co.uk PUBLISHED BY PUBLIC SECTOR INFORMATION LIMITED 226 High Rd, Loughton, Essex IG10 1ET. Tel: 020 8532 0055 Fax: 020 8532 0066 EDITOR Sofie Lidefjard ASSISTANT EDITOR Angela Pisanu PRODUCTION EDITOR Karl O’Sullivan PRODUCTION DESIGN Jacqueline Grist PRODUCTION CONTROL Reiss Malone

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© 2011 Public Sector Information Limited. No part of this publication can be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any other means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher. Whilst every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the editorial content the publisher cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher. ISSN 1362 - 2541 THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR GOVERNMENT

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CONTENTS GOVERNMENT BUSINESS 18.2

06 NEWS 09 GB AWARDS This year’s Awards will recognise excellence and creativity within the public sector

15 CONFERENCES & EVENTS A look at the different types of venues on offer in the East Midlands

19 BUILT ENVIRONMENT How can public sector organisations cut carbon and make substantial financial savings in the process, asks the Carbon Trust’s Richard Rugg Heat pumps supply more energy than they consume, by extracting heat from their surroundings, and are a great way to lower CO2 emissions Can insulation make a big difference to meeting UK carbon reduction targets? The National Insulation Association investigates Ecobuild will showcase the future of design, construction and the built environment The Asbestos Removal Contractors Association explains your duty to manage the risk from asbestos in non-domestic premises Tony Andryszewski, the Environment Agency’s flood manager, discusses pioneering new tests for flood defence products that could protect homes across the UK

We preview Sustainabilitylive!, made up of five premier shows across the water, energy, land, environment and sustainability sectors

43 HEALTH & SAFETY British Safety Industry Federation discusses its work to address different health and safety issues IOSH 2011 offers you an extensive exhibition of leading companies, as well as advice and guidance on best practice and compliance We preview Health and Safety’11 – South, the first in the series of Health and Safety events for 2011

51 MONEY MATTERS The Credit Services Association explains what skills an outsourced debt collection agency can bring to the public sector

55 TRANSPORT We preview the Commercial Vehicle Operator Show, which will showcase the products and services vital to fleet and transport operations

59 PARKING & TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT Celebrating its 25th Edition, Traffex 2011 will feature more exhibitors and visitor attractions than ever before

64 LANDSCAPING & GROUNDSCARE Why should parks and green spaces survive and even thrive amidst economic hardship? Dave Tibbatts from charity GreenSpace investigates

67 FRANCHISING If you are considering a change in career direction, a visit to The British & International Franchise Exhibition could be wise move

71 HR Employee engagement can have a real impact on organisational performance, says the Public Sector People Managers’ Association

72 SECURITY The Shredding Alliance explains the importance of secure document disposal, discusses how choosing the right supplier can save time and money, and evaluates the methods available for disposal The annual conference and exhibition organised by the British Association of Public Safety Communications Officers will take place 13-14 April Counter Terror Expo brings together experts to define effective counter terrorism measures

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NEWSINBRIEF Councils improve efficiency and cut costs by sharing IT Test Valley Borough Council and Winchester City Council have confirmed that Tony Fawcett is to be their new joint head of IT Services.

The post will have responsibility for the IT team for both authorities, supporting over 1,000 users, and developing the potential to host specialist service applications for use across the partnership.

These changes are expected to realise savings of over £300,000 in the first three years. It is also expected to promote consolidation of systems and suppliers, which will generate further savings.

The joint head of IT will also continue to use technology to minimise duplication of systems and related costs, and help improve service delivery.

Anglesey is top recycler in Wales The most recent figures issued by the Welsh Assembly Government show residents on the Isle of Anglesey recycle the most in Wales.

Councillor Hefin Wyn Thomas, Isle of Anglesey County Council’s Environmental portfolio holder, said: “While there are still challenging recycling targets ahead, residents across Anglesey can be proud of their achievement as can all the council officers and collection contractors that make the service run smoothly.”

Isle of Anglesey once had a poor record for recycling, but over the past four years the introduction of an integrated recycling collection service and the dedication of Anglesey residents have taken them to the top of the recycling league table in Wales.

The introduction of a food waste collection service across the island marks the pinnacle of the service.

NEWS

Broadband breakthrough for Wealden DC areas

hree rural communities working with Wealden’s Local Strategic Partnership and the District Council have secured a £137,000 package to bring improved broadband access to hundreds of homes and businesses.

Isfield, Upper Dicker and communities west of Heathfield are to take part in three pilot schemes, funded by the Rural Development Programme for England, to provide high speed broadband connections. The money, which is being provided through the South East England Development Agency, will see a range of

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different broadband technologies used to improve connection speeds to homes and businesses in the three areas.

“This is a tremendous step forward, not only for these communities but for the many other areas in Wealden which still fail to enjoy a good broadband connection,” said Councilor Roy Galley, Cabinet member for Planning and Development.

“Broadband is essential for the prosperity of our district. There are still far too many businesses and homes, not just in the countryside, but in some of our towns, that do not get a decent broadband signal.”

£58m street lighting scheme in Knowsley to go ahead nowsley Council has received confirmation that its Public Private Partnership (PPP) scheme to improve street lighting across the borough will be going ahead.

The Department for Transport has agreed to provide up to £58m to replace more than 70 per cent of Knowsley’s street lighting as well as a considerable proportion of traffic signs, bollards, beacons and subway lights.

New innovative technology will result in improved lighting levels, which can be controlled to take into account

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natural lighting levels and when they should be activated. Also, the column lights within residential and town centre areas will be fitted with white bulbs, which enhance visibility.

Councillor Dave Lonergan, Cabinet member for Regeneration, Economy and Skills, commented: “The scheme will deliver a range of benefits to residents, businesses and visitors alike including improved visibility, road safety and feelings of safety, as well as environmental improvements such as reduced energy consumption.”

Waveney residents stay safe with new free guide A new booklet produced by the Waveney Community Safety Partnership is providing useful information about staying safe at home and beyond.

It features helpful advice on crime prevention, anti-social behaviour, the work of the Police’s Safer Neighbourhood Teams and Waveney’s Environmental Health Team. It also includes a range of useful phone numbers and e-mail addresses to contact agencies that can help. 4,000 are being distributed with the Waveney Advertiser free newspaper, in the Kirkley and Harbour areas of Lowestoft.

Cllr Mary Rudd, portfolio holder for Safe Communities, said: “This booklet has been produced to provide our communities with helpful advice and reassurance about a range of issues and highlights the hard work that goes in to keeping people safe and informed. Waveney District Council works particularly closely with Suffolk Police as part of the Community Safety Partnership and we will continue to promote initiatives for the benefit of the district.”

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© Institution of Lighting Professionals

Government Business | Volume 18.2

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The search is on for Liverpool apprentices p to 133 apprenticeships will be created in Liverpool under a new city council funded scheme to encourage businesses to take on new recruits.

20 firms have successfully applied to be part of the Liverpool Apprenticeship Scheme business grant initiative. The posts are across a wide range of professions including, joiners, electricians and computer technicians through to accounts clerk and hospitality staff.

Councillor Nick Small, the council’s cabinet member for employment and

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skills, said: “At a time when cuts in funding are being made across the board it is even more important that we support our young people in gaining the skills they need to obtain employment.

“We want to have a highly-skilled and motivated workforce ready to take advantage of any improvement in the economy in future years.”

The apprenticeships range from 12 months to three years. The scheme is being funded by £300,000 from the city council.

Hucknall residents to speak up against graffiti campaign has been launched in Hucknall by Ashfield District Council’s Community Protection Officers (CPOs) in a bid to encourage local people to speak up and report graffiti and criminal damage in the area. The council’s CPOs have launched the campaign after problems with graffiti at the local church and following concern about the amount

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of criminal damage in parts of town.

Nottinghamshire Crimestoppers have offered a reward of up to £1,000 for information leading to arrest and charge of anyone involved in criminal damage and graffiti. CPOs are distributing leaflets and posters advertising the reward in Hucknall, Selston, Underwood and Jacksdale to local shops and business and local schools.

NEWSINBRIEF Derbyshire residents could win £50 through recycling Derbyshire County Council is offering residents a chance to win £50 if they recycle their rubbish at the kerbside. The county council has 100 high street shopping vouchers to give away across the county between January and June 2011.

All residents have to do is present their recycling at the kerbside on the usual day to be in with a chance of winning.

Cabinet member for technology and recycling, Councillor John Allsop, said: “It’s vital that we start recycling more in Derbyshire. Recycling saves energy, makes the best use of our resources and helps protect the environment.”

A one per cent increase in recycling – and a corresponding decrease in rubbish sent to landfill – means an extra 3,600 tonnes of waste is recycled.

This saves the Derbyshire County Council £72,000 in disposal costs, means it increases the recycling rate and meets its targets for reducing landfill use.

New policy for Wigan council house allocation Wigan Council has introduced a new Housing Allocations Policy, which sets out who gets a council property. The policy was developed together with tenants, Wigan Council and Wigan and Leigh Housing, and gives high priority to people leaving the Armed Forces in recognition of the services they provide to our country.

Further changes to the policy mean that housing staff will link closely with the police to identify those people likely to cause anti-social behaviour.

Where the law allows, the council will refuse to house those people until their behaviour has improved for a substantial period.

The policy will also make it easier for tenants to downsize to smaller properties, releasing houses to help families.

New mail service for Aberdeenshire library customers

Course to reduce underage drink and cigarette sales eople working in licensed premises across Wirral – including shops, pubs and venues – have taken part in a training course run by Wirral Council aimed at helping them reduce underage sales of alcohol and cigarettes.

The course covered various aspects including the law, social responsibilities, and the impact on communities that underage sales can have.

Cllr. Sue Taylor, Wirral’s chair of Licensing, said: “The council will take

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no excuses when it comes to cracking down on underage sales of alcohol and cigarettes. Too many communities and neighbourhoods have suffered for too long from the effects of antisocial behaviour caused by underage children buying and drinking alcohol.

“There will be undercover sales operations and we are encouraging members of the community to tell us about places they suspect are breaking the law.”

A new service from Aberdeenshire libraries will notify customers of their reserved items and help avoid late fines.

Libraries have stopped issuing letters to advise on reserved and overdue items, and replaced them with a more efficient and cost effective e-mail and automated phone call system. It is hoped this will encourage borrowers to either renew the item or return it to the library and prevent fines from accumulating.

The service is also looking into making use of SMS text messaging as another means of keeping borrowers updated.

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GB AWARDS

SHOWCASING PUBLIC SECTOR EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION In today’s financial climate, local and central government departments that have demonstrated creativity when delivering public services will be present at the 2011 Government Business Awards THE GOVERNMENT BUSINESS AWARDS will recognise local authorities and central government departments that have demonstrated sound business judgement and operational expertise in a range of areas, including environmental practices, finance, housing, security and training.

Taking place at Twickenham Stadium on 17 February, the Awards will be presented

by BBC Breakfast presenter Bill Turnbull.

The March 2010 Government Business Awards were hailed a great success, with many local and central government departments taking home awards that a were testament to their hard work.

THE AWARDS The Public Sector Security Award, sponsored

by National Security Inspectorate, will be awarded to a local authority or central government building/refurbishment project that considers security as a prime concern and enhances the safety of staff, residents and visitors to the building through the installation of CCTV, monitoring, access control or other innovative security system.

The 2010 winner was Wigan Council for its new control centre and CCTV systems which. monitor seven town centres, three shopping precincts, two residential areas and various private locations spread across a 77 square-mile area.

Shortlisted for the award this year are Wandsworth Council, Wakefield Council, Redbridge Council, Salford City Council and North East Lincolnshire Council.

The Public Safety Award is presented to a local authority project that has increased perceptions of safety and led to a reduction in crime through investment in security and through multi-agency efforts to reduce the crime threat in a specific area.

The 2011 shortlist is made up of Calderdale Council for its Road Safety Initiatives, Sutton Council’s Safer Sutton Partnership, and the London Safety Camera Partnership.

The 2010 winner was Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) who improved the delivery standards of its Home Safety Visits through the implementation of a new Customer Relationship Management system.

HOUSING AND REGENERATION The Social Housing Award is presented to a social housing project that has the potential to deliver a measurable change in both the standard of accommodation

The March 2010 Government Business Awards were hailed a great success, with many local and central government departments taking home awards that a were testament to their hard work and the environmental performance of the buildings and associated land.

The shortlisted projects are Graylingwell Park from Chichester District Council and the Homes and Communities Agency; Tower Hamlets Council’s Clairedale Street Development, and Plymouth City Council’s Ker street Devonport Phase 1.

Last year the award went to Middlesbrough Council for its Trinity Crescent, North Ormesby housing scheme, which transformed a run-down market square into an attractive mixed-use scheme.

The Regeneration Project Award will recognise a local authority regeneration project that has been completed within budget and has improved the living and working conditions of residents and the local business community.

This year’s shortlist comprises Fenland District Council for its Nene Waterfront Regeneration Project, Lambeth Council for its Future Clapham Library Building, and Bournemouth Council for its Boscombe Spa Village seafront.

Last year the award was taken home

by Corby Borough Council for its Corby

Parkland Gateway project. New life has been breathed into the area with projects including a new railway station, a new swimming pool, and the £60m Corby Cube.

PROCUREMENT The Central Government Procurement Award sponsored by Red Procurement, goes to a central government agency that is judged to have increased value to the taxpayer through smarter procurement practice.

The 2010 winner was HM Revenue and Customs for its adoption of spend, sourcing and procurement technologies.

The Department of Education, HMRC, the Home Office, the National Policing Improvement Agency, and the Ministry of Defence have all made the shortlist this year.

The Local Government Procurement Award is awarded to a local authority or regional procurement agency/hub that demonstrates better value to the taxpayer through an improved procurement process.

This year, Woking Borough Council, Glasgow City Council, Surrey County Council and Birmingham City Council

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GB AWARDS

by Cordtape, is awarded to a public sector energy project that (whether through the procurement of a greener energy supply or the installation of energy efficient plant or equipment) demonstrates real carbon savings and projects a positive environmental image for the authority/department.

Last year’s winner was Devon County Council for its Renewable Energy 4 Devon (RE4D) project, which gives free independent advice to organisations, communities, households on renewable energy installations, and for its own biomass boiler installation.

The shortlisted councils up for this year’s award are Hampshire County Council for its Green ICT Initiatives, Merton Council for its Invest to Save project, Suffolk County Council for its Sustainable Fuel Supply & Demand programme, Stroud District Council for its Target 2050 project and South Gloucestershire Council for its Sustainable Council Headquarters.

will all be competing for the award.

The Workforce Training Award is given to a local authority training scheme that demonstrates both high levels of staff satisfaction in the level of training provided and an improvement in staff performance as a result of its rollout.

Up for the award this year will be Birmingham City Council, Westminster City Council, North East Lincolnshire Council and St. Helens Council.

Last year Dacorum Borough Council took home the award for the comprehensive training package that empowered its workforce through the changes to its Street Cleansing and Grounds Maintenance services.

THE ENVIRONMENT The Environmental Transport Award, sponsored

by CitySprint, is awarded to a local government agency that has implemented cost effective measures to help reduce the environmental impact of local authority transport services.

The 2011 shortlist comprises Southwark Council, Camden Council, Glasgow City Council, Gateshead Council and Coventry City Council/Birmingham City Council.

Leicester City Council and Leicestershire County Council took home last year’s award for their Enderby Park & Riden service. It provided a 1,000space out-of-town park and ride facility using loweremission buses which at full capacity, removes up to 70 cars from the road for each journey.

The Environmental Innovation Award, sponsored by Big Green Book, recognises a local authority scheme that demonstrates innovation in environmental practice and increases both recycling rates and the awareness of environmental issues to residents.

This year the shortlisted councils include South Oxfordshire District Council and Vale of White Horse District Council for their waste collection model; North Kesteven District Council for its Waste & recycling initiatives; Mole Valley District Council for its

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Carbon Reduction work; Crawley Borough Council for its Lets FACE it initiatives; and South Gloucestershire Council for its Badminton Road HQ Building.

The Waste Management Award, sponsored

by Hydrex Equipment, is presented to a local authority that demonstrates an environmentally sound and cost effective waste management programme that reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill and provides a high level of service to residents.

This year Hull City Council, Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority, Newcastle-underLyme Borough Council, Peterborough City Council and the London Borough of Hillingdon are shortlisted for the award.

The 2010 winner was Peterborough City Council who improved its waste services through a four-week advertising campaign urging residents to ‘Keep it clean’ when using recycling bins.

SUSTAINABILITY The Sustainability Award is presented to a local authority that demonstrates a holistic approach to achieving sustainable paths for all areas of council operation, and promotes sustainability and environmental initiatives to the population effectively.

Several council projects made the shortlist, including Worcestershire City Council’s Sustainable Transport Initiatives, Newcastle City Council’s Sustainable City, Coventry City Council’s Energy Saving CO2 projects, the Elizabeth Court II Project by Hampshire County Council, and the London Development Agency’s Refit Programme.

Last year Exeter City Council received the Award for its Green Accord accreditation scheme that provides a tiered system of grading that enables companies to be recognised for their level of achievement in sustainable commitment.

The Public Sector Energy Award, sponsored

SPORT AND LEISURE The Sport & Leisure Award is awarded to a local authority project judged to have increased the uptake of sports and leisure participation in the area through the provision of first class facilities and innovative activities/promotional campaigns.

The shortlist for this year is Stockport Council’s Target Fitness+ Houldsworth Village, the Hillingdon Sports & leisure Complex, and Leeds City Council’s Armley Leisure Centre.

In 2010 the winner was Cheltenham Borough Council whose Leisure@cheltenham facilities reopened in September 2008 after catastrophic damage caused by the July 2007 floods.

The 2011 Market Research Award will be presented to a local government market research strategy that has enabled the authority to better understand the needs of its citizens, through the use of ad-hoc surveys, regular consultations and new delivery methods/technologies.

Making the shortlist for this year’s award are Westminster City Council for its perception change campaigns, Chelmsford Borough Council for its Parks Audit, and Norfolk County Council for its Financial Priorities Research.

In 2010 the winner was Westminster City Council thanks to the market research it conducted to help deliver a rapid response to the threat of recession, reductions in the fear of crime and an improved reputation for the council.

And finally, the Financial Performance Award will be awarded to the local authority that best demonstrates fiscal prudence and sound financial performance.

City of Edinburgh Council won last year’s Award for supporting the local economy as the recession took hold. Up for the award this year will be Newcastle City Council, Sutton Council, Essex County Council, Waveney District Council, and Redbridge Council

FOR MORE INFORMATION Web: www.gbawards.co.uk

Visit the website to view the categorised product finder

Lowell – make a world of difference to your debt recovery IDELY ACKNOWLEDGED

W as the UK’s leading debt

purchasing company, Lowell Group offers a range of debt recovery solutions including debt purchase, right to collect and outsource to sell.

Debt purchase is where Lowell built its name, buying portfolios of consumer debt from a wide range of organisations and effectively managing the recovery of those debts working with each customer to build a realistic and affordable repayment plan.

Right to collect allows clients to experience many of the benefits of debt sale whilst retaining legal ownership of the accounts and new for 2011 is Lowell’s outsource to sell option, which offers the opportunity to outsource accounts for collection on a commission basis initially, with the option to sell them to Lowell at a later date.

Lowell prides itself on its close and transparent relationships with clients, fair treatment of customers, ethical approach to collections, and reputation for delivering excellent service.

In 2010 Lowell was ranked number one in the OC&C index of all the main credit management and debt collection companies in the UK for the third year running, taking account of both past performance and future strategy.

Lowell also received Credit Today’s Debt Purchaser of the Year Award and Credit Collection and Risk’s Credit Excellence Award in Collections. In 2009 Lowell received Compliance Team of the Year, Credit Today Awards.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Contact Lowell today to find a better way forward for your debt recovery.

Tel: 0113 2856612 E-mail: abetterway@ lowellgroup.co.uk Web: www.lowell.co.uk

Red – passionate about procurement T RED PROCUREMENT we simply impact your bottom line. Full stop. Whether it is just to buy better or restructure your procurement processes we guarantee a rapid return on investment.

We offer an innovative approach where we complement your existing procurement team providing lean solutions across both core and noncore spend areas. Our powerful suite of procurement tools underpin our proven category management process enabling us to support simple or complex projects.

With experience in both private and public sectors, we have a strong track record of delivery.

Our team of professionals are both strategic thinkers and hands-on practitioners that engage with your organisation at all levels. Together we tackle the whole spectrum of business costs to improve your total cost of ownership.

As procurement professionals we believe we can impact your bottom line regardless of where you are in

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Asbestos and energy services from Cordtape ORDTAPE is a family owned business operated and supported by a dedicated and highly trained team of personnel.

Established for over 25 years we have developed a strong reputation for dealing with asbestos surveys, asbestos inspections, asbestos removal and energy management.

Our reputation for providing a friendly and professional service is demonstrated through our long lasting relationship with clients and suppliers. Our clients’ needs are our number one priority and meeting their requirements is what we aim to achieve.

Cordtape Environmental Services Ltd can provide you with advice and services on all of your asbestos and thermal insulation issues. We believe that by working alongside you we are able to help formulate an asbestos management plan that is best suited to your individual needs.

At Cordtape Energy

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Management Systems Ltd we are committed to helping not only our customers but also the environment, in a bid to slow down the increasing effects of climate change. By working in partnership with our clients we aim to help minimise their carbon footprint whilst also reducing their energy bills.

We are able to offer a solution for all your energy management needs, providing bespoke insulation jackets suitable for a variety of temperature sensitive equipment.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Cordtape Environmental Services Ltd Freephone: 0800 0937810 Sheffield Tel: 0114 2431239 Nottingham Tel: 0115 9780599 E-mail: info@cordtape.co.uk Cordtape Energy Management Services Ltd Freephone: 0800 0937810 Tel: 0115 9780554 E-mail: energy@cordtape.co.uk

SameDay courier services from CitySprint ITYSPRINT is the UK’s largest privately owned SameDay Distribution network, offering SameDay Courier, SameDay Logistics and International and UK Overnight courier services on a 24/7 basis.

Through our network of 31 ServiceCentres across the UK and our fleet of over 1,600 couriers, CitySprint manages millions of deliveries each year for our clients.

We are an accredited supplier to the public sector (accredited service framework RM465) and can offer proven cost reductions through our competitive tariffs.

Our couriers are security checked up to level 9 and we have an established record of delivering secure courier services.

Our unrivalled national coverage has been combined with our investment in industry leading technology. CitySprint’s national, live courier-tracking system – CourierLocator – enables our customers to view a real-time

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the procurement lifecycle. In our experience a 4:1 ROI is achievable and with some clients the ROI has been greater than 10:1. All we ask is that you work with us and provide recent spend data. We will identify opportunities and build a savings pipe line for you and also highlight the associated risks.

We are prepared to guarantee an ROI on any engagement where we are supporting or leading the savings delivery programme.

All very straightforward really.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Contact: Tim Carrier Tel: 07881 942230 Fax: 0333 3210430 E-mail: tim.carrier@ redprocurement.com Web: www.redprocurement.com

map location of the courier, thereby offering them complete transparency of their courier bookings and unrivalled customer service. Our CityTrakkers are GPS enabled mobile data units, carried by all of our couriers, allowing all delivery information to be automatically uploaded onto CitySprint OnLine for customers to view the status of their deliveries, including offering electronic PODs delivered in realtime. We also offer a range of carbon emission reporting tools.

FOR MORE INFORMATION For more information on our services, please visit www. citysprint.co.uk/publicsector

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THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING Alastair Stewart discusses how reduced budgets don’t have to lead to reduced training ALASTAIR STEWART has spent his career setting up and running training and conference venues. As MD of etc.venues he operates nine venues in London and one in Birmingham – a venue portfolio that has won a number of awards for service and CSR. etc.venues has grown to become one of the largest providers of training space to the public sector with a long standing reputation for service, quality and value for money.

Q. What impact has the public sector cuts had on the service you provide?

Budget cuts have been tough for a lot of people in the public sector and we want to do all we can to help reduce costs and make tighter budgets work harder. Our focus on quality and value has helped us through budget cuts – yes we have got public sector clients who are spending less but we have been able to replace this business with other public sector companies coming to us when they realise that we offer a vastly superior, more cost effective solution to the hotels or other venues they were using previously.

Q. With training and development budgets under pressure, what encouraging message can you give to convince people to carry out their training externally?

Training has become an embedded core activity for organisations committed to its people and the services it provides. The effectiveness of training has been proven to increase in environments designed for learning and it is that focus on creating and supporting what our clients need to achieve that makes us work so hard to get right.

The productivity and motivation that arises by just getting away from your desk is often underestimated. Our brains are at their best when they are focused on one task and taken away from normal distractions. The use of external venues can therefore have an important part to play in maximising the ROI from training spend.

Cost is also underestimated when using internal training space – providing AV kit, internet access, refreshments lunch, flip charts etc. can cost the same cost to do on your premises as it would have been to use a specialist external venue in the first place.

Q. What advice would you give as to how to select the best venue?

Be clear on what your objectives are. Good venues will ask you what you need to achieve from your event so they can offer the right

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room, or combination of rooms, the right equipment and services, particularly catering and audio-visual support you need on the day.

Ensure you look at the total costs that will be charged. Rather like low cost airlines the price of some cheaper venues can be deceptive once you have paid for all the extras. Good venues, including all the etc.venues, will offer a fixed price including almost everything you are likely to need but particularly all day coffee, in room audio-visual and a healthy lunch.

Try to choose a venue where the people selling to you are based at the venue. They will be more knowledgeable and reliable in ensuring the staff who look after you on the day are properly briefed on your requirements. I think the best venues also employ all their own staff and this is worth checking as quality can be lost when venues subcontract out services, particularly catering.

You will get all this and more at etc.venues.

Q. I see you are opening new venues – great news in the current climate – what can we expect?

We are opening in new areas of London that our clients have told us are short of the style and affordability of venue they need.

Paddington, where we open a venue in March, has changed beyond recognition over recent years and our location, right next to the station, is in the heart of the new Paddington Waterside development. It’s a perfect spot for us with

excellent natural light, high ceilings and we’ve been able to strip the original building back so it can be redesigned with the etc.venues touches.

Our new venue in Victoria is in a government building and has been specifically designed to bring more affordable solutions for public sector clients who still want a high quality room and service. Choosing a venue has become more of a sensitive issue in the last year and that’s why we will be offering a functional, yet bright and well designed, venue where people can be confident they won’t be accused of being extravagant or wasteful when using it.

A highlight of Victoria will be a large garden courtyard and we expect this to be a major attraction of the venue for that all important fresh air with some grass under your feet.

Q. Any final thoughts?

A quick plug for the Magic Breakfast Scheme, which we support through our CSR programme. It provides breakfast to primary school children who arrive at school without having eaten breakfast. The heads of the schools we support have told us that it makes a big difference to concentration levels and cuts down on behavioural problems.

FOR MORE INFORMATION You can find out more about our venues including videos and picture galleries at www.etcvenues.co.uk

Rushden & Diamonds Football Club Rushden & Diamonds Football Club now has new owners, who are working to make the club accessible to all in the local community and be able to be involved in all events, ranging from Football in the Community programme for young and disabled children, to working with other aspects of the community in many projects.

Rushden & Diamonds Football Club has facilities for conferences, weddings, birthday parties, small business meetings and have different size rooms to meet all needs and events. With on site catering, full licensed bars and all conference equipment avaliable within all areas, we can provide you with all your requirements for your event.

Since the new owners have come in the Commercial Department has been busy meeting with the new board of Directors to discuss new commercial ideas, new events and also putting a plan to work more closely with the Football in the Community programme.

On Wednesday 16th February the club will be hosting a sponsors evening to introduce the club’s new commercial brochure and activities to existing and new sponsors.

During the evening the Board of Directors will be available to discuss any commercial issues that come from the brochure and ideas discussed.

The first new sporting event at the club will be a Boxing evening in conjunction with Wellingborough Boxing Club on Monday 21st February starting at 7.30pm. The evening will begin with a 3 course meal followed by 12 bouts of boxing. A raffle and auction will take place during the evening and the cost of a table of 10 guests is ÂŁ450 plus VAT and a few tables are still available. Should you wish to book a table then contact the club by email or phone.

In April a golf day is being planned by the commercial department and we will be inviting teams of 4 to play. We are hoping some of the first team players will be available to play in some of the teams. The golf will be followed with a dinner at the club in the evening. The date and costs has yet

to be finalised and as soon as it is information will be put on the club website and in the match day programme.

Also in April we plan to have an evening with football legends at the club and at the moment we are talking to Liverpool, Arsenal and Southampton legends to get available dates to put the event on. Further information and cost of tickets will be put on club website when a date is finalised.

In May we plan to hold a business 6 a side at Nene Park and we will be looking for businesses to put teams together to take part. The event will take place during the day followed by a dinner in the evening.

We are now talking to local schools with regard to ticket promotions, coaching by our first team players and involvement with other activities the children do at school.

The Board of Directors and the Commercial Department are very keen to develop an on going relationship with all local schools in the area and will be looking to work with the schools in different activities.

We are now looking for children to become mascots on match day so if you have a son, daughter, grandson or granddaughter to lead the team out on a match day please get in touch for further information and costs.

For further information on any of the above please contact the Commercial Department on 01933 650345 or email rachel.roberts@rd-fc.co.uk.

We are looking for casual bar staff, experience would be an advantage but full training will be given. Please see Rachel at the match or email her on rachel.roberts@rd-fc.co.uk or phone 01933 650345 for an application form.

For further information on Rushden & Diamonds Football Club on anything in this article please contact the club on 01933650345 or email ken@rd-fc.co.uk.

Government Business | Volume 18.2

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CONFERENCES & EVENTS

A SPOTLIGHT ON THE EAST MIDLANDS With magnificent castles, inspiring countryside and cosmopolitan cities, East Midlands offers a variety of distinct venues to house your conference or event NOTTINGHAM IS A THRIVING cosmopolitan city with a blend of modern conference facilities and historic architectural elegance, which provides the perfect setting for business events and meetings.

As the capital of the East Midlands, it’s also widely accessible, attracting a wealth of business and leisure travellers across the length and breadth of the country and beyond. The excellent transport links by road, rail and air, plus a direct link to the Eurostar via the new terminal at St Pancras – which takes less than two hours – means getting here couldn’t be easier.

Outside the boardroom, there’s plenty to see and do, so it’s little wonder that in 2008 Nottingham was voted as one of the top ten best city in the UK for meeting and events (source UKCMS).

BUSINESS IS BOOMING Visitors can explore the legend of Robin Hood; the film release of Ridley Scott’s adaptation has resulted in a huge increase in the number of enquiries for medieval banquet themed gala dinners, archery in Sherwood Forest and walking tours about the legend and his exploits.

With excellent cultural, sporting and adventure attractions including the Nottingham Contemporary, Trent Bridge Cricket Ground and the National Water Sports Centre it’s unsurprising therefore, that business and leisure tourism is thriving in the city and county of Nottinghamshire.

INSPIRING VENUES With no shortage of unusual and inspiring venues including an arena, residential conference hotels, castles, mansions, country houses, tiered lecture theatres for up to 450, it’s little wonder that in 2009/10 alone, Nottinghamshire Convention Bureau secured conference business amounting to an economic benefit of £122m.

The Convention Bureau is confident about its success in attracting prestigious and high profile conferences and events to the county each year. The Convention Bureau helped generate just under £250,000 worth of hotel room bookings as a result of the Samsung International Women’s Hockey Championships coming to Nottingham in 2010. And in 2011 to 2012 the Convention Bureau is helping the England Wheelchair Football Association with all accommodation requirements.

Plus, there’s a wealth of hotels and across the county ranging from budget to luxury options with a total of 13,000 bed spaces.

DERBYSHIRE Nestling between the M1 and M6, at the crossroads of the major rail networks and within easy reach of Manchester, Birmingham and East Midlands Airports, Derbyshire is centrally located and couldn’t be more convenient – just two hours away from 80 per cent of the UK’s population.

Derbyshire is home to many international organisations such as Bison, JCB and Toyota, as well as being a centre of manufacturing expertise, housing such businesses as Bombardier and Rolls-Royce.

Boasting one of the world’s most visited National Parks, the Peak District, as well as the dynamic city of Derby and several bustling market towns, the county is a much sought-after location to live, work and stay.

CITY With Derby only 93 minutes from London by train, a host of new hotels have changed the landscape of the city. Among recent arrivals are the boutique-style Cathedral Quarter, Hallmark Derby, Ramada Encore and Jurys Inn, plus Hampton by Hilton and the Holiday Inn, both of which opened in 2010.

The city is a very exciting and vibrant place to be, thanks to recent regeneration projects such as the Derby College Roundhouse and the prestigious Westfield shopping development.

Another exciting addition is the University of Derby Enterprise Centre, with state-of-theart conference facilities and training suites.

More established venues include Derby Conference Centre, Pride Park Stadium and the Menzies Mickleover Court Hotel.

Derbyshire’s towns combine character and convenience, with unique venues such as the Devonshire Dome, The Barceló Buxton Palace and the Old Hall in Buxton, home of the famous mineral water, with its direct rail link into Manchester Piccadilly.

Chesterfield has a brand new four-star hotel, Casa, plus established venues such as Ringwood Hall Hotel and Brampton Manor Country Club, as well as a brand new stadium, b2net, for Chesterfield Football Club.

COUNTRYSIDE The jewel in Derbyshire’s crown is undoubtedly the Peak District, home to iconic venues such as Alton Towers Resort and Chatsworth, which has broadened its brief to accommodate corporate events.

The area offers many hidden gems ideal for focusing on business amid relaxing surroundings. These include the award-winning

East Lodge Country House Hotel and the Peacock, both at Rowsley, and spectacular Thornbridge Hall at Ashford in the Water.

The area is also host to the oldest Marriott in the world, Breadsall Priory, near Derby, which also boasts two 18-hole golf courses.

For people with a sense of adventure, Peak Pursuits has a base at Tittesworth Reservoir, where it specialises in water-based activities, but can also offer everything from abseiling to rock scrambling – plus team-building days.

LEICESTER AND LEICESTERSHIRE Leicester and Leicestershire is home to some of the most inspirational conferencing and event venues in the country – from stateof-the-art and purpose built conference centres, through to traditional conference venues, converted art-deco cinemas and stately homes combining yesterday’s architecture with today’s hi-tech facilities.

Just a few minutes away from the city lies a very different world. Beautiful rolling countryside, winding waterways, ancient

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR GOVERNMENT

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www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

Visit the website to view the categorised product finder

Gift vouchers and gift cards from Charity Gift Vouchers really are a true “Flexible Friend”

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ROM THE EARLY DAYS, gift vouchers were the ideal present, giving a choice of goods and retailers, as previously some of us would purchase the wrong colour or size present. As the gift voucher market matured the customer choice expanded with even greater choice offered by the multi-store gift vouchers.

This choice and flexibility made the gift voucher ideal as a retiring or leaving present, and the company Christmas bonus. The issuing of a gift voucher was a simple procedure and market research companies and competition operators chose giving gift vouchers as a preferred option to cash. With the growth of staff and customer reward programmes the gift voucher was ideally placed to fulfil these programmes with inspirational products such as balloon rides, holidays, high street shopping and the luxury goods that would not normally be purchased.

Gift vouchers were seen as a personal treat rather than cash, which easily disappeared into the household budget. With almost every purchase experience covered by gift vouchers the value of the reward or incentive programme was enhanced by the feel good factor of the reward. Gift vouchers have also been used to encourage difficult sections of the community such as teenagers and smokers to enrol into programmes that not only help themselves

but reduce the long term cost to the nation.

With the development of the gift card and associated technologies new areas became available with gift malls opening wherever the public had access. These new technologies have allowed reward programmes that are able to top-up the value of the gift card as performance is achieved, giving quicker access

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to the rewards and a greater satisfaction to the customer or staff member.

Recent technologies have been able to reduce the administration costs of reward and incentive programmes, and reduced the delay between achieving the reward and actually receiving the gift voucher or gift card. By the use of a secure code, which is issued to the staff member and an associated secure website, staff members can activate and select from a vast range of gift vouchers to the value of their secure code, giving the greatest choice possible and as quick a delivery as possible.

Gift vouchers and cards can now provide an almost instant reward, incentivising where necessary, rewarding for achievement and as a thank you. And let’s not forget their original purpose, as a gift for Christmas or birthdays.

Many of those working abroad or with the British Forces find sending a gift voucher with the word of sentiment the most satisfying method of sending gifts to family and friends.

The level of choice, variety of values and methods of delivery really do make gift vouchers and cards the true “Flexible Friend”.

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CONFERENCES & EVENTS

woodland, historic market towns and picturesque villages provide the ultimate rural retreat. Leicestershire’s landscape makes for stunning conference venue locations.

Take your conference back to nature and bring the event outside. From the National Forest to ancient castles, these all make for ideal settings to hold your conference, event and team building activities.

VENUE FEATURE At the heart of the cosmopolitan city is Leicester City Conference Hub, which offers delegates a truly unique experience.

Three exceptional and contrasting venues within the cultural quarter, Curve, Athena and Phoenix Square, are combined to offer a large conference venue with capacity for up to 1,000 delegates.

Designed by award winning architect Rafael Vinoly, Curve is a magnificent venue that provides a wealth of meeting space supported by state-of-the-art technology.

Curve is Leicester’s newest theatre, and has two auditoriums available for private hire.

Curve has been designed for maximum flexibility and the meeting space can be constructed and used in a variety of ways.

Athena was originally designed in 1936

by Robert Arthur Bullivant as an Odeon Cinema. The venue represented one of the largest, most extravagant buildings within the region comprising simply one screen seating over 3,000 guests. It was then subdivided into four screens in the 60s and remained closed throughout much of the 90s.

The building has now been restored to its former glory, and as Athena, retains its original art deco splendour. Situated directly adjacent to Curve, Athena combines original features such as its exceptional acoustic insulation with state-of-the-art technology, to provide an ideal venue for banquets, conferences and exhibitors.

Leicester has emerged triumphant as the location for the national Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) annual conference in 2013. The regional FSB office approached Leicester Shire Promotions to bid for the event. The local bid team led by Leicester Shire Promotions and included partner organisations Athena, Curve and Ramada Jarvis Hotel, successfully pitched to host the threeday conference from 20-23 March 2013.

This will be the first time that Leicester has hosted the prestigious annual conference in its 20 year history.

LINCOLNSHIRE Whatever your event plans may be – a getaway to inspire the team or a conference to inform your customers – Lincolnshire has a venue to suit every occasion.

Choose from country hotels like Forest Pines, historic buildings such as the magnificent Lincoln Castle, and contemporary unique venues such as the Collection in Lincoln – a modern building in the heart of Lincoln’s cultural quarter. Or for a venue located on the Lincolnshire coast with the capacity to take large gatherings try Butlins in Skegness – you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

The EPIC Centre, close to Lincoln City Centre offers impressive event facilities situated on the Lincolnshire Showground. This award winning eco-building gives visitors the opportunity to experience the best in corporate and social functions, against a backdrop of total environmental sensitivity. This is the UK’s first purpose built green conference centre – and recently voted the top eco building in the UK. GETTING AWAY FROM IT ALL Surrounded by secluded gardens and bordering open countryside, Hemswell Court provides a haven of peace away from the everyday pressures of work. Inside you will find a choice

of spacious and luxuriously furnished function rooms, providing the ideal location for any business occasion. The versatile accommodation includes a number of formal meeting rooms, syndicate rooms and additional facilities, which can enable you to present to a larger audience.

The Old Barn Hotel near Marston offers tranquility and state of the art equipment.

This idyllic retreat set in beautiful countryside offers award winning conference facilities having won the National England Excellence award for five consecutive years. The superb location, just one mile off the A1, is perfect for business or exploring the natural beauty of South West Lincolnshire.

DIVERSITY IN NORTHAMPTONSHIRE With three of the country’s most famous racing circuits, Northamptonshire can help you deliver an exciting high-octane event. Or why not allow your delegates to experience the area’s fascinating history, heritage and beauty of the countryside in one of the many historic country house – including a castle built on the instruction of William the Conqueror.

What better combination could you find than the thrill of a world class racing circuit and a fabulous 4-star conference hotel with leisure facilities? Silverstone Racing Circuit, with its action packed race calendar, sits right next door to Whittlebury Hall, which offers a purposebuilt, professional learning environment, a personalised and flexible service and the widest range of business and leisure facilities – all centrally located in the heart of the country within minutes of the M1 and M40.

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.conference-derbyshire.co.uk www.goleicestershire.com www.visitlincolnshire.com www.venuenottinghamshire.com

Unique event venue in the heart of Northamptonshire HE COUNTY GROUND is a unique venue set in the heart of Northampton, boasting one of the largest multi-purpose indoor venues in the region. It’s an ideal venue for large scale conferences, events and exhibitions.

The venue is cleverly located with excellent links to the motorway network; 45 minutes from Birmingham International Airport, 1 hour from East Midlands and Stansted Airports, and within minutes of local railway networks. We offer over 200 parking spaces on site, and full disabled access.

Our range of conference and meeting rooms provides a flexible choice for any event, perfect for hosting groups from 10 to 1,000 and includes free Wi-Fi. Northants Cricket hospitality boxes

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overlook the cricket ground with full balcony access and unrestricted views for up to 250 guests. The versatile and impressive Chronicle and Echo indoor arena is capable of seating up to 1,000 delegates’ theatre style, offering capacity to host up to 70 trade stands in a 1,000m2 space or a cabaret style function for up to 600 guests.

Our team of experts will work with you every step of the way from AV facilities, logistical planning and bespoke menus by our AA Rosette award winning chef.

FOR MORE INFORMATION We invite you to contact us on 01604 609249, e-mail clare.catchpole@nccc.co.uk or see www.northantscricket.com

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The Cleaning Industry’s unmissable

EVENT See the very latest cleaning solutions, products and services at The Cleaning Show 2011.

The Cleaning Show 2011 is open to everyone responsible for cleaning or maintenance.

This show is a must see event if you work in any of the following areas: Contract cleaning, carpet & upholstery cleaning, education establishments & authorities, facility management, hospitals & health care establishments, industrial & factory premises, janitorial supplies & wholesalers, hotels & leisure establishments, local & central government, office & commercial premises, retail outlets and window cleaning.

Register NOW for your FREE PRIORITY PASS giving you quick and easy entrance to the show.

Visit www.cleaningshow.co.uk

Government Business | Volume 18.2

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BUILT ENVIRONMENT

MOVING THROUGH UNCERTAINTY TO REAP THE REWARDS Richard Rugg, head of public sector at the Carbon Trust, looks at the opportunity for public sector organisations to cut carbon and make £1 billion worth of energy savings in the process WITH THE NATIONAL MEDIA reporting news of public sector budget cuts on an almost daily basis, some people might think that carbon reduction might take a back seat and become less of a priority. However, this is simply not the case. The coalition government remains committed to action on climate change and the UK’s public sector must play its part.

“I don’t want to hear warm words about the environment. I want to see real action. I want this to be the greenest government ever,” stated the Prime Minister, David Cameron.

With public sector buildings in England alone being responsible for producing 19.5 million tonnes of CO2, equivalent to eight per cent of total non-domestic carbon emissions, action is critical.

IT MAKES FINANCIAL SENSE Carbon isn’t just bad news for the environment.

This carbon usage translates to a £2.6 billion annual energy bill for the public sector. At a time when the pressure is on the entire public sector to slash costs, it seems obvious that government departments, councils, schools, universities and hospitals should be looking to become more energy efficient and take advantage of the cost savings that can be made through carbon reduction.

Other reasons behind the public sector’s ongoing focus on carbon include the coalition government’s introduction of increasingly ambitious carbon reduction targets, not to mention growing scrutiny from the media and other stakeholders.

The rewards for the public sector, and therefore the taxpayer, are significant. The Carbon Trust’s public sector customers have identified potential net savings of £1 billion from energy efficiency projects.

As well as financial savings, these same projects could reduce carbon emissions from public sector organisations by around 46 million tonnes over their lifetime. To put this into context, it’s roughly equivalent to London’s annual carbon output.

CARBON MANAGEMENT MEASURES The public sector has been working hard to reduce its carbon emissions for some time now.

At the Carbon Trust we are working with more than 2,700 public sector bodies, ranging from fire services, to local authorities and hospitals, to help them make significant cuts to their spending and carbon emissions.

Successful carbon management measures taken include more energy efficient heating

With public sector buildings in England alone being responsible for producing 19.5 million tonnes of CO2, equivalent to eight per cent of total non-domestic carbon emissions, action is critical and lighting systems, improving buildings, encouraging changes in staff behaviour and evaluating travel policies. To date this group has already saved 10 million tonnes of CO2, with total net savings over the lifetime of the projects reaching £400 million.

Her Majesty’s Government is also rising to the challenge. Within days of coming to office, the Prime Minister David Cameron committed central government departments to a ten per cent reduction in carbon emissions within 12 months. Since the beginning of August 2010, 18 government HQ buildings have been reporting real time energy consumption online.

HEALTHY COMPETITION This new level of transparency has been supported by an energy efficiency competition for the 18 government department HQ buildings. Run in October 2010, the aim was for the buildings involved to cut their energy use in that month by as much as possible

compared to September. The winner was the Department of Work and Pensions, which reported the largest reduction in average daily energy usage, with a fall of 22 per cent.

Actions taken to deliver this level of saving ranged from the simple – switching off an unused chiller unit – to the practical – only turning on the air conditioning in the staff social club when it is in use.

They also involved engaging employees in the initiative via the communications team and internal energy champions.

BARRIERS TO OVERCOME So, the rewards of carbon reduction and energy saving are clear, but there are challenges to be overcome. At the Carbon Trust, we have looked closely at these barriers. For example, when projects do happen, there has often been a lack of monitoring to track their success. Therefore, it has been difficult for carbon reduction champions to show return on investment (ROI)

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Government Business | Volume 18.2

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BUILT ENVIRONMENT

and secure further rounds of funding, even if significant success has actually been achieved.

Confusion is another issue. While the new government has introduced initiatives and regulations to drive a greener public sector, the change of approach required has resulted in a level of uncertainty and some activity being temporarily put on hold.

Some of the bigger changes include alterations to the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) Energy Efficiency Scheme, which has shifted from being a cap and trade scheme with recycled revenues to all of the revenue going straight to government.

We have also seen the end of the national indicator framework and comprehensive area assessment for local government.

Central government organisations are tackling the Prime Minister’s ten per cent reduction commitment as outlined earlier, as well as looking ahead to the revision of Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate (SOGE) targets.

Meanwhile the NHS is facing a fundamental change to parts of its structure following the publication of the Equity and Excellence White Paper.

Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), often the primary driver in carbon reduction, are being abolished, with their functions transferred to other NHS Trusts, GP surgeries, local authorities and the private sector. This has resulted in the pause button being pressed on some initiatives as people wait to find out where and how the dust will settle and which organisation will now take up the mantle to drive forward carbon reduction across the NHS. The one area that remains fairly stable is higher education, where targets in the Higher Education Funding Council for England’s strategy and the Community Infrastructure Fund round two remain unchanged. However, the pressure on costs, as evidenced by recent

student demonstrations, is likely to make financing energy efficiency projects even harder.

And of course, over and above this uncertainty in policy direction, in times of austerity the necessary up front financial commitment needed has not always been forthcoming, despite extremely compelling business cases.

SUPPORT AT HAND While the challenges are great, support is at hand. For example, the Carbon Trust is taking applications for its 2011-12 carbon management programmes, for which the deadline is 15 February. The service provides technical and change management guidance to help public sector organisations of all types to identify practical carbon and cost savings. The aim is to reduce emissions under the control of the organisation. So for local authorities, this includes managing buildings, vehicle fleets, street lighting and waste, while for universities it might include running laboratories and heating swimming pools. Participating organisations are guided through a structured process that builds a team; measures the cost and carbon footprint; identifies projects, and creates a strong case for action to the executive.

Of the organisations we have worked with on carbon management programmes to date, local authorities are expecting to see £367m of net cost savings over the lifetime of the carbon management projects they have identified; higher education institutions are expecting to save over £48m; while NHS projects are expecting to save about £153 million.

There are many examples of organisations that have worked with the Carbon Trust to reduce carbon emissions and energy costs, and achieved significant success. Our work with over 2,700 NHS trusts, higher education institutions, schools, local authorities, central government organisations, police and fire services is helping them to significantly cut spending and carbon

emissions. For example, Oxford City Council set itself an ambitious target to cut carbon by 25 per cent and with the support of the Carbon Trust is achieving just that: “Working with the Carbon Trust has brought Oxford City Council real results.

Our story shows real change is possible and we’d definitely encourage other organisations to follow our lead and reap the rewards,” said Melbourne Barrett, executive director – City Regeneration, Oxford City Council.

PUBLIC SECTOR ENERGY MANAGEMENT There is no doubt that carbon targets will be a major challenge for the UK up to 2020 and beyond. By reducing carbon emissions, the public sector is in a strong position to set a positive example to private organisations and the general public. This can happen in two ways. Firstly by taking simple steps to improve carbon management within their organisation, as mentioned above. Secondly, by looking beyond their own organisation and encouraging green initiatives amongst businesses and the wider community. This can involve using buying power to generate broader demand for energy-efficient products and services.

As we look at public sector priorities for 2011, actively managing energy and carbon must form an essential part of any efficiency strategy for every single public sector organisation – from the smallest local councils to the biggest NHS Trusts. Those organisations which seize the opportunity will not only make a real difference to their environmental footprint and how they are perceived within their community, but also to their bottom line.

The support is there to make these changes a reality, and the rewards are well worth it.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Web: www.carbontrust.co.uk

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BUILT ENVIRONMENT

AN ALTERNATIVE WAY TO HEAT Heat pump technology is an essential part of the mix to reduce carbon emissions and meet renewable energy obligations, writes the Heat Pump Association HEAT PUMPS SUPPLY MORE ENERGY than they consume by extracting heat from their surroundings, consequently, they now form an essential part of the solution for reducing energy consumption and reducing carbon emissions, and also provide their heat from renewable sources such as the ground and solar heated ambient air.

A heat pump is an efficient and space saving means of heating a wide range of premises. It can also provide cooling to these premises should there be the requirement.

Where heat pumps are used for heating, they are capable of highly cost-efficient energy applications because they tap into a limitless supply of free heat – either the surrounding air or heat captured in the ground or water (such as a lake).

HOW THEY WORK The vast majority of heat pumps work on the same principle as the domestic refrigerator utilising a vapour compression cycle, but for heating the heat pump utilises the hot end of the process. The vapour compression process utilises low grade heat that is normally too cool for human or process requirements and lifts the same quantity of energy to a higher temperature that is then suitable for human comfort.

This process is remarkable because the thermodynamic cycle occurs at constant energy content throughout even though the temperature has been increased from say 5ºC to 35ºC. A refrigerant acts as the transfer medium and the only prime energy required is the energy to circulate the refrigerant.

Depending on the application and type of heat pump, gains of 300 per cent to 500 per cent are normal.

When dealing with heat pumps, and because efficiency cannot be defined as above 100 per cent, the term used is actually Coefficient of Performance (COP), so the COPs for the above example would be 3 to 1 and 5 to 1.

In its simplest form a COP is calculated by taking the heating output divided by the power input. For example, with a COP of say 4 to 1 the heating output relates to 4kW and the power input 1kW. SAVING CARBON EMISSIONS As well as being highly efficient in their use of energy, heat pumps emit considerably less CO2 to the atmosphere than gas or oil fired heating systems so they are more environment friendly, and the low grade heat source is considered to be a renewable energy source.

Due to the technology of heat pumps their capital cost tends to be higher than

conventional heating systems, however, the savings delivered in energy efficiency allow for very low operating costs. When utilised in commercial buildings that also require cooling, additional cost benefits occur as there is no need to expend further capital on a second system for such cooling.

MAIN TYPES OF HEAT PUMPS Heat pumps are normally classified by their heat source and means of delivery, for example, ‘air to air’ means air is used as the low grade heat source and air is also how the heat is delivered to the space.

‘Air to air’ is extensively used in commercial buildings as reverse cycle heat pumps (those that can provide both heating and cooling).

‘Air to water’ is used in many applications; in conjunction with fan coil units in commercial buildings, for heating swimming pools, for providing domestic hot water and space heating for dwellings.

‘Water to air’ can use wells or boreholes, but can also be configured as many units connected together on a common closed water loop to enable energy transfer from hot to cold points in a building.

‘Ground to air’ uses the stable ground

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You need

BAFE If you specify fire alarms, portable fire extinguishers or emergency lighting you should be looking for BAFE registered companies.

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BUILT ENVIRONMENT

temperature to provide the heat source with warm air being delivered to the space.

‘Ground to water’ works as above but utilised with underfloor heating systems, medium temperature radiators or fan coil units.

The lower temperature requirements of underfloor heating systems make heat pumps particularly efficient in this combination.

In addition, products may be single package, split package, ducted, rooftop, part of a central system, zonal system, or stand alone.

As we have seen from the above, heat pumps are typically used for commercial space heating, process heating and domestic heating and provide effective heating solutions for all types of building applications such as dwellings, commercial and retail premises, including hotels and residential complexes.

COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS ‘Air to air’ and ‘air to water’ heat pumps are frequently used in office and retails spaces, they are often installed in ceiling voids or alcoves and offer very favourable cost comparisons against conventional boiler systems when measured against installation and running costs.

Heat pumps are used in many industries to recover heat, or as an integral part of the particular industrial process they are

applied to. Swimming pools can use heat pumps as the primary source of heat for the water in the pool, for showers or to augment an existing fossil fuel system.

In enclosed swimming pools, dehumidification is necessary and the heat recovered from the vapour in the air by a de-humidifier is easily employed to heat the incoming fresh air.

The commercial market for heat pumps in the UK has been well established for more than a decade with a value in 2007 of circa £300,000,000.

DOMESTIC APPLICATIONS Many homes can now benefit from a variety of heat pump installations, including ground source, water source and air source, generally providing warm water to underfloor heating matrices or upgraded radiator systems. The majority of these heat pumps will also be able to provide domestic hot water at temperatures up to 55ºC with some heat pumps able to provide 60ºC. The domestic market in the UK, unlike in other parts of Europe, is still in its infancy. However, initiatives such as the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) and most importantly the Renewable Heat Incentive (once the full details are

released) will act as a catalyst for growth in this potentially large market.

The Heat Pump Association is the UK’s leading authority on the use and benefits of heat pump technology and includes in its membership the majority of the country’s leading manufacturers of heat pumps, components and associated equipment.

The Association was formed in January 1995 to promote the use of heat pumps through education, public relations and lobbying and to increase awareness of the technology through liaison with other relevant bodies and to promote the benefits and proper use of heat pumps and heat pumping technology.

With the UK Government departments viewing heat pumps as part of the mix to reduce CO2 and to meet renewable obligations, the future is looking extremely good for the technology.

The Heat Pump Association (HPA) is an incorporated association of the Federation of Environmental Trade Associations (FETA).

FOR MORE INFORMATION Web: www.feta.co.uk Web: www.heatpumps.org.uk

Integrated solutions to cost saving, compliance and carbon reduction

Nu-Heat integrates renewable technology for housing development

HERE HAS NEVER been a more important time to extract value from energy management, as costs are rising, especially for organisations in the Carbon Reduction Commitment. Equally, there are opportunities to invest in new technologies that protect annual expenditure budgets, helping to mitigate energy price increases, preserve jobs and protect service delivery.

Many organisations have identified and implemented some easy wins but the quality of implementation is diverse. A carbon or energy strategy doesn’t guarantee measurable expenditure savings. The BS EN16001 and Carbon Trust standards provide a framework but the key challenges still remain: providing a coherent pan-organisational approach to energy and carbon, good quality data and targets, effective staff engagement,

N AFFORDABLE housing development in Brecon has been dubbed super-green due to its eco-friendly use of air source heat pumps and solar thermal.

The development meets Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes.

The various options looked at for six apartments within the development included exhaust air heat pumps, considered too big for the compact apartments, and individual air source heat pumps – deemed impractical. The definitive solution was a communal air source heat pump and 8-panel solar battery combined, feeding into the plant room buffer vessel and supplying the entire block.

Nu-Heat’s design included sizing the radiators to cope with a flow temperature of 45°C and the specialist supply of high gain domestic hot water cylinders capable of extracting the maximum energy from the lower hot water temperature produced from the heat pump systems.

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T

finance and resources.

Camco helps organisations across the public sector to build solid plans to reduce energy costs, select appropriate technology solutions, and drive through programmes to achieve cost reduction goals. Camco also provides class-leading data systems to drive monitoring and targeting, to manage energy projects and monitor benefits.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01225 816851 E-mail: steven.heape@ camcoglobal.com Web: www.camcoglobal.com

All energy supplied is heat metered, so the supply to each apartment is measured.

Nu-Heat incorporated a building management system to ensure smooth running of the system and the potential for remote billing.

Nu-Heat excels in the design and supply of underfloor heating, heat pumps and solar thermal systems, providing all system components along with mechanical and electrical design to enable ease of installation.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0800 7311976 E-mail: marketing@ nu-heat.co.uk Web: www.nu-heat.co.uk

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BUILT ENVIRONMENT

INSULATION: THE KEY TO MEETING ENERGY REDUCTION TARGETS? With homes producing over a quarter of the UK’s carbon emissions, the onus on reducing their carbon footprint has never been greater, writes the National Insulation Association THE WAY A BUILDING is constructed, insulated, ventilated and the type of fuel used, all contribute to its carbon emissions. A worrying fact is that, for over half of all homes in the UK, a significant proportion of the money spent on energy is literally being thrown out of the window as a result of inadequate levels of insulation, with around 50 per cent of the heat being lost through the roof and walls.

The National Insulation Association (NIA) is a not for profit organisation representing over 90 per cent of the home insulation industry in the UK. As a membership organisation, it actively supports the government’s accelerated programme for insulation that aims to raise awareness not only of the amount of heat lost through inadequate insulation, but also the amount of money that householders can save.

LOSING MONEY At the NIA’s annual conference in December 2010, the Minister for Climate Change, Gregory Barker MP, stated that homes and businesses combined currently waste up to £6bn in unnecessary energy costs each year and that to transform the energy efficiency right across the country, insulation is key.

The government has set out plans to meet both the overall 2020 carbon goal, and interim commitment to ensure that by 2015, every household will have installed loft and cavity wall insulation where practical.

The NIA states that there are currently ten million cavity walls and 13 million lofts that require insulation. Research carried out by the NIA also shows that over half of the people in the UK do not realise just how much heat is lost through uninsulated cavity walls and roofs.

Neil Marshall, NIA chief executive, commented: “Meeting the government’s targets may be challenging but they are achievable. What is needed is a coordinated delivery plan, adequate levels of funding, a dedicated insulation programme and a major government-backed awareness campaign.”

Marshall added: “The cost of insulating the loft and cavity walls is relatively modest at around £500 including a subsidy under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) programme and will save the average home around £265 per year in energy costs making a pay back period of just two years.”

CAVITY WALL INSULATION Cavity wall insulation (CWI) is an inexpensive, easy-to-install process that takes around half a day and isn’t disruptive or damaging to a house. It is installed by drilling a series of small holes no bigger than a ten pence piece

in the mortar between the bricks of a house, before blowing insulation through the holes until the gap or cavity between the external and internal wall is completely filled. The hole will then be filled. There are a number of different insulating materials, but they all work in the same way to cut heat loss.

CWI work is carried out according to guidance laid down by the Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency (CIGA) and workmanship and materials are covered by the independent 25 year CIGA Guarantee, to provide homeowners with reassurance and peace of mind. See www.ciga.co.uk for details.

Tax allowances of up to £1,500 are available until 2015 for landlords through the Landlords Energy Saving Allowance. This allowance can be used on each of the properties a landlord owns, enabling them to claim the costs for CWI and other insulation solutions.

If every UK household suitable for CWI installed it, four million tonnes of CO2 could be saved every year.

LOFT INSULATION With as much as a third of heating costs escaping through the roof, loft insulation is a very effective way of reducing heating bills.

While most UK homes already have some degree of loft insulation installed, for the majority this is inadequate and should be topped up to today’s standards of 270mm, about the height of piece of A4 paper.

To avoid technical risks installing loft insulation should be carried out by professionally trained experienced NIA members. For example, a high standard can only be achieved by insulating across the top of the ceiling joists as well as between them and including the loft hatch.

Pipes and tanks also need to be insulated to avoid. Other key considerations include ventilation to avoid condensation and safety aspects of electrical wiring and fittings.

If everyone in the UK installed 270mm loft insulation, we could save around £520 million and nearly three million tonnes of CO2 every year.

THE NEXT STEP A large proportion of householders are unsure if they have insulation measures already installed in their home or whether it reaches the recommended standards.

NIA approved installers provide free home surveys and are experienced to recommend the most suitable and practical insulation options for each individual property.

They also have access to information regarding grants and subsidies to help make

BENEFITS AT A GLANCE Cavity wall insulation costs around £250 to be professionally installed but savings of around £115 a year on heating bills can be made. It reduces emissions by around 610kg of carbon dioxide (CO2) each year.

Installing loft insulation costs around £250 but savings of around £150 a year on heating bills can be made. It reduces emissions by around 800kg of CO2 each year.

Whatever the insulation, installing adequate measures will result in a warmer home, reduce bills and save carbon.

the cost of insulating homes even more affordable. The NIA recommends contacting one of its installer members as they are trained to the highest standards and also governed by a strict Code of Professional Practice.

FOR MORE INFORMATION For more information about the NIA, including a list of members throughout the UK, visit the website at www.nationalinsulationassociation.org.uk

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BUILT ENVIRONMENT

DEVELOPING GREENER BUILDINGS Find the latest developments in sustainable design, construction and the built environment at Ecobuild 2011 TAKING PLACE 1-3 March 2011 at London’s ExCeL, Ecobuild is the world’s biggest and most successful event for sustainable design, construction and the built environment.

Visitors can expect a comprehensive exhibition of sustainable construction suppliers.

Every possible product and technology is represented at the Ecobuild exhibition, from micro-renewables to water management systems, and energy efficiency products to the latest materials. Hundreds of exhibitors will be unveiling new and innovative products, meaning you’ll be the first to experience many of the solutions on display.

Ecobuild’s conference and seminar sessions create a context for the wealth of products you’ll see, and put you in touch with expert speakers, whilst dozens of interactive attactions and special events give you the chance to get hands on experience of the very latest products and techniques.

For example, ‘rock star’ physicist, Professor Brian Cox will ask ‘Can science save us?’ on Wednesday 2 March in one of a series of lectures delivered by highly regarded commentators, including scientist Baroness

Susan Greenfield, human rights campaigner Bianca Jagger, and Tim Smit of the Eden Project.

CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS A pair of Passivhaus compliant dwellings will be constructed at Ecobuild. The two-storey dwellings will include room in the roof space and will each provide an internal floor area of 135sqm. The design of the units, by Miller Hughes Associates, will be taken from a live Passivhaus scheme of 38 units being built for Saxon Weald Housing Association in Horsham, and use an advanced SIP system provided by members of the UK SIPS Association.

Passivhaus experts will be on hand throughout the three days of Ecobuild to provide practical advice on achieving a highly insulated air tight building envelope, whilst demonstrating other complementary technologies such as window systems, MVHR and low energy lighting solutions that are needed to achieve Passivhaus standards.

There will also be seminars on Passivhaus principles in refurbishment and Aligning Passivhaus principles with codes and regulations.

Visitors can learn from a series of case studies

on what applying Passivhaus standards to refurbishment projects really involves, and how Passivhaus principles connect with existing regulations, codes and standards.

IN A NUTSHELL Ecobuild 2011 is bigger than ever before with • over 1,300 exhibitors – from the biggest names in the business to innovative start ups • more than 130 seminars – Future energy, Energy in buildings, Sustainable architecture, Regulations revealed and more • dozens of attractions including Solar hub, Renew, Water wise, Extreme timber and Ecobuild installer • an expanded conference programme – now three streams: Making sustainable construction happen; Beyond construction: achieving a sustainable future; and Design, architecture and sustainability • 600 inspiring speakers including Professor Brian Cox, human rights campaigner Bianca Jagger, Baroness Susan Greenfield, and government construction advisor, Paul Morrell CONFERENCE The Ecobuild conference focuses on emerging issues, new thinking, challenging ideas, and the new policy priorities of the coalition government

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Visit the website to view the categorised product finder

Mewburn Ellis LLP – helping you to strike a balance between IP protection and budget

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EWBURN ELLIS LLP is one of the UK’s largest firms of European patent attorneys, European trade mark attorneys and European design attorneys, with offices in London, Bristol, Manchester and Cambridge. Our work covers a wide range of technologies and a significant amount of our work comes from clients in the UK, both large and small.

We work closely with our clients to file and prosecute patent, trade mark and design applications in the UK and across Europe, and to manage portfolios of applications around the world. We also handle contentious matters, including oppositions at the UK-IPO, the European Patent Office and OHIM, the office that administers EU trade marks. We do not carry out instructions passively, but seek actively to make additional contributions using our special expertise. This distinctive approach often leads to beneficial changes in a proposed course of action, especially as we treat our clients’ intellectual property rights not in isolation, but as part of their legal, commercial and industrial environment.

The tougher economic climate that businesses have faced recently has brought spending on patents and other forms of intellectual property into perspective. Even large multinational companies are seeking value for money Coregravel 1/4:1

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approaches to intellectual property spend and for small and medium sized enterprises the decisions are more difficult still. However, with wise planning and good knowledge of the protection options available, even the smallest of businesses can adopt an intellectual property strategy that strikes a balance between protection for the key assets of the business and available budget. We see our role as working with clients to develop an appropriate strategy.

Having invested the time and effort required to focus your intellectual property strategy on the key assets, it is all too easy to rush ahead with patent or trade mark filings without stopping to ask perhaps the singularly

most important question there is; are these assets yours to protect in the first place?

The laws governing ownership of intellectual property rights are far from straightforward and all too often businesses fall into the trap of assuming that if they have borne the cost of developing something they must necessarily own the outcome of that development. We have an expert team who can help you to understand the ownership position and put in place the necessary agreements to ensure that you own the IP coming from development work you are paying for.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Web: www.mewburn.com

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BUILT ENVIRONMENT

responding to the need for budget cuts.

For 2011, there is much to assess and debate, including: • the progress made in putting sustainability at the core of construction and the built environment • the future direction the sector needs to take • how a new government with new priorities will affect the direction and speed of change • how sustainability will fare in an age of austerity.

The Ecobuild conference in 2011 comprises three streams and examines the key issues surrounding sustainability, construction and the built environment, from big picture debates, such as international political cooperation, global economic models, behaviour and psychology of climate change, and the role of science, through to more domestic challenges such as the how the UK construction sector needs to change, how to refurbish the existing stock, decarbonising electricity generation, the impact of localism and the big society on planning (and in particular the housing sector).

A new conference stream for 2011 will look at sustainability from the perspective of architecture and design, and debate topics such as the role of architects in a resource stressed world, how designers can

help change behaviour, what a sustainable community looks like, how ecologically successful cities can be created, and how sustainability and art can be combined.

SEMINARS In an expanded programme for 2011 – Ecobuild’s biggest yet – more than 130 seminars cover the most pressing issues for built environment professionals. Topics include: future energy; energy in buildings; regulations revealed; simplifying standards guides and tools; refurbishing Britain; sustainability and the city; sustainable by design; sustainable small projects; from grey to green; sustainable architecture & design; beyond construction; installer business; and installer skills.

With the emphasis on practical and applied information, each seminar is carefully structured to provide key learning points, supported by case studies, analysis, and examples of best practice.

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Ecobuild hosts an exhibition featuring sustainable construction suppliers, with many exhibitors unveiling new and innovative products for the first time.

Exhibitors cover a comprehensive range of products and services, including:

• renewable energy and micro generation • water management and efficiency • building services and management • external works • substructures • building structures • building completion • building systems • building materials • professional services • finishing products and materials • fittings • special activities and requirements Ecobuild’s new online itinerary planner allows you to list all the exhibitors you’d like to meet, all the products you’d like to see, and create a timetable of all the seminars, conference sessions and other events that you’d like to attend – register now and start planning your visit straight away!

Ecobuild 2010 was a huge success with more than 1,000 exhibitors, over 41,000 visitors, and dozens of new attractions, initiatives and special events. Ecobuild 2011 is set to continue, if not surpass, this trend.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Web: www.ecobuild.co.uk

Hassle-free gravel NIBE heating for new estate opened by minister paving from COREgravel OLLARDS CLOSE is a new development close to Welwyn Garden City and was declared officially open at the end of October by the Rt. Hon. Grant Shapps, Minister of State for Housing and Planning.

The development consists of 24 affordable new houses commissioned by national housing association, Affinity Sutton Housing, all of which are designed to be super energy efficient.

Effective, energy saving heating for the hot water system and central heating in the new houses has been provided by NIBE Energy Systems Ltd based in Chesterfield.

They are experts in extracting energy from the atmosphere, the ground, the air and even from the exhaust air expelled from a building during essential ventilation.

This last system, simple in principle and highly attractive on a ‘nothing is wasted’ basis, has been used in all but one of the Pollards Close homes. The oxygen-poor air that

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has been heated within the house, but would normally be expelled into the outside atmosphere at a temperature of, say, 70º degrees, is instead harvested and transmitted to a NIBE Heat Recovery Pump.

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The homes in Pollards Close are well designed, well appointed and are, thanks to NIBE, extremely energy effective.

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COREedge is a range of plastic edgings covered in resin bound aggregate, beautiful to look at, lightweight and easy to install, available with coreglow aggregate for luminescent safety. With an exciting range of new products for 2011 Core Gravel UK is definitely worth keeping an eye on.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Web: www.coregravel.co.uk

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31

Swindon Commercial Services Ltd.

As a wholly owned company of Swindon Borough Council, Swindon Commercial Services Ltd (SCS) combines the best of the public and private sectors and brings financial stability coupled with innovation, competitive service delivery and a passion for serving the public.

SCS is a long established company and is regarded as a leading authority in asbestos management and removal in accordance with the Control of Asbestos 2006 Regulations. SCS offers cost-effective, clear, no-fuss solutions to all asbestos issues, large or small and is a licensed asbestos specialist to undertake sampling, surveys and removal.

We undertake authoritative asbestos management and pre-demolition surveys on all sizes and types of buildings including domestic, commercial and industrial units that meet HSE regulations. Once asbestos has been identified, we produce a comprehensive survey report which clearly identifies the location of asbestos materials and a risk assessment of the condition of the materials with recommendations for future management, which may include: • Leave and manage • Leave and encapsulate • Remove non-notifiable • Remove notifiable.

Building on a long-standing reputation for high quality, our experienced ACAD trained personnel offer exacting standards of workmanship that meet the requirements of today’s clients.We adopt a sympathetic approach and show empathy towards client needs when working in occupied premises to ensure minimum disruption and exceptional adherence to Health and Safety. We build upon our service by listening to and reviewing customer comments and their specific requirements and will adapt to improve our service offering as necessary.

Our staff receive ongoing training and we are subject to constant reviews by independent Health & Safety consultants. Fully licensed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for the safe removal of all asbestos materials, SCS has the resource, technology and staff to manage any asbestos survey through to removal and final safe disposal. SCS is the ‘One Stop Shop’ for advice and professional solutions. We can provide regular updates on changes to regulations to ensure compliance with the law, and provide approved Asbestos Awareness Training. We also carry both Asbestos Management and Waste Carriers certification.

For all enquiries please call Customer Services on 01793 464880

www.swindoncommercialservices.co.uk scsinfo@swindoncommercialservices.co.uk

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BUILT ENVIRONMENT

BE SAFE, NOT SORRY The Asbestos Removal Contractors Association explains your duties when it comes to premises that may contain asbestos EMPLOYERS OF BUILDING maintenance and repair workers are required to carry out a risk assessment before undertaking any work which exposes, or is liable to expose, employees to asbestos. They must take the appropriate steps required by the Asbestos Regulations to prevent or reduce these risks.

RESPONSIBILITIES In many cases, however, the employers and their workers have little or no information about the premises where they are going to undertake work, and are therefore not aware if asbestos containing materials are present. Consequently, it is difficult for them to consider the risks, or if precautions may be needed. A duty to manage the risk from asbestos in non-domestic premises was therefore added to the Control of Asbestos at work Regulations in 2002 to address this. These requirements have since been brought forward unchanged in the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 as Regulation 4.

Those who own, occupy, manage or have responsibilities for premises that may contain asbestos, will either have a legal duty to manage the risk from asbestos material, or a legal duty to cooperate with whoever manages that risk.

They will be required to manage the risk from asbestos by: • finding out if there is asbestos in the premises, its extent and what condition it is in • presuming the materials contain asbestos, unless you have strong evidence that they do not • making and keeping up to date a record of the location and condition of the asbestos asbestos containing materials containing materials (ACMs) or presumed ACMs in their premises • assessing the risk from the material • preparing a plan that sets out in detail how they are going to manage the risk from this material • taking the steps needed to

put their plan into action • reviewing and monitoring their plan and the arrangements made to put it in place • providing information on the location and condition of the material to anyone who is liable to work or disturb it.

At some point somebody has got to work with asbestos containing materials, but who is allowed to do this? In the United Kingdom work on asbestos has by law to be carried out by a contractor who holds a licence under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006, although there are exceptions.

Normally, non-licensed work includes work on asbestos-containing textured coatings, asbestos cement and certain work of short duration on asbestos insulating board.

The duties imposed by regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 supplement the provisions of some of the duties imposed by other sets of regulations, in particular the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007, which require the client to provide designers and contractors who may be bidding for the work or who they intend to engage, with the projects specific health and safety information needed to identify hazards and risks associated with the design and construction work.

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PROTECH SCAFFOLDING SYSTEMS LTD

We pride ourselves on being a professional competitive scaffolding access company specialising in demolition and asbestos removal access.

We work for some of the major companies including Keltbray Plc, Cantillon Plc, Erith, Pectel & Toureen Mangan amongst others. References available.

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As one of Europe’s premier IP firms, we offer our clients unrivaled expertise and outstanding service, whether they are an independent inventor or a large multinational.

Please contact Chris with your enquiries

Call: 0208 485 9295 24hr: 07824 533439 Email: chris@protechscaff.com Offices/Yard: 28 Weir Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 8UG

www.mewburn.com 020 7776 5300 LONDON • BRISTOL MANCHESTER • CAMBRIDGE

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Those who employ construction workers to carry out demolition or refurbishment work have a legal duty to ensure that they have adequate information, instruction and training regarding asbestos, as those tradesmen are always liable to be exposed to asbestos as a result of the type of work they carry out LEGAL DUTIES The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 place legal duties on employers and employees with regards to asbestos in the workplace, Regulation 10 states: “Every employer shall ensure that adequate information, instruction and training is given to those of his employees who are or are liable to be exposed to asbestos or who supervise such employees...”

Therefore those who employ construction workers to carry out demolition or refurbishment work have a legal duty to ensure that they have adequate information, instruction and training regarding asbestos, as those tradesmen are always liable to be exposed to asbestos as a result of the type of work they carry out.

In fact the Approved Code of Practice, which accompanies the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006, states: “Asbestos awareness training is required to be given to employees whose work could forseeably expose them to asbestos. In particular it should be given to all demolition workers and those workers in the refurbishment, maintenance and allied trades where it is foreseeable that their work will disturb the fabric of the building because asbestos containing materials (ACMs) may become exposed during their work. Exemption from this requirement would apply only where the employer can demonstrate that work will only be carried out on buildings free of ACMs. This information should be available

Bowlins – because our environment matters INCE ITS FORMATION ten years ago Bowlins has grown and developed into one of the UK’s most respected asbestos removal companies. We currently hold both an Asbestos Removal License and a Hazardous Waste Carrier’s License and are full contracting members of ARCA, the main recognised trade association for this type of specialist work.

All our projects are managed by our professional in house teams with all projects being carried out by our directly employed fully trained supervisors and operatives, who are fully supported with comprehensive methods statements and risk assessments ensuring a safe and correct removal process.

Bowlins has years of experience

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in all aspects of asbestos work enabling us to deal effectively and efficiently with identification, management and removal. With asbestos, safety is paramount and we are committed to maintaining our high standards of site safety.

This is achieved by ongoing training and constant investment in new plant and equipment, which ensures we have the right tools for the job. Our aim during the removal and disposal process is to cause as little disruption as possible to the client, leaving them with an environmentally clean site.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 020 85075933 Fax: 020 85075938 E-mail: kelly@bowlins.co.uk Web: www.bowlins.co.uk

in the client’s asbestos management plan.”

Asbestos awareness training is a legal requirement for most employees and supervisors working in the construction industry. In addition to initial training, the Approved Code of Practice which accompanies the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 also states that refresher training should be given at least every year. Therefore, there is an ongoing annual legal requirement for refresher training to be carried out for the identified employees.

ARCA The Asbestos Removal Contractors Association (ARCA) is the leading supplier of asbestos awareness training aimed at building and maintenance workers. ARCA trainers have considerable experience within the asbestos removal industry and understand the issues that are faced every day. The range of courses which ARCA have available is comprehensive. Each has been designed to ensure that your staff acquire a real depth of knowledge and capability.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01283 531126 Web: www.arca.org.uk

Providing specialist environmental services throughout the UK is a leading M .H.GOLDSMITH professional asbestos removal company, which has been fully licensed by the Health and Safety Executive. We have built up a first class reputation for working in partnership with our wide ranging client base, and we are able to meet the demands and time constraints often required by the discovery of asbestos materials.

We are committed to providing only the very best service to our clients, and we are recognised for our ability to work within client’s budgets whilst still providing a top quality and safe service.

Roofing Division – to date we have laid hundreds of thousands of square metres of roof coverings, without fuss or disruption to clients and on time.

Our aim is to continue providing this high standard of services to a wide range of clients, which include many local authorities and multi-national companies.

The expertise of our company management has been developed over many years to meet the technical demands of today’s roofing and cladding industry, accommodating new skills and disciplines where necessary.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Address: 21a Station Road, Knebworth, Herts SG3 6AP Tel: 01438 814565 Fax: 01438 814106 E-mail: enquiries@ goldsmithasbestos.co.uk Web: www.goldsmith asbestos.co.uk

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BUILT ENVIRONMENT

HOLDING BACK THE WATER The Environment Agency has been pioneering new tests for flood defence products which could protect homes across the UK. Tony Andryszewski, the Agency’s flood manager, describes how this work is giving householders and organisations greater confidence in reducing flood risk HEAVY RAIN MAY BE A FACT of life for people living in the UK, but, for the one in six households in England and Wales at risk of flooding, intense or prolonged rainfall can spell disaster. Flooding causes thousands of pounds worth of damage in just a few hours, it destroys homes, causes heartbreak and puts companies out of business. Victims of flood often find themselves unable to return home for months whilst furniture, flooring, electrics and even walls are replaced – often at huge expense of either the homeowner or insurer.

AN EXPENSIVE PROBLEM The devastating floods of summer 2007 cost the UK economy £3.2 billion. A recent Environment Agency report found that the average cost per home flooded in 2007 was between £23,000 and £30,000, with a quarter of homeowners not fully covered by insurance.

The Environment Agency is working hard to protect more homes from flooding. Our flood defence schemes have protected a further 130,000 properties from flooding in the past three years. Whilst we can be better prepared and minimise the damage caused by flooding, we cannot prevent it. Some flooding is inevitable and climate change predictions show that weather conditions in the UK are likely to become more extreme, with more intense rainfall increasing likelihood of flooding.

Homeowners need to find out if they are at risk, and local authorities, alongside the Environment Agency and communities, have an important role to play in raising flood awareness.

The Environment Agency offers services to homeowners and businesses to help them to prepare for flooding. You can identify if you are at risk of flooding via free maps on the Agency’s website, www.environment-agency. gov.uk. Anyone living in a flood risk area is urged to sign up to the Agency’s Floodline service (0845 988 1188) to receive free flood warnings direct to their phone, mobile or e-mail. Live information is also available on our website including three day forecasts of flood risk, river levels and flood warnings.

PREPARING FOR THE WORST However, simply finding out whether a property is at risk is only the first step. Others need to be taken to protect properties at risk of flooding.

These preparations can make the difference between an easy cleanup and devastation.

Traditional flood defence schemes are not always affordable. Smaller scale, individual household flood prevention measures can be effective in making properties more flood

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resistant. There are many steps residents can take to protect their home from flooding.

Some are simple and temporary while others involve permanent structural work.

Making a property resilient to floodwater will limit the distress and damage caused by flooding, which means less costly repairs and less time out of homes or businesses. Flood protection and resilience measures range from flood gates fitted to doors and windows through to using tiled floors in home renovations.

The experience of Appleby in Cumbria in November 2009 showed the effectiveness of flood defence products. Ahead of heavy rainfall and potential flooding, 46 homes and businesses in the town were fitted with flood

the replica building is fitted with flood defence products, such as door and vent covers.

The tank is then flooded with thousands of gallons of water to simulate a severe flood. If successful in holding back the flood waters, the products are awarded the BSI Kitemark, tested against a new industry standard, PAS 1188.

MEETING INDUSTRY STANDARDS This new industry standard ensures rigorous and consistent testing, providing people at risk of flooding with confidence in flood defence products. Manufacturers benefit by being able to show that their flood defence product offers a high level of protection. This testing also provides local authorities, housing associations and developers with a clear route to properly

A recent Environment Agency report found that the average cost per home flooded in 2007 was between £23,000 and £30,000, with a quarter of homeowners not fully covered by insurance defence barriers after receiving an Environment Agency flood warning. The products had been financed by Defra through a pilot grant scheme, at a cost of around £2,000 or £3,000 per property, and as water was cascading through the main street of the town, these 46 properties were protected from flooding.

TESTING FLOOD DEFENCE PRODUCTS Keeping water out of a building during a flood requires a surprising level of engineering. Flood water can exert extreme pressures on a building, the likes of which can not be withstood by simply covering a door with wood or plastic.

As a result, flood defence products used in the home need to be designed to prevent water from entering a building, whilst taking the pressures exerted by flood water without causing structural damage to a property.

In February 2010, the Environment Agency, in partnership with hydraulics experts at HR Wallingford, launched the UK’s largest flood product test centre in Oxfordshire. A cutting edge simulator is used to recreate the devastating effects of a flood using 196,000 gallons of water to test products designed to defend homes, businesses and people from flooding.

The test centre features a replica living room inside a massive tank of water, about half the size of a football pitch. During the simulation,

tested products – including larger scale defences – which should encourage proactive installation in existing and new build developments.

It is hoped that this rigorous testing will encourage new product development, bringing further benefits to people at risk of flooding.

The National Flood Forum’s Blue Pages Guide provides an independent directory of flood protection products and services, including those with the BSI Kitemark. It can be found online at www.bluepages.org.uk.

FLOOD PROTECTION FOR COMMUNITIES People at risk of flooding are already benefiting from this work. Last year, Defra’s property-level flood protection grant scheme helped those in high flood-risk areas who do not benefit from community-level defences, by enabling them to purchase flood protection products for individual houses, such as those tested at HR Wallingford.

The Environment Agency urges local authorities receiving this grant money to ensure that the products they purchase to protect people and property are tested and bear the BSI Kitemark.

One community to benefit from such a scheme is Eamont Bridge in Cumbria. The village has suffered from flooding twice in the last five years, the most recent being in November 2009 when a total of 45 properties were flooded – some to over a metre.

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37 properties in Eamont Bridge are receiving flood resistance measures as part of a pilot scheme by the Environment Agency for the North West Regional Flood Defence Committee and funded by local levy money. Eight other properties were included in the Defra Property Protection Scheme run by Eden District Council.

100 per cent of residents eligible for the scheme took up the offer of these improvements to their homes. To make the properties more resistant to flooding the Environment Agency is fitting door guards, airbrick covers, non-return valves and pumps to properties. Where necessary the Environment Agency is also carrying out further works to re-point and/or render stonework.

This work is the result of extensive work with local residents. The village had to meet various criteria before it could take part in the scheme, including being in a flood warning area and having a flood action group. The Eamont Bridge Flood Action Group was established following flooding of the village in 2005 and will continue to be instrumental to protecting the village from flooding.

TESTING RESPONSES TO FLOODING Preparing for flooding goes beyond defences.

When flooding hits – as we saw in November

2010 in Cornwall and in Cumbria in November 2009 – an army of people spring into action.

In March 2011 these services will be tested as part of the biggest emergency flooding exercise ever undertaken in the UK. Called Exercise Watermark, this four day event will put the decision making, partnership working and communications ability of everyone involved in flood response under the spotlight.

There are hundreds of different organisations taking part, and an estimated 3,500 participants so far – from parish councils, local government offices, police and fire and rescue services, to the Environment Agency, Defra and the MOD. Involvement goes right up to the highest level of decision making – government’s COBR briefings, which will be chaired, as in a real life situation, by a member of the cabinet.

Over 335 businesses, communities and voluntary groups have also signed up to take part. Communities are being asked to join in Exercise Watermark to learn more about flood risk and being prepared. Some of those who have already expressed an interest will be testing the flood plans and use products they already have, while some will be getting together to start from scratch. Thinking about what to do during this flood exercise will help people to react much more quickly in a real emergency.

In conclusion, protecting people from flooding requires action on many fronts. From signing up to flood warnings, to engineering flood defences, to testing emergency responses.

A HOLISTIC APPROACH Empowering individuals with the means to protect their homes from flooding is one element of tackling this challenge. By driving standards and development of flood defence products, the Environment Agency’s work with HR Wallingford will give homeowners confidence to protect their own home.

Local authorities can support this effort by making information and products available to communities at risk of flooding.

For more information on how to prepare for flooding, to sign up to Flood Warnings and to find out more about watermark, visit the websites below.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Environment Agency’s Floodline: 0845 9881188 Web: www.environment-agency. gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods Web: www.exercisewatermark. co.uk. gov.uk/flood

Automatic, self-erecting flood barrier system H

IBAR FLOOD SYSTEMS LTD was set up in 2006 to develop, manufacture and install a revolutionary, self-erecting flood defence system for residential, commercial and industrial properties. The free-standing design enables protection of high value areas of land (e.g. sports venues) and a linear version for strategic (e.g. river bank/estuary) defences.

It overcomes all the drawbacks of most other systems currently available. By rising automatically, it does not require a large number of workers or volunteers for it to be deployed. The free-standing design ensures that it is not, theoretically, height-restricted, as are those which rely for support upon the strength of the property’s walls.

Proof of concept has been demonstrated by both scale models and a full sized prototype. The feasibility report was completed by consulting mechanical engineers (Kenneth Grubb Associates – www.kgal.co.uk)

who specialises in water control engineering systems and have undertaken work for the Environment Agency through NCF2 and NEECA2 contractors.

Other bodies currently involved with the project to bring this unique solution to market are MTech Consult Ltd (Shrewsbury), the Manufacturing Advisory Service and the University of Wolverhampton.

Great interest has already been generated across the UK, and now in Ireland (Office of Public Works).

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01432 370215 E-mail: liz.higginson@ hibarfloods.co.uk Web: www.hibarfloods.co.uk

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LEADING THE WAY FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE Sustainabilitylive!, the UK’s leading event for the environment, water, land, energy and sustainable business sectors, returns to the NEC Birmingham ONE OF THE OUTSTANDING environmental events of the year, Sustainabilitylive!, is returning to the NEC in Birmingham, 24-26 May 2011. Attracting more than 400 exhibitors, Sustainabilitylive! is made up of five premier shows across the water, energy, land, environment and sustainability sectors.

The event, which is free to visitors, provides an outstanding platform for companies and other organisations to share sustainable, cutting-edge technologies and industry innovations. Alongside the exhibition is a three-day conference and seminar programme where key business leaders and practitioners will be able to explore current industry issues, best practise and pioneering applications.

FACING THE WATER DEFICIT As one of the largest accredited forums in the country for water organisations and utilities companies, the International Water and Effluent Exhibition (IWEX) already has more than 70 companies signed up for the 2011 event. Visitors to IWEX will have the opportunity to speak to representatives from companies such as Schneider Electric, Technolog Ltd, Utilitec Services Ltd, WEG Electric Motors, and SEBA KMT UK. The busy seminar programme at this year’s event will discuss key issues including the latest legislation, SUDS and flood management, FOG (fat oil and grease) solutions, waste water management and smart metering.

IWEX highlights will also include the 23rd Institute of Water National Drilling and Tapping Championship. This is traditionally a hotly contested event where the best practitioners from the water companies test their skills in drilling and tapping a high pressure water main, each hoping to be crowned champion.

Following its success last year, IWEX again presents its University Challenge, which highlights the best research carried out in the water sector.

Entries will be judged on innovation, technical content and commercial potential. Last year’s winners were The University of Sheffield with a research project on Data Driven Leak Detection.

The presentations will be held and judged on Thursday 26 May in the Water Theatre.

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS Confirming its place as the UK’s foremost industry event within the environmental sector and celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Environmental Technology Exhibition (ET) will bring together around 60 companies specialising in areas including air pollution

Attracting more than 400 exhibitors, Sustainabilitylive! is made up of five premier shows across the water, energy, land, environment and sustainability sectors

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Visit the website to view the categorised product finder

Efficient energy saving EC fan technology

Alumasc creates roof top haven at River Quarter

bm-papst is the world’s leading manufacturer of ultra-efficient GreenTech EC fans and motors that already surpass the 2015 requirements of the Energy using Products (EuP) directive. Employing over 10,000 people worldwide, our products are used in many industries, including heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, refrigeration, household appliances and IT/ telecommunications applications. ebm-papst prides itself on being a green company through and through. For example, with the intelligent use of waste heat, groundwater cooling, solar panels and of course, our own EC fan

ZINCO GREEN ROOF system from Alumasc has created a roof top retreat for residents of a stunning new development of flats and leisure facilities in Sunderland City Centre.

The River Quarter is a £10 million mixed-use development from Gentoo Ventures. Built over 11 floors, the development sits on a former brownfield site and includes 53 apartments, a residents’ car park, bowling emporium and café bar.

Designing a roof garden directly over the car park structural concrete roof deck, presented a challenge for Napper Architects of Newcastle-UponTyne, who worked closely alongside Alumasc’s Technical Support Team to create the ideal solution for the project.

ZinCo green roofs offer notable ecological and amenity benefits, providing a natural habitat for plants and wildlife, while helping to reduce air and noise pollution, cutting carbon emissions and

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technology for ventilation and cooling, our newest production facility in Germany consumes 91 per cent less energy than specified by the building regulations.

By using our EC fans in your own HVAC systems you could reduce energy consumption by around 30 per cent with the potential to improve performance and save even more energy through the simple controllability of EC motor technology.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ebm-papst Tel: 01245 468555 E-mail: info@uk.ebmpapst.com Web: www.ebmpapst-ec.co.uk

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assisting with rainwater retention and attenuation. They vary from extensive and biodiverse types which require minimal irrigation and maintenance, to intensive roofs, which are suited for areas of public and recreational use and require more tending.

FOR MORE INFORMATION For information on Alumasc’s ZinCo green roofs and waterproofing solutions, or to request literature, please contact Alumasc on 0808 100 2008. Alternatively, visit www.alumascgreenroof.co.uk

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in a range of environments, as well as renewable technologies. In addition, there will be sessions run by the Heat Pump Association and BRE on Wednesday 25 May. THE FIRST WORD IN BROWNFIELD REGENERATION The premier national event for remediation and contaminated land solutions, Brownfield Expo (BEX) is the UK’s only exhibition for brownfield regeneration. The expo provides a forum for specifiers and providers of contaminated land solutions and will give visitors access to industry stalwarts like Cornelsen, Ground Remediation Systems, Adventus Europe GmbH, Derwentside Environmental Testing Services, Regenesis Ltd, RPS, and PA Geotechnical Ltd. Seminar speakers will address regeneration legislation, liability and risk assessment, environmental forensics and new remediation technologies, spill control, asbestos cleanup as well as soil stabilisation, ground gas and invasive species management.

The event, which is free to visitors, provides an outstanding platform for companies and other organisations to share sustainable, cutting-edge technologies and industry innovations control, transport carbon reduction and commercial waste minimisation.

Visitors will be spoilt for choice with a raft of high-profile companies and institutions already signed up including Environmental Innovations Ltd, NLS, Simplifi Solutions Ltd, Birmingham City University, metnet (Marches Environmental Technology Network), Retsch UK Ltd, and Birmingham Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

In a packed programme of seminars, topics include commercial and industrial waste management, waste procurement, recycling and licensing standards, waste to energy, CAD, environmental legislation, air pollution, managing firewater spillage as well as green transport.

A FOCUS ON CARBON REDUCTION With carbon reduction high on the agenda of governments across the world, businesses are under increasing pressure to review and reduce their energy usage. This year, the

National Energy Management Exhibition (NEMEX) will feature some of the biggest names in the energy sector including British Gas Business, Powerstar, Business Stream, powerPerfector, Monodraught Ltd, and Siemens Metering Services.

The seminar programme will address a wide range of issues including government policy, skills and training, carbon reduction strategies, and energy standards.

Delegates can also attend sessions on grants and financing, procurement and energy supply, energy efficiency services and behavioural changes required for implementing energy efficiency measures.

Visitors to NEMEX can also take advantage of the co-located exhibition HEVAR, the essential event in the UK for buyers and specifiers in the heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration industry, which includes seminars on energy management

EXPLORING CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY Sustainable Business – The Event is a platform for businesses to embrace effective corporate sustainable strategies and brings into focus key sustainability drivers.

It attracts high calibre exhibitors, visitors, and environmental decision-makers across the full spectrum of private and public sector organisations. Exhibitors already signed up include NQA, BSI, Envac UK Ltd, Environmental Sustainability KTN, and Toshiba TEC UK Imaging Systems, with powerPerfector and Parsons Brinckerhoff confirmed as event sponsors.

The conference programme will explore topics such as the coalition government’s plans for a lowcarbon economy, retrofitting and future-proofing the built environment and sustainable transport.

EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION The Environment and Energy Awards recognise excellence and innovation in sustainable business practices across the environment, land, energy and sustainable business sectors, and has attracted a record number of entries for 2011.

This year, the awards will have 13 categories including two new awards: Best EnergyEfficient Refurbishment Award and Best Energy Supplier Customer Service Award. Results will be announced at a gala dinner at the National Motorcycle Museum on Tuesday 24 May. In summary, Sustainabilitylive! is a must-attend event for individuals and organisations seeking to gain the tools and knowledge needed to compete in an economy increasingly driven by sustainability.

FOR MORE INFORMATION For up-to-date exhibitor news, seminar programmes, information on how to exhibit or how to register for free visit www.sustainabilitylive.com or call +44 (0)20 86517120.

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Cut your wheelchair costs

but broaden your range The Vario wheelchair takes away the challenge and expense of having a suitable wheelchair for every possible user. Vario boasts an adjustable width from 39-50cm, combining 10 wheelchair models into 1 and covering 80% of user requirements. And its lightweight, rugged construction makes it good for years of reliable service.

Available exclusively from Nursing Hygiene, Vario makes quality provision straightforward and cost-effective.

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HEALTH & SAFETY

KEEPING HEALTH AND SAFETY AT THE TOP OF THE AGENDA Despite dwindling budgets, it is important that health and safety in organisations does not suffer, writes the British Safety Industry Federation was launched entitled ‘Clean Air? Take Care!’ This respiratory campaign aims to help reduce occupational respiratory disease by raising awareness of the issues that surround it. Employees have a right to be aware of the potential dangers that they face in their workplace and to be given the opportunity to protect themselves adequately; employers have a legal obligation to ensure that their workforce is protected.

The ‘Clean Air? Take Care!’ campaign is helping to increase awareness, highlight the problems and promote sensible solutions for respiratory protection in the workplace. Through a range of national activities and educational seminars, respiratory protective equipment (RPE) users, employers, fit testers and advisors have been targeted with simple information on the correct selection, deployment, use, maintenance and storage of RPE. Photograph courtesy of CSS Worksafe

WITH THE COALITION GOVERNMENT having announced its cut backs in October, it is little wonder that the public sector is taking a sharp inhalation of breath and is now bracing itself for further substantial budget cuts that will need to take place within its organisations.

However, one area that it is advised that shouldn’t take the brunt of these cuts is health and safety – after all the health and lives of the workforce must be a key priority.

Nevertheless, the world of health and safety can be a bewildering area with a plethora of regulations and responsibilities to consider. Hence the remit of the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) is to offer advice and guidance to organisations and individuals regarding the correct choice, implementation and use of safety equipment.

as well as other major occupational safety issues; the Federation also has active links with a number of government departments and more than 120 representative trade bodies.

David Lummis, chief executive officer of the BSIF comments: “We fully appreciate that the public sector has been put under a vast amount of strain through the budget pressures required by the coalition government.

Operating on dwindling budgets can push workforces to both their physical and mental limits. However, in the resolve to stop spending money, it is important that health and safety in organisations doesn’t suffer. Besides the obvious danger to the workforce and their health in years to come, it can of course cause extra expense should an unfortunate and unnecessary workplace accident take place.”

SHAPING INDUSTRY Formed in 1994, the BSIF is the leading trade body within the safety industry and a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recognised competent authority. By working with key authorities in the health and safety industry, the BSIF is able to help shape and influence practices in this sector. The BSIF boasts over 160 members including manufacturers, distributors, test houses, certification bodies, safety professionals and service providers, all of whom are striving to make the workplace safer.

The Federation aims to represent and support suppliers of safety products and services across all aspects of safety legislation and standards,

CAMPAIGNING FOR A BETTER ENVIRONMENT As well as supporting and representing its members, the BSIF is actively involved in a number of campaigns aimed at improving occupational safety. The Federation is working with the HSE and other leading safety organisations to raise awareness of specific issues among end users of safety products. The work being carried out in this area will be pivotal for local government as often workers in the public sector are significant end users of safety products.

In May 2009, as part of the BSIF established relationship with the HSE, a joint initiative

FITTING RPE PROPERLY This campaign is run beside the Fit2Fit RPE Fit Test Providers Accreditation Scheme, which highlights the need for RPE to be fitted properly after it emerged that many workers’ RPE does not offer the correct level of protection. Where RPE is deployed, the issue is not necessarily with the quality of the equipment, but with the fact that it is not being used or fitted properly. There is not just a moral obligation to correctly protect employees, there are legal implications. UK safety and health regulations stipulate that RPE must be correctly selected and those using the equipment should receive adequate training. Where a face seal is necessary, an appropriate fit test must be conducted by a competent person – and this is one area where complications may arise.

Up until now, fit testers of RPE have not been accredited, making the selection of a competent person a matter of luck and guess work. There may be a lack of knowledge, skills, experience and understanding of fit testing, or these may have deteriorated over time. Either way, the wearer of the equipment will be risking potential respiratory health problems if the RPE is ill fitting.

To tackle this issue, the BSIF has developed a competency scheme in collaboration with the HSE and other industry stakeholders – the BSIF Fit2Fit Fit Test Providers Accreditation Scheme.

By substantially increasing the correct fitting of RPE, the aim is to significantly reduce the incidence of occupational respiratory injury.

This scheme is designed to confirm the

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es up at ing ro r r G ngs – b ! i e m ok bl tea bo aila ur av yo

Health and safety:

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HEALTH & SAFETY

ABOUT THE BSIF Formed in 1994, the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) is the leading trade body within the safety industry and an HSE-recognised competent authority. Its members include manufacturers, distributors, test houses, certification bodies, safety professionals and service providers.

The Federation aims to support and represent suppliers of safety products and services across all aspects of safety legislation, standards making and major occupational safety issues, and has active links with a number of government departments and more than 120 representative trade bodies.

David Lummis

competency of any person performing face piece fit testing by passing an industry recognised exam, followed by a practical assessment of their competence when actually testing the fit of RPE. In this way they can demonstrate that they have a thorough knowledge of the HSE guidance on fit testing and that they know how to fit test in practical circumstances.

David Lummis, explains the importance of the scheme: “By creating a nationally recognised accreditation scheme with ‘professional’ standing, employers who select appropriate, accredited Fit2Fit personnel to fit test their employees with respiratory protection will mitigate liability in the event of an incident; HSE inspectors and RPE users can be provided with evidence of competence; and it should generate business for ‘commercial’ fit testers who complete the scheme and prove their competence. Ultimately and most importantly it will play a significant part in reducing respiratory disease in the workplace.”

REGISTERED SAFETY SUPPLIER SCHEME Moving on from this campaign, the BSIF noticed that in this current environment there seems to be general confusion over certified products mainly due to counterfeit items, falsified certification and the potentially confusing CE symbol that stands for ‘China Export’. The Federation wanted to make sure that there were measures at hand to ensure employers are buying and supplying the correct equipment.

Therefore, in 2009 as part of the BSIF’s Counterfeit and Illegal Products campaign, the BSIF launched the Registered Safety Supplier Scheme (RSSS) which offers a simple signpost for end users to be sure that the safety equipment their supplier offers is fully

approved and certified. Displaying the RSSS Shield guarantees that the company has been audited to confirm their conformance to the strict requirements of the scheme and ensures the safety products are genuine and legal. This declaration is, as a condition of the scheme, audited through special provisions set out within the company’s ISO9001 Certification. Under the RSSS this independent audit is one of the key requirements to independently verify conformance and is a key part of the robustness of the scheme.

David Lummis comments: “With the huge amount of safety products available it is little wonder that people fall foul of counterfeit and illegal products as they can be hard to detect to the untrained eye. Therefore, it is hoped by introducing the RSSS to the marketplace that it will help guide buyers to ensure that their products are legitimate and safe, all they have to do is look for the RSSS shield. Whilst it may be an uphill struggle to eliminate counterfeit and illegal products, this is a step in the right direction and will provide welcome peace of mind for many.”

AVOIDING THE DROP One area of concern for the BSIF is working at height as according to statistics provided

by HSE1, falls from height remain one of the most common causes of workplace fatality. In 2009/10 there were 22 fatalities, 4,200 major injuries and a further 6,277 injuries that caused the injured person to be off work for over 3 days or more, due to a fall from height. The BSIF is committed to raising awareness of height safety therefore saving lives of people who, by the nature of their work, are put at risk.

David Lummis, explains: “The BSIF would like to see the incidents of injuries caused

by working at height significantly reduced.

Many lives are lost due to negligence, often due to ignorance and a lack of training.

It is these areas we need to address and ensure everyone working at height can access important safety advice.”

A number of challenges facing the safety industry have been, or are being resolved, including the introduction of legislative and guidance documents. For example, the HSE provides comprehensive guidance on the topic and the BSIF Working at Height Safety Association has produced a variety of leaflets. However, there are still several areas that need to be addressed in relation to working at height in order to ensure the safety of workers. These include the range and complexity of available safety equipment (which potentially causes confusion in the selection and deployment of suitable equipment), safety equipment misuse, no means to test the competency of an individual and perhaps most importantly, the lack of a single recognised training or accreditation for people working at height.

The BSIF echoes the concerns of its members about these issues and would like to see more realistic safety equipment testing so EN standards can be easily related to real life situations, along with a nationally accepted accreditation scheme for those working at height.

The BSIF is the lead trade body for the PPE Directive and committed to ensuring occupational safety and health remain firmly at the top of the agenda in any working environment. Acting as a valuable information source funded directly by the industry, the BSIF provides direction in health and safety matters, including RPE and working at height, to both its members and non-members.

Notes 1. HSE statistics - https://handson.hse.gov. uk/hse/public/tablesimple.aspx?RID7

FOR MORE INFORMATION E-mail: enquiries@bsif.co.uk Web: www.bsif.co.uk

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Health, safety and management training for growing companies

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21st century will be the age of the mind, just as the 19th was the age of the machine. The digital revolution is sweeping the globe, expanding at an exponential rate. What might have once taken 20 years may now well happen in 12 months – or less.

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1

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HEALTH & SAFETY

TACKLING THE HEALTH & SAFETY CHALLENGES At IOSH 2011 you’ll have access to highly topical seminar presentations with case studies and training advice, and an extensive exhibition, providing an informative look at the industry ALREADY ESTABLISHED as the key date in the health and safety calendar, the IOSH conference and exhibition returns in 2011 to help professionals rise to the challenge of health and safety. Taking place 15-16 March at ExCeL London, the event will offer visitors and delegates the most expansive programme in its history.

It will include an unparalleled conference programme consisting of 55 expert speakers, 35 conference sessions and networking receptions; a brand new Core Skills+ programme offering topical workshops; and more than 100 industry leading exhibitors plus 17 hours of free educational content.

The conference, the theme of which is ‘Health and Safety: Rising to the challenge’, will be split into four separate tracks: ‘Managing legislative change’, ‘Striving for safety excellence’, ‘Responding to economic uncertainty’ and ‘Developing healthy working lives’. The tracks will provide delegates with a varied programme and ensure they walk away with answers to the most pressing issues facing health and safety practitioners today. Keynote addresses, interviews and discussions will also take place before and after the track sessions.

TOP PRESENTERS Delegates will also benefit from ‘Virtual connections’ this year. This exciting new initiative will allow delegates to network through the IOSH conference and exhibition website in the run up to the event, allowing for discussion and debate prior to attending the event.

Broadcaster and journalist Justin Webb, current presenter of the Today programme, will chair the conference with numerous top-level presenters speaking over the two days, including: • Judith Hackitt CBE, chair, Health and Safety Executive • John Armitt, chairman, Olympic Delivery Authority • Lesley Calladine, Health, Safety and Environment director, Crossrail • Steve Enright, director of Health, Safety and Security for Europe, Stansted Airport • Paul Farmer, chief executive, MIND • Naveev Quamar, Health and Safety director, First Group • Colonel Michael D Edmonson, deputy secretary of Public Services, Department of Public Safety Services, and Superintendent, Louisiana State Police • Karolien Debusschere, deputy coordinator,

Louisiana Oil Spill Coordination Office Steve Granger, president elect of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), said: “This year’s conference is highly interactive and addresses the topics that really matter to those practising in the health and safety industry. As the largest and most comprehensive health and safety conference in the UK, IOSH 2011 is a fantastic opportunity for not only sector professionals but also any person who is responsible for the health and safety of others to keep up-to-date with developments in the industry, network and share ideas. Through extensive research with IOSH members and occupational health and safety professionals we have been able to create a conference that meets the needs of the industry. I am looking forward to personally meeting colleagues and friends as well as making new ones.”

Adrian Newton, portfolio director for Safety and Building Management at UBM Live, organisers of IOSH 2011, said: “Having been

away from the capital for four years now, we are delighted to bring the IOSH conference and exhibition to London for 2011. Not only does the region contain almost 30 per cent of the IOSH membership, there are fantastic transport links around the country so all IOSH members can benefit from the unparalleled conference programme and extensive exhibition. We are currently witnessing a record number of delegate registrations and exhibitors signing up so this is an event not to be missed by anyone concerned with occupational health and safety.”

SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS The extensive exhibition running alongside the conference will offer visitors the opportunity to source solutions from a comprehensive cross section of health and safety manufacturers, distributors and suppliers, including Ansell, Draeger Safety, JSP, Moldex and Sypol.

In addition to the wide range of exhibitors, visitors will have the opportunity to take advantage of an array of features. Complimentary seminars within the spotlight presentation theatres, hosted by a plethora of industry luminaries, will allow visitors to walk away completely up-to-date with the latest industry developments. Access Industry Federation, BlueChip Technologies, Matrix, NQA and Taproot are amongst those presenting.

The IOSH main stand and lecture theatre will also host presentations demonstrating online CPD and IPD, training courses and products, campaigns and online resources. Finally, the IOSH Networks lounge and theatre will inform visitors about IOSH branches and groups as well as providing networking opportunities.

New for 2011, the Core Skills+ programme will offer delegates a varied programme of one-hour workshops, each focusing on a different topic area. With the option of purchasing individual sessions or a full day’s programme, these bite-sized seminars have been designed to help delegates develop their knowledge and skill in a specific area or simply refresh their memory. The eight sessions will focus on topics including culture and behaviour, musculoskeletal best practice, lone working, road risk, health interventions and setting up your own consultancy.

FOR MORE INFORMATION For further information on the event, to register for a conference delegate pass or to purchase delegate passes to the Core Skills+ programme, please visit www.ioshconference.co.uk

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Automated external defibrillators – at the heart of saving lives

University of Strathclyde safety and risk management

EART DISEASE, in general, is the biggest killer in the modern world.

It is a sobering thought that each year, in particular, sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) causes the death of 700,000 people across Europe. Many of these deaths occur in the workplace as both workers and customers are vulnerable to this worldwide pandemic. Many of these deaths are avoidable if the appropriate therapy and treatment is available within a few minutes of the onset of SCA. Sadly, only around one to five per cent of people survive a SCA outside of hospital due to the lack of defibrillators being available.

The placement of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in the workplace can save lives and allow corporate entities to deliver a heartsafe environment to workers and customers alike.

When someone collapses with an SCA, time is critical – for every minute defibrillation is

HE UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE in Glasgow has been running its highly successful postgraduate programme in Safety and Risk Management for the past decade. Due to its flexible online distance learning format this programme has drawn students from across the United Kingdom and overseas.

Participants enjoy a fascinating range of topics written primarily by health and safety practitioners, providing a very practical approach to the subject. Students benefit from individual guidance and feedback from tutors with academic and practical experience across a wide range of work environments.

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progress through the programme from Postgraduate Certificate, through Postgraduate Diploma to MSc. The programme is recognised by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health for Graduate Membership.

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HEALTH & SAFETY

IMPROVING HEALTH AND SAFETY ACROSS THE COUNTRY With topical seminars and a showcase of the latest products and services, Health and Safety ’11 – South is a valuable event for both health and safety professionals across all industries THE FIRST IN THE SERIES of Health and Safety events for 2011, Health and Safety ’11 – South is being held at Sandown Park Racecourse on 1-2 March. Along with event partners 3M, Ansell, Arco and Dupont, Health and Safety ’11 – South is supported by the British Safety Council and Safety Groups UK and officially endorsed by the International Institute of Risk & Safety Management (IIRSM).

Visitors to the event are given access to an educational seminar programme featuring some of the leading professionals in the UK, an extensive exhibition that includes the top providers of the latest products and services in the industry and parking – all free of charge.

TAKE HOME VALUABLE INFORMATION As always, the conference and seminar programme, which includes sessions organised by the event’s official educational partner the British Safety Council, promises to be a valuable source of information for the health and safety professional and a popular attraction for visitors to the event.

The seminar subjects are topical and in tune with the issues that are affecting the industry right now, providing practical information and advice for attendees. A perfect example of this is the seminar by Dr. Paul Almond, senior lecturer at the School of Law, University of Reading, which will give a summary of Lord Young’s controversial health and safety review ‘Common Sense, Common Safety’ that was published in October 2010.

The presentation aims to summarise the key recommendations of the report before going on to critically evaluate the approach taken and the proposals made. It will conclude by looking ahead to assess the likely impact that the proposals would have in the future.

ADDRESSING HEALTH AND WELLBEING General health and wellbeing in the workplace have, in recent years, been highlighted as major concerns for business, and musculoskeletal disorders are the second highest cause of working days lost after mental health issues.

To address this topic, Samantha Kee from Kee Anatomy Training will deliver her seminar titled ‘Good Health and Well-Being in the Workplace = Good Business’. The presentation looks at the health and cost benefits of involving the workforce in the prevention and management of musculoskeletal disorders

in the workplace. Three scenarios will be discussed to illustrate how management can design a working environment that allows an 18 year-old apprentice, a 63 year-old man who is about to retire and a 4 foot 11 inches woman to work safely.

Delegates to this seminar will also gain a clearer understanding of the impact that non-work activities can play on worker productivity and quality of working life.

DRAMA-BASED TRAINING Something slightly different this year is the unique drama-based presentation entitled ‘Safety Leadership and Culture’ which will be delivered by Shaun Curry and Harry Gallagher from Drama Based Learning. The session promises to be interactive, practical, memorable, powerful, effective and enjoyable and Shaun and Harry say their style of drama-based safety programmes effect a long-term change in attitude – not just a short term change in behaviour and help to build lasting positive cultural change.

Although the drama deals with some of the issues faced by supervisors and front line managers, the wider context is aimed at anyone who is looking for effective training techniques in order to make a long lasting, positive impact upon the safety culture of their organisation.

INTERACTIVE CASE STUDY A key feature of the seminar is the Interactive Case Study, which will demonstrate for front line managers and supervisors how to present a positive and unambiguous safety message to the workforce in situations of deadlines and stress. The case study is set in a chemical plant and the central themes of tight deadlines, mis-communication and work pressure will be readily recognised by a wide range of organisations.

Shaun Curry from Macnaughton McGregor says of the seminar: “The central message of behavioural based safety is very simple – ‘let’s all be safe and look out for each other’. So why can it be so hard to get right? We are hoping to raise participants’ awareness of the kinds of training tools available to them in the area of behavioural based safety. Tools that will increase ownership and promote long lasting positive attitudinal change. We are also hoping that people will take away an enjoyable and memorable experience.”

HEALTH AND SAFETY LAW In addition, Kevin Bridges and Zöe Betts from Pinsent Masons LLP will give a legal health and safety update with their presentation entitled ‘The significance of setting the right tone at the top’. It will give an insight into potential new risks facing organisations as a result of developments in health and safety law in recent years. It will also include Lord Young’s review, corporate manslaughter, the new sentencing guidelines, trends in fines, personal liability of directors and senior management and some simple legal preventative measures organisations can take as part of an incident response protocol.

Each year the Health and Safety Events work in partnership with the UK’s top safety product and service providers, as well as the leading safety industry organisations to provide an exhibition and conference programme that is second to none. These elements combine to ensure that visitors to the show are offered a truly valuable experience in terms of knowledge gained, the opportunity to network with other professionals in health and safety and meet the industry’s most respected organisations.

Toyota Materials Handling UK will be exhibiting at the Health and Safety’11 – South event. The key highlights of the Toyota exhibition stand will be the BT Pro Lifter hand pallet trucks, the BT high lifter hand pallet truck and the BT Mini Mover powered pallet truck.

In addition, Toyota Material Handling offers a manual handling guide available for free on request. This guide offers both employers and employees guidance on the safest ways to lift, stack and move items in the workplace.

Health and Safety ’11 – South represents a great use of time for visitors from virtually any industry and at any level, not just health and safety professionals. With the outstanding combination of the seminar programme and the quality of the exhibitors, it makes this an event you don’t want to miss.

Free parking is provided at the event and registering for the exhibition and seminars are also free.

FOR MORE INFORMATION You can register online at www.healthandsafetyevents.co.uk or by calling the event hotline on 0870 4866816.

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Masquerade Ball Celebrate with an elite group of credit professionals

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MONEY MATTERS

UNDERSTANDING THE VALUE OF COLLECTIONS The skills that an outsourced debt collection agency can bring to the public sector are increasingly proving their worth, says Dr Roger Lucas, president of the Credit Services Association

managed – can fall short of expectations.

The Child Support Agency, for example, used external collections for a period but decided the trial had not met expectations and withdrew from the market. It is unclear whether they were genuinely disappointed with the results – which given the complexity were really rather impressive – or whether they felt that with the public gaze upon them they needed to be seen to be handling the debt ‘in-house’.

SUCCESSFUL USE OF PRIVATE AGENCIES Fortunately, not everyone thinks the same way, and indeed a good number of public sector bodies are using private collection agencies very successfully for all manner of collections, from mainstream to sundry debts. There are those within central government that are managing outsourced relationships well: the Department of Work & Pensions (DWP), for example, has been using private collection agencies to recover overpaid benefits since 2003. Others within the public sector such as the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and the National Health Service have similarly issued external tender documents for the collection of penalties and unpaid fees respectively. The examples are there for those who choose to look.

The role of the credit department in keeping the cash flowing is becoming more critical than ever, especially in the context of the credit squeeze that shows little sign of easing. Whilst the commercial sector and the public sector are different in many ways, they are similar in the sense that cash is king; without it, they cannot deliver the services on time and on budget promised to their respective customers.

Improving cash flow means having a sound credit management strategy; a sound credit management strategy includes an informed policy on collections, and the possibility of engaging with external debt collection agencies. So for those that have yet to be convinced of the benefits of employing an external agency, what are their concerns?

FROM FORMER TENANT ARREARS (FTAs) to council tax, and commercial rates to unpaid rental fees, sundry debts potentially add up to millions of pounds of lost revenue to local authorities.

And at a time when budgets are being further constricted, and public sector workers are under increased pressure to demonstrate value, the need to focus on debt has never been more crucial.

Of course the traditional argument has been to keep the collection of debts in-house; the thought of employing an external debt collection agency (DCA) to recover council money is an anathema to some who still need to be persuaded that the popular portrayal of debt collectors in the media isn’t true.

OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE Whilst many councils are still comfortable using bailiffs, and a similar number will think nothing of engaging a solicitor, the use of

an external DCA is considered by some to be a step too far, with an inherent threat of losing control of the recovery process.

Indeed this idea of what is comfortable or not to local or central government is an important theme. Local authorities familiar with outsourcing are perhaps better able to manage external relationships, and therefore have a better idea of how success should be measured. Some central government departments, however, that have not shared the same experiences, may take a different view. They will not have the experience of procuring debt collection, nor understanding how a debt collection agency works, how they should be managed, or how targets should be set. The skills required in-house to manage external collections are not something that can be learned overnight, and results – if not carefully

MAINTAINING CONTROL The fear of losing control appears to be the most frequently quoted concern, alongside the need to protect one’s reputation. More than half of those questioned (55 per cent) in a previous survey conducted by the CSA state the key reason for not employing an external debt collection agency is the fear of losing control when employing a third party, and not having control on what is done and said on their behalf.

Many have enjoyed long relationships with their customers, are familiar with them, and do not want that familiarity to be compromised.

They are also familiar with their own processes and procedures, and resent any disruption.

Interestingly, membership of the Credit Services Association extends to local authority credit teams, and much work is being done to learn from each other in adopting best practice in how customers should be treated.

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MONEY MATTERS

Cost is also a concern. Senior management employ credit controllers or departments to stop debts occurring in the first place. To employ an agency therefore, in their minds at least, is doubling up on costs – creating additional expense. It is in effect paying for the same service twice – and would mean admitting that their own collections team has failed. It seems strange that some appear to be comfortable with the concept of writing off a debt and losing money as a result, but most uncomfortable with the prospect of paying to recover it. At a time when every penny counts, perhaps the industry needs to do more to demonstrate how the cost is netted off against the collections and is not an additional expense.

All of these concerns can be easily addressed and indeed overcome. Employing a third party to collect debts – and specifically a member of the Credit Services Association – does not mean losing control, or putting ones reputation at stake. Nothing could be further from the truth. Members of the CSA adhere to a strict Code of Practice (the same Code that was used as the basis for the OFT’s recent ‘Guide’), and for the most part appoint a board director responsible for compliance. There are

specific procedures and rules that these members follow with teams dedicated to a specific task – and that is recovering debt.

A PROFESSIONAL APPROACH CSA members are professionals. Their business, their training, and their motivation is all about achieving results for their customers. It is their focus. It is their raison d’etre. They pride themselves on their ethics, adhering to the very latest TCF (treating customers fairly) policies, and indeed promote compliance as a competitive advantage.

Unlike solicitors, for example, collections is not a bolt-on service to other services that they may undertake. It is core.

They will deploy a series of skills in consultation with their client, rather than one size fits all. Their methodology is one of engaging the debtor, not confronting them, separating those that cannot pay from those that will not pay. It is this collaborative approach that reaps better results, and maintains the creditor/debtor relationship for the future.

Agencies are only paid on results. Yes that means that they have to be efficient, but often the very fact that a debt had been referred to an external agency makes it more serious in the eyes of the debtor who has previously

avoided or ignored several attempts by the local authority to collect what is rightfully theirs to collect. Whilst certain legal firms may operate a no win no fee service in specific cases, in the debt collection industry, no win no fee is pretty much accepted as the industry standard. Clients, therefore, have quite literally nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Credit teams are increasingly measured on reducing the volumes of debt and increasing the amounts collected and their performance – and often their reward – is based on achieving set targets. Far from indicating failure, the market for debt collection continues to grow because organisations are increasingly recognising how agencies should be utilised as an integral part of a credit management strategy.

Necessity, so the saying goes, is the mother of invention. Perhaps innovation would be a better word, and to this end local authorities should be prepared to innovate – to think and act differently in how they can keep the cash flowing.

And that means actively looking at what the private collections agency have to offer.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Web: www.csa-uk.com

Have you considered all of your debt recovery options? It’s worth taking a better look at Lowell FFECTIVE DEBT RECOVERY is an important consideration for any business looking to improve its cash flow, but have you considered all of your options? Traditionally companies have been faced with two clear choices when looking at their recovery strategy, whether to sell their debt to a purchaser or outsource their accounts to a debt collection agency (DCA) on a commission-only basis. For many, that choice is made for them at the stage of the initial customer credit agreement which stipulates whether or not the debt will be eligible for sale. Today though the decision isn’t as clear cut, with ‘Right to Collect’ and ‘Outsource to Sell’ being two important options well worth considering that make the benefits of debt sale more accessible.

Straight debt sale involves the debt purchaser taking on legal ownership of the accounts and is an area where Lowell has established itself as the UK’s leading provider. Lowell buys consumer debt from a range of organisations, effectively managing the recovery of those debts by working closely with each customer to build a realistic and affordable repayment plan.

Debt sale offers immediate and tangible benefits: • Increased cash flow and cash reserves • Greater profit for a healthier trading picture

E

• Higher overall returns compared to traditional methods • Consistency in forecasting recoveries • Improved productivity of existing resources With Right to Collect the legal ownership of the accounts remains with the original creditor, with a licence to collect being granted to the purchasing company for a set period of time. Right to Collect offers those companies that are unable to sell their debts, or have limitations in place in terms of the amount of debt they are able to sell, a chance to experience many of the benefits of debt sale.

The latest addition to Lowell’s suite of debt

recovery options is our Outsource to Sell option, which allows companies to outsource accounts for collection on a commission basis initially, with the option to sell them to Lowell at a later date. This new offering allows companies to benefit from Lowell’s experience, without committing to debt sale.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Contact Lowell today to find a better way forward for your debt recovery.

Tel: 0113 2856612 E-mail: abetterway@lowellgroup.co.uk Web: www.lowell.co.uk

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TRANSPORT

COMMERCIAL VEHICLE SOLUTIONS UNDER ONE ROOF The efficient running of any fleet is dependent on a variety of different products and services, many of which will be showcased at this year’s Commercial Vehicle Operator Show WITH AROUND 250 EXHIBITORS already signed up for this year’s event and more expected, the organisers say this year’s CV Show is on course for success. The event will be held at Birmingham’s NEC from 12-14 April.

As the UK continues to emerge from recession, this vital show will help to create market growth by producing a business to business event that will represent all sectors of the road transport and logistics industry.

The show has attracted truck makers like DAF, Hino, MAN and Mercedes-Benz as well as van makers Fiat, Ford, Nissan and Volkswagen among a huge and growing line-up of firms offering supporting products and services.

REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE Workshop 2011 will again run alongside the CV Show. This is the only national shop window for the UK car and commercial vehicle maintenance and repair business in 2011, making an ideal combination. With many operators extending leases and running their vehicles for longer, maintenance is becoming even more important, creating a wide range of new opportunities.

The show’s website – www.cvshow.com – was launched at the beginning of 2011. It carries all the information about the show, its exhibitors with their stand numbers and how to get to the NEC, as well as all the latest news.

Pre-register for the CV Show and the organisers will send you an e-mail with your unique registration number. For the first time, they won’t send out tickets in advance but you can print out your ticket when you arrive at the NEC. This also entitles you to an Early Bird Breakfast deal in the NEC’s restaurants, so you can arrive early, beat the queues and get breakfast while you work out which stands to visit first.

300 EXHIBITORS AND 15,000 VISITORS The organisers expect over 300 exhibitors and some 15,000 visitors for the three-day event. “All the signs say this year’s will be a particularly good show,” says Paul Everitt, SMMT chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, one of the Show Partners. “Although times are still tough, there are encouraging signals to say that the recession is easing. Now many firms want to make the most of the recovery opportunities that the event represents,”.

Franchised dealers, independent and fleet workshops and a huge range of supporting businesses for operators and the commercial

vehicle industry will show products and services that can help firms cope better with increasingly aggressive competition. Many firms have delayed investments in new hardware or software and the CV Show with Workshop offers a great shop window for firms planning new investment.

Long term CV Show exhibitor Search Impex will have over 60 trucks on its stand.

Jim Newsome says the CV Show always proves an excellent selling opportunity for his business, with steady interest in the firm’s huge range of promotional models.

The CV Show with Workshop is set to attract a large number of people from all areas of the industry. Fleet engineers, transport, fleet or logistics managers, owners, managing directors and other senior people from every

sector of the UK road transport business all come to the NEC. They aim to meet suppliers, find out what’s new within the industry, discuss deals and talk serious business.

The organisers expect the event to deliver millions of pounds worth of business to an already wide and growing range of firms. “The Show covers a broad spectrum of products and services to support your business,” said Paul Everitt.

DEBUTS FOR NEW DEVELOPMENTS For three days the CV Show will be the focus of the industry, with exhibitors using it as the main platform to launch lots of new products and services.

New product debuts at the CV show will include EyeDrive Systems’ latest collision

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TRANSPORT

covering all popular UK applications. Imex also supplies parts for MAN and Mercedes trucks and has an all-makes engine range.

It does bumpers and cab panels, too.

Zenloc says it will exhibit its groundbreaking Zenloc Portable Alarm at the CV Show.

Launched in 2010, it won an innovation award and is now successfully winning orders with owner drivers and hauliers alike. The alarm is easily portable and can be quickly attached to a vehicle that needs protection. Once attached, it is self-arming and if moved, will emit a 120DB tone and a strobe light, sending a message to a small remote receiver kept by the driver. A unique coded electronic key built into the receiver can deactivate the system.

Carnation Designs will use its stand at the CV Show to highlight the flexibility of its genisys system for specialist vehicle builders and operators. Already a leading provider to the emergency vehicle market, Carnation produces a fully customisable, easy-to-integrate solution for control of auxiliary electronics and related power management in virtually any vehicle. This offers a programmable alternative to hard-wired relays and fuses, using solid-state technology to ensure a vehicle can adapt to changing needs.

avoidance system. Mobileye C2-270 uses a windscreen-mounted camera and sophisticated electronics to detect pedestrians, lane markings and traffic hazards. The system will warn the vehicle’s driver of potential hazards and, the firm says it “cuts traffic accidents by more than 50 per cent”.

Locks4Vans specialises in locking solutions for commercial vehicles and 2010 saw it become the largest supplementary automotive lock manufacturer in the UK with around 16,000 locks sold in the UK and Irish markets.

It returns to the CV Show in 2011 with the launch of its new locking products including the new ‘Ultimate’ lock. This is a hardened steel slamlock which is available in key operated and remote control formats.

Allen Developments will launch its new Ground Access Rail for semi-trailers. This product enables drivers to connect and disconnect truck and trailer from ground level, eliminating the need to climb on and off the catwalk, and resulting in a safer and cleaner working environment.

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THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR GOVERNMENT

This system has already been adopted by several major supermarket fleets.

Leading dry freight bodybuilder Bevan Group will be using its first appearance at the CV Show as a platform to promote its market-leading aftercare service. The West Midlands-based company is best-known as a builder of dry freight box and curtainside bodies to some of the biggest names on Britain’s roads. Its Aftercare and On-site Repairs division has also forged a reputation for excellence and the Bevan team will be focusing on this at CV Show 2011.

VEHICLE PARTS Imexpart, one of the UK’s leading independent truck parts specialists, will use its stand at the CV Show for the exhibition debut of its CaptiveX range of replacement parts for Iveco trucks. Available in early 2011, the new range will offer both fast moving Iveco parts and some that are harder to find outside the franchised network. The company holds more than 10,000 Iveco parts in stock

WORKSHOP Confirmed exhibitors for the Workshop already include Gemco, Jubilee, Maha, NGK Texa, Unipart GES, V-Tech and Würth.

Joining them at Workshop for the first time will be Draper, Maha, Somers, SPX, Stertil and Valeo. These are global firms selling successfully on world markets.

Between them, these exhibitors already offer a huge range of tools, parts, services and equipment. They can equip and stock virtually any automotive workshop, regardless of size or specialisation.

Major tyre manufacturers and tyre service firms will be also at the show, with ATS Euromaster, Bridgestone, Direct Tyre Management and Michelin featuring a wide range of their tyres for fork lift trucks through to road-going tyres for the biggest commercial vehicles, as well as tyre management solutions.

Michelin, one of the world’s largest tyre manufacturers, has reconfirmed its commitment to the CV Show and will use the event to debut its latest Michelin X® Energy™ Savergreen range – a single line-up providing hauliers with safe, fuel-efficient, long-lasting tyres for steer, drive and trailer axles.

The Commercial Vehicle Show is owned by the CV Show LLP, comprising the Road Haulage Association, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and IRTE Services Ltd, the trading company of the SOE (Society of Operations Engineers).

FOR MORE INFORMATION Web: www.cvshow.com

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BNP Paribas – far more than finance

Exhaust and emission technologies from Dinex

A FOCUS on excellent W ITH customer service and

INEX is Europe’s leading supplier of exhaust systems and emission control technologies for commercial vehicles. Dinex supplies complete exhaust systems from turbo to tailpipe for trucks, buses, vans and industrial machines and a range of emission technology products for this range of applications.

At the upcoming CV Show Dinex will be exhibiting some of its DiSIC filters which are 1:1 replacement for standard acoustic silencers.

The DiSIC range is approved for the London Low Emission Zone and due to its 1:1 replacement nature requires no change to the existing pipework, which can lead to reduced fitting times of between 8-10 hours. These filters will allow operators to retrofit their Euro I/II/III to Euro IV particulates and meet the 2012 London Low Emission Zone standard.

The DiSIC range is made from silicon carbide and is approved for all European environmental zones.

Also on display will be a Euro IV aftermarket silencer. Dinex

in-depth technical knowledge, we are a leading provider of contract hire for commercial vehicles and are on a number of major government framework agreements. We manage business critical vehicles throughout their lifecycle from design and build through training, servicing, licensing, maintenance and upgrade.

As a wholly owned subsidiary of BNP Paribas, one of the world’s largest banking groups, we have financial security, resources and buying power to obtain the biggest discounts from our suppliers.

Working closely with all manufacturers we are up to date with the latest products. We

aren’t restricted by purchasing agreements, giving us independence to advise our customers objectively on all aspects of specification including payloads, fuel efficiencies and new technology.

Moreover, we have a strong history of excellent account management. Once your vehicles are on the road we will review the fleet, manage costs, and help identify improvements to drive greater efficiency wherever possible. Our service provides more than funding for your fleet; we are experts in fleet management and have a deep understanding of the issues of operating specialist commercial vehicles.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0845 2666488 Fax: 0845 2666043

Security and parking enforcement services ARKING IS AN EMOTIVE ISSUE. Drivers demand fairness until they themselves flout the rules and get caught. Then fairness becomes unfair as it is not in their favour. Even though acting fairly, establishments and businesses still risk press frenzies unless we give special treatment that makes a mockery of any scheme in place.

We at 14 Services are dedicated to the adherence of site rules and to real equality. Caving in to pressure by the press gives succour to such methods, sets dangerous legal precendents and is appalingly unfair to those that are too private, too ill or too busy to use the publicity route to “get their own way”.

There is need for extra sensitivity in some car parks. We believe this

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must be in line with fairness for all drivers and with consistency.

Parking control is necessary nowadays. 14 Services operates on private land and offers a free service to landowners/ managing agents 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We issue Parking Charge Notices in accordance with site rules.

We also offer mobile patrols, dog training, key holding, security dog patrols, alarm response, lone worker support, staff searches and much more.

If you wish to discuss any of these services or anything else we look forward to hearing from you.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01452 546984 E-mail: info@14services.com Web: www.14services.com

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recently launched its first Euro IV aftermarket catalogue and will continue to develop this range during the coming year.

On the stand Dinex will also exhibit standard acoustic silencers for trucks, buses and light commercial vehicles as well as its extensive range of clamps which are also manufactured in house.

Dinex’s stand is located in hall 5, 5A40 – come and visit for more information on all our products.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01925 849849 Fax: 01925 849850 E-mail: dinex@dinex.co.uk Web: www.dinex.co.uk

Time to transform your commercial workshop URA LTD was founded in 1997, helping companies to transform the way their workshops operate. With offices in Brackley, Northamptonshire and a state of the art manufacturing plant in Plymouth, Devon, Dura has created and continued to develop the integrated workshop concept, allowing companies to dramatically change their workshop setup.

Design is at the forefront of what Dura does and their philosophy is to listen to the precise needs of the customer and provide them with a system of the highest standards. By providing companies with the highest quality systems, the Dura Integrated Workshop will help your business to improve efficiency, improve organisation and increase productivity.

Such is the quality and flexibility of

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Dura’s workshop systems that they are now used and recommended by many of the world’s leading automotive brands. The difference between Dura and other workshop system manufacturers is that all of the cabinets that Dura supplies are completely modular, allowing complete flexibility for even the smallest of workshops. Whether you require a single tool chest or a complete garage fit out, Dura can configure your workshop to your exact requirements.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Address: Dura Limited, St James Road, Brackley Northamptonshire NN13 7XY United Kingdom Tel: 01280 706050 Fax: 01280 700444 E-mail: info@dura.co.uk Web: www.dura.co.uk

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Boost your business, double your car park

The only name and card you need to remember

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The modular freestanding deck Fast Park®: a permanent installation but demountable and relocatable at a later time, the unique temporary parking that can afford to be permanent.

For further information about product profitability of a modular demountable car park and its claim for design flexibility, technologic value and commercial convenience, please visit us at Parkex 2011, Stand P196

Fast Park Sistema Srl Viale dei Colli Portuensi, 545 00151 Rome, Italy Tel. +39 06 65745942 Fax. +39 06 65745943 fastpark@fastpark.com

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One card controlling your world.

From handling all your parking needs to buildings access and time management.

Find out more by visiting us at

www.amano-parking.co.uk Tel: 0844 8793748 Email: prichardson@amano.eu AMANO UK Ltd

PARKex

8 Newhouse Business Centre, Old Crawley Road, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 4RU

Stand P60 NEC 29-31 March 2011

COUNT QUICKER WITH CUMMINS

CU PHOSCO LIGHTING

Transport & Parking have been counting on Cummins coin counters and sorters for over 20 years. Reliability, accuracy and a nationwide network of Cummins service and support continue to make Cummins machines the customer choice.

➜ Jetsort high speed coin

CU Phosco Lighting is the UK’s leading supplier of outdoor lighting and street furniture products providing innovative solutions since 1923.

M MI N S U K CU

counter/sorters

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➜ Jetcount note counters ➜ Jetscan mixed note scanners ➜ A great range of desktop just call!

Exterior Lighting and Furniture Specialists

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We specialise in all aspects of exterior lighting including the engineering of lighting columns; traditional, decorative steel columns, road and high masts; and manufacturing lanterns in styles including traditional, architectural, floodlighting and LED lighting. Our company has also been providing high quality exterior furniture solutions for nearly 30 years.

See us at Street Design 2011 at the NEC 29th March – 31st March, stand S114

CU Phosco Lighting Charles House Great Amwell Ware, Herts, SG12 9TA

Tel: + 44 (0) 01920 860600 Fax: + 44 (0) 01920 485915 Web: www.cuphosco.co.uk Email: enqiries@cuphosco.co.uk

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PARKING & TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

TRAFFEX, PARKEX AND STREET DESIGN JUST WEEKS AWAY Traffex, Parkex and Street Design will be taking over NEC Birmingham from 29-31 March to provide an integrated view of the traffic management, road safety, highway infrastructure, parking and street design industries THE COMBINED TRAFFEX, PARKEX AND STREET DESIGN exhibition is the must attend event for everyone involved in parking, traffic management and managing the urban built environment.

Loaded with exciting features, each show will offer a strong seminar programme delivered by industry guest speakers.

At Traffex, Mark Bonnor-Moris, from Siemens Mobility, Traffic Solutions will present ‘SafeZone: A New Approach to Road Safety’; Andrew Pearce from Mouchel will talk about ‘Electric vehicles and the Parking Industry’; a representative from the Department for Transport will comment on ‘Traffic Signs Policy Review’; Ian Burgess, from the Highways Agency, will talk about ‘Traffic Information – Now and in the Future’; Suku Phull, DfT, and Alistair Maxwell, TRL, will discuss ‘Puffin Crossings – Safer or Not?’ while Keith McCabe from ITS UK Carbon Working Group and professor Phil Blythe, from ITS UK Electric Vehicle Working Group will hold a session on ‘Achieving Carbon Reduction by Using ITS Technology’.

Parkex will see Kelvin Reynolds from the British Parking Association, chair a session on ‘Safer Parking Today”; Anjna Patel from the BPA will chair a session on ‘Reclaiming the Streets’; Lynn Witham and Keith Banbury of BPA’s Approved Operator Scheme Board will look at ‘Management of Parking on Private Land’; Manny Rasores, chair of BPA’s Equipment Manufacturers and Suppliers Special Interest Group, will talk about ‘Cashless Parking & Pay by Phone – Verrus’ and Paul Necus, BPA vice president, will chair a session on ‘Hospital Parking Case Studies’.

QUALITY SPEAKERS Street Design will benefit from strong speakers and a diverse seminar programme.

Martin Stockley, from Stockley, will chair a conversation on ‘Reclaiming streets for people & urban greening’; Keith Sacre from Barcham Trees will chair ‘Money does grow on trees’ – a seminar to promote the case for urban trees; Jenifer White, from English Heritage, will chair a seminar on why ‘Trees are part of our urban heritage – protecting and enhancing the townscape’ while Jo Watkins, president, and Alastair McCapra, chief executive of the Landscape Institute will present the institute’s new campaign ‘Why invest in landscape’.

New features to be showcased include Traffex’s Passive Safety Zone, an area where visitors can

see real cars being tested with both non-passive and passively safe products. A series of recorded films will highlight the products in action showing the results of live crash testing and experts will be on hand to provide constructive advice on the use of passive safety products in designing safer roads. The Passive Safety Zone will be running a competition to test visitors’ knowledge and expertise on passive safety with a number of installations on site and an electronic leader board that will display who is the expert in this field.

TRAFFEX HIGHLIGHTS Highlights for Traffex include: PIPS Technology – Stand Z74, will introduce SpeedSpike, the cost effective distance over time speed enforcement

system, posed to be the most anticipated product launch of the last ten years.

Siemens – Stand D10, is a Traffex event partner and one of the longest standing exhibitors. Their experience ranges from major projects such as the design, build and operation of the London congestion charging scheme down to small local traffic control projects.

Product innovations on show will include Sicore, a brand new Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera and SafeZone, a new average speed enforcement system specifically designed for urban environments.

Traficon – Stand D31, will present its first Automatic Incident Detection (AID) board analysing images coming from network cameras at the show. This new multi-

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PARKING & TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

cutting the security associated costs and providing clients a new angle on marketing and other revenue generation strategies.

Amano – Stand P60, will launch Xparc, an IP parking solution. Xparc has a state of the art design, combined with the use of the latest technologies in software and hardware. The product is based on a fully networked solution using barcode as its basic card technology and supports a full IP integration of video and intercom, which allows the customer to use the Xparc system to manage the car park from one system.

functional Video Image Processor for traffic control, called VIP-IP, has been developed to respond to the upcoming trend towards IP cameras.

Truvelo – Stand H50, will launch its Truvelo D-Cam L, a dual capability speed and red light camera. This versatile product may be used as a speed camera alone, or be deployed at a red light intersection where it will monitor red light offences, and act as a speed camera on the green and amber phases.

Mouchel – Stand D22, another event partner, is a consulting and business services group that provides many of the design, managerial and engineering services that support modern society. Among the areas in which the company operates is highways, where it helps manage the movement of traffic, as well as people, data and goods.

Instarmac – Stand K31, will launch a special feature called Instarmac Live. The challenge will test visitors’ knowledge on Ultrascape and Ultracrete products and participants will be asked to take part in a quiz, the answers to which can be learned from watching the live daily demonstrations of the ranges.

Ultracrete is a range of products developed with unique rapid set properties for highway maintenance, first-time permanent repairs and ironwork reinstatement, and Ultrascape will be showcasing its range of streetscape products, from bedding mortar, to grout to surface sealer for all landscape and urban regeneration projects. Visitors to the stand can fill in a short questionnaire and enter into a daily draw to win great prizes.

STREET DESIGN HIGHLIGHTS Steintec – Stand L43, will have a demonstration area displaying their 2-part bedding mortar silo and showing the use of their bedding, priming and jointing mortar with the laying of natural stone and modular paving such as granite cubes and setts.

Urbis Lighting – Stand S90, will launch its new range of LED products for both street and amenity lighting. New products on display include: Senso, Piano, Claro and Enyo. The range is specifically designed to help organisations reduce their energy consumption and maintenance costs, whilst maintaining high quality lighting levels.

Bill Butler, events director, says: “This edition of Traffex, Parkex and Street Design is a really important one. Now is a good time for the industry to get together. Despite recent government budget cuts, we are confident a large amount of councils and local authorities will be represented. It’s also Traffex’s 25th anniversary, which will be a good occasion to look back at how the industry has changed over the years.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION Web: www.traffex.com

PARKEX HIGHLIGHTS BPA – Stand P161, has revamped its John Heasman Bursary, awarded to someone who carries out research into an area of parking or traffic management, and will present the new version at Parkex. The show will also be the occasion for the BPA to present the results of their sector skills strategy set in 2006.

IceWatch – Stand P182, will be providing visitors with information about their forecasting, gritting and snow clearance service. With an average temperature of -1 degrees Celsius, December 2010 was the coldest December since records began. The sustained arctic blasts caused havoc on roads, at airports and for businesses across the country. IceWatch provides a complete and economical solution that includes localised forecasting, site inspection, gritting, snow clearing and record keeping.

HUBER Car Park Systems – Stand P175, is a manufacturer of steelframe car park systems. They design in-house, manufacture, construct and operate multi-storey car park facilities. As a company specialising in multi-storey car parks, they have the necessary technical know-how to consistently offer a quality product and punctuality in delivery.

NDI Recognition Systems – Stand P214, will be launching a new ANPR Access Control system for car park monitoring and management applications. The new NDI-RS Access Control system is a state-ofthe-art ANPR technology application and a highly efficient software tool to manage traffic flow, increase site and staff security whilst

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Your Parking Enforcement Partner Casio rugged terminals are used in parking enforcement by councils throughout the UK. To see how Casio could help improve efficiency and ease congestion in your borough, come and see us at Parkex 2011.

DT-X30 Key Features Dust & splash proof to IP67 | 1.8m drop proof | 2.0 megapixel camera Wireless WAN / Wireless LAN / Bluetooth | GPS | Large 3.5” colour screen

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The specialists in car park solutions

Husson International: optimistic for 2011

HE PARKING SHOP LTD works in close partnership with customers in both the public and private sectors and provides innovative ways to improve processes, reduce costs and enhance efficiencies in the wide variety of products we offer.

Total process solutions, through our Workflow Dynamics division aims to improve efficiencies in the bureau and back office processing of permits, statutory documents, PCNS, and other related products.

Faced with budgetary constraints, but also demands for improved services and enhanced service delivery, local authorities face real challenges in the management of their parking functions. Doing more with less, reviewing existing operations and evaluating partnerships with external contractors are all part of the landscape. Workflow Dynamics enable a custom solution to be developed that provides a best-fit for any authority’s aspirations on service delivery.

As UK distributors for ParkHelp, our new Vehicle Guidance System

USSON INTERNATIONAL is one of Europe’s largest manufacturers of play equipment, sports equipment and street furniture.

Having recently celebrated its 50th year Husson continues to go from strength to strength. Husson prides itself on offering an innovative, original product designed and manufactured in France and the UK. Husson has a rolling programme of product development and, following on from the recent launch of the new street furniture range, 2011 will see an update of the Piccolo, Cameleo and Vertigo ranges.

In addition, Husson has developed a new roundabout range which will be marketed in a variety of themes. The new roundabouts are designed around an unusual flat bearing which, as well as being extremely robust, eliminates the need for a central column and facilitates a fresh new look to this traditional but ever popular playground feature.

Despite these financially challenging times Husson is optimistic about

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offers a sustainable, commercially and environmentally efficient system to monitor parking bays both on and off street for both operator and driver also enabling the enforcing of on street bays more efficiently.

All this is complemented by our extensive range of signs, traffic and safety management products, consultancy and project management. We offer a unique approach, providing customised solutions based on a thorough understanding of our customers needs.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Angela Morrison -– business development manager Tel: +44 (0)1604 696800 Fax: +44 (0)1604 696850 E-mail: angela@ theparkingshop.com Web: www.theparkingshop.com

Money counters and sorters from Cummins Allison Ltd UMMINS ALLISON LTD has been a leading manufacturer and supplier of cashcounting equipment to the leisure, vending and parking industries for over 20 years and has, in the last 5 years, expanded its customer portfolio to incorporate other areas such as the banking, retail and transport industry.

The renowned Jetsort coinsorter continues to be the leading light when it comes to counting and sorting coins quickly and efficiently. Ranging from large free standing machines such as the M6400 and M4200, sorting at 6,000 and 30,00 coins per minute respectively, with ‘Touch-Screen Technology’, ‘Exact Bag Stop’, and ‘Dual Bag’ facility), to the more compact desktop M1000.

The Jetsort 1000 series is the fastest, most compact, and accurate desk-top coin-sorter of its kind and has provided smaller operators with the same reliability and accuracy of their larger models.

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It has a sorting speed of up to 2,200 coins per minute; Exact Bag Stop (EBS) providing the facility to count and sort all eight denominations of coin for banking purposes; and the ability to integrate with printers, or industryspecific software to provide a total cash-handling solution to any cash-counting process.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0800 0186484 Fax: 02476 339811 E-mail: sales@cumminsallison.co.uk Web: www.cumminsallison.co.uk

the coming year. Husson has been selling and installing ballcourts and play equipment for some 20 years in the UK. Those original customers continue to return to Husson for new equipment having seen the way their Husson ballcourt or playground has withstood the test of time.

Husson will be exhibiting at the Street Design exhibition at the NEC on the 29th-31st March. At Play Fair in June and at Olympia in the autumn. See you there!

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01628 850250 Fax: 01628 533337 E-mail: husson@husson.co.uk Web: www.husson.co.uk

Visit CU Phosco Lighting at Street Design 2011 U PHOSCO LIGHTING is the UK’s leading supplier of outdoor lighting and street furniture products, and has been providing innovative solutions since 1923. With three UK manufacturing facilities our company combines excellent customer service and product ranges enabling us to remain at the forefront of our field.

We specialise in all aspects of exterior lighting including the engineering of lighting columns; traditional, decorative steel columns and high masts; and manufacturing lanterns in different styles including traditional, architectural, floodlighting and LED lighting.

Our company has also been providing high quality exterior furniture solutions for nearly 30 years. Products including litter and recycle bins, benches, picnic tables, and bike racks are all manufactured using sustainable materials in wide variety of styles from classic to contemporary.

With a strong environmental

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commitment we are dedicated to helping our customers reduce their energy consumption and carbon emissions. In recent years we have been working to develop and provide eco friendly products and sustainable solutions such as LED lanterns, recyclable columns, Central Management Systems and street furnishings manufactured from recycled materials.

We will be exhibiting at Street Design 2011 at the NEC 29-31 March, stand S114. We look forward to seeing you there.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01920 860600 Fax: 01920 485915 E-mail: enquiries@ cuphosco.co.uk Web: www.cuphosco.co.uk

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Traffex 2011 The road ahead See what the future holds for the traffic and transport industry at the 25th Traffex event, the world’s most important traffic industry forum.

Gather insight, advice and research from industry experts at over 36 thought-leadership seminars.

Source the most innovative and cost-effective products and services from over 350 specialist suppliers.

Visit traffex.com for who’s exhibiting and what’s on.

Co-located events

29-31 March 2011 | The NEC, Birmingham, UK Register online now for your FREE ticket at www.traffex.com

Content partners

Event partners

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Casio – your parking enforcement partner

Double your parking spaces with Fast Park

ASIO HAS BEEN designing and manufacturing rugged, industrial hand-held terminals for more than 20 years and has established itself as a market leader with a wealth of experience in developing solutions for mobile technology projects of all sizes.

All Casio hand-held terminals are based on an open architecture operating system allowing easy software application development and pre-installation configuration.

The ergonomically designed handheld terminals are lightweight and have high IP ratings as well as extensive drop-tests onto concrete demonstrating how rugged and durable they are.

One area where Casio has had particular success with its mobile terminals is in the parking enforcement sector.

The ultra-tough build quality makes them ideal for all-weather

T’S NOT A NEW DEAL, development of parking systems can offer smart tools for increasing the revenue management into the parking industry. Furthermore, recycling of parking systems can be a big new deal and despite of the crisis: it enhances the rentability of a car park product, allowing to maximise a short term investment, offering significant cost and time savings.

With a long established and wide company expertise, Fast Park® works at the problem of parking congestion assisting the client from the very early stage of conception and project consulting to the final installation of the patented modular car park Fast Park® .

Fast Park® is delighted to welcome all Parkex visitors onto stand P196 to showcase its special services and

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outdoor work, and the technical specifications offer everything a parking enforcement officer and their admin support team need to effectively monitor and address parking violations including realtime communications via the wireless WAN/LAN and Bluetooth, an integrated digital camera and easy-to-operate design.

Casio mobile devices are used in parking enforcement by many councils throughout the UK. To take a closer look at the full range of rugged handheld terminals and see how Casio could help streamline your parking enforcement operations, visit us at Parkex 2011.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Casio Electronics UK Tel: 020 8450 9131 E-mail: mtd@casio.co.uk Web: www.casio.co.uk/mobile

Innovating underground network access UBIS INDUSTRIES is a world class innovator of preformed structural products for underground network access.

Our product range includes the widely-specified STAKKAbox™ access chamber range, AX-S™ surface covers, MULTIduct™ multiple duct bank system and RAILduct™ cable troughing.

CUBIS products are designed to be fast to install, strong and safe to use. Choosing our products saves money for the end-user as they offer massively reduced labour costs and extended life cycles when compared against comparable methods.

Manufacturing is carried out in three locations in the UK and Ireland, all of which offer the ability to transport nationally and internationally.

CUBIS has a successful track record in developing products

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from inception to production.

Every day we work alongside clients, from high profile network operators to smaller contracting firms, to develop innovative and cost-effective systems for underground networks.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: +44 (0)151 5487900 E-mail: info@ cubisindustries.com Web: www.cubisindustries.com

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offer: a tool to double existing car parks to deliver on a very quick time is the unique patented parking deck that can be entirely dismantled and reinstalled on another site, without disruption for both the latter and the new installation surface. Fast Park® will be demonstrating its latest parking facilities installed in UK and throughout Europe, with an original and innovative system completely freestanding, which can be demounted and relocated, whenever and wherever needed.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Fast Park Sistema Srl Viale dei Colli Portuensi, 545 00151 Rome, Italy Tel. +39 06 65745942 Fax. +39 06 65745943 E-mail: fastpark@fastpark.com Web: www.fastpark.com

Parking solutions for your business MANO UK LTD is a manufacturer and supplier of parking systems, access control, and time and attendance solutions, allowing us to offer a comprehensive solution to your parking and security needs. Amano UK Ltd is a division of the Amano Corporation, originally established in 1931, and now a $1bn business with a global footprint and over 4,000 employees.

Xparc is a new parking system from Amano. This product has state of the art design, combined with the use of the latest technologies in software and hardware.

The system is based on a fully networked solution using barcode as its basic card technology and supports a full IP integration of video and intercom, which allows the customer to use the Xparc system to fully manage the car park from one system.

The software is been developed to offer solutions for customers in most market segments

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without customisation.

Xparc can be fully integrated with our time and attendance, and access control systems to offer a single card solution within the workplace. Xparc‘s fully IP solution offers ease of use, flexibility, customer satisfaction and low operating costs.

Xparc can manage car parks remotely without the need for expensive leased lines, using simple web-based technology and Internet Explorer.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Amano UK Ltd, 8 New House Business Centre, Old Crawley Road, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 4RU Tel: 0844 8793748 E-mail: prichardson@amano.eu Web: www.amano-parking.co.uk

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LANDSCAPING & GROUNDSCARE

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR Why should parks and green spaces survive and even thrive amidst this economic disaster? Dave Tibbatts from charity GreenSpace investigates the social and economic benefits of green spaces THE ARRIVAL OF A NEW coalition government has created a very different landscape for public service delivery. Firstly we are facing a significant reduction in public expenditure and secondly we are seeing a fundamental shift to local decision making with a focus on devolution to councils, schools, GPs, business, communities and individuals. No longer will local government be accountable upwards to central government through national indicators and targets, inspection and intervention because we are entering a new era where local services will be more accountable to local people.

IMPROVING WELLBEING In this new landscape with a greater focus on efficiency, productivity and effectiveness, expenditure on services will increasingly be judged in terms of the contribution they are making to improve the outcomes that matter to local people; health and wellbeing, the local economy, community safety and a general sense of satisfaction with where people live. Our

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parks and green spaces are tangible examples.

Over 33 million people use their local green spaces on a regular basis, making around three billion annual visits. 50 per cent of us visit a park or green space at least once a week and declare that this is to improve physical and mental health, enhance our relationships, chill out, interact with our communities and have a good time; no other aspect of our cultural lives can compare. It’s clear where our peoples’ commitments lie; if people are satisfied with their local parks, they tend to be satisfied with their council.

PUBLIC HEALTH There is a strong correlation between access to green space and public health; in urban areas people are more likely to rate their health as good if there is a safe and pleasant green space in their neighbourhood. Whilst all forms of exercise have potential health benefits, those that are taken in a green and pleasant outdoor environment are the most beneficial with a brisk walk every day in a park reducing

the risk of heart attacks, strokes and diabetes by 50 per cent, fracture of the femur, colon cancer and breast cancer by 30 per cent and Alzheimer’s by 25 per cent. Increased survival of senior citizens is linked with increased space for walking; maintaining exercise and activity levels and exposure to green environments, supports intellectual and emotional wellbeing amongst the elderly, reducing and slowing the ravages of dementia and increasing their chances of continuing independent life in their own home.

Obesity and related diseases is one of the biggest and fastest growing health issues, costing the NHS an estimated £4.2 billion a year, a figure that is forecast to more than double by 2050. The rising rate of childhood obesity is arguably more alarming and 80 per cent of obese children are likely to become obese adults. Recent work has shown that where people have good access to green space, they are 24 per cent more likely to be physically active and residents in high ‘greenery’ environments are 3.3 times more likely to take frequent physical exercise as those in the least green environments. Those who live furthest away from parks and green spaces are 27 per cent more likely to be overweight or obese.

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS There are many other justifications for continued protection and investment in our urban green infrastructures. Climate change perhaps

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LANDSCAPING & GROUNDSCARE

50 per cent of us visit a park or green space at least once a week and declare that this is to improve physical and mental health, enhance our relationships, chill out, interact with our communities and have a good time represents the greatest challenge for the future viability of our towns and cities and without their urban green infrastructures they stand little chance of satisfying our contemporary quality of life aspirations. They cool and clean the air, absorb pollutants, reduce carbon dioxide levels and produce oxygen and provide buffers against wind and cold. They filter and absorb rain water and control storm water run-off. But of course this relies on them staying healthy and green, when they themselves are feeling the impact of the change process. Maintaining healthy green space and supporting the rich biodiversity within them in the coming decades needs specialist skills and knowledge, innovative approaches to planting and investment in irrigations systems and rain water harvesting and storage.

BIG SOCIETY IS ALREADY HAPPENING There are at least 4,000 community groups with a membership exceeding 500,000 actively and regularly contributing to the management and maintenance of their local green spaces, the work of these volunteers is valued at around £35 million per annum. There are in addition thousands of city farms, community gardens and allotment sites operating on a self-managed basis, and many thousands of groups getting involved in green space in a less formal, more casual and occasional basis. Their contribution has helped to improve, protect and enrich at least 15,000 green spaces of various types across at least 4,000 community areas.

Green space volunteering has successfully drawn in people from all walks of life, the young, the old, the socially disadvantaged

and excluded; but that’s because these spaces mean so much to so many. They bring communities together, integrate generations, shape and define places, forever representing and reminding people of their cultural and social heritage. They revitalise, regenerate and refresh. Where good green space exists, people are more likely to know their neighbours, social webs are stronger and more cohesive, vulnerable members are less likely to live in isolation and fear of crime.

Even with this mass appeal and opportunities, for really positive and enjoyable volunteering, the contribution made can only ever enhance and support rather than replace the care, effort and endeavour of paid staff. Many of the representatives of the green space voluntary sector have passionately spoken out against the suggestion that they should do anything other than add to the efforts of skilled and professional dedicated staff. Reaching this level of engagement has not been easy; it has taken hard work and determined staff with appropriate skills. It has no doubt been worthwhile, with estimates that there has been a rate of return on investment of £4 for every £1 spent, but it has been resource intensive and the resources needed to take this to the next stage are not currently available.

WHAT NEXT? Not only do parks and green spaces need to show how they contribute to these local priority outcomes, they need to show they can do so productively. Simple advocacy needs to be supported by strong political and managerial

leadership making a case based on evidence and past performance, capable of involving itself in key partnerships where priorities are defined and able to contribute to arguments about how local problems can be solved rather than why money should be spent on parks and green space. Managers and staff will need to better understand the new landscape they are working in, take responsibility for their own performance management and service improvement and show why investment in their services is what the community want and need. Managers will need to be open to finding and adopting quickly to new ways of working, working across traditional service and administrative boundaries, working in different delivery arrangements with private sector partners, in trusts and social enterprises and with voluntary and third sector partners and responding to a world of commissioning.

Disinvestment in parks and green spaces makes no strategic or economic sense. Freely available, they support healthier lives, stronger communities and better places. At a time when there is likely to be growing unemployment, less disposable income, increased stress and anxiety, and pressure on family groups, we should be reinvesting in parks as the remedy. Money could not be better spent and the failure to spend it will only result in burgeoning financial costs elsewhere, in health and wellbeing costs and environmental management and sustainability. The less tangible social cost could be much higher.

Dave Tibbatts is the general and business development manager at GreenSpace, a registered charity which works to improve parks and green spaces by raising awareness, involving communities and creating skilled professionals.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Web: www.green-space.org.uk

Landscaping services for the public sector CP LANDSCAPES is a long established professional company offering hard/soft landscaping, associated civil engineering works including the construction of play areas and all types of sport pitches.

We have built up a reputation and are committed to quality. We have long standing relationships with numerous local authorities and private commercial clients.

We believe that we offer expertise to benefit our customers and can deliver the complete package from design to completion.

We understand our activities impact

service that encompasses training, safety and environmental issues. To that aim we are members of the following trade associations: • Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme (CHAS) • Exor Management Services Limited • Constructionline • British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI)

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on the environment and as a responsible company we aim to reduce our impact on the environment in all activities undertaken by us.

We are an equal opportunities employer and are fully committed to operating a quality

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 020 85607211 E-mail: joe.cluskey@rcplandscapes.co.uk Web: www.rcplandscapes.co.uk

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Bluebird Care is the most experienced care franchisor in the UK

Bluebird Care is a management franchise providing care to people in their own homes – a sector with huge growth potential.

We have over 100 franchise territories in the UK and Ireland and offer a proven business model with exceptional business support.

The care market is worth some £20billion in the UK - and you can be part of it with Bluebird Care!

For more details please contact Annetta Doyle on 01730 260026 w: www.bluebirdcare.co.uk e: franchises@bluebirdcare.co.uk

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www.ovenclean.com

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FRANCHISING

DREAMING OF YOUR OWN BUSINESS? You will find plenty of advice and ideas for new career challenges at The British & International Franchise Exhibition 2011, taking place 18-19 March at Olympia, London THE EXTENSIVE CHANGES in public life and the economic cutbacks have forced many people working in the public sector and NHS, both nationally and locally, to review their career and life plans. Many will be deciding to move into a different sphere, including becoming self-employed.

For those looking for a new career challenge, particularly running their own business, there will be a wide variety of new opportunities, ideas and advice well suited to those with public sector experience at The British & International Franchise Exhibition, the UK’s leading international franchise event, taking place at Olympia, London,18-19 March.

PERFECT OPTION From careers with management support companies like Expense Reduction Analysts and

Auditel to opportunities in care management with Flexicare and Home Instead Senior Care, there will be a choice of more than 120 new and established franchised businesses to suit every interest, skill and level of expertise.

Becoming a franchisee is the perfect option for those looking to start up their own venture, particularly those new

to commerce. It offers the experience, credibility, support network and structure of a proven business, and this helps overcome the uncertainties and difficulties commonly faced at the start-up stage.

It is not difficult to see why franchising is growing fast worldwide; new businesses based on franchised concepts are much more likely to succeed than other new business ventures. According to the latest NatWest and British Franchise Association (bfa) survey, 88 per cent of all franchisees, including new start-ups, were trading profitably in 2009.

YOUR OWN BOSS “We find that those who join Expense Reduction Analysts really enjoy being their own boss and find it a liberating experience.

That said, support is on hand either through

For those looking for a new career challenge, there will be a wide variety of new opportunities, ideas and advice well suited to those with public sector experience at The British & International Franchise Exhibition, the UK’s leading international franchise event

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FRANCHISING

dedicated business coaches or by phone, offering the best of both worlds”, says David Cartwright, learning & development manager for Expense Reduction Analysts, one of the exhibitors at the show, who has helped former public sector staff.

“Most people, when it comes to moving out of the public sector, are concerned with how they will make the transition to corporate life. However, this is one of the benefits of investing in a proven franchise opportunity like Expense Reduction Analysts, who has an extensive five-week training programme created to enable people without the industry experience to go and work with companies within that sector. Franchisees can identify the skills gained through their previous employment and learn how to transfer them to their new career.”

CONFERENCE AND SEMINARS Alongside the exhibiting companies at The British & International Franchise Exhibition, there are five theatres featuring valuable and informative free seminars, plus keynote speakers and experts offering advice on all aspects of franchising.

The extensive conference and seminar programme covers all the important franchise-related topics. They range from the popular bfa seminars such as ‘An introduction to franchising’, to sessions on families in franchising, high-level investment franchising and franchise resales, with several distinguished keynote speakers.

The theatres will also host presentations from exhibiting franchisors and the highly successful Franchisee Panels, which give visitors the opportunity to hear from inspirational franchisees about their successes, failures and making the transition from employee to a self-employed franchise owner.

For those uncertain what business would be best for them, the Career Clinic gives a personal assessment of the most suitable options, while the Franchise Starting Point provides advice on which seminars to attend and which stands to visit.

ETHICAL FRANCHISING As the only London exhibition endorsed by the British Franchise Association (bfa), visitors can be confident about all the franchise opportunities presented to them as it will only feature companies that have been bfa-accredited in accordance with its code of ethical franchising.

Adrian Goodsell, franchise exhibitions manager at Venture Marketing Group, organisers of The British & International Franchise Exhibition, sums up: “From speaking with visitors and receiving enquiries, we have found there is a real appetite for franchising among public sector employees. A visit to the show is a valuable and efficient way to gain a comprehensive overview of the sector and find out which franchise could be your next career move.”

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The British & International Franchise Exhibition is open from 10am each day, closing at 5pm on Friday 18 March and 4pm on Saturday 19 March.

PURCHASE MANAGEMENT Auditel is a home-based cost and purchase management franchise with over 180 franchisees in its network.

Recently, two new franchisees have signed to join from the public sector.

Helen Spall joined in September 2010.

Before turning to franchising, Helen had been working for the NHS, managing a variety of IT and systems related projects. She says: “I had vowed that I would start my own business back in my teens, but only when the time was right. I was happy to be starting in a recession, because businesses launched then are often primed to take advantage of the upturn when it comes. When I met with Auditel, I felt the skill match was perfect for me.”

Gary White joined Auditel in December 2010

for Health in Leeds, she gained an insight into the complexities of healthcare and worked with many different parties including GPs and Primary Care Trusts (PCTs).

Following the end of her fixed term contract with the NHS, Ann wanted to continue working in the healthcare sector and looked at relevant businesses in the franchise sector. She met Flexicare at The National Franchise Exhibition in 2010 and has now set up her business in Wakefield. Flexicare offers personalised care and support for people in their own home.

Ann has big plans for her business with four more franchises planned to open over the next 18 months. She explains what attracted her to this franchise: “Tapping into the support and knowledge offered

by Flexicare means that I am not starting from scratch with my own businesses and can build on an existing model that works.

It was important for me to find a franchise that shared the same values – understanding the client’s needs and putting them first.”

Most people, when it comes to moving out of the public sector, are concerned with how they will make the transition to corporate life. However, this is one of the benefits of investing in a proven franchise opportunity like Expense Reduction Analysts, who have an extensive five-week training programme created to enable people without the industry experience to go and work with companies within that sector with 15 years’ experience in information and performance management. Gary recalls: “I had begun to look for a franchise opportunity after reading an article in the national press and the seed began to grow in my mind. Some months later, with the oncoming threat of redundancy in the NHS, I began to seek options that matched well with my previous experience and skillset. I researched opportunities with various franchises, and identified with Auditel and its business format. Its support is on-going and is always available at the end of a phone, be it head office or the wider network of affiliates.”

Gary reveals: “Being a franchisee has cut my commuting time each week by 15 hours.

I see more of my family, and am basking in the autonomy of making decisions that I believe are in my business’s best interests.

The effort that I put into this will be directly reflected in what I can earn. There is no longer a ceiling on my potential.”

HEALTHCARE FRANCHISING Ann Whaley spent a year working in the NHS before making the move into franchising.

During the time she spent with NHS Connecting

Anna Macey-Michael from Flexicare adds: “We will be exhibiting at The British & International Franchise Exhibition as it’s a great way for potential franchisees to meet us in person and really gain a feel for our business and how we work.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION To register for The British & International Franchise Exhibition, call +44 (0)844 2578668 or visit www.franchiseinfo.co.uk Callers can purchase tickets by credit card for £8 each or £7 each for two or more. Admission on the door is £13.

Visitors can gain free admission by registering at www.franchiseinfo.co.uk and entering the code GBED. For the latest news and updates about the British & International Franchise Exhibition, follow the exhibition on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ukfranchising, join The Franchise Exhibitions Group on LinkedIn or become a fan of the FranchiseInfo group on Facebook.

Visit the website to view the categorised product finder

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Tax and accountancy services from TaxAssist

Be your own boss with an Ovenclean franchise

AXASSIST ACCOUNTANTS is the UK’s largest network of accountants specialising in tax and accountancy services to small businesses. Each franchisee runs their own business backed up by the TaxAssist Accountants Support Centre. You do not need to be a qualified accountant to join us as you will employ accountants while you concentrate on business development. Our training, technical and marketing support is comprehensive and designed to make you successful!

Established in 1995, we operate in a market where our services have been and always will be in demand. With our brand name and support and your effort, you will be building a real asset for your future.

F YOU’RE THINKING about starting your own business, you may not have thought of an Ovenclean franchise. Yet with over 23 million householders in the UK and independent research that confirms oven cleaning is the most hated chore, there is massive market potential and a fantastic repeat order business opportunity for Ovenclean franchisees.

The proven business model is easy to learn and straight forward to manage, and once customers have experienced the astonishing results of a professional oven clean, they never look back, use the service regularly and recommend it to family and friends.

Launching your own business can be a daunting prospect. That’s why the Ovenclean franchise support team provides comprehensive training and practical ongoing

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In 2010 TaxAssist Accountants won Gold at the bfa HSBC Franchisor of the Year Awards.

Winning this award, and being recognised as a Top 50 Accountancy network confirms that TaxAssist Accountants is one of the major players in the world of accountancy and franchise. You will need drive and determination to develop a business where you could be generating a turnover in excess £300,000 after five years, with the potential for much more.

If you have the ambition to build a substantial business then contact us today.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0800 0188297 E-mail: info@taxassist.co.uk Web: www.taxassist.net

AlphaGraphics – average profits of £225K RE YOU LOOKING for a management business opportunity with a proven system and high rewards? AlphaGraphics Business Centres provide a full range of marketing and visual communications solutions including; design, copy, print, web, e-mail, social media and campaign management.

From SMEs to FTSE 100 companies, your Alphagraphics Business Centre will fulfil the complex and growing marketing communications demands of clients, enabling them to achieve their goals quickly and confidently.

AlphaGraphics combination of technical expertise, extensive training and ongoing support has led to the highest average sales in the entire industry. In 2010 AlphaGraphics UK Business Centres achieved an average annual turnover of over £1.5 million, with profits of £225k.

AlphaGraphics is the only visual communications franchise in the world to have attained both ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification, quality standards you receive for your AlphaGraphics Business Centre.

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support for franchisees, including generating new business leads through Ovenclean’s website and 24/7 call centre.

Ovenclean is the longest established and most successful domestic oven cleaning franchise in the UK, providing specialist services to a large marketplace, including schools, lettings agencies and hotels, as well as domestic customers. The top quality, powerful yet eco-friendly Ovenclean product range restores ovens and hobs, Agas, ranges and barbecues to pristine condition within a matter of hours.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Alan Hope – franchise development director Tel: 0800 9885434 E-mail: alan.hope@ ovenclean.com Web: www.ovenclean.com

The most experienced care franchisor in the UK LUEBIRD CARE is a management franchise, recruiting and managing care staff who provide high quality care to people in their own homes. Bluebird Care is the most experienced franchisor in this sector with over 50 years of care and franchising experience at board level and has over 100 franchise territories in the UK and Ireland.

Care sector experience is not required and our franchise owners come from a variety of backgrounds. What is required is an empathy with what we do, a passion for getting it right, motivation to succeed and people management skills.

We offer a tried and tested business model and a comprehensive franchise package to get franchise owners up and running quickly and confidently.

Ongoing business support is offered through our regionlised business development managers who work closely

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Alpha Graphics has an established global network of almost 300 independent business owners. With currently only six franchisees in the UK now really is the best time to invest and secure your territory. If you are commercially minded, with the ability to invest £97k you really must look into the AlphaGraphics business opportunity.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01934 740472 E-mail: fsteels@ alphagraphics.com Web: www.alphagraphics. co.uk/franchise

with our franchise owners.

The care sector continues to offer huge opportunities for a successful business and Bluebird Care has the proven business model and the experience to produce successful franchised businesses.

Bluebird Care is a full member of the British Franchise Association and upholds the best in ethical franchising in the UK.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Contact Annetta Doyle Tel: 01730 260026 E-mail: franchises@ bluebirdcare.co.uk Web: www.bluebirdcare.co.uk

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With NISI Staffing + Secure the best locum jobs nationwide + Contact 24/7/365 + We have the reputation of paying the highest rates

Best Practice Legal Guide to Workforce Restructuring Avoiding the pitfalls of employment law: ensuring survival in the face of stringent cut backs Wednesday 23rd March, Mint Hotel Westminster, London Designed to offer a one-stop shop, this event will guide you through both the legal and strategic considerations when restructuring your workforce.

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NISI Staffing - Locum Agency is a nationwide recruitment agency, supplying temporary and permanent locum medical doctors to the NHS, throughout all areas of the UK. We are totally committed to the National Health Service and in particular, high standards of patient care. We adhere stringently to the NHS Code of Practice, as set down by the NHS Executive and operate to strict standards, both in terms of good recruitment practice and a sound ethical stance. Our philosophy of providing a high quality and efficient service to both doctors and hospitals, allows us to maintain the highest compliance, with NHS standards. If you are a doctor looking for locum, we can certainly assist you the best.

Our highly experienced and friendly recruitment team will help you in finding the most suitable locum work with maximum possible pay rate. NISI Staffing is committed to make your locum job search as easy as possible. We pay our doctors the highest rate in the market. We are dedicated to the provision of permanent and temporary locum doctors, from all grades and specialities to all types of hospital locum vacancies within the public and private sectors. We also provide financial advice to our doctors on filing their annual tax returns, forming their own limited companies and submitting company accounts.

For more information: Tel: 0116-2257554 Fax: 0116-2257556 email: info@nisistaffing.co.uk Web: www.nisistaffing.co.uk

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HUMAN RESOURCES

FACING UP TO A VERY DIFFICULT CHALLENGE We take a look at the impact of employee engagement on organisational performance THE ISSUES FACING PUBLIC SERVICES today are not just difficult, but beyond challenging. The scale of change and transformation, from significant state and public sector provision to a much smaller state and Big Society, will require public sector organisations to think and organise themselves in quite different ways.

We are seeing a spectrum of response to this. Some organisations are focusing solely on downsizing; others, having already embarked on a significant transformation journey, are accelerating their transformation plans. My own organisation is one of the latter, but there is a huge challenge in attempting this at the same time as taking significant cost out.

ORGANISATIONAL PERFORMANCE There is no question about the impact of employee engagement on organisational performance. Achieving good levels of employee engagement requires a strong focus at the best of times. In difficult times

particular features of sustaining employee engagement in difficult times: Avoid wrapping up difficult messages or bad news in soft or bland words. Acknowledge that some of the things that are happening are difficult, will be upsetting for employees and will result in job losses. Shying away from these difficult messages will result in employees at best not being clear and at worst being misled about what you are saying.

People appreciate honesty and transparency in communications from their employer.

Above all, do not leave a vacuum. This will inevitably act as a magnet for speculation, rumour, and even fiction. If people are not given the facts, then they will make them up!

Keep trade unions on board as much as possible. A ‘no surprises’ culture is essential.

Of course, trade unions will be concerned to protect their members as far as possible, and to lobby for alternative solutions to redundancy programmes. That is entirely right and appropriate. But in my experience

Good employee engagement always takes sustained effort, and never more so than in difficult times. But never forget the old and very simple adage – where there’s a will, there’s a way! it becomes much more of a challenge, and in these “beyond challenging” times some are questioning whether it can be done.

In my own organisation over the last few years we have sustained high levels of performance (rated as excellent by the Audit Commission), achieved high levels of efficiency savings (£72m in three years), alongside the introduction of significant change to service delivery models and associated cultural and behavioural change. This has been supported by strong employee engagement, evidenced by significant improvement in our staff survey data between 2007 and 2009.

SUSTAINING EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT Following the spending review in the autumn of last year, we know that we need to save £150m over the next three years, losing around 3,000 jobs in the process. In response to this, we are accelerating the transformation programmes already underway across all services.

We know that to achieve this, we need to pay close attention to employee engagement. For me there are five

trade unions, like their members, are realistic about the issues facing the public sector. Of course they do not like it and of course they will expect and insist on good consultation and employment processes. And after all, that is all part of good employee engagement.

LEADERS AND MANAGERS Take time to consider the size of the task facing your leaders and managers across the organisation. They are being asked to simultaneously achieve significant budget reductions, often by re-thinking models of service delivery. In many cases they are leading dialogue which could impact on their own personal position and future career. They need to deliver difficult messages to staff at the same time as ensuring services continue to be delivered. This is a very big ask. In any organisation there will be a spectrum of experience in your leadership cadre, but the majority of them will be relatively un-tested in terms of leading organisational change and transformation of the current scale. Plan and prioritise the support they will need.

Anne Gibson

Make sure you continue to recognise good performance and success. Alongside this, as organisations change, it is important to take time to honour and celebrate the past and to recognise that there will be a grieving process associated with the change.

EMPLOYEE REFERENCE GROUPS Don’t be surprised to hear some employees be critical of the organisation. These things are difficult to get right across the organisation all of the time. We use employee reference groups that act as sounding boards. Employees from a range of functions are selected by managers, typically on the basis of who they think will provide good insight, to meet together and with senior leaders to discuss specific aspects of strategy, change programmes or communication.

These are invaluable in helping us listen to the employee voice and ensuring that we understand not just what our employees are thinking, but why. However you do it, the important thing is to find ways of keeping your finger on the pulse of the organisation and to be prepared to listen and respond.

Good employee engagement always takes sustained effort, and never more so than in difficult times. But never forget the old and very simple adage – where there’s a will, there’s a way!

About the author: Anne Gibson is head of Organisational Development & Human Resources, Norfolk County Council, and president (Designate), of the Public Sector People Managers’ Association (PPMA).

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SECURITY

SHREDDING INEFFICIENCIES: WASTE MANAGEMENT NOT MONEY Daniel Hawtin of The Shredding Alliance explains secure document disposal, discusses how choosing the right supplier can save time and money, and evaluates the methods available DRIVING EFFICIENCIES to generate cost savings is a key message resonating throughout government departments, especially post spending review. Reducing both direct and indirect costs will result in re-evaluation of operating procedures throughout central and local government. A significant part of many departments’ costs will be the shredding and disposal of confidential information.

DATA PROTECTION ACT In the UK, the only legislation that covers the disposal of confidential documents is the Data Protection Act, which states that there are a number of legal obligations protecting personal information about individuals. The Act specifically applies to the processing of personal data, as opposed to particular people or organisations. Therefore, in broad terms, if you use, disclose, retain or destroy information about an identifiable living individual then you must comply with the Act. Regulated by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the Data Protection Act has eight principals of which two apply specifically to the disposal of personal information. It states that personal data shall not be kept for longer than is necessary and appropriate organisational measures shall be taken against unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data. The ICO has powers designed to ensure compliance with the Act, which include criminal prosecution, non-criminal enforcement, audit and the power to serve a monetary penalty notice of up to £500,000.

Therefore, the disposal of confidential documents needs to be taken seriously, especially in the public sector where personal information is handled on a daily basis.

By following straightforward steps in the appointment of the right document shredding supplier, government departments can not only save money but also have peace of mind that confidential information is securely disposed.

THE RIGHT SUPPLIER Many government departments operate from offices across the country. In the first instance, therefore, best practice is to take advantage of buying power by seeking out a shredding supplier that can offer a single source agreement for multi-sites. Before any formal agreement is entered into, the shredding supplier should offer a free business review that includes a full proposal of the current and proposed situation. To ensure that the

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shredding service remains competitive and as efficient as possible, it is recommended that regular reviews are undertaken throughout the duration of the service agreement.

A key consideration during the procurement process is security and a shredding supplier should operate to ISO9001:2008 incorporating BS EN15713:2009, the European standard for the destruction of confidential information. Before appointing a supplier it is crucial to validate these accreditations and confirm how they will keep information secure prior to the shredding process.

An accredited supplier will provide locked secure consoles or bins that are strategically located and vary in size according to requirements. In addition, confidential shredding bags should be supplied, to ensure any additional information is kept secure. These bags should feature a peel and seal lip, and have the ability to be shredded and recycled along with confidential information. The customer service operators who handle the confidential information collections should be uniformed, carry identification and have been vetted to BS7858, a ten year background check.

The single largest cost when using a secure shredding service is the placement of the consoles and frequency with which they are emptied. As a result, it is important to find a provider that can offer good customer service and a degree of flexibility with the methods of confidential document destruction.

METHODS OF DESTRUCTION There are two main methods of document disposal; on-site and off-site. Both of these offer the customer different benefits.

On-site shredding is carried out by mobile shredding trucks which travel to the customer’s premises to shred documents. An accredited provider will allow the customer to witness the shredding process and at the end present a certificate of destruction which is confirmation that the information has been shredded.

Once the information has been shredded it is compacted into the back of the truck and the paper is baled and sent for recycling.

The main benefit of on-site shredding is that it offers the customer peace of mind that all confidential documents are destroyed before the operator leaves the premises.

Off-site shredding involves a different process and is better suited to larger or oneoff consignments. Customer service operators remove the confidential information from

the consoles, bags or locked bins into a secure vehicle. Prior to leaving the site, the operator will provide a certificate describing exactly what has been removed. Within 24 hours of collection, the information is shredded via large industrial shredders, baled and dispatched for recycling. A certificate of destruction is subsequently issued.

Regardless of the method put into place, it is important, particularly in the public sector, that the environmental impact of the shredding service is also taken into consideration.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS Reducing the environmental impact is not just

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limited to the recycling of the baled paper but also the delivery of the service. For example, using a supplier that can offer the latest mobile shredding trucks, not only ensures fewer vehicle emissions but delivers maximum throughput to reduce the operating time on-site. Remote engine start-stop allows the operator to switch off the truck whilst they collect more information from around the site too. Furthermore, it is worth identifying a supplier that has off-site plants that use electric motors because these run at very low amps in comparison to traditional industrial shredders.

Industry best practice mandates that all baled paper should be sent to UK or European paper mills for recycling. A reputable supplier should be able to comply with any specific recycling requirement that contributes to

a corporate social responsibility obligation.

However, the main driver for procurement in the public sector will be genuine cost savings.

DRIVING EFFICIENCY Combining central and local government departments to source a single agreement that incorporates multi-sites is the most cost effective way of delivering a secure shredding service.

Committing to scheduled services offers a stronger negotiation position, as the document shredding supplier will be able to provide cost savings based on regular paper sales.

Contracting a supplier that will constantly suggest ways of improving the service is important when driving efficiencies. For example, a supplier whose mobile shredding trucks feature legal for trade scales will be able to monitor the

The disposal of confidential documents needs to be taken seriously, especially in the public sector where personal information is handled on a daily basis

amount of paper the customer produces. This information can be used to determine whether the service level is correct or if more consoles are required or collections are too frequent.

Whilst cost is always a primary consideration, of equal importance should be the ease of service management. The ability to view service reports, future schedules and request additional ad-hoc services online undoubtedly saves time.

As does a supplier that provides a dedicated account manager familiar with the service.

These simple improvements to a secure shredding service can drive significant cost reductions.

However, when undertaking such an exercise it is important to remember that using a specialist confidential document destruction company is the simplest way to ensure confidential waste is disposed of in a controlled and compliant manner.

ABOUT THE SHREDDING ALLIANCE A number of the UK’s leading independent document shredding and recycling companies have united to establish The Shredding Alliance (TSA), a unique service proposition that aims to deliver improved customer experience, increased response times and better value for money to government organisations.

Created by well established companies in the industry, TSA management team has in excess of 100 years’ combined experience.

Formed in response to customer feedback, TSA is committed to providing national coverage but with all the benefits of working with a local service provider. With independent depots located in strategic locations, from Scotland through to the South East, TSA guarantees a cost effective and nationwide service with rapid response times.

Offering both on-site and off-site secure shredding services, on a scheduled and ad hoc basis, TSA ensures a highly flexible approach to single source agreements. Considering the importance of the environment in document shredding and recycling procurement, TSA only uses the latest mobile shredding vehicles with minimum environmental impact and off-site plants which benefit from energy efficient shredding technology.

Servicing multi-site contracts on a single source agreement, TSA can help streamline the procurement and management of secure document shredding and recycling contracts. All contracts are closely managed by a single point of contact and dedicated account manager, ensuring consistency of communications at all times and only the highest service levels.

Working to the highest industry standards, all TSA document handling operatives have been fully vetted to BS7858 and all service suppliers operate to ISO9001:2008 incorporating BS EN15713:2009 – the European standard for the destruction of confidential information.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Web: www.theshreddingalliance.co.uk

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LOWER COST INCIDENT MANAGEMENT BAPCO 2011 delivers collaborative solutions and future emergency planning for a uniquely challenging financial context

ARGUABLY, THE RANGE AND SCALE of present threats to business continuity and public safety has never been greater on the domestic and international level. At the more extreme level, the last few months alone have seen a range of extraordinary situations, with both national and global impact, from the rescue of the Chilean miners to the appalling devastation caused by the terrorist bomb in Moscow Domodedovo airport. At the same time we learn that the afflictions caused by the natural disaster that was the earthquake in Haiti have still not been effectively addressed.

In every event, multiple public service agencies and authorities are charged with saving lives, protecting property, maintaining the peace and delivering business continuity and service delivery. Effective communications technology is central to every aspect of the process, but at the same time human behaviour – both front line staff and public – must be taken into account if systems are to be effective, and all this must be designed to meet government directives to deliver more energy efficient services, with a reduced budget.

WORKING TOGETHER All such incidents require collaboration, cooperative planning and effective delivery from all quarters of public safety communications, including local and central government, the emergency services, utilities, transport, fire authorities, MOD, British Army, Department of Health and the police. The April BAPCO Conference and Exhibition brings together

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experts engaged in every stage of the technical, financial, logistical and strategic delivery, to discover new solutions and technologies, debate, learn, and plan for the unknown future.

The Annual BAPCO 2011 Conference and Exhibition takes place 13-14 April at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London.

The two-day event offers a comprehensive conference programme and exhibition, a wealth of networking and learning opportunities for attendees, and a unique opportunity to assess the latest technologies, services and thinking that will shape strategy, procurement, planning implementation and interoperability for a secure future from over 100 suppliers.

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME The BAPCO conference programme is now finalised, and features high-level speakers who will address the fundamental issues facing the secure and emergency communications business. As all services and departments are tasked with delivering security, resilience and protection of people and property, at a time of increasingly diverse and challenging threats, the theme for this year’s conference ‘Delivering Lower Cost Incident Management through Technology’ takes this head on.

A series of in-depth sessions will address the practical and strategic issues facing those charged with delivery, presented by experts in their field. Designed to educate, inform and provoke debate and collaboration, the conference addresses how to deliver success at a time of exceptional demand,

unanticipated threat and financial restrictions.

At the leading edge of technology, solutions and inter-agency thinking, BAPCO offers a unique insight into the future of integrated communication and information technologies designed to improve, plan and deliver public safety information communication and data services. The BAPCO conference and exhibition presents keynote speakers offering real life case studies, futureview information, support and solutions to the new challenges facing emergency planners and service delivery agencies.

Day one of the conference opens with Sir Ken Knight CBE, HM Chief Inspector of Fire Services and Chief Fire & Rescue Adviser in England & Wales, who offers his experience and perspective on the fresh challenges facing the emergency services and civil contingency responders in dealing with major incidents.

MUST ATTEND SESSIONS A programme of must-attend sessions for all communications officers and emergency planners follows over the two-day conference.

The largest event ever held in the UK, the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics presents exceptional challenges and pressures in terms of technology, staffing, cooperation and resources for every authority and service actively engaged in the delivery of the event, as well as a key learning opportunity for all. Commander Richard Morris of the Metropolitan Police will provide a personal insight into the process and an overview of some of the challenges still to be met in planning for the 2012 Olympic Games.

Continuing the 2012 Olympics theme, Kevin Taylor, head of Olympic Communications Project, Metropolitan Police will examine the mechanics of secure and consistent radio communications for the Games, through process, approval, planning, testing and cooperation, concluding with a future look at the final stages of the project and the handover to business as usual. Kevin will welcome questions and debate following the presentation.

Richard Bobbett, chief executive of Airwave, has the task of delivering the first Games with its own private mobile radio service.

This will be used by London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) officials and volunteers, and will support 34 competition venues, just shy of 15,000 athletes, 20,000 media and press, and over 10 million ticket sales over a 44-day period. In addition, the system must ensure that the emergency services, which rely on the Airwave service every day, can continue to operate efficiently and effectively.

The afternoon sessions cover a number of specific issues that must be understood and addressed in the current context, including the balance of maintaining mission critical front line services with cost reduction, and a practical presentation on the issue of cyber security from

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Edward Hamilton of Analysis Mason. Drawing on real life experience, this session provides an understanding of how the new threats differ from the threats of the past. Edward will offer practical input into the types of strategy delegates will need to consider for their own organisations. At the close of the day, Jeremy Kemp of PA Consulting draws on personal experience of managing large change projects in emergency control centres to take a hard-nosed look at structural and organisational change and the performance and budgetary benefits that can accrue. He will challenge delegates to apply radical thinking to their organisations and will take questions following the session.

Day two of the conference offers delegates a healthy combination of presentations on the technical and cost issues surrounding choice and implementation of new systems. It tackles the often-neglected question of staff and public acceptance and behaviour, and how best to

This session also offers an illuminating view of how “green behaviour” can meet government requirements for improved energy and resource efficiency with an improved bottom line – and how to make it happen on the ground.

In a key presentation on EU funded Project SECRICOM, Shaun O’Neill will give a comprehensive update on the tangible technical benefits achieved to date, in crisis and incident management, and future implications including enhanced interoperability across borders, and how extended capability for communications offers scope for cost reduction in future procurement.

Alert4All is another key EU funded project.

Christina Parraga Nielia of the German Aerospace Centre and Graham Peters of Avanti Communications will offer a fascinating insight into how the project will deliver mass-market alert communications to consumer devices, and take a look at the social behaviour trends and

The two-day event offers a comprehensive conference programme and exhibition, a wealth of networking and learning opportunities for attendees, and a unique opportunity to assess the latest technologies, services and thinking that will shape strategy, procurement, planning implementation and interoperability for a secure future from over 100 suppliers marry the two – too often great systems fail because the human factor is not considered at the planning stage. The day begins with a presentation from Andy McBain of Motorola, which will give delegates the tools to effectively measure and assess total cost of ownership as well as return on investment to support planning, purchasing and programmes on the ground – essential knowledge in ensuring efficient maintenance and procurement of high value equipment. Delegates will gain fresh knowledge to inform procurement and use of high value kit, which is too often not factored in to either budgets or performance.

With the recent removal of FireControl from the purchasing process, this presentation will be of interest to all Fire and Rescue Services, as well as offering valuable learning for all delegates involved in the command and control system. Kieran Timms of Merseyside FRS offers an honest and illuminating picture of the journey from an underperforming and unstable command and control system, to an effective, efficient, new integrated network which reduced costs, improved user satisfaction and efficiency, and ultimately measurably reduced casualties. Duncan Swan of Analysis Mason then takes this to the next measure, with insights based on real situations into how cutting out inefficiency can deliver real ICT cost savings.

media (including social networks) that must be understood in order to manage alert messaging via new media with such an enhanced range.

In a complementary vein, a session entitled ‘Next Generation 999 – Managing multimedia incident information’, Murray Barker of Nice Systems takes a future view of how forces can prepare for the next generation of inbound emergency communications, and its potential benefits.

Running in tandem with the conference, as always, the BAPCO exhibition offers delegates and visitors the chance to see and assess the future public safety communications systems, services and technologies that will shape operations, facilitate future inter-agency communication, save money on current and new lifetime projects, and help effective delivery, from over 100 leading suppliers.

On the exhibition floor this year, visitors and delegates will see all the major suppliers of technologies, consultancy and solutions for their businesses, and also a number of new names and innovative services for 2011.

First time exhibitors, Saadian will be exhibiting PagerSMS – a product that provides a unique SMS emergency alert system designed to reach key personnel during a crisis. PagerSMS delivers a text message with a distinctive alarm that rings continually until acknowledged by the recipient. Unlike traditional pagers, messages are

two-way with delivery reports ensuring auditable results. Once a message is viewed, the system will automatically deliver a viewed receipt.

PagerSMS removes the need to carry two devices, thereby lowering costs and providing greater convenience to emergency response teams. A special pager SMS inbox is downloaded onto the phone to activate and store PagerSMS messages as they are received.

Benefits for Crisis Response Management: • Shorter response times from key personnel • Crisis management team have greater visibility on emergency response • Greater reliability due to use of GSM network • More convenience as only one device to carry • Lower cost as no need for two devices • Audit trail of all sent and received messages Deeside-based engineering company, Remsdaq Ltd’s will be showcasing its added-value solution for station-end equipment that provides security, mobilising and asset management functionality in one neat wall mounted cabinet, together with a selection of their latest access control, security and mobilising applications and hardware.

Civica, a market leader in specialist systems and IT services designed to help organisations transform operational performance and efficiency, will be attending BAPCO 2011 together with partner General Dynamics Itronix. The event will provide a showcase for their latest flexible and rugged mobile computing solutions, from secure information access and management in the field, to powerful intelligence-led applications including automatic number plate recognition. Civica will be launching new applications including web alarm alerts and real-time convoy analysis, which enable more officers to share the information from ANPR systems, and increase the return on investment in such systems for police forces.

NEW FOR 2011 An exciting new development for BAPCO 2011 will see LIVE demonstrations taking place in the exhibition hall with representatives from the Hampshire Fire USAR team, the Hazardous Area Response Team and Police Emergency Preparedness working together in a rescue scenario live in the exhibition. Look out for canine device detection, body identification technology, and an abseil from the roof of the exhibition hall. In addition, Excelerate will show off the latest in mobile command technology in the outdoor display at the front of the hall.

The BAPCO 2011 exhibition is free to attend and open to all emergency services and local and national governmental agency professionals engaged in incident management, civil contingency response, disaster relief, business continuity and information management.

FOR MORE INFORMATION For further information and to book exhibition passes or to view the full conference programme and register for the event, please visit www.bapco.co.uk

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DELivEring LowEr Cost inCiDEnt ManagEMEnt through tEChnoLogy Business Design Centre, Islington, London | Conference & Exhibition: 13-14 April

Designed to educate and inform, the 13th annual BAPCO Conference and Exhibition addresses how to deliver success at a time of exceptional financial restrictions

The annual conference and exhibition for all professionals engaged in major incident public safety communications and information management

Images courtesy of Hertforshire Fire and Rescue Service, British Transport Police and Frequentis

Exhibition

• Over 100 specialist suppliers showcasing the latest equipment, technology and information & data management systems • Gain expert advice on the use, implementation and management of communication equipment • Compare and source new products, systems and services direct with the supplier

ConfErEnCE

• Delegates can choose from a comprehensive programme of topics under the theme ‘Delivering lower cost incident management through technology’. The full conference programme is available at www.bapco.co.uk • Recognised as a vocational training opportunity that can count towards CPD points • Explore how the latest technology can help deliver lower cost incident management

for exhibition and conference enquiries, contact: Lucy McPhail

t +44 (0)20 7973 6635 E l.mcphail@hgluk.com

Jude Coverdale

t +44 (0)20 7973 6671 E j.coverdale@hgluk.com

Register now at www.bapco.co.uk

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THREAT LEVEL HIGH IN RUN UP TO COUNTER TERROR EXPO 2011 Counter Terror Expo 2011, the highly specialised annual event for professionals tasked with the complex role of addressing the challenging terrorist menace, takes place against the backdrop of an increasingly potent threat to public safety WITH THE INTELLIGENCE community signalling an intent or desire amongst extremist groups to target crowded places as well as the international transport network, the two-day Counter Terror Expo 2011 event sits at the epicentre of the global effort to disrupt or deter such attacks.

Stockholm became the latest European city to be targeted, when a lone extremist set off a car bomb in a busy shopping street minutes before triggering a suicide belt in late December. The perpetrator, Iraqi born Taimur Abdulwahab al Abdaly, had strong connections to the United Kingdom. In some fundamental respects his attack mirrored that of the Pakistan born Time Square bomber, Faisal Shahzad, who was captured fleeing the United States scant minutes before his Emirates flight to Dubai took off.

A disturbing aspect of both these attacks is that the two men were naturalised citizens in their target countries – Abdulwahab al Abdaly held a Swedish passport whereas Shahzad held an American passport – thus they were able to travel freely.

SHARING OF INFORMATION EU Counter-Terrorism coordinator Gilles de Kerchove, made a prescient call for better sharing of information to stop potentially dangerous travellers in August. “What is worrying us the most is extremists entering Europe, people who were born here or who have one of our member states’ passports, who can therefore slip under the police and intelligence radar,” he told the Euronews television channel at the time. He added that while Europe has agreements in place for tracking financial transactions, it really must have a similar system in place to collect information on passenger movements.

Gilles de Kerchove’s comment came in the wake of the US government and others warning citizens of the possibility of terrorist attacks in numerous European countries.

Travellers were warned of the threat to transport networks and public spaces and told to be on their guard. The warning has been renewed, albeit in lower key fashion, following receipt of intelligence described as credible from Iraqi government sources in the aftermath of the events in Stockholm.

Protection for public spaces and mass transit systems present the counter-terrorism and law enforcement communities with an enormous challenge. This conundrum has been explored in depth over a long period of time and the risk based approach remains

the only operationally viable and publicly acceptable solution, but supported by advanced surveillance and target hardening techniques that enhance safety but don’t impede on the every day lives of the public.

‘Preventing & Combating Global Terrorism – 10 years on from 9/11’ is the principal Counter Terror Expo 2011 conference theme exploring many of the issues that these two events have exposed publicly.

‘Achieving Homeland Security In The Face Of The Terrorist Threat’ is another core theme examining strategies adopted in the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Other key conference topics focus on the primary methods adopted to deliver

effectiveness of regionally deployed explosive detection capability, when faced with carefully packaged and concealed threats.

The Counter Terror Expo 2011 ‘EOD & IEDD’ seminar brings valuable insight to the detection, deactivation and disposal of such dangerous weapons, through major presentations of the latest technologies to counter and contain such threats.

CYBER SECURITY At the end of the decade the cyber security issue also gained significant prominence.

Wikileaks exposure of a quarter of a million secret and restricted US diplomatic dispatches has placed computer security, particularly within governmental and military circles, firmly

At the end of the decade the cyber security issue also gained significant prominence. Wikileaks exposure of a quarter million secret and restricted US diplomatic dispatches, has placed computer security, particularly within governmental and military circles, firmly at the top of the agenda the maximum public protection in public spaces and across the transport networks.

Last year’s news reports were also dominated by the near successful attempt by Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) to down two cargo flights over the United States eastern seaboard with two powerful improvised explosive devices (IEDs) concealed in airfreight, both were being transshipped from Yemen.

The device discovered at East Midlands airport had already flown on two cargo aircraft, whilst the one found at Dubai airport in the United Arab Emirates had been shipped there as belly-hold cargo on two passenger jets.

AQAP has become notorious during the past 18 months, for their audacious left of field attacks primarily against the international transport networks. In attempting to transship powerful explosive devices through the airfreight network, they were exploiting long known weaknesses in the security regime and could very easily have succeeded in their ultimate goal.

It is instructive that the device discovered at East Midlands airport was only identified as a credible and potent threat following a second examination prompted by additional information from overseas. This fact has spurred some searching questions about the

at the top of the agenda. The series of deeply embarrassing disclosures prompted an allegedly US Government inspired but commercial entity driven backlash against the whistleblower website. This resulted in a mini cyber war, with distributed denial of service (DDOS) attacks, against the likes of US headquartered companies such as Amazon, Paypal, Mastercard and Visa, which withdrew services to Wikileaks.

Other cyber attacks also took place during the past year, including the release of the sophisticated Stuxnet computer worm, which specifically targets certain industrial plant control systems. Computer experts say that Stuxnet is so sophisticated, that it could only have been launched in the wild by a governmental entity.

Cyber security has been identified as a first tier threat in the recently published UK National Security Strategy (NSS) and ‘Cyber Security & Electronic Terrorism’ is a dedicated conference theme at Counter Terror Expo 2011. Counter Terror Expo 2011 will be held within the Grand Hall of London Olympia from 19 -20 April 2011.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Please contact Nicola GreenawayFuller on +44 (0)20 85429090.

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COUNTER TERROR EXPO I9 – 20 April 20II Olympia London www.counterterrorexpo.com

Counter Terror Expo delivers both focus and clarity to the complex and multifaceted task of protecting people and assets from those with the intent to do harm.

This critically acclaimed event provides a vital forum for debate and plays a key role at the epicentre of the development of future counter-terrorism strategy.

Unique, dedicated exhibition showcasing counter Meet the buyer programme terrorism and specialist security technologies Networking functions High level conference with six streams featuring over 200 leading international speakers For more information please contact: Nicola Greenaway Over 120 free-to-attend technology and practical t: + 44 (0) 208 542 9090 workshops e: nicola.greenaway@clarionevents.com w: www.counterterrorexpo.com Live product capability demonstrations

Register today at www.counterterrorexpo.com/register2011 CTX11 Ad 125x178 Jan11.indd 1

05/01/2011 17:31

ADVERTISERS INDEX

The publishers accept no responsibility for errors or omissions in this free service AlphaGraphics

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Dura

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Traffex

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Amano Europe

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ebm-papst

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Protech Scaffolding Systems

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BAFE

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Energy Services and Technology Association

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RCP Landscapes

65

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ETC Venues

13

Red Procurement

11

Bluebird Care

66

Fast Park

58

SBK Legal

70

BNP Paribas

54

HiBar Flood Systems

37

SHEilds

46

Bowlins

35

Husson International

61

SMi Group

20

C Walton

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Institute of Credit Management

50

Solarwall

26

Camco Advisory Services

25

IOSH 2011

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SustainabilityLive!

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Cardiac Science

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SVM Cards

70

60

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TaxAssist

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Casio Electronics Charity Gift Vouchers

78

16, 26

McArthur Group

11, 53 37

CitySprint

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Mewburn Ellis

30, 34

The Cleaning Show 2011

18

Cordtape

11, 28

MH Goldsmith

35

The Diamond Centre

14

Core Gravel

30, 31

Mitsubishi Electric

22

The Parking Shop

61

TME Electronics

46 16

Counter Terror Expo

78

NIBE

CU Phosco

58

Northampton Country Cricket Club

17

University of Lincoln

Cubis International

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Volvo

Cummins

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Nursing Hygiene

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Wescot Credit Services

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Ovenclean

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