Government Business 31.4 by PSI Media

Thursday July 18 10:30am

Hybrid Mail is a multi-channel communication tool that enables users to send out mission-critical, day-to-day citizen communications by post, e-mail, and SMS to drive operational efficiency, deliver cost-savings, simplify back-office tasks and improve customer experience.

Starmer announces new Cabinet

Prime minister Keir Starmer has begun naming his new cabinet after Labour’s victory in the General Election.

Angela Rayner has been made deputy prime minister, and has also been named as secretary of state for housing, communities and local government.

Rachel Reeves has becomes the UK’s first female Chancellor.

Also, Pat McFadden is the new Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, meaning he holds the second most senior position in the Cabinet.

Yvette Cooper has been appointed home secretary, and David Lammy takes the position of foreign secretary.

John Healey has also been announced as Defence Secretary.

Bridget Phillipson is the new education secretary, Ed Milliband is energy secretary, Louise Haigh is transport secretary, Jonathan Reynolds is business and trade secretary, and Shabana Mahmood is justice secretary.

Wes Streeting has been named as health secretary.

Also, Hilary Benn has been appointed secretary of state for Northern Ireland.

Devolution delivery discussed at first mayoral meeting

All regional mayors in England have come together in Downing Street to begin the process of shifting power out of Westminster through a major programme of devolution that will power up all corners of the country.

In their first roundtable, the prime minister and deputy prime minister have put into practice the commitment for a reset in relationships between central and regional governments, focusing on public service, respect and collaboration.

Leaders discussed a new partnership approach and agreed on early actions needed to scale up devolution and empower regions to deliver change for their communities, helping to unlock economic growth and tackle regional inequality.

The deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner also used the meeting to mark the beginning of the process of establishing Local Growth Plans across the country. She called on mayors to identify local specialisms, and contribute to work on a national industrial strategy.

Prime minister Keir Starmer said: “My fundamental belief is that those with skin in the game are the ones who know best what they need. That’s why, for many years I have been in constant dialogue with metro mayors across the country about what works for their areas, and I will continue that now as prime minister...

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New chancellor announces plans to improve economy ECONOMY

In her first speech as chancellor, Rachel Reeves has laid out plans to improve the UK’s economy.

She said there is “no time to waste” to fix the foundations of the economy.

In her speech delivered on Monday (8 July), Reeves said she wanted to outline the first steps taken to “fix the foundations” of the UK’s economy.

She said: “I have repeatedly warned that whoever won the general election would inherit the worst set of circumstances since the Second World War.

“What I have seen in the past 72 hours has only confirmed that.”

She went on to say, however, that: “After fourteen years, Britain has a stable government. A government that respects business, wants to partner with business, and is open for business.”

Over the weekend, Reeves instructed Treasury officials to provide an assessment of the state of the UK’s spending inheritance to “understand the scale of the challenge.”

This will be separate from a Budget that will be held later this year where Reeves will confirm the date of that Budget, alongside a forecast from the Office for Budget Responsibility, in due course.

She said: “New Treasury analysis that I requested over the weekend shows that, had the UK economy grown at the average rate of other OECD economies this last 13 years, our economy would have been over £140 billion larger...

Housing Ombudsman and Housing Regulator set out collaboration plans

The Housing Ombudsman and Regulator of Social Housing have published a new Memorandum of Understanding, setting out how the two organisations will work together.

The Memorandum of Understanding reflects their new powers under the Social Housing Regulation Act.

Both bodies said they are committed to strengthening the accountability of social landlords for providing safe homes, quality services and treating tenants with respect.

The updated Memorandum sets out a new framework of communication, cooperation and exchange of information between the regulator and the Ombudsman, and explains how each will work together to deliver their respective roles.

Under the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, the Memorandum is now a statutory document...

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LGA announces new chair following general election

Following the general election, Cllr Shaun Davies has stood down as the Local Government Association (LGA) chair after being elected as the new MP for Telford.

Elected officers of the LGA Labour Group have nominated Cllr Louise Gittins as the new LGA Chair, replacing Davies with immediate effect.

Gittins has served as leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council since 2019, having previously served as deputy leader from 2015.

She was first elected as a councillor in 2011 and has been the chair of the LGA’s Children and Young People policy board since 2022.

Gittins said: “I am excited and honoured to be taking up this important cross-party role on behalf of councils of all types and political colours across the country.

“We are entering a period of huge change but also opportunity and my immediate priority is working with the new government on a fundamental reset of the relationship between central and local government, one of trust and mutual respect.

“As we have set out in our Local Government White Paper, it is councils which hold the local levers to the national challenges facing the new government, whether it is building more affordable homes, reducing homelessness, improving care for adults and children or boosting inclusive growth...

Chris Stark to lead mission to deliver clean power by 2030: READ MORE

Louise Haigh gets to work on improving transport: READ MORE

Wales to modernise electoral administration with new Bill: READ MORE

Councils receive funding to tackle chewing gum littering: READ MORE

Energy Secretary issues message to staff: READ MORE

Council’s four-day week trial deemed success in report: READ MORE

ECONOMY

BCC Economic Forecast

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Quarterly Economic Forecast has slightly upgraded growth expectations for 2024 and 2025, following a stronger start to the year. However, the forecast for 2026 remains unchanged.

The UK economy is expected to continue its recovery after the short recession at the end of 2023, but long-term growth is unlikely to be strong. After a weak 2023, growth for 2024 and 2025 has been revised upwards for the second forecast running, to 0.8 per cent and 1.0 per cent respectively, with 2026 remaining at 1.0 per cent.

But the overall profile remains flat, as a poor outlook for exports acts as a drag anchor and high interest rates continue to limit investment. This comes as BCC surveys continue to show most SMEs are still not increasing their investment.

While CPI inflation should dip below the Bank of England’s 2 per cent target this year, it is expected to rise again to 2.3 per cent across Q4 2024. It is also forecast to be slightly above target in Q4 2025 at 2.1 per cent and 2.2 per cent in Q4 2026.

Growth in the first half of 2024 is now expected to be comparatively strong, as the economy improves after the short recession. The ONS has estimated growth of 0.6 per cent...

Helping to Eliminate Thermal Bridging

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Marmox Thermoblocks: affordable isolation

With heating costs high among many people’s worries, Marmox provides products, which are able to keep buildings insulated and stop heat escaping

Thankfully, there are some tried and trusted building products which are answering the need to prevent heat escaping from our properties, that are both affordable and practical to use such as Marmox Thermoblocks, which are finding applications on an increasing number of projects from social housing schemes to PassivHaus standard schools and even swimming pool complexes.

Unique to the industry in terms of their insulation performance, coupled with high load carrying capacity and practicality in use, Thermoblocks are viewed by many specifiers as offering the ideal answer to tackling linear heat loss at places such as the ground floor perimeter, parapet walls and even within basement construction. BBA approved Thermoblocks are available in widths of 100, 140 or 215mm and are formed from sections of XPS encapsulating two rows of high-strength, epoxy concrete mini-columns.

These are attached at either end to the top and bottom layers of glass-fibre reinforced polymer concrete, to ensure a good bond with the rest of the structure.

The 600mm long units – the same depth as a course of bricks – feature an overlapping, stepped joint which is normally secured using Marmox’s own MSP360 adhesive, while they can also be cut to length to suit individual plot dimensions, with the task of installation normally being assigned to the groundworker or bricklaying sub-contractor. With the XPS also being fully waterproof, Thermoblocks can further be seen as representing a modern advancement on the traditional practice of laying engineering bricks to form a damp-proof course, though most wall constructions will incorporate a conventional DPC interconnecting with cavity trays and damp-proof membranes protecting the main floor area.

Grant Terry, the marketing manager for Marmox, commented: “The increasing focus on energy performance, from fuel prices and

legislation like the Future Homes standard, have forced specifiers to pay particular attention to thermal bridging and Thermoblock really offers a unique solution. The product has proved itself in a range of applications and is now widely used in commercial contracts as well as by housebuilders. 15 per cent of a building’s heat gets lost through the wall-floor junction and by simply replacing one layer of blocks with Marmox Thermoblocks, that heat loss can be cut to just one per cent and crucially it avoids having to use punishing default values under SAP and it is also now being used beneath modular multi-storey buildings.”

Marmox, based in Chatham, Kent, is able to offer developers comprehensive technical advice on project specific and other matters, as well as providing on-site training for contractors employing the product for the first time. The team also regularly assists architects and structural engineers seeking guidance or the provision of detail drawings, so that Thermoblocks can be incorporated into nonconventional wall types and still contribute fully to meeting SAP or even Passivhaus requirements. In fact, on recent projects across the UK, Thermoblocks have been used within wall constructions where the outer leaf is raised in natural coursed stone, as well as beneath internal walls where thermal bridging is identified as an issue. M

FURTHER INFORMATION

Grant Terry, Marketing Manager: 01634 835290 | sales@marmox.co.uk www.marmox.co.uk

The importance of privacy filters in government

Data security is crucial in today’s digital age, particularly for government and public sector organisations. Protecting on-screen data is essential, and the importance of 3M Bright Screen Laptop Privacy Filters in enhancing data security for laptop users has never been greater

Government and public sector employees often work in public spaces where visual hacking is common. These filters act as a shield, preventing prying eyes from accessing sensitive data, ensuring privacy and maintaining data integrity.

Shoulder surfing, another technique used by hackers, is effectively mitigated by these filters. By reducing the viewing angle, it becomes nearly impossible for shoulder surfers to gather valuable information, enhancing data security.

Compliance with data protection regulations is crucial. Implementing 3M Bright Screen Laptop Privacy Filters demonstrates an organisation’s commitment to data security and compliance, protecting sensitive information at all times.

With the rise of remote work, data security is even more critical. These filters provide an additional layer of security, allowing

employees to work confidently in public spaces without compromising data confidentiality.

Investing in these filters is cost-effective compared to the potential consequences of a data breach. They are easy to install, durable, and compatible with various laptop models. By implementing them, organisations can significantly reduce the risk of visual hacking and protect their valuable data assets.

Data security is a top priority for government and public sector organisations. 3M Bright Screen Laptop Privacy Filters offer an effective solution to safeguard sensitive information, maintain data confidentiality, and comply with regulations. Investing in these filters enhances data security and ensures the privacy of on-screen data, even in challenging environments. M

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A new government

Labour have won the general election, ending 14 years of Tory rule and making Sir Keir Starmer the fifth prime minister in as many years

Following the general election on 4 July, and with all votes now counted, Labour have won 412 seats, a gain of 211 seats, with the Conservatives dropping to 121, with a loss of 251.

Former Prime Minister Liz Truss has lost her seat, along with Penny Mordaunt and Jacob Rees-Mogg.

Truss lost her seat to Labour by 630 votes, having previously held a majority of more than 30,000 and Mordaunt lost by 780 votes.

Also gone are defence secretary Grant Shapps and justice secretary Alex Chalk.

Suella Braverman and Priti Patel have held on to their seats, as have Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly and Jeremy Hunt. Robert Jenrick and Steve Barclay have held on, while Gillian Keegan and Mark Harper are gone.

Some high profile Tories like Michael Gove, Sajid Javid, Nadhim Zahawi, Theresa May, Dominic Raab and Chris Grayling did not contest their seats.

Rishi Sunak won his seat, but will no longer be prime minister. In his farewell speech outside Number 10, he said: “To the country I would like to say first and foremost I am sorry.”

“I have given this job my all but you have sent a clear message that the government of the UK must change, and yours is the judgement that matters.

“I have heard your anger, your disappointment, and I take responsibility for this loss.”

He will now step down as Conservative leader, with a leadership contest expected in due course. In the meantime, he has been naming his shadow cabinet.

Liberal Democrats in third place

The Lib Dems have gained 64 seats bringing their total to 72, and winning the seats of former prime ministers Boris Johnson, David Cameron and Theresa May.

Party leader, Sir Ed Davey said: “I am humbled by the millions of people who backed the Liberal Democrats to both kick the Conservatives out of power and deliver the change our country needs.”

Reform win 14 per cent

While polling third in terms of number of votes across the country, Reform UK have only won five seats. Nigel Farage has become an MP for the first, on his eighth attempt. Former E

In Scotland, the SNP have lost 39 seats, mostly to the benefit of Labour

F Conservative Lee Anderson (30p Lee) has also become a Reform MP.

Farage said the result was “the first step of something that is going to stun all of you”.

A boost for the Greens

Green co-leaders Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay have both been elected. In Bristol, Denyer defeated Labour’s shadow culture secretary Thangam Debbonaire by a majority of 10,000 and in Waveney Valley, Ramsay overturned a 22,000 Conservative majority with a swing of 32.1 per cent.

Sian Berry won Caroline Lucas’s old seat of Brighton Pavilion for the Greens. Ellie Chowns defeated the Conservatives’ Bill Wiggin in North Herefordshire, who had previously held the seat with a 25,000 majority. The party has a total of four seats, the same as Plaid Cymru.

Denyer said that the result was evidence that “if you want Green, you can vote Green and you will get a Green MP”.

Independent

winners and losers

Jeremy Corbyn has been re-elected as an independent in Islington North, defeating his Labour opponent and winning the seat for the 11th time - making him London’s longest serving MP.

In total, there are now six independent MPs. George Galloway lost the Rochdale seat he won in February to Labour.

A bad result for the SNP

In Scotland, the SNP have lost 39 seats, mostly to the benefit of Labour – their worst result since 2010, having won only nine seats. The Scottish Conservatives won five seats, losing one since 2019. In Glasgow, Labour won all six seats from the SNP.

First minister John Swinney called the result “very, very difficult and damaging”.

Tory-free Wales

In Wales, the Conservatives now have no MPs, with Welsh secretary David TC Davies and his predecessors Alun Cairns, Stephen Crabb and Simon Hart all missing out. Labour won 27 seats in Wales (an increase of nine), Plaid Cymru four and the Lib Dems one.

Shadow Welsh secretary Jo Stevens said: “Having two Labour governments, one at each end of the M4, working in an atmosphere of trust and respect and collaboration rather than constant frictions means that we will deliver better outcomes for Wales.”

Sinn Féin the biggest party in NI

In Northern Ireland, Sinn Féin is now the largest party across councils, assembly and Westminster. The party won seven contests, but its candidates will not take their seats. Former Royal College of Nursing leader Pat Cullen won for Sinn Féin in Fermanagh and South Tyrone. The party’s main opponent, the DUP won five seats, down from eight at the last election. Ian Paisley was a high-profile casualty.

Sinn Féin leader, Mary Lou McDonald said: “From day one, we will be knocking on the door of the British government to demand that they stop their disgraceful underfunding of our public services and of the executive here.”

Is first past the post fit for 2024?

Research from the BBC has shown that this result is the biggest gap on record between the number of votes won and the number of seats won.

For example, Labour won 34 per cent of the total votes, but about 64 per cent of seats. The

Conservatives won 24 per cent of votes, but 19 per cent of seats.

The Lib Dems’ figures are roughly similar, taking 12 per cent of votes and 11 per cent of seats.

The most glaring example is Reform winning 14 per cent of the votes, but only one percent of seats. The Green Party also won 7 per cent of votes, but also only around 1 per cent of seats. Meanwhile, regional parties the SNP, Sinn Féin and the DUP all won the same amount of or more seats than Reform and the Greens despite polling in the hundreds of thousands not the millions.

The DUP’s five seats were won with 172,058 votes and Reform’s were won with 4,117,221. The Greens won four seats with 1,943,265 votes, while Plaid Cyrmu also won four seats with only 194,811 votes.

Had proportional seats been allocated to this election, Labour would have won 221 seats, Conservatives 156 seats, Reform 91, the Liberal Democrats 78 and the Greens 45. It is important to note, that parties campaigned on a first-pastthe-post system and voters also voted with this in mind as well. The vote share would have been different if voters were not voting tactically.

Reaction

Responding to the results, newly elected leader of the LGA Cllr Louise Gittins said: “I am excited

This result is the biggest gap on record between the number of votes won and the number of seats won

and honoured to be taking up this important cross-party role on behalf of councils of all types and political colours across the country.

“Councils are under pressure like never before, facing a funding gap of more than £6 billion over the next two years. It is important we find a sustainable and long-term financial solution, alongside the right powers and levers, so we can deliver on the priorities of the new government.

“We are delighted that many new MPs come from the local government family and have had first-hand experience of these acute pressures as councillors, which should mean that securing the future of our local services will be a top priority.” L

Keeping people at the heart of research

For any stakeholders you want to reach get people focussed insights you can act on

STAFF /

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USERS / RESIDENTS / CUSTOMERS

Our experienced team of researchers provide the personal touch during your project, at every point, from designing the questionnaire through to presenting the findings and helping you get the insight that you can take action on

Stakeholder feedback: the challenges and the rewards

Managing key stakeholder audiences for any organisation is critical to success – are staff able to deliver the services expected? Are clients and customers happy with what is offered, or is something missing?

Getting insight into stakeholder perceptions is a powerful tool, taking the guesswork out of decision making and utilising often limited funds to get the most value.

Recent examples of surveys having an important impact include: helping organisations evaluate and amend the flexible/ hybrid working options, where a balance for staff who are able to work remotely and those who needed to be on site had to be managed carefully; and understanding customers in the education sector for a service provider whose “customers” are the children at schools, but the purchaser might be a Local Authority or central MAT procurement manager, or a school Head. This involved unpicking the differences between those who are decision makers vs. those receiving the service.

Other examples include managing a regular (six-monthly) cycle of surveys for an organisation managing significant change, but depending on central government decisions to confirm the strategy for the arms-length body for the next five to 10 years; conducting leadership surveys for a government agency in some of their regions, identifying impacts leaders are having and where development should be prioritised; and working with a company in a regulated sector, to ensure health and safety standards are being managed alongside quality standards, to share with the regulator.

We have worked with District Councils, London Boroughs, City Councils, healthcare and education service providers.

The lessons we’ve learned are to: be peoplecentric, participants in research need to be appreciated for their feedback; be flexible, our clients typically already have a full schedule,

by doing the heavy lifting to get the survey done, we enable them to stay on track with everything else.

We also learnt to be proactive, suggest options for improvement in terms of questions, approach, or methodology to improve survey outcomes; be consultative, use the experience of working with all types of different organisations to share best practice; be practical, move beyond idealism to give organisations results they can take forward; and be honest, the survey isn’t an aim of itself, organisations will have to develop and implement action plans after the survey results are shared – this will take time and resources from within.

So the challenges are making sure that the plans for the survey are well thought through, and the implementation is managed well (for example, using an experienced external provider), and then making sure the organisation is ready to take action once the results are reported and shared.

What are the rewards then?

The rewards include better insights and understanding of stakeholders, which enable more focussed prioritisation – and with tight budgets, showing the evidence for prioritising can be the tipping point to get budget and resources assigned.

Providing better services also makes staff feel that they are doing a better job, customers/ clients are happy, the working environment is more positive.

The exercise of asking and listening to the feedback is also empowering for the participants given feedback and those who receive it.

Overall, a win-win for everyone! M

Hertfordshire Futures: Accelerating employment, enterprise and investment

Hertfordshire Futures is a dynamic partnership between businesses and the public sector, driving sustainable economic growth across Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire Futures is the leading voice for the county’s economy, setting the strategic direction to accelerate jobs, business creation, innovation and investment.

Our vision

We seek to position Hertfordshire as a powerhouse economy in the UK where businesses flourish, talent thrives and communities prosper. We achieve this by setting the economic direction and fostering an environment that attracts world-class innovation and high-value growth. We also invest in programmes that support local businesses, deliver skills leadership, drive sustainable and inclusive growth and attract inward investment. Finally, we advocate for the county on a national stage, ensuring Hertfordshire is recognised as a prime location for growth, innovation and sectorial excellence.

Our mission

Our mission is to build on Hertfordshire’s reputation as a premier location for growth, innovation, creativity and world-leading science, advanced manufacturing and technologies, and to make it one of the foremost economies in the UK. In so doing, we can help realise opportunities to enable

residents, communities and businesses to thrive, benefitting the environment and providing a better quality of life for all.

Hertfordshire Futures offer a comprehensive suite of programmes and expertise across these key areas:

Sector Growth and Investment: working with businesses in identified clusters and supporting them to grow and expand.

Business Support and Enterprise: equipping businesses and individuals with the tools they need to reach their full potential.

Skills and Employment: growing our pipeline of highly skilled talent to meet the needs of an evolving economy, and support people most in need to progress into good jobs.

Hertfordshire Futures: a legacy of growth

Established in 2011, Hertfordshire LEP became fully integrated with Hertfordshire County Council in 2024, adopting the new name Hertfordshire Futures to reflect its strengthened role shaping a sustainable and prosperous future with initiatives that foster economic growth, protect our environment and build resilient communities. M

www.hertfordshirefutures.co.uk

LATCOs: improving service delivery and driving profit

Martin Cresswell, chair of Lampton Group, discusses how Local Authority Trading Company (LATCO) models can deliver commercial profit for local authorities, drive innovation and result in service improvements for residents

The current pressure on local government is immense, particularly when it comes to funding and the impact on local services. Addressing these challenges requires bold moves. Delivering high-quality, sustainable services for residents is at the forefront for every council, but delivering these successfully, and in a cost-effective way, requires innovation and a significant change in operating model for many.

In the past decade, local authorities have been reassessing their service delivery models, moving beyond traditional outsourcing to consider alternatives, with some even forming joint venture partnerships. This shift stems from the need to strike a balance between maintaining control over essential services, and embracing flexibility and innovation.

That’s where Local Authority Trading Companies (LATCOs) come in. LATCOs present a hybrid model offering significant advantages for local governments. By establishing LATCOs,

local authorities can tap into private-sector expertise and experience while maintaining control and assurance over service provision. These entities function as commercial ventures, efficiently delivering essential services while generating additional capital and revenue streams that can be used to reinvest in the delivery and maintenance of essential local services for residents.

The LATCO model has been transformative for the London Borough of Hounslow (LBH), allowing it to enhance community outcomes while maintaining a commercial approach through its wholly owned company, Lampton Group.

Supporting communities in a sustainable way

Structuring a business as a LATCO instils a more business-oriented mindset, encouraging increased operational flexibility and E

F establishing new revenue streams. Importantly, any profits generated are reinvested back into the local community, rather than being lost to the private sector. This reinvestment plays a critical role in enhancing the delivery of essential services, whether it’s enhancing the cleanliness and green spaces of boroughs, developing and maintaining homes or providing services that greatly enhance residents’ health and well-being.

As providers of front-line services, LATCOs also serve as the council’s eyes and ears, actively monitoring activities and fostering collaborative relationships with community groups. Drawing insights from these partnerships and their onthe-ground presence, LATCOs can facilitate both reactive responses and proactive initiatives.

At Lampton Group, our tenure as a LATCO within the London Borough of Hounslow (LBH) has been marked by a steadfast commitment to delivering exceptional services. While many councils grapple with budget cuts, our commercial model provides us with a strategic edge. By generating revenue that’s reinvested back into the London Borough of Hounslow, we not only save the council money but also alleviate financial pressures. For example, our commercial cleaning business also has contracts outside of the borough, bringing in new revenue streams.

Operating as a LATCO has allowed us to forge a deep understanding of local needs, as our shared values align closely with those of the council. This has put us in a unique position to identify and meet residents’ service requirements effectively.

While our journey hasn’t been without its challenges, the outcomes speak for themselves. We boast one of London’s leading refuse and recycling services. In 2022, we also launched our Commercial Recycling and Waste collection service, supporting Hounslow businesses in reducing the carbon impact of their waste and recycling. In the past year, Lampton Recycle has invested in developing this service, increasing our customer base by 73 per cent.

In addition, we have expanded our work in greenspaces across the borough. While we deliver essential parks development and maintenance across the borough, our team have also expanded horticultural and maintenance services to local businesses, local business parks and other landmark facilities such as Chiswick House and Gardens. Through Lampton Leisure we have seen impressive post-pandemic leisure membership and have

introduced new, commercially driven member services. In addition, we have also created a thriving property investment business and recently launched a commercial heating business supplying trusted heating services to domestic customers at competitive rates to continue to meet local needs and drive revenue back into services.

Through innovation, job creation, and profitability, we’ve not only contributed to the council’s financial health but also enhanced services and social value for the community. Our ethos reflects a business mindset with a genuine commitment to community wellbeing.

Bridging the public sector skills gap

Alongside job creation, LATCOs have the added benefit of retaining many skills locally that are often lost to the more commercially driven private sector.

Local governments and their teams play a vital role in shaping communities and delivering services that consistently improve residents’ lives. Serving as a means to connect the public and private sectors, LATCOs can also act more commercially when it comes to employee attraction and retention, helping to drive progress.

The emphasis on commercial viability and adaptability fosters innovation, particularly in areas like sustainability, digital services, and operational efficiency. By embracing publicprivate collaboration, and retaining skills, the LATCO model can support councils in improving service quality and community outcomes. LATCOs also serve as a valuable mechanism to address skills shortages, propelling local

Setting up a LATCO should be approached as a longterm strategic endeavour, rather than a temporary solution

governments towards a more resilient and dynamic future.

A long-term view

Setting up a LATCO should be approached as a long-term strategic endeavour, rather than a temporary solution. Success hinges on several key factors including a well-defined purpose, robust governance structures, and alignment across the organisation. These elements are essential for ensuring sustained success and impactful outcomes over time.

Especially in uncertain times, local authorities must embrace innovative approaches to deliver essential services effectively and sustainably. By harnessing private-sector expertise while maintaining control over service delivery, they can ensure efficiency, quality, and additional revenue generation, thereby bolstering the local economy. Realising the full potential of LATCOs holds the promise of achieving both social and commercial success amidst today’s challenges. L

Evolution of the built environment

Integral and JLL are driving the evolution of the built environment through our comprehensive range of services and expertise.

• Strategy and Consulting

• Project and Development

• Facilities and Property Management

• Engineering

• Technology and Data Analytics

Together, we are shaping the future of real estate and buildings.

Let’s talk

Transforming the built environment

Managing and maintaining the built environment is becoming increasingly complex. Government sector organisations are under pressure to modernise their estates, reduce their environmental impact and manage their costs more effectively, while ensuring they can keep running vital public services.

Against the backdrop of these challenges, Integral and

JLL are shaping the future of real estate and building performance by developing a range of digital-leading and client-focused services.

Integral provides end-toend engineering and facilities services that ensure safe, compliant, and efficient buildings. Backed by JLL’s global real estate expertise, the two organisations can support clients across the building lifecycle, from planning through to execution. Project and Development services help bring these visions to life, including site selection, architectural design, engineering, and construction oversight.

Property and Facilities Management services which are responsible for day-today building operations and maintenance.

Engineering services that keep buildings safe and resilient. This is underpinned by a suite of innovative technology and data analytics that provides clients with performance metrics, predictive power and digitalisation opportunities. These tools enable organisations to make datadriven decisions to help optimise their real estate performance and plan the future with greater accuracy. M

Mark Evans Client Solutions Director Integral

Nick Freeston Head of Consulting & Public Sector JLL

Managing asbestos risks: appointing contractors and ensuring safe re-occupation

With asbestos still an active and present problem, ARCA explains how to appoint an asbestos contractor

Asbestos remains a significant health hazard in the United Kingdom, causing approximately 5,000 asbestos-related cancer deaths annually. Property owners and managers of buildings constructed before 2000 have a legal responsibility to manage asbestos risks and ensure the safety of both employees and nonemployees. When asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) require removal due to their condition or planned renovation or demolition work, clients must appoint competent contractors and oversee the project to ensure compliance with regulations.

Client responsibilities

Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM

2015), clients are responsible for managing construction projects and implementing appropriate measures to manage health and safety risks effectively. Whilst clients are not expected to have expertise in construction or asbestos work, they must ensure that suitable arrangements are in place for managing and organising projects during both the “preconstruction” and “construction” phases. In the pre-construction phase, clients should gather information about the presence of asbestos in the building, including the type, location, and condition of ACMs. This information should be provided to potential contractors to help them assess the scope of work and develop a suitable plan for asbestos removal. Clients should also set realistic E

F timeframes for the project, considering the time needed for proper planning, asbestos removal, and re-occupation testing.

During the construction phase, clients must appoint competent individuals, such as the principal designer and principal contractor, and provide them with adequate information, time, and resources to carry out their tasks safely. Clients should also ensure that a Construction Phase Plan is in place, which outlines the health and safety arrangements for the project, including asbestos management. Regular communication with the appointed contractors is crucial to monitor progress, address any issues that arise, and ensure that the work is being carried out in accordance with the agreed plan and legal requirements.

Appointing a competent contractor

When asbestos removal is necessary, clients must appoint a competent asbestos removal contractor. To ensure competency, clients should first determine if the type of ACM requires a licensed contractor. The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) website provides a list of licensed contractors. Clients should also enquire if the contractor undergoes independent audits, such as on-site verification inspections, to ensure compliance with requirements. Membership in a trade association, like the Asbestos Removal Contractors Association (ARCA), can provide an additional level of assurance. When selecting a contractor, clients should request evidence of their competency, such as training records, qualifications, and experience

It is important for clients to have a clear understanding of the contractor’s proposed approach to the work

in similar projects. They should also ask for references from previous clients and check if the contractor has a good track record of health and safety performance. Clients can also request copies of the contractor’s insurance policies to ensure they have adequate coverage for the work being undertaken.

It is important for clients to have a clear understanding of the contractor’s proposed approach to the work, including the methods they will use for asbestos removal, the measures they will take to control risks, and the arrangements for waste disposal. Clients should also discuss the contractor’s plans for emergency situations, such as accidental asbestos release or equipment failure, to ensure that appropriate procedures are in place to minimise risks to workers and building occupants.

Asbestos removal work and plan of work

Once a contractor is appointed, the client must provide sufficient information, time, and resources to ensure the job is carried out properly. The contractor is responsible for developing a suitable Plan of Work (PoW) in accordance with Regulation 7 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012). The PoW should be a practical and informative document outlining site details, asbestos locations, access points, waste routes, and a safe working method for site staff to follow.

The PoW should include a detailed description of the work to be carried out, including the type and location of ACMs to be removed, the removal methods to be used, and the measures to be taken to control risks. It should also specify the personal protective equipment (PPE) to be used by workers, the arrangements for decontamination, and the procedures for waste handling and disposal.

The contractor’s manager should collaborate with the client to develop the PoW, ensuring both parties are aware of site constraints and the presence of other trades on-site. This collaboration helps to identify potential conflicts or risks that may arise during the work and allows for the development of appropriate control measures.

Once the PoW is agreed upon, the contractor must notify the HSE of the planned work at least 14 days before commencement. The notification should include details of the work to be carried out, the location, the start and expected completion dates, and the name of the licensed contractor undertaking the work.

During the asbestos removal work, the contractor must follow the agreed PoW and ensure that all necessary control measures are in place to minimise risks to workers and others who may be affected by the work. The client should monitor the work to ensure that it is being carried out in accordance with the PoW and that any deviations or issues are promptly addressed.

ARCA’s Site Audit Accreditation Scheme (SAAS)

ARCA introduced the SAAS in 2000 to support members’ performance and uphold standards. Member contractors must undergo satisfactory site and office audits to join the association and maintain membership through regular audits. In January 2017, ARCA enhanced its audit scheme by conducting unannounced site audits using information provided by the HSE from licensed contractors’ “notification of asbestos work” forms. The number of required unannounced site audits per membership year has increased over time, with the current requirement being four audits per year as of January 2023.

Re-occupation testing

After licensed asbestos removal work, a fourstage re-occupation test is legally required under CAR 2012 before the affected area can be re-occupied. This test ensures that all proposed asbestos removal work has been carried out

During the asbestos removal work, the contractor must follow the agreed PoW and ensure that all necessary control measures are in place

according to the pre-agreed PoW and that the area is clean, dry, and dust-free, as far as reasonably practicable. The test can only be undertaken by a United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) accredited testing laboratory (ISO 17025) and typically takes a few hours to two-three days, depending on the complexity of the affected area.

The four-stage re-occupation test consists of: a preliminary check of site condition and job completeness; thorough visual inspection inside the enclosure; clearance air monitoring (air sample results must be <0.010 fibres/cm3); and a final assessment post-enclosure/work area dismantling.

Upon successful completion of the test, the analyst will issue a re-occupation certificate to both the licensed asbestos removal contractor and the end-client, along with photographic evidence supporting the final re-occupation certification.

Conclusion

Managing asbestos risks is a critical responsibility for property owners and managers. By appointing competent contractors, ensuring compliance with regulations, and following proper re-occupation testing procedures, clients can minimise health and safety hazards associated with asbestos removal. Collaboration and communication among all parties involved, including clients, contractors, and analysts, are essential for the successful execution of asbestos removal projects and the safe re-occupation of affected areas.

The Fire Industry Association members: a closer look

The Fire Industry Assocation works within the fire protection industry to improve fire safety practices and technologies

Fire safety is a critical component of public safety and its importance cannot be overstated. It encompasses a broad spectrum of practices, systems, and regulations designed to prevent the occurrence of fires, protect lives and property, and ensure a rapid and effective response when fires do occur. The critical importance of fire safety stems from its potential to save lives, minimise injuries, and reduce property damage, all of which have far-reaching implications for individuals, communities, and the economy at large. The Fire Industry Association (FIA) plays a crucial role in advancing fire safety standards and practices, advocating for continuous improvement and innovation in fire protection to better safeguard human life and property.

The FIA’s mission and vision

The FIA is a not-for-profit organisation and the largest fire protection trade association in the UK with 1000+ members. They play a pivotal role in advancing fire protection and are dedicated to advancing fire safety technologies and practices through promoting, improving and perfecting fire protection methods, devices, services and apparatus. This is achieved through being a major provider of

fire safety training, through the representation of FIA members, providing technical support, guidance and opportunities for professional advancement through education and appropriate regulation through lobbying for improved fire safety legislation. The association serves as a central hub for the exchange of knowledge and best practices, fostering a collaborative environment that benefits both the industry and the public.

Ensuring competency and third-party certification

One of the FIA’s primary goals is to ensure that fire safety professionals are competent and equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge. The FIA represents the highest standard of companies within the fire industry, they take great pride in the credibility and reputation of their members. All FIA members are companies that have third-party certification (TPC) or are in the process of achieving this. The FIA offers a comprehensive route to certification, guiding companies through the process of achieving TPC. This includes tailored consultancy services, one year of free FIA membership, and exclusive discounts on training courses. TPC is a consumer E

Collaboration with regulatory bodies and standard-setting organisations is at the heart of the FIA’s efforts

F protection scheme that allows companies to prove their competence and ensures a product or service is in accordance with compliance standards set by International or British Standards.

Enhancing industry standards and legislation

Collaboration with regulatory bodies and standard-setting organisations is at the heart of the FIA’s efforts. The FIA work closely with organisations like the British Standards Institution (BSI) to develop and update fire safety standards, ensuring that fire safety systems meet stringent safety and performance criteria. Between the FIA team and members, they sit on over 250 groups, boards, and committees, influencing developments and shaping how the industry moves forward both in Europe and around the world.

Through seven specialised councils, the FIA brings together experts and stakeholders to collaborate on developing, revising, and advocating for standards and regulations that enhance fire safety practices and technologies. Each council focuses on a distinct area within the industry: Fire detection and alarms, extinguishing systems, fire engineering, export, fire risk assessment, services, and fire and rescue equipment suppliers. By pooling their collective expertise, the FIA councils ensure that the industry remains responsive to emerging challenges and continues to uphold high standards of safety and efficiency.

Driving innovation and product development

FIA members include leading manufacturers and digital solution companies of fire protection equipment and systems. These members harness advanced technology and collaborative efforts to develop cutting-edge fire protection solutions that enhance safety and efficiency. Manufacturers within the FIA are pioneering the

use of state-of-the-art materials and processes to create robust, reliable fire suppression systems and detection equipment that meet stringent safety standards and environmental regulations.

The digital landscape is growing faster than ever and transforming the industry. The FIA is proud to champion this transformation through the Internet of Things (IoT) Forum, which was set up four years ago and now includes three separate work groups. This forum facilitates the development of sophisticated systems that leverage real-time data analytics and IoT for fire management solutions, significantly improving monitoring and response times. These technologies not only enhance safety but also increase the efficiency of fire safety protocols, ensuring quicker and more effective interventions during fire incidents.

Providing comprehensive services

Beyond product innovation, FIA members provide essential services that significantly enhance the safety and functionality of the fire safety industry. Through their extensive expertise, these members deliver a wide range of critical services, from designing and commissioning advanced fire protection equipment to offering comprehensive installation, maintenance, and support. By staying informed of the latest regulatory standards and technological advancements, FIA members ensure that their products and services meet the highest safety and performance criteria.

FIA members also include highly skilled fire risk assessors and fire engineers, who are pivotal in advancing fire safety standards and practices across various sectors. Fire risk assessors within the FIA play a crucial role in identifying potential fire hazards in buildings and developing strategies to mitigate these risks, ensuring compliance with fire safety regulations and enhancing overall safety. FIA member fire engineers apply their specialised knowledge of

This collaborative approach helps raise the overall competency level within the industry

fire dynamics, building construction, and safety systems to design and implement effective fire protection solutions. Their work encompasses everything from the development of fireresistant building materials to the design of advanced detection and suppression systems. By combining practical experience with rigorous technical expertise, these professionals help to create safer, more resilient environments.

Community engagement and knowledge sharing:

Many FIA members actively participate in advocacy efforts, supporting the FIA’s mission to improve fire safety legislation and standards. They also engage within the wider industry to raise awareness of fire safety issues and promote best practices. FIA members host educational continued professional development (CPD) sessions. These CPD

sessions include workshops, seminars, and public information campaigns designed to equip individuals and organisations with the knowledge and tools to effectively manage fire risks. This educational content will be FIA CPD certified through the FIA CPD certification centre ensuring accurate information and knowledge is shared. This collaborative approach helps raise the overall competency level within the industry, leading to better-designed and more effectively implemented fire protection solutions.

The FIA and its members are at the forefront of advancing fire safety through active fire protection. By setting high standards, providing education and technical support, and driving innovation, the FIA and its members play a critical role in safeguarding lives and property. As the fire safety industry continues to evolve, the FIA’s commitment to excellence and safety ensures that it remains a trusted leader and advocate for fire safety worldwide. M

FURTHER INFORMATION

For more information about the FIA and how you can get involved please visit the FIA website or contact info@fia.uk.com.

Understanding and mitigating fire and smoke damper risks

experience in ductwork. Here, they share some of their experiences, knowledge, and advice on the common noncompliance issues they see. These include:

Fire dampers are safety devices installed in the ductwork of buildings to prevent the spread of fire and smoke through the ventilation system. When a fire is detected, these dampers close automatically, limiting the potential damage of the fire. Fire dampers are vital to maintaining buildings’ integrity and safety during a fire.

M&G Fire Protection has been overseeing properties for over 25 years. Their experienced damper team operates nationally, each with at least ten years of

Neglecting annual testing

This often stems from financial constraints or a lack of awareness about the critical nature of these tests. Regular testing ensures fire dampers function correctly, providing defence against fire spread.

Damaged dampers

Damaged fire dampers can compromise airflow within a building, leading to uncomfortable conditions such as overheated rooms. To alleviate discomfort,

occupants might resort to unsafe makeshift, noncompliant solutions.

Design flaws

Surprisingly, design flaws are as common in new buildings as in old ones. Inaccessible dampers and poor design can result in insufficient testing and subsequent noncompliance with building safety regulations. M

M&Ghavejustwon‘FireSafety CompanyoftheYear’2024at TheFire&SecurityAwards.acy.

Idle threat

Simon Brand from the FPA examines the arson threat facing unused and unoccupied buildings

We have all seen them. In villages, towns, and cities across the country, empty and derelict buildings sit unused. Often in a poor state of repair, many of them have been sat idle for months if not years, but these buildings are more than just unsightly eyesores. They represent a real target for arson, and that brings with it the fire threat to other nearby buildings, danger for the firefighters sent to deal with incidents, and large associated financial costs to building owners and insurers.

Costs and prevalence

Home Office figures for the year up to March 2022 show that fire and rescue services were called out to over 69,000 cases of arson, amounting to 45 per cent of all fires attended. Whilst the majority of these relate to relatively small outdoor fires that pose little threat to people or property, there are still a large number of cases where homes, vehicles, and non-residential buildings are the target. The

Trends in Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) details how there has been a twelvemonth 23 per cent increase in arson cases reported to police as a crime, up to 28,785 in the year ending September 2022, from 23,463 in the previous year.

Whilst the impact of lockdowns in 2021 will have depressed the number of cases in the

The

National Fire Chiefs Council estimated the potential economic cost attributed to arson to be between £5.5bn and £11bn

earlier period, these stark figures show that, not only is arson the leading single cause of fire, but highlight the extent to which the increasing threat of arson must be taken seriously.

The extent to which vacant properties are a part of the arson problem was highlighted in a report produced by Aviva in 2017. It noted that approximately 9,000 fires in empty buildings occurred across the UK each year, and that 25 per cent of their direct damage costs incurred related to unoccupied buildings. Behind these annual figures lies a huge financial impact. For the year 2017-18, the National Fire Chiefs Council estimated the potential economic cost attributed to arson to be between £5.5bn and £11bn.

With the threat of arson that vacant and unoccupied buildings pose, the fact that the number of these unused properties is growing year-on-year means the potential for incidents causing damage, costs, and threats to life is also growing. Statistics published in 2019 by E

Simply abandoning a building will quickly lead to issues and potential arson attacks

F the then Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government put the number of empty properties in the UK at 617,527. Business premises accounted for 172,217 of this total, and residential dwellings for 445,310 – with 225,845 of the residential buildings recorded as being empty for longer than six months.

Commercial properties dominated the number of vacant business buildings, making up more than a quarter of the overall number. Whilst these tended to be in larger urban areas – with Bradford, for example, accounting for 4.5 per cent of all empty commercial properties in the UK – research from the Local Government Association showed that 80 per cent of English councils reported an increase in empty commercial properties in their town centres in the year up to 2019.

Recent analysis of the government’s official data for 2022 by Action on Empty Homes also noted that long-term empty residential homes were at their highest level in over ten years.

Prime targets

So why are vacant buildings so often linked to arson? There are a number of factors that can lead to an unoccupied building being at higher risk of an arson attack, and when it is, for that fire to be more severe.

When a building is left unattended, the opportunity for low-level vandalism is increased, as there can be a perceived lack of surveillance. It has been shown that if small acts of damage, such as smashed windows or graffiti, are left unrepaired it can lead to an escalation of further similar acts – one broken window leads to another and then another. This lack of care and maintenance can signpost an idle building as a potential arson target. In a similar way to the criminal damage, smaller fires are often initially set, and if little is done to prevent them, it paves the way for a larger scale incident.

Even where vandalism does not occur, insufficient maintenance of a building left unused for a long period of time will see the building fabric deteriorate, leading to the failure of existing compartmentation. If an arson attack does then occur, smoke and fire will be able to penetrate the building and spread more readily. This situation can be exacerbated by unauthorised and illegal use which can lead to

accidental or deliberate damage, such as ‘urban mining’ where fixtures and fittings are stripped leaving gaps through which fire can spread, or a build-up of combustible waste materials.

Vacant buildings, by their nature, have little to no human presence and so if an arson attack does occur, there is unlikely to be anyone present to discover the fire and raise the alarm. Without this early intervention, arson fires are therefore more likely to be able to grow into large incidents, resulting in more danger to the locality and more damage to the building.

It is important for building owners to note that, even though a building may be empty or unused, the responsibility for fire safety remains with them and the same legal obligations as when the building was in use still apply. It is therefore paramount that owners keep up the fire security of their buildings throughout its lifecycle, especially given the problems that unoccupied premises can face.

Ensuring risk assessments are conducted as a building’s use comes to an end and then throughout any period of vacancy is an essential action for owners. Simply abandoning a building will quickly lead to issues and potential arson attacks, so this must be avoided.

Security and safety

There are a number of key actions that a building owner can take to mitigate the risk of an arson attack, starting with designating responsibility for the building to an individual or managing agent.

Restricting access to the site of an unoccupied building is a key factor in preventing arson

We continue to see schools targeted during holiday periods

attacks. Depending on the type of site it may require that both the perimeter of the site as well as the buildings themselves be physically secured.

Where there is a perimeter, such as with industrial/commercial properties or buildings under construction, these should be secured using perimeter fencing at least 2m in height. Where existing perimeter structures are in place, these should be assessed for possible antiintrusion upgrades, such as anti-climb paint or barbed tape. Obvious aids to climbing should be removed or secured and access to low roofs should be deterred to prevent intruders.

Whether there is a separate perimeter or not, any arson risk assessment should consider site access points, with the number being kept to the fewest possible needed. External doors and windows should be fitted with working locks or otherwise secured with shutters, grilles, or bars particularly on the ground floor. One aspect of a building that can give an easy point of entry for an arson attack is a letterbox, and these should be sealed and post redirected. This will also prevent a build-up of unopened mail, a potential source of combustible material. Where appropriate, the boarding up of entry points can take place, giving a more robust deterrent to possible intruders. External lighting, CCTV, and other forms of intruder detection can also be installed to help a vacant site be less of a target to potential fire raising. These can take the form of remotely monitored security systems or staffed guarding stations and patrols.

The installation and maintenance of fire safety features is vital in helping mitigate any potential arson attacks, and reducing the extent of any blaze and the damage done should one occur. Where possible, it is recommended that vacant buildings have comprehensive automatic fire and smoke detectors, linked to a monitoring service. It is important that fire protection equipment remains serviceable and access to water for fire fighters must remain clear. The building heat should be kept on during cold months, or if this is not practical, the sprinkler system can be converted into a dry-pipe system after consultation with the building insurers. Insurers will also likely expect that the integrity of fire alarms and systems continues to be E

Properties which look neglected – such as those strewn with graffiti – are often targeted

F inspected, tested, and maintained in line with the relevant British Standards.

Ensuring that a vacant building is wellmaintained not only provides less opportunity for arson attacks to take hold and cause serious damage, it also reduces the likelihood of an attack in the first place. It is buildings with no obvious owners that are often the initial targets of the vandalism that can lead to a future arson. When a building is vacated, all combustible waste and hazardous materials should be disposed of, thus reducing potential fuel sources, and regular visits should be made to the site to check and remove any rubbish that may have been dumped. Effective features restricting access to the site will also help prevent fly tipping.

These regular checks should also assess the state of external fixtures and fittings, as these can provide fire raisers with combustible materials, for example, broken fence panels or disused wooden sheds and outbuildings. If necessary, foliage and plants should also be maintained or removed to give the appearance of a well-maintained site, to allow effective security monitoring, to prevent access to roofs, and to remove potential combustibles.

Insurance and firefighting

A building owner should be in discussion with their insurer ahead of the occupancy ending as they will expect the building to still be managed. Indeed, some insurance cover will mandate that regular inspections of vacant buildings takes place to check for damage. Where damage has occurred, it should be reported to the insurers and fixed as soon as possible. This will help prevent further issues arising, signalling the site as a potential target for arson. It is important to remember that where empty premises are left with inadequate security and fire safety measures, insurance claims for any arson attacks may be denied. Paul Redington, regional major loss manager at Zurich, comments that: “During the last recession, there was a direct correlation between an increase in the number of vacant buildings and a rise in arson. Since then, the Zurich Major Loss team has continued to see

malicious-set fires, which put both property and lives in peril. Even if the building itself is empty, residents in neighbouring properties are at risk, as are those above vacant shop units. The continued decline of the high street means the number of unoccupied premises is on the increase, as is the fire threat.

“Long-term empty properties often fall prey to fly-tipping or the strip-out of metal and other saleable building materials. I dealt with one claim involving a property stripped of even its floorboards, and which suffered a serious fire - sadly leading to the death of a homeless man sleeping in the building. “In the municipal sector, we continue to see schools targeted during holiday periods, which reinforces our call for sprinkler systems to be made mandatory in new schools. If a fire occurs, we’re there to support our customers. But with many educational institutions already dealing with the pressure of budget cuts, when you layer on the effects of a catastrophic fire, the impact on staff and pupils can be enormous.”

He concludes by saying, “property owners can of course take a number of measures to reduce the risks, from reviewing and upgrading security to relocating combustible external structures, such as storage sheds or waste bins, away from main buildings. Regular, routine inspections are key, as is an effective incident reporting process and maintenance regime. Properties which look neglected – such as those strewn with graffitiare often targeted.”

Combating arson fires in a vacant building can also be more challenging for firefighters if the building has been allowed to deteriorate. Missing fixtures and fittings can lead to greater and swifter fire spread, and the structure of the building may also have been damaged, increasing the risk of building collapse or falls by attending firefighters. Indeed, according to the US National Fire Protection Agency, fires in vacant and abandoned buildings tend to injure firefighters more often than other fires. Maintaining a secure empty property is vital to not only prevent arson attacks, but to allow for safer firefighting conditions.

Building owners should be aware that they retain the legal obligations for the safety of anyone on the site, whether authorised or not. Should injury or death occur as a result of an

Fires in vacant and abandoned buildings tend to injure firefighters more often than other fires

arson incident, such as detailed above, the owner could be investigated and prosecuted. It is therefore paramount that buildings that are left idle should be properly managed, secured, and protected from the threat of arson attacks. M

About the author: Simon Brand, F&RM editor Simon is editor of Fire and Risk Management for the FPA. Working with our assistant editor, he is responsible for the journal and all activities leading to its monthly publication. He also produces news content to keep our members and clients abreast of industry developments.

FURTHER INFORMATION

For more details, please refer to the FPA guide on The Prevention and Control of Arson, which is available here.

An opportunity to share SMART Knowledge

David Bly – managing director of Cornerstone Management Services Ltd, a company providing independent expert property health surveys – is excited to advise the launch of a new platform aimed at sharing knowledge for timely solutions

With a significant history surveying properties reported to be suffering damp, condensation or mould related issues, Cornerstone can advise that of nearly 6,000 surveys to date, 91 per cent of the structures were dry and of that sum, 99 per cent suffered ventilation related issues. It is not uncommon for occupants to believe they are in a wet structure where mould has developed. However, this is not the case in the majority of our investigations. Suffice to say, mould does not always need moisture to progress.

With this in mind, one consideration is that damp and mould are separate entities and would require bespoke approaches for each issue. Damp tends to identify itself with spoiling, blistering, cracking and darkening of surfaces and, mould can reside on any surface where respective nutrients are available including structures and contents items. If the conditions are suitable for a number of days, their development can occur in the absence of wet or damp buildings.

Cornerstone are of the opinion a designated uniform framework is necessary to uphold a uniform approach to such reported problems. Why? Because we are still dealing with damp, condensation and mould in 2024 and, with an understandable drive with Net Zero to improve

our carbon footprint, if we sought to implement such recognised aspects in our homes today in the absence of a defined understanding of the structure, define atmospheric management and occupancy, the problems could escalate.

A new Property Health App delivers timely guidance for landlords and indeed residents seeking to understand why the issue has developed and what has contributed to it.

Onboard SMART Knowledge delivers a greater understanding of structural and atmospheric behaviour in a recognisable manner for all alongside simple yet key attempts to reduce the potential.

The uniform process will underpin landlord confidence with any repairs or improvements whilst providing bespoke guidance for residents for an improved healthier internal living condition.

And, key trend data for existing and future stock management upholds recognising structural and atmospheric behaviour aligned to geographical locations and their orientations. M

Trade body calls for better pest protection for tenants

National trade body British Pest Control Association (BPCA) is shining a spotlight on rising pest problems caused by unaffordable housing and lack of funding for proofing and maintenance, writes Jordan McCay, policy and campaigns officer at BPCA

Taking steps to properly proof and maintain buildings is a key element in deterring pests – which is why BPCA always recommends a ‘prevention not cure’ approach.

If pests get into a building it doesn’t take long for them to find food, water and a safe space in which to settle down and breed.

And, while pests come in all shapes and sizes, something they tend to have is the ability to multiply rapidly in favourable conditions – so tackling the issue before an infestation becomes well-established is faster, cheaper and less distressing.

If you own the house you live in, BPCA always recommends choosing one of its members to deal with the issue quickly and safely.

But what if you live in rented housing?

Housing costs

The rental sector is rife with pest issues due to underfunding, absent landlords, and poor building maintenance.

Studies by the Chartered Institute of Housing show that housing costs are exponentially increasing while income stagnates, meaning

significant proportions of the UK population will likely never own a home.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) found 35 per cent of 25 to 34-year-olds in 2017 were homeowners, a decrease from 55 per cent in 1997, with the biggest fall among middleincome young adults.

Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that in 2023, full-time employees in England could expect to spend around 8.3 times their annual earnings buying a home. The equivalent figure in Wales is 6.1 times their annual earnings.

Soaring house prices lead many people to renting privately or getting help from the government for housing.

UK housing stock

The age of housing structures can influence the likelihood of a pest infestation due to factors such as structural vulnerabilities, decay, and lack of modern pest control measures.

Older homes may have cracks, decaying materials, and historic features that attract pests like rodents and insects. Neglected E

F maintenance and outdated construction materials can also exacerbate these issues.

One in six homes in England (15 per cent) and a fifth of homes in Wales (23 per cent) were built before 1900, according to the latest Valuation Office Agency data, which revealed the majority were built between 1930 and 1982 (46 per cent in England and 39 per cent in Wales) and only 7 per cent in England (and 5 per cent in Wales) were built in 2012 or later.

Social housing

Pest issues are extremely common in social homes due to chronic lack of funding leading to poor maintenance and few long-term strategies to control infestations.

Latest figures reveal that Scotland’s housing repairs backlog has reached nearly £6m, while the number of social housing tenants taking rat complaints to the Ombudsman has risen tenfold in the past four years, from 71 complaints in 2019/20, to 759 in 2022/23.

With lack of support, some social housing residents have resorted to DIY pest control, which can be extremely dangerous.

An 11-year-old girl from Shadwell died after her neighbour illegally imported a regulated substance – allegedly to treat bed bugs.

In November 2021, Jesmin Akter went online and ordered aluminium phosphide pellets from Italy – a regulated substance that requires a licence to import and use.

Akter scattered three times the recommended amount of the pellets around her home, which created a toxic gas when they reacted to moisture in her flat.

The gas travelled to a neighbouring flat which was home to an 11-year-old girl, who died in hospital the following month.

At an Old Bailey hearing in May, Akter pleaded guilty to importing a regulated substance. She had previously pleaded guilty to a charge of manslaughter.

She is due to be sentenced on 18 July 2024.

In response to the tragedy, Tower Hamlets Council launched the ‘Kill Pests Not People’ campaign, which aimed to raise awareness of the dangers of buying pest control products online and advised residents to only purchase from reputable UK sellers.

Local authorities have a role to play in raising awareness around suitable pest control and councils that no longer offer pest control services can also support residents by signposting to BPCA members, who are endorsed by the Government’s TrustMark

scheme and will: carry the correct insurances; be trained and qualified technicians; be assessed to the British Standard in pest management EN 16636 and follow BPCA’s Codes of Best Practice.

Private renting

Private landlords can be slow to react when infestation issues arise – even when tenants complain, or the infestation is the result of poor maintenance.

A 2023 survey by National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) found that 44 per cent of private landlords include a pest clause in their tenancy agreement, placing all responsibility on the tenant.

However, 75 per cent of landlords fail to record the lack of pests at the property at the start of tenancy.

The lack of clarity on pest responsibility in private rental housing often causes delays in dealing with pests, allowing infestations to become established, or escalate significantly. Awaab’s Law should be a positive step in the right direction.

The law ensures that private and social landlords in England must investigate reports within 14 days and start repairs within a further seven days.

Whilst Awaab’s Law will help in making sure pest infestations are dealt with swiftly, the grey area of who is financially responsible in the private sector will remain.

It is essential that pests are considered in the change of tenancies and that landlords take responsibility for maintenance where appropriate.

Impact on tenants

Pest infestations pose a direct risk to the health and safety of tenants. Many pests carry diseases that can be transmitted to humans, while others can cause damage to property. There are even those that can trigger a potentially fatal allergic reaction – such as the common wasp.

Then there is the mental strain and distress of living with a pest infestation – contaminated food, scratching noises in the ceiling or from cavity walls, droppings in food preparation areas, bites in the night and damage to pipework or electricity cables.

The stress of navigating the responsibilities of landlord vs tenant – particularly in an era of rocketing rents – can also be a major issue.

In cases where a structural or maintenance fault is allowing pest ingress, a slow response or inaction from the landlord could see tenants paying for pest control over and over again until the root cause of the problem is fixed.

Government action

Addressing these interconnected issues requires comprehensive action. Central government must prioritise affordable housing initiatives

The law ensures that private and social landlords in England must investigate reports within 14 days and start repairs within a further seven days

and allocate adequate funding for social housing maintenance.

Additionally, private landlords must be held accountable for property upkeep, including pest management, to ensure tenant well-being and safety.

Implementing comprehensive surveys before tenancy agreements, coupled with effective pest-proofing measures, can prevent infestations from taking hold.

Standardising these practices across the rental sector will also clarify responsibility ambiguities and hold landlords accountable for property maintenance.

Clear guidelines on pest responsibility and proactive pest management strategies are essential for fostering healthier living environments.

BPCA hosts landmark industry event

Professionals across public health, local government, environmental health and regulatory organisations joined leaders, technicians, manufacturers and distributors from the pest control industry at a flagship event hosted by British Pest Control Association (BPCA)

Offering a range of exhibitors alongside an array of networking opportunities, seminars, panel debates and more, the two-day event attracted delegates from across the UK – and the world –to ExCel London in March.

The event was officially opened by Paul Scully MP, former minister for small business.

Mr Scully was among the first visitors to enter the exhibition hall, which quickly filled with the buzz of people meeting old friends, making new acquaintances and networking with exhibitors and visitors alike.

He said: “I was really delighted to open PestEx2024 for the BPCA. They are one voice for the sector and bring together all of that collective learning into one space.

“There’s plenty for small businesses to be excited about here in the UK, and in terms of pest control there’s so much technology that can help small businesses and allow technicians to get on with their frontline job.”

Exhibitors

One of the key elements of any expo is ensuring a varied mix of exhibitors and this year’s PestEx offered exactly that.

Set around a central refreshments area, sponsored by Bell Laboratories, PestEx2024 offered visitors a huge amount of information and advice, with a mix of manufacturers and suppliers alongside regulatory bodies and government agencies, support services,

member benefit providers and industry publications.

Matthew Solo, sanitation manager for Tate & Lyle Sugars said: “I love it. I was looking around for something quite specific and I’ve already found some options for that and discovered some new stuff, so it’s all good.

“Events like this are important for the industry. It allows us to meet like-minded people, suppliers, manufacturers, all in one place and see the different options that are available rather than finding one brand and not seeing what’s comparable in the marketplace.”

Alongside the latest products and innovations, delegates were also able to discover new ideas and techniques as well as observing – or even taking part in – some impressive demonstrations, including an ‘infested’ bed with some rather large bed bugs and an air rifle simulation.

Exhibitors also brought fun to the event with everything from a ‘Pestival’ featuring musical acts from Elvis Pestly to The Mice Girls, a huge ice pigeon sculpture and a cartoonist who created individual ‘pest portraits.’

As well as the fun and the latest products on the market, exhibitors included information and support agencies such as the Royal Society for Public Health, Bed Bug Foundation, Animal and Plant Health Agency and Campaign Against Living Miserably.

Exhibitors also brought fun to the event with everything from a ‘Pestival’ featuring musical acts from Elvis Pestly to The Mice Girls

Mike Ayres, MD Precision Pest Management and BPCA vice president said: “I’ve seen some interesting new developments that I think will be helpful for our business; I’ve caught up with lots of old friends and the atmosphere is buzzing. I’m enjoying it and learning a lot.”

Among awareness organisations at the show was Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use (CRRU) who were on hand with plenty of information and advice, including copies of the CRRU UK Code of Best Practice; while a little bedtime reading to take away was also available from RSPH, Pest International, Rodenticide Resistance Action Group and more.

Seminars and talks

With two seminar theatres running packed agendas across both days, there were opportunities galore for delegates to learn something new.

Visitors who included their CPD number online or when checking in to the registration E

The first day of the expo was dedicated to a series of Big Debate panel discussions

F point, sponsored by Pelsis, could also get their lanyards scanned for CPD points to be automatically added when attending lectures or discussions.

In the Technical Theatre, presentations covered key topics including pest control and mental health, how pest control can protect the public health and the current situation on Asian hornets, which was a hit with Andrew Rose from Bounty Pest Control. He said: “It’s important to keep in the loop. There’s been some great talks on Asian hornets and rat behaviour – and it’s good CPD points. It’s absolutely brilliant.”

Sponsored by Advion Syngenta – who also had a larger-than-life ant and cockroach team roaming the hall – the Technical Theatre was

also the venue for the BPCA Member Awards as the first day of PestEx drew to a close.

Meanwhile, in the Spotlight Theatre, sponsored by PestFix, the first day of the expo was dedicated to a series of Big Debate panel discussions on subjects including insect resistance, social media and marketing, post-EU chemical regulation, behavioural resistance and digital pest control and AI.

David Bryden from GP Environmental was at PestEx with colleague John McCartney. David said: “It’s good to meet new people and network a bit, get some experience. It’s a positive and informative atmosphere.

“I’ve been to the social media talk and got the tips I need to go forward with that.”

Networking

Every stand, debate and presentation offered food for thought, and a brief pitstop in the central coffee lounge was enough to see that delegates had plenty of thoughts on what they had seen and heard over the two days.

It was also clear that some new friendships had been forged and business contacts made. Mandy Haggart from Tudor Pest Control appreciated a chat over coffee. She said: “It’s great to have the chance to network with other pest control technicians. The atmosphere’s very friendly and everyone is very talkative and approachable.”

And for those who couldn’t make it to London for the event itself, the networking continued online with BPCA, exhibitors, speakers and

Every

stand, debate and presentation offered food for thought

visitors all sharing their thoughts and photos on social media.

With a 10 per cent increase in visitor numbers this year – including delegates from 62 different countries – it’s safe to say that PestEx was, without doubt, a resounding success.

BPCA is a non-profit organisation representing the pest management industry in the UK and those with a professional interest in the eradication of public health pests.

BPCA members must carry the correct insurances; be trained and qualified technicians; be assessed to the British Standard in pest management EN 16636; and follow BPCA’s Codes of Best Practice. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

To find a BPCA member visit: bpca.org.uk/find

As a member of the Legionella Control Association (LCA), Swiftclean is qualiﬁed to carry out legionella risk assessments and testing to ACoP L8, the industry standard.

Risk assessments and control schemes carried out to L8, BSRIA and CIBSE guidelines

All work is fully certiﬁed and Legionella control logbooks provided via customer portal

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Site speciﬁc RAMS can be provided on request

Certiﬁed training for your own staﬀ following risk assessment

The independent water safety audit

The Water Hygiene Centre looks at the importance of an independent water safety audit

Before we can discuss the uses and benefits of an independent water safety audit, it’s important to understand what one is and what it entails. An independent water safety audit completed by an Authorising Engineer (Water) is not to be feared but to be welcomed as a measure to promote compliance within an organisation.

Whether water systems are being managed within a healthcare setting or non-healthcare setting, there are legal (absolute) requirements detailed within health and safety law which underpin our approach to safe water management.

Water safety guidance

Guidance is available in the form of BS 8680:2020, which will aid you in developing and implementing a written control scheme or ‘water safety plan’ and demonstrating an ongoing review of the scheme to ensure it remains effective and relevant. An annual independent audit is one such method of review. Moreover, we must first understand and invest in our written scheme of control to understand how an independent audit is structured and delivered.

We can section the written scheme of control or ‘water safety plan’ into four core areas: E

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Water Management Policy; Legionella Risk Assessment & Schematics; Operational Procedures; and Legionella Log books (reporting and recording evidence).

We will look at auditing each of these four areas in more detail below.

Water management policy

Therefore, the annual audit will typically start with a review of the water management policy. It makes sense to first understand the management strategy and arrangements that underpin the organisational processes for the safe management of water systems.

As a rule, if concerns arise relating to compliance, then it’s prudent to revisit the supporting processes. Conversely, should an organisation not have confidence in their policy and process because it’s demonstrably flawed then it’s unreasonable to expect an improvement in compliance. Following a review of this area of compliance, the audit may be used to do the following.

One - highlight inaccuracies within the management structure of an organisation, such as the need to formally capture roles and responsibilities within the organisational water safety policy, as well as to formally appoint persons with a water management responsibility in writing; especially the Responsible Person (RP) for water.

A pragmatic approach to water management may be evidenced by the formation of a water safety group

Two - identify Legionella training requirements for all persons with responsibility for the safety of the water systems – delineating between management and operational responsibilities.

Three - identify the requirement for further measures of competency such as the completion of suitable appraisals by the Authorising Engineer (Water), of the Responsible Person, and the Authorised Persons. Such appraisals typically look for evidence of qualifications, experience, and knowledge appropriate to the site, role & responsibilities, and applicable legislation and guidance. Organisations should ensure that competency appraisals are completed for all persons with a water management responsibility.

Four - assess an organisation’s ‘attitude’ towards water safety and whether a pragmatic or reactive approach has been adopted to protect staff, occupiers, service users, and others from harmful waterborne contaminants such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Legionella. A pragmatic approach to water management may be evidenced by the E

F formation of a water safety group or in the way that an organisation manages risk once it’s been highlighted.

This leads nicely onto the next stage of the water safety audit which is reviewing legionella risk assessments and schematics. The review will determine how risk assessment recommendations may be used to inform the written scheme of control and organisational action plans. A review of how much risk can be accepted and tolerated by an organisation (known as risk appetite) will help to determine organisational priorities amongst these recommendations.

Legionella risk assessments & schematics

The completion of site-specific legionella risk assessments is another ‘absolute requirement’ under health and safety law and should be completed to current standards.

Moreover, the water safety audit will identify whether assessments have been completed following the requirements of the HSE’s ACOP L8 and British Standard 8580-1 2019 Water Quality, Risk Assessment for Legionella control, and whether the process was UKAS accredited and completed by a competent Legionella Risk Assessor.

Service users and their vulnerability always need to be considered

Quality Risk assessment providers should also be able to demonstrate up-to-date professional membership/registration to relevant bodies (e.g. Legionella Control Association, UKAS). The quality of the risk assessment is of paramount importance as the information contained within it will inform the control scheme and action plans and shape how water safety is managed.

If the water safety audit identifies irregularities or doubts over the accuracy of the risk assessments or the associated schematic drawings, then this could undermine confidence in the control regime. If potential shortfalls are identified within the assessment, consideration should be given to reviewing the current assessment, or better still, carrying out a new assessment in line with current guidance to give assurance that the assessment and resultant recommendations and control regime derived from it are suitable and sufficient to manage or mitigate any risk as far as is reasonably practicable.

If we can demonstrate and accept that legionella risk assessments & schematics have been completed with accuracy and to the desired standard, then we can review recommendations that have been made and devise an action plan that supports a ‘proportionate’ approach to risk management. That isn’t to say that we simply accept certain risks as derogations, but we must adopt a measured approach to managing risk. This means an approach that is underpinned by the principle of ‘as low as reasonably practicable’ and that action priorities are calculated based on the associated risk, cost, and difficulty –which the annual audit supports.

Moreover, if our approach is to be truly measured we must acknowledge the difference between inherent and residual risk, whilst evidencing the rationale for adopting either conventional, good, or best practice. In short, service users and their vulnerability always need to be considered as this will inevitably determine when conventional, good, or best practice are suitable. For example, only ‘best practice’ would be considered suitable for managing areas occupied by high-risk patient groups.

Operational procedures

Moving on to ‘operational procedures’, the annual audit will also appraise ‘control strategy’ using the concept of monitoring to establish control and Legionella sampling for a particular reason. The traditional primary method of control is temperature for the good reason that if cold water remains cold (<20˚C) and hot water is kept hot (50˚C to 60˚C) throughout the system then it is unusual to have an issue with waterborne bacteria.

The guidance in HSG 274 Parts 1, 2 and 3 details how to safely manage water systems, with Part 2 focusing on the management of hot and cold-water systems and identifying suitable monitoring frequencies. Careful application of this guidance can ensure that such waters do not become a reservoir for bacterial contamination. The audit will examine compliance with these monitoring frequencies, and it will also interrogate and appraise other precautions taken to minimise the growth of waterborne contaminants, such as: procedures to ensure the normal daily use of all outlets and for flushing programmes where outlets are found to be infrequently used; the identification and possible removal of flexible hoses; the completion of scald risk assessment to substantiate the number of TMVs in situ etc; and any supplementary control strategies used (e.g. chemical dosing systems).

In addition, the audit will review microbiological sampling practices to ensure that; the sampling strategy is supported by the legionella risk assessment (i.e. sampling for a particular reason) and that samples are

The annual audit will typically caonclude with a review of how all this data is recorded

taken following the approved technique with a chain of custody that ensures samples are processed by a UKAS accredited laboratory and remain within the required stability parameters (i.e. samples are representative of the system sampled). BS7592-2022. Sampling for Legionella bacteria in water systems code of practice details this protocol.

Legionella logbooks

The annual audit will typically conclude with a review of how all this data is recorded. The suitability of the records management system will be defined by the completeness and accuracy of the data held on such systems at the time of audit.

Conclusion

The annual water safety audit is not a piece of work to be feared but it is an invaluable tool to identify and correct inaccuracies within management and operational strategy. The audit may be seen as a ‘strategic health check’ for estates/organisations providing a means of demonstrating compliance with water safety requirements and associated health and safety laws. L

Do we need more AC or DC charging infrastructure?

As the electric vehicle market continues to grow, charging infrastructure becomes increasingly vital

For Martin Hale, managing director of Qwello UK, the focus is clear: understanding the nuanced dynamics between AC destination charging and DC on-route charging.

AC versus DC explained

Simply put, the electricity grid is alternating current (AC), and batteries require Direct Current (DC). So to charge you need an AC to DC converter. The two ways to do that are either use the car’s, typically 7 to 11kW, (or occasionally 22 kW), which can add 30 miles of range in an hour or a much more powerful larger AC/DC converter that connects directly to the battery. From 50 kW, they go up to 350 and beyond, quickly adding miles of range.

Where is driven by time

Optimal placement should be dictated by the time it takes to charge. Adding around 30 miles in an hour suits areas with long dwell times, such as residential, workplace, and destinations for eating, shopping and leisure. In contrast, DC charging by adding over 140 miles of range in an hour, suits on-route locations such as motorway

service stations, where 20 to 30 minutes allows recuperation while extending the vehicle’s range.

The role of local authorities

Local authorities are pivotal in shaping the EV charging landscape, particularly for helping those who can’t charge at home. Strategic deployment of AC destination charging points in residential areas and high-traffic locations, empowers a significant portion of the population.

Qwello’s approach: mastering AC destination charging

Ensuring you can easily find and start a charge is key. Simply having a difficult to access socket is not ideal. That’s why at Qwello our solutions include an integrated retractable cable which allows one hand operation, one touch activation using a debit/credit card or roaming network card, integrated intelligent sensors to allow reservations which automatically reserve an alternative if this becomes blocked, a simple informative bright screen and location lighting.

How to build a sustainable charging ecosystem

To become an electric vehicle leader, the charging infrastructure must expand and diversify. A 35 per cent increase in charger installation shows it’s happening. A balanced approach between AC destination and DC on-route charging, will build a robust and sustainable ecosystem that meets everyone’s needs, helping everyone make the transition to cleaner pure electric transport. M

Signage to help people find their way

Wayfinding systems are everyday items we barely notice until we need them. Craig Brown, CEO of the British Sign and Graphics Association, tells us what makes a good wayfinding solution and how to design and install one

Wayfinding systems are a simple solution to an everyday challenge. How do you get from your current location to your destination in the most direct way?

Public buildings often have multiple services available across numerous floors and offices. Many people might be accessing them for the first time, and finding your way to the right place can be daunting and often discouraging.

Language and neurodiversity impact how some people read and understand signage; all this needs to be considered when designing and installing wayfinding systems.

What makes a good wayfinding sign

A good starting point is designing a wayfinding system with clear and legible text. Choosing good fonts and colours and using upper and lower case are hugely beneficial without significantly impacting costs.

The wayfinder needs to be durable and weather-resistant, especially in high-footfall areas or where people might need to touch the sign.

Something often overlooked in the initial design stage is the need to add or replace system elements. As a buyer, are you locked E

A range of materials, including aluminium composite and steel, make great long-lasting signs for clear wayfinding

F into a proprietary system that cannot easily be changed? Are specific components readily available from other parties? A good wayfinding system is a sizable investment, so building adaptability to future changes could save a lot of money in the long term.

Where you position your wayfinding systems is also critical. Understanding footfall routes and natural stopping points to gain a bearing requires expertise and is worth initial investment.

These are important elements, but what makes a poor wayfinding system worth considering. You don’t want them to be overly fussy or stylistic. If there are additional design elements or fancy fonts, this can often defeat the object of the prime objective and cause people to be delayed or even head to the wrong place. Choosing incorrect materials can also result in the degradation and failure of the system, ultimately leading to the expense and inconvenience of having the system modified or totally replaced.

Sourcing a wayfinding system

Whoever you work with, you will need to start with a good brief, which will be the basis You will need to start with a good brief, which will be the basis

for your wayfinding system. Develop a clear understanding of the building and space you are working with so you can communicate your requirements and wishes.

Working with companies or individuals with a proven track record in this sector is always a sensible starting point, including asking for examples and references for previous work.

The BSGA can assist by providing a list of experienced signmakers and highlighting work previously undertaken successfully.

The BSGA can’t promote one business over another in terms of signage and wayfinding systems. However, we are an independent source for guidance and assistance when it comes to specifying the elements you should be looking for when purchasing a wayfinding system.

We can also offer easy access to a range of documentation, policies and other guidance documents on our website. M

FURTHER INFORMATION

www.uksigns.org

Standard Slats style signs, like this one created by Signs Express, can be easily changed

Cut acrylic letters and shapes add style and clarity

A united approach to solar energy: EvoEnergy, Big Yellow Self Storage, and REC

In an era where corporate social responsibility (CSR) integrates with essential business strategies, EvoEnergy’s collaboration with Big Yellow Self Storage (powered by the advanced technology of REC solar panels) symbolises a model of environmental stewardship

The project to design and install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems across BYSS’s portfolio not only showcases EvoEnergy’s expertise but also underscores Big Yellow Self Storage’s (BYSS) commitment to sustainability, with REC’s innovative solar solutions playing a pivotal role. Renowned for their rigorous testing standards, extreme environmental resilience, half-cut cell design using HJT technology, REC panels ensure the project stands at the forefront of renewable energy ventures.

A team of renewable energy engineers at EvoEnergy embarked on this journey with a clear mission: to harness solar energy to significantly reduce carbon footprints and energy costs. This initiative extends beyond environmental gestures; it strategically aligns with Big Yellow’s CSR ethos, furthering their commitment to sustainability. The meticulous planning, selection of high-quality components like solar panels from REC Group headquartered in Norway and Fronius inverters from Austria, and the ethical manufacturing practices of REC panels underscore a dedication to excellence and responsibility.

The choice of REC solar panels was pivotal. Known for their durability, innovative half-cut cell design using HJT technology and superior performance under shaded conditions, REC panels ensure long-term, efficient energy

production. This technological edge, coupled with our comprehensive strategy, has set a new standard for sustainable business practices.

The project’s ambition was clear: to maximise renewable energy use to achieve tangible energy and carbon savings. Progress is notable, with 4.7MW of solar PV already installed across 55 buildings, marking a significant stride towards environmental goals.

For REC, this collaboration can simply be described as “a perfect fit”. Despite its strong focus on innovation and high-power densities, REC Group emphasises the importance of also considering factors beyond power and price when selecting solar panels. 2024, REC received the EcoVadis Silver Medal for its advanced efforts in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices. Jan Bicker, CEO of REC Group, states “While high efficiencies will remain the number one criterion for choosing solar panels, we urge homeowners and businesses to look beyond power and price only. Sustainability and responsible practices should also be taken into account if consumers are really serious about making a positive contribution for all, the planet and the people.”

recgroup.com/csr www.evoenergy.co.uk

Three energy projects you should know about

Public sector building managers and local authorities face a mammoth task of reaching net zero by 2045. From swimming pools to libraries, every building uses energy that is so often wasted. Robyn Quick has a look at some innovative energy projects

There are so many projects seeking to reduce carbon emissions across the UK in a variety of creative yet effective ways.

We have picked out some of our favourites which highlight the positive steps various industries are taking.

The first self-powered hospital Castle Hill Hospital in East Yorkshire may not sound like anything special at first, but it holds an impressive title in the world of sustainability. It has almost 400 beds and provides cardiac and elective surgical facilities, medical research

teaching, day surgery facilities, a breast surgery facility, and outpatients department, as well as the regional centre for oncology and haematology.

Before the project was completed, the Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s head of sustainability, Marc Beaumont, said: “When you consider the size of the Castle Hill Hospital site and the amount of activity that goes on here, that’s a huge amount of power that’s required to keep it running.”

This is true for the majority of healthcare centres, but Castle Hill decided their solution E

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F was to install solar panels in a nearby field to power the hospital’s entire daytime running needs during the summer months.

At the end of 2020, they received a Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme grant from the government.

The 11,000-panel solar farm – funded through a grant of £4.2 million – means that during the summer, the organisation was saving about £250,000 a month in energy bills. The panels will generate more than 4.2 million kilowatt hours every year, approximately the same as powering 1,400 UK households a year.

The Trust has also introduced combined heat and power technology at Castle Hill to capture and use the heat created as a by-product of the electricity generation process.

There is a growing network of people who want to make libraries more sustainable

The network making libraries more sustainable Libraries are one of the few places left where a person can walk in and not be expected to spend money to access a service. They give everyone the chance to learn without pressure, as well as providing much needed community spaces.

However, keeping a library running is costly to the environment. They are often older buildings without the necessary energy-saving provisions in place, so they use up a lot of light, heat and power.

Luckily, there is a growing network of people who want to make libraries more sustainable.

The Green Libraries Partnership was established in response to the 2021 international climate change conference COP26 and the number of local authorities across England declaring a climate emergency.

Launched by CILIP in spring 2022, with development funding from Arts Council England, the Green Libraries Partnership is a UK-wide, cross-sector programme focused on the contribution of librarians, information and knowledge professionals to the sustainability agenda. The ambition is to encourage libraries to actively reduce their carbon footprint and increase public awareness of environmental issues. E

There are about 1.28 million homes with solar installations in the country

F Yvonne Morris, projects and programmes manager at CILIP, said: “As libraries, we occupy a place at the heart of the communities we serve.

“Through our activities and our Green Libraries Manifesto, we want to come together towards a shared vision: to lead by example through our own environmental actions and use our power and reach to inform and inspire people to take positive action and build resilience in the diverse communities we serve.”

The Green Library Partnership works closely with Arts Council England which has identified environmental responsibility as a key investment principle as part of its 10 Year Strategy for 2020-2030, Let’s Create.

Their Grant Fund awarded small grants totalling £40,000 and enabled a range of library projects such as a month-long festival celebrating bees in Barnsley and environmental activities taking over the Blackburn with Darwen Children’s Literature Festival to take place.

Morris told us their first Green Libraries conference, held at the Wellcome Collection in London last March, attracted over 130 delegates, and the Green Libraries Manifesto has gained over 200 signatures from libraries as far as Mexico and India.

The second Green Libraries Conference will be held at the British Library on 25 November. Outside of the project, some libraries are being given an increase in funding to make them more

energy efficient. For example, the British Library has been awarded more than £2.4 million to decarbonise two of the library’s buildings at their storage facility in Boston Spa, Yorkshire.

Air source heat pumps will be installed in both buildings, and solar panels will be fitted on the roof of one of the buildings to produce renewable electricity. High efficiency motors, double glazing and LED lighting will also be installed to improve the overall energy efficiency of both sites.

The councils seeing the light on solar panels

According to data from the Microgeneration Certification Scheme, there are about 1.28 million homes with solar installations in the country, which equates to 4.5 per cent of households in the UK.

Installing solar panels in residential settings has a variety of benefits from allowing homeowners to reduce their energy bills, to lowering their carbon footprint.

More and more councils have started to install solar panels in homes for these reasons. Many of them are looking to improve the standard of our council housing and make sure residents live in well-insulated, efficiently heated, healthy homes.

As part of their pledge to do just that, Brighton and Hove City Council said that around 800

council-rented houses and bungalows will benefit from new solar panels they plan to build over the next three years.

They said in November last year that this means tenants could now save up to £250 on

Brighton

and Hove

City

Council said that around 800 council-rented houses and bungalows will benefit from new solar panels

their electricity bill and the equivalent of 0.5 tonnes carbon dioxide per year.

Their plan of action will see solar panels installed on the roofs of homes selected for the project and wired directly into the fuse box, giving them free electricity whenever the panels are generating power.

If a household is using more electricity than is generated, power will still come from the national grid and be paid for normally.

Any surplus electricity generated by the panels will be exported to the national grid, helping the drive to lower carbon emissions. The council also said solar panels are being included in the design of new council housing projects.

Outside of housing, solar panels are increasingly being installed to power more public sector buildings.

A swimming pool in Three Rivers will be heated and illuminated using solar energy thanks to a major grant from the government’s Swimming Pool Support Fund. L

The UK’s largest solar and storage exhibition returns to Birmingham this September

Solar & Storage Live UK will return to the NEC in Birmingham from 24-26 September, welcoming over 30,000 attendees, including solar installers, utilities, property owners, building and landowners, as well as government representatives, all exploring the latest market trends, cutting-edge technologies, and best practices in the solar and storage industry

Explore innovative solar solutions

Solar & Storage Live UK is designed to support the energy transition, offering insights into the latest industry advancements and market trends. Twice the size of last year, the 2024 edition will occupy over 40,000 sqm with over 450 exhibitors showcasing advanced solutions and services. This is a unique opportunity to engage with the forefront of solar energy innovation. The solar and storage innovations include: solar PV panels, mounting systems, inverters, energy storage systems, batteries, EV charging points and accessories, system components, energy connection and distribution, operation and maintenance, energy management solutions, transformers and switchgear, energy trading, telecoms and communication, accreditation services and consultation and legal services.

Hear from hundreds of solar experts Featuring over 250 expert speakers, including government officials, industry leaders, and innovators, the sessions will provide valuable perspectives on successful solar projects and industry trends. The six themes include: Everything Installer (Residential Scale); Large Scale Utility Solar; Commercial & Industrial Solar; ChargeEV; Storage & Batteries; and Solar Technologies and Innovation

More show features Meeting with standards and accreditation bodies Standards and accreditation bodies, including MCS and NAPIT, will take part in Solar & Storage Live UK this year. You will have the opportunity to engage directly with these bodies, discuss accreditation processes, and gain insights that can inform policy and regulatory frameworks.

Meet the Installers

This feature allows you to engage directly with installers at designated stands. It offers firsthand insights into the practical challenges and innovations within the solar industry.

Meetup Zone

The Meetup Zone hosts industry associations and bodies for networking with stakeholders. This provides a unique opportunity to discuss industry standards, regulatory needs, and collaborative initiatives, enhancing understanding and fostering relationships that drive the renewable energy sector forward.

Installer Training Hub

The Installer Training Hub is dedicated to solar PV module and mounting, battery storage, and inverter installation and commissioning. This hub allows installers to attend hands-on training and explore the latest products from manufacturers.

Recruitment Zone

Aiming to attract new pools of job candidates to the solar and storage industry, the Recruitment Zone will showcase hiring

businesses and their current job vacancies. Attendees can familiarise themselves with career trends, available roles, and the required skill sets for advanced career development.

European Solar Games

The European Solar Games aim to raise awareness of safe and high-quality installation through exciting competitions. Solar installers compete to install six solar panels on a roof within an hour. Live competition heats run throughout the exhibition. Discover the UK’s best solar installers here.

More details about the exhibition features will be announced soon. Register for your free exhibition pass today to receive regular show updates. Solar & Storage Live UK 2024 promises to be a pivotal event shaping the future of renewable energy. Register for your free pass now and join over 30,000 key stakeholders within the energy value chain to discover innovative and advanced solutions, gain a deeper understanding of the industry’s direction, and engage with key stakeholders. Let’s come together and power the energy system of the future! M

FURTHER INFORMATION

Date: 24-26 September 2024

Venue: The NEC, Birmingham https://www.terrapinn.com/ssl/govbusiness

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BICSc explains best practice for cleaning and the benefits of investing in staff training

The UK is lucky to have 1.47 million people working in the cleaning industry. And with this number steadily growing and the amount of new cleaning businesses popping up regularly, now has never been a more important time to promote best practice when cleaning. With turnovers increasing in the industry, reinvesting in your staff and company is the best way to consistently achieve high standard cleans which in turn will help win new business.

But how should we reinvest? Training is one of the greatest ways to reinvest, and having the chance to reinforce best practice will have significant improvements on your business. Proper knowledge when it comes to key areas such as health and safety, manual handling and safe dilution is important for an operative’s competence. Training investment should not be undervalued. The training an operative receives has the chance to improve your cleaning quality and may even help towards improving productivity.

So how can this be achieved? Start by investing in the correct staff training. E

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F Cleaning standards

You should always train staff responsible for cleaning tasks. But if you have the budget, expand on this and train all of those employed so everyone knows the standard expected. Having your site supervisors and managers understand what it takes to complete a task and what the outcome of doing such a task should achieve will help to put everyone on a level of understanding.

Some would argue that in an industry such as the cleaning sector, where staff are always coming and going, with a low retention rate, what is the point of training? But this does not negate the fact that poor hygiene levels are offputting to building and premises users. So, a change in perspective to look at how training will ultimately improve your business and its reputation for cleanliness, rather than the cost of training would prove wise.

If your staff have had training, can you say with confidence that they are fully trained? Do they understand the fundamentals of cleaning science? Do they know about the use of proper PPE and why it is important? And do they know how to effectively clean an area?

Choosing the right provider

Cleaning training can vary from training provider to training provider. Some teach only the basics and will demonstrate the training in the most generic ways.

Have your staff been shown how to effectively clean different area types correctly, using the latest methods?

If they haven’t, then you may want to reconsider not only who needs training within your workplace, but also, who trains your staff.

The next step is to look at who needs training to see what is available and what suits your staff best – whether it be face-to-face training or online training.

With BICSc training, you have the ability to start small and expand onto greater knowledge at your own pace. We have a variety of courses which can be taken face-to-face or online, so the choice is yours.

Start off by accessing our free courses on our Virtual Training Suite. There you can access a wealth of free content which you can enrol in at any time. Free courses consist of lessons in hand hygiene and explanations of the correct PPE to wear during cleaning tasks.

We also have important lessons on proper colour-coding when cleaning. Teaching the use of different coloured equipment for different area types and stopping the risks of crosscontamination by implementing such a system cannot be more highly recommended.

If you want to learn more about colour-coding, visit our web page dedicated to the topic.

You can also learn about it through another of our free courses, Understanding colour-coding, on our Virtual Training Suite. E

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We Are proud members of both BICS and NCCA showing our approach to cleaning will always be professional, knowledgeable and innovative but never compromising on being environmentally friendly, sustainable and cost effective.

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Once you have trained your staff with our free courses, you will want to progress to our more in-depth courses and skills training

F In-depth training

Once you have trained your staff with our free courses, you will want to progress to our more indepth courses and skills training. Our courses cover topics such as cleaning science, health & safety, and cross-contamination – allowing your staff to build a good understanding of how to be safe when cleaning and how to protect customers by using the best cleaning methods. These courses are available to be taken online.

BICSc skills training covers a variety of tasks that an operative would face daily. For example, BU1 –Dust Control Mop Sweeping, looks at ensuring the cleaning of a floor in a controlled manner. Skills can be trained in person or online through our Virtual Training Suite.

So, take a look through our catalogue of courses and find the best training options for your staff. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

https://bbs-virtual-training.thinkific.com

Building smarter cities: creating a sustainable urban ecosystem

Urbis Schréder looks at different ways cities can adapt to be more energy efficient while reducing maintenance costs

With over 100 years of experience and refinement of our approach to lighting, Urbis Schréder’s unparalleled experience in lighting city centres, roads, bridges, tunnels, buildings, and workspaces enables them to develop solutions for tomorrow’s needs, connecting global expertise with a local perspective to build legacies for future generations.

A well-planned, connected lighting solution can significantly reduce your carbon footprint and energy use – by up to 85 per cent vs traditional sources – whilst also reducing operational and maintenance costs. However, we not only help our clients achieve all of the above, but we also help maintain their journey towards NetZero and decarbonisation.

The ultimate CMS for optimised lighting and infrastructure

At Urbis Schréder, we believe every smart system, no matter which company supplies it, or which customer uses it, should be SMART: Simple; Modular; Automation-driven; Resilient and Trustable.

That is why we have built Schréder EXEDRA on this foundation; to provide towns and cities with a Central Management System (CMS) that optimises connected lighting and related infrastructure.

We know how important it is for towns and cities to invest public funds in infrastructure that delivers operational benefits, meets sustainability and decarbonisation targets and improves services to offer citizens a better quality of life.

Schréder’s Exedra offers a unique combination of state-of-the-art technology and an easy-to-use web interface to control each luminaire, at all times, through a secure internet connection; allowing you to remotely monitor, meter and manage, in a lighting network.

The logical approach

Connected lighting is a logical building block to a smart city infrastructure, but the challenge is that we’re currently at the start of a journey where the destination is not yet clear.

Energy conservation is the key to making sure we keep the lights on and citizens safe by moving to a dynamic control solution that ensures authorities can alter to the correct light levels where is it required rather than lighting up empty spaces. This consequently will balance the energy savings that moved local authorities to LED lighting and create a pathway to energy conservation that will not only help protect the inflationary challenges but also provide smarter services that benefits them in the long run.

With only 40 per cent of local authorities moving to control when their ‘Ledification’ started, this is a real opportunity to continue the decarbonisation and enhancements of their spaces and places strategies. M

FURTHER INFORMATION

logic@urbis-schreder.com 01256 354446

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Contents & Welcome Government Technology July 2024

Looking to the future & embracing change

The new government is in place and it has already been announced that the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) will expand in size and scope, with a focus on the digital transformation of public services – great news for those already striving to make this a reality.

This issue of Government Technology includes a feature from Socitm on the topic of digital transformation, as well as other interesting articles from techUK on innovation and CCS on procurement.

Polly Jones, editor

techUK CEO, Julian David

Looking to the future

In today’s rapidly evolving world, the impact of technology on individuals, society, and the economy cannot be underestimated. For the everyday Briton, technology seamlessly integrates into daily life. The convenience of online shopping, the efficiency of digital banking, and the accessibility of telehealth services enhance our quality of life, simplifying routine tasks and fostering connectivity.

The new UK Government will play a pivotal role in shaping the tech sector’s future. Policy decisions on digital infrastructure, innovation funding, and regulatory frameworks will determine the pace and direction of technological advancements. Supportive policies can accelerate growth, attract investment, and ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of the global tech landscape.

Embracing technology is not just an option; it is imperative. Digital innovation is unlocking a brighter, more connected, and prosperous future for the UK and its people. By positioning itself at the forefront of the global digital economy, the UK is securing a resilient and prosperous future. Government Technology will provide a space for insightful discussions at this pivotal moment for the country. We look forward to contributing to the conversation on behalf our members and showcase how technological advancements continue to shape a better future for the UK and our public services.

DSIT unites efforts to transform digital public services GOVERNMENT

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has announced they will expand in both scope and size bringing in experts in data, digital and AI.

This will be from the Government Digital Service (GDS), Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO), and Incubator for AI (i.AI).

DSIT said this will unite efforts in the digital transformation of public services under one department.

The move will drive forward the digital changes needed to overhaul the British public’s experience of interacting with the government, so it becomes personalised, convenient, and timesaving – for example, by providing people with just one way to login and prove who they are so they can quickly access the government services they need. It will also help remove roadblocks to sharing data across the public sector.

This will form part of wider efforts to launch DSIT as the digital centre of government, working closely with the Cabinet Office and the Treasury, to maximise the potential of digital, data and technology to deliver for the British public.

Secretary of state Peter Kyle said: “Britain will not fully benefit from the social and economic potential of science and technology without government leading by example. So, DSIT is to become the centre for digital expertise and delivery in government, improving how the government and public services interact with citizens.

“We will act as a leader and partner across government, with industry and the...

Half a million words analysed by AI by actuary department

The Environment Agency (EA) has around 10,000 years’ worth of hydrological data on river levels and flows. However, it is stored on materials that are fast degrading.

The risk of flooding and drought within England is a priority area of focus for the EA which strives to protect and enhance the environment, to contribute to sustainable development and to help protect the nation’s security in the face of emergencies.

Over the years, a vast amount of hydrological data has been collected through manual efforts, amassing an impressive physical archive of approximately 10,000 years’ worth of valuable river level and flow information. This vital data could be used to build more accurate climate and flood modelling and help forecast and minimise the impact of future adverse weather events.

However, a significant challenge is that much of this historical environmental surveillance data has been stored on biodegradable materials, such as paper charts, microfilm and punch tape. These important documents face the risk of irreversible degradation and therefore need cataloguing urgently. Adding to this challenge, the EA is losing the ability to interpret even this archive as staff retire.

While manual data extraction is underway, the time-consuming plotting of physical data onto graphs means this process – currently estimated to take 40 years – is unsustainable and a new, faster solution was needed.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) approached the Accelerated Capability Environment (ACE) on behalf of the EA to explore the feasibility of using cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning technology to digitise, read and interpret the physical data significantly faster while maintaining accuracy.

Working with domain specialists and data users from across the EA, an initial options analysis identified two suitable open-source tools to take forward for the PoC stage – one which was fully automated, and the second which had a human in the loop – so two, rather than the expected one...

Council to monitor air quality across schools with new monitors: READ MORE

Government needs AI incident reporting system, says think tank: READ MORE

Government forms partnership to teach ChatGPT Welsh: READ MORE

Council to permanently reduce phone lines: READ MORE

Brentwood to increase EV charging points: READ MORE

Camden Council hands over responsibility for EV chargers: READ MORE

The future of government is AI-driven innovation

In an era of digital transformation, central and local government agencies are constantly seeking innovative ways to enhance productivity, streamline operations, and deliver superior citizen services

XMA, in partnership with Microsoft Surface, is at the forefront of this revolution, offering cuttingedge solutions that leverage the power of AI to achieve these goals.

Microsoft Copilot: your AI-powered assistant

The latest Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 devices provide a robust foundation for government employees to work efficiently and securely. However, it’s the integration of Microsoft Copilot, an AI-powered assistant, that truly elevates the user experience to new heights.

Copilot seamlessly integrates with familiar Microsoft 365 apps, enabling government workers to automate mundane tasks, generate compelling content, summarise lengthy documents, and gain valuable insights from data. This not only saves valuable time but also fosters a more creative and collaborative work environment.

Embracing Total Experience (TX) in government

A fulfilled Employee Experience (EX) lays the foundation of satisfied Customer Experience, culminating in an exceptional Total Experience (TX). XMA understands this, and their suite of services caters specifically to the unique needs of government agencies. Their Microsoft

365 Copilot Readiness Assessment helps organisations evaluate their AI readiness and develop a tailored implementation strategy. Additionally, their AI-Powered Email Triage and AI-Enhanced IVR Systems Proof of Value services showcase the tangible benefits of AI in streamlining communication and improving citizen engagement.

Modernising government IT

For government agencies looking to modernise their IT infrastructure, XMA’s Windows 11 Readiness Assessment ensures a smooth and secure transition to the latest operating system. Their expert analysis, risk mitigation strategies, and phased rollout planning minimise disruptions and maximise the return on investment.

Fostering a community of innovation

XMA’s commitment to empowering government doesn’t end with technology implementation. Their Executive Briefing provides valuable insights into how agencies are leveraging technology to overcome budgetary constraints and maintain service quality.

The power of AI in government

XMA’s partnership with Microsoft Surface exemplifies a commitment to delivering best-in-class experiences to central and local governments. By harnessing the power of AI and providing comprehensive support services, they are empowering government employees to work smarter, not harder, leading to more efficient public sector. M

FURTHER INFORMATION

To book an Executive Briefing or a Windows 11 Readiness Assessment, contact us at outcomes@xma.co.uk

Grasping the innovation opportunity in public services

Georgina Maratheftis, associate director for local public services at techUK, looks at the processes local public services should follow to innovate

Set against a backdrop of rising citizen expectations and financial constraints, local government and the wider public sector are no stranger to doing more for less. The real reward, however, is how they can do things differently and better for their citizens. This is where innovation comes in.

The opportunity innovation presents goes beyond transactional and efficiency. Meaningful innovation is driven by collaboration. Specifically, collaboration between teams and citizens and technology suppliers. We saw this at the height of the pandemic where place-based working became the norm, with departments, agencies and industry working together on digital responses to specific challenges. With a drive for integrated services, it’s now about pivoting to place-led innovation and local public not being afraid to take risks and innovate.

Innovation doesn’t have to be flashy or eradefining. It can be found in small advances that free us from the established ways of doing things.

Breaking down the barriers to collaboration

To innovate we need to collaborate across both the public sector and the supplier base. We shouldn’t look at this as a clash between buyers vs suppliers. We all ultimately have the shared ambition to make things better for citizens.

The fast pace of technological change often makes it difficult for local government to be on top of what the latest innovations are that can help them reimagine the delivery of local public services. It can also be confusing and difficult to understand the true value against a blizzard of competing solutions. Technology suppliers have a key role to play in driving and delivering innovation into local government, especially when it comes to the ‘unknown’. techUK’s Local Public Services Innovation: Creating a catalyst for change report outlines how public services can make the most of their existing and new suppliers to drive real innovation.

By engaging with the technology market early, local public services will be able to interrogate the problem first to ensure they are procuring E

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F for the right outcome. Local government will be able to access the latest innovations and workshop through with partners what the art of the possible is.

A great example of this is a recent techUK workshop held together with North East IT council leads to inform suppliers of the region’s strategic priorities, helping to foster greater collaboration by identifying opportunities

Bureaucracy can stifle innovation and the procurement rules often make it difficult to allow for engagement with industry

towards achieving the North East’s digital goals together. It was fantastic to have the North East councils come together and speak so openly as a collective on their digital ambition and share their key asks to industry. The tech industry then had the opportunity to shape thinking around the digital ambition when we broke into roundtables to interrogate the six pillars further. techUK invites other regions to follow suit and get in touch as this is a great way to validate thinking and interrogate challenges in a neutral and safe space.

Bureaucracy can stifle innovation and the procurement rules often make it difficult to allow for engagement with industry. More can be done to change mindsets and provide confidence to engage the market early and legally. Hopefully the new Procurement Act, together with the Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) Playbook will provide the confidence to digital and procurement officials that you can engage suppliers early and meaningfully. E

F Working with the local community and tech suppliers to develop new ideas and drive innovation

Kurt Frary, deputy director of IMT, CTO, Norfolk County Council shared a great example of place-based innovation as part of techUK’s Catalyst for Change report. Norfolk County Council has been at the forefront of innovation in the public sector for a number of years working with the community, technology suppliers and its services which has brought about new thinking and a refreshing risk-based approach.

The technology is the easy bit but the challenging part is ensuring that public services can make the most of it

Norfolk has worked with the local Hackspace community to understand and take part in what the community was exploring; to understand opportunities, new technology and new ideas.

This has led to taking a risk by purchasing and installing equipment to introduce new technology in the region which had the potential to develop new digital startup businesses in the area, enhance existing business with digital connectivity technology, increase digital skills, and an opportunity to explore improvements of public services. This one small step has brought forward positive change for innovating proof of concepts, discussions in services, pilots and change for the council. The narrative with suppliers has also changed from a service delivery conversation to how partners can support the delivery of digital Innovation. Norfolk has had success innovating on highways with winter gritting using sensors by changing the way we monitor road temperatures which has helped show the art of the possible and by taking this risk has also helped a startup develop in the region.

This case study demonstrated that it is possible to innovate, take a risk, at minimal cost to show the possibilities through proof of

concepts and ideas which led to other many other Innovations in other services.

The tech exists, it’s about creating the environment for innovation to flourish

The technology is the easy bit but the challenging part is ensuring that public services can make the most of it and understand what is possible. Early market engagement allows for testing and making sure that the tech going to be procured actually meets a need. Take Artificial Intelligence, for example. There is no escaping the hype of AI and public services need a safe

There is no escaping the hype of AI and public services need a safe space to be able to understand what it really means

space to be able to understand what it really means and how it can solve their problems. To do this requires a mindset shift and one where senior leaders empower colleagues to invest in early market engagement.

Making the time innovation

techUK is committed to supporting public services understand what the art of the possible is by convening innovation workshops to market briefings and by providing them with the latest thought leadership. Councils can access the latest content on innovation via our Local Public Services Innovation week campaign. It takes a village to drive real innovation and the sector has a lot to be proud of in what they have delivered over the last decade. We invite public sector and industry to join techUK’s flagship

Building the Smarter State Conference on 10 September where we will reflect on the past ten years of digital government, from what has worked to what more needs to be done to create a smarter state that delivers meaningful digital outcomes for citizens. M

FURTHER INFORMATION

www.techuk.org

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• Generates heat (850 °C,40%)

• A sulphur-iodine cycle generates hydrogen by dissociating water and absorbing hightemperature heat

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• A heat pump recovers the latentenergy of exhaust gas : water expelled at 120 °C, to feed one of the water dissociation reactions

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DigiGov Expo: a new era of public sector technology

The highly anticipated DigiGov Expo 2024, scheduled for 24th & 25th September at the ExCeL London, promises to be a landmark event for public sector technology professionals. As the first major public sector tech event following the recent Labour election victory, DigiGov Expo is set to offer crucial insights into the new government’s technology policies and priorities

A new era of stability and progress

As we navigate the landscape of a post-election Britain, the importance of stable governance becomes ever clearer. The recent Labour victory has brought with it promises of consistency, especially crucial for sectors heavily reliant on stable leadership and policy direction. The frequent changes in leadership have previously hindered sustained development in key areas such as health and social care, which has seen seven ministers since 2018 alone. This constant turnover creates a challenging environment for professionals who need consistent directives to effectively implement long-term projects. Stability, as Labour hopes to provide, could be the cornerstone of progress and innovation in public sector technology. With such a vast majority, Labour can look to provide a stable

environment, allowing the public sector tech professionals to focus on essential projects without the disruption of constantly changing mandates.

Continuity and stability are crucial elements of progress, especially in technology-driven sectors. With a fractured right and a likely Labour majority in successive election cycles, the stage is set for sustained policy initiatives. This continuity is essential for negotiating and securing funding for technology improvement projects, providing a fertile ground for public sector CIOs, nurses, and other stakeholders to drive meaningful change.

The new government’s anticipated focus on domestic issues, rather than Brexit or internal strife, promises a deluge of policies designed to benefit the public sector. The ability to push E

Our mission is to help government professionals interpret and implement these policies effectively

F through significant changes with a substantial majority means that the Labour government can implement their vision more swiftly and decisively. While the fiscal constraints will be a reality, the emphasis will be on efficiency and effectiveness rather than merely increased spending, making it crucial for public sector professionals to stay informed and ready to implement these changes.

One of the perennial challenges is understanding the real impact of new policies. Governments are not always adept at communicating these changes clearly. This is where the DigiGov Expo plays a pivotal role. Our mission is to help government professionals interpret and implement these policies effectively, bridging the gap between government directives and practical, on-theground application. Our fully confirmed agenda has been custom-built to help the public sector understand and prepare for new government policies.

Steve Everett, portfolio director at GovNet, commented: “Through consulting with the attendees of our existing established technology events, we determined the need for an all-encompassing event that addresses a wide range of technology topics and pain points for the public sector. DigiGov Expo 2024 is our response to this need, providing all in one place the chance to learn, network, find solutions and innovate.”

Everett continued: “The stability that should come with the new government is an opportunity for the public sector to make significant advances in its adoption, application and use of technology. DigiGov Expo is perfectly timed to help those working in public sector technology to navigate and leverage this stability to achieve long-term technological benefits in regard to delivering public services and improving user outcomes.”

This year’s event promises to be the most comprehensive yet. We have secured highprofile speakers, including the recently appointed government chief data officer, Craig Suckling, who will lead a crucial panel discussion on how to address data gaps in government and combat the data quality and

data sharing issues critical to realising the potential of public sector transformation. With over 2,400 public sector tech professionals attending in September, the networking opportunities are immense. The chance to connect with peers, share best practices, and collaborate on innovative solutions is invaluable. If you work within the public sector, this is your opportunity to build relationships that can drive your projects forward. You can also explore cuttingedge solutions from over 150 exhibitors, experts at the forefront of AI applications to IT infrastructure. The expo covers a broad spectrum of topics, ensuring that you leave with actionable insights and practical solutions. To achieve change, not only do you need a strong and skilled public service, but you also have to lean on the dynamism of the private sector to get where you want to go fast enough. As we stand on the brink of potentially transformative times for the public sector, attending DigiGov Expo 2024 is more than just an opportunity – it’s a necessity. This is your chance to stay ahead, to be informed, and to be prepared for the changes that are coming. The public sector is poised to see a period of significant progress and innovation, make sure you’re a part of it by attending the DigiGov Expo on 24th & 25th September. M

FURTHER INFORMATION

Visit the DigiGov website today to secure your place and stay at the forefront of public sector technology innovation.

Embracing digital transformation: public sector trends for 2024

Mark Lumley, director of ICT and digital at the London Borough of Hounslow and president of Socitm 2023 to 24 looks at what to expect going forward

Socitm published its sixth annual Digital Trends report at the start of the year. We’re almost halfway through 2024 and the tough times are not getting any easier.

As you’re reading this, Socitm’s annual President’s Conference will be wrapped up for this year. But as I’m writing, the Society’s team is in the final stages of planning for two days in Birmingham.

For the people and organisations at the conference, there are digital themes and challenges common to them all.

We all continue to be challenged by cyber risks and the need to improve data quality and use. At the same time, global events are less predictable and have had a significant impact on public services.

This is why the report features ‘trends’ instead of ‘predictions’. The latter implies some sort of mystical prescience. ‘Trends’ are about enduring change – those digital impacts and technology developments that will and are having a lasting effect.

In that spirit, the analysis this year also included what we got ‘right’ (and ‘wrong’) in past reports .

A quick clarification

It worth distinguishing between ‘digital’ and ‘technology’. It’s a difference that is easy to describe, but often harder for us as public service organisations to implement. Digital is about new ways of working flowing from technology deployment. Less about the ‘IT’ E

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F and more about business, process, and culture. Technology is about the IT. Harnessing new IT, managing supply chains, ensuring infrastructure is (and remains) resilient, responsive, accessible and available.

A decade of cuts

Budget cuts and an economic downturn have given critical challenges to the delivery of public services. As during the Covid pandemic, a faster migration to digital operation is a central response to challenges such as these, especially as there is now a greater public willingness to use digital services.

With all that in mind, let’s run through a few of these digital and technology trends dominating our thoughts and conversations ahead of President’s Conference.

The UK is lagging behind other cities in Europe on algorithmic transparency mechanisms

Artificial intelligence (AI)

I have to start with AI. AI has the potential to play a significant role. Becoming a partner rather than a de facto replacement.

Early public sector adopters are experimenting with AI in a variety of applications. However, wider adoption may not be quite as fast as some of us expect or assume, due to the need to spend time establishing the basics: policies, compliance, skills, risk control and ‘data readiness’.

My team at Hounslow has adopted Socitm’s draft template AI policy – created to enable colleagues across local public services to use AI in a safe and secure manner.

We’ve also been working on aligning some of our AI, business intelligence, and smart place work – together with a top-to-tail review of information governance – into Hounslow’s Spark Programme.

All of this is of relevance to my policy work with Socitm. Since joining the President’s Team I’ve taken the lead on the Responsible and Secure Use of Technologies, Artificial Intelligence and Data for the Society.

On governance, as well as standards that reflect our ethical values, we need to be ambitious but flexible. E

This year continues to bring increasing competition for digital and IT talent

F The UK is lagging behind other cities in Europe on algorithmic transparency mechanisms, so we do need to catch up here. And I suggest councils should be exploring initial pilots of the national UK Algorithmic Transparency Standard

While it’s good to have AI policies, councils should be aware that they still need to be flexible, and as much as possible adapt them as we learn more about AI in our context and as the technology evolves. For now, prioritise the testing and learning approach, and let the policies emerge from that.

Impact case: Derby City Council’s phonebased AI assistance

Technology for public good

Public services are at the heart of setting an example of good practice in ‘IT for public good’. Increasing expectations are being placed on public bodies to set the standards in limiting technology’s potential downsides and maximising its positive effects.

This includes how AI, data (such as avoiding bias, abuse and data compromise) and IT is put to use in tackling some of the most complex challenges facing our societies.

Having a clear vision for the role of technology and digital services in delivering ‘public good’, will demonstrate to partners, suppliers, staff, and service users that organisations understand the impact of change and how to harness the benefits that technology can bring.

Public sector CIOs and digital leaders will need to be careful how they articulate benefits, risks, and mitigation of IT impacts, ensuring this does not sound like a ‘voice of dissention’, ‘doom’ or a negative brake on ambition or developments.

Impact case: Christchurch City Council, New Zealand/Aotearoa: Smart poles project

Recruitment and retention of people with digital and IT skills

Building digital and IT skills and capacity is a major challenge for public service organisations planning digital developments.

This year continues to bring increasing competition for digital and IT talent in the

market and difficulties for the public sector in competing on pay alone with the private sector. This is particularly problematic in areas such as cyber, data science and digital transformation.

Simply paying more for scarce digital and IT skills is not a long-term solution. For most of us, other tactics need to be used to make public services attractive: promoting benefits, career opportunities, positive cultures, flexible working, valuing contributions, and innovations.

For many people, pay is not the main or only motivator. They’re often looking for a great place to work, to live, to bring up a family and spend their leisure time. They want flexibility and exciting work with prospects. Power lies with employees, especially younger members of staff, and things such as employee productivity monitoring with flexible working, should be treated with care.

Impact case: Norfolk County Council: Apprenticeships to provide a talent pipeline Connected places

All of the digital and technology trends come together under the umbrella of Connected Places . Public services working together,

sharing systems and data to help build ‘whole system’ responses to citizen’s needs. What this really needs is local and national governments to work together, which can be difficult and complex, since it challenges traditional models

The key strengths in the local public service community are sharing and collaborating

of delivery as well as the demarcation of responsibility and the allocation of resources.

In conclusion

There are bound to be things from your list that I haven’t included here. And after you browse the whole Digital Trends report if you still can’t find them, tell us about it. The key strengths in the local public service community are sharing and collaborating. What I’ve covered here is what’s at the front of mind as Socitm prepares for President’s Conference. It’s certainly not my whole list either.

For all the issues we tackle in local government we can only do so together. Just as we try to break down silos within each of our organisations, we need to do that between each other. There’s a long way to go. But we’ve started. And whatever happens after the General Election, we continue to deliver for our organisations and communities, sharing experiences, best practice and what works is at the heart of what we’re all doing. M

FURTHER INFORMATION

socitm.net

The Procurement Act and the public sector

Andie Brookes, procurement policy specialist at Crown Commercial Service looks at the impact the Procurement Act will have on the public sector

What does the Procurement Act mean for the public sector?

In simple terms, the regulations that govern how that money is spent on products, goods and services in the UK are about to change. When the UK left the European Union in 2020, the decision was taken to create a simpler, more flexible, commercial system that better meets our country’s needs while remaining compliant with our international obligations. This has resulted in the development of the Procurement Act 2023. This new law provides a number of benefits to suppliers and buyers, including: cutting red tape and supporting innovation; improving transparency by creating a fully open and transparent system, meaning everyone has access to public procurement data; faster competition processes for emergency buying, allowing buyers to meet urgent needs quickly and efficiently; simplifying the process of working with the public sector, supporting more SMEs to bid for contracts.

When will the new regulations take effect, and what will that mean?

The new regulations will take full effect on 28 October 2024. They will then apply to all commercial agreements created after that time, and all activity under these agreements must comply with them.

However, it is important to emphasise that the new regulations are not retroactive. The Public Contracts Regulations (PCR) 2015, which previously governed procurement activity in the UK, will continue to apply to any CCS agreements created before the ‘go live’ of the new regime.

Suppliers and buyers who carry out contracts under existing agreements must ensure they remain compliant with PCR 2015, even after the new regulations come into force.

With that in mind, public sector buyers will need to consider which contracts they have that will expire after the new regulations come in, and start to plan if and how they will reprocure those contracts as early as possible.

What approach has CCS taken to implementing the upcoming changes?

We know that under the new regulations, contracting authorities will need to learn to use the new flexibilities available, build skills, and develop a culture that is more open to new solutions to maximise all the benefits coming from procurement reform. However, we are also conscious that being too innovative may put too much pressure on customers and suppliers to adapt to too many of the flexibilities all at once.

As a result, CCS is working hard to develop commercial agreements that can deliver innovation and ambition under the new reforms, whilst giving procurement practitioners a process that is still recognisable. The principle we are working on to successfully implement the new regime is known as MAYA, an acronym for “Most Advanced, Yet Acceptable”. This aims to find the sweet spot between familiarity and innovation. It recognises that users prefer products or experiences that build upon their existing knowledge and skills, while introducing new features that are easy to embrace.

What actions have CCS taken so far to supplement and reinforce this approach?

We have been committed to managing and implementing Transforming Public Procurement as a key project, and have had a project team in place made up of dedicated internal staff working on this full time since April 2022.

We have produced guidance for customers across the public sector on what they can do to prepare for the changes. We continue to inform our customers and suppliers on the key aspects of the upcoming changes, and will produce further guidance on how to use our products once the new regulations take effect.

We are now working with customers and suppliers to understand how our future agreements can allow everyone to get the most out of the new regulations, how we meet customer needs and how our agreements allow the supplier market to operate best. We have an expected pipeline of these agreements already in place and have either started, or plan to start, to canvas customer and supplier views through events or requests for feedback, to ensure we are implementing the new regulations in a way that builds on their existing ways of working in their procurement activity.

With deep subject matter expertise in government’s contractual terms and conditions, the public procurement regulations 2015 and now the Procurement Act 2023. Andie is currently heading up Commercial Policy implementation, focusing on implementing the new procurement regime inside CCS.

We are also undertaking the Cabinet Office eLearning education programme so that we can be ready to explain our commercial agreements, communicate our innovation ambitions to suppliers, and in turn explain how we think our suppliers want to engage with us and discuss the suitable options for customers’ process designs, ready for when our new agreements are ready to use. M

FURTHER INFORMATION

You can find all our guidance and resources for preparing for the Procurement Act by visiting our dedicated webpage.

Andie Brookes, procurement policy specialist, Crown Commercial Service

NICC partners with the UK’s most important digital economy event

Come and meet the NICC team, they’ll be at stand number 237 at the #ConnectedBritain event

NICC Standards Limited provides technical interconnect and interoperability standards that enable successful telecommunications calls, sessions and connections in a complex and fast-moving communications environment.

NICC Standards Limited develops telecommunications technical interconnect and interoperability standards, but only when international standards cannot be used or adopted for use in the UK.

NICC Standards Limited is a non-profit membership organisation, made up of telecommunication vendors and operators, Ofcom, government departments (NCSC and DSIT), trade associates and academic members.

They have been, and continue to be, very much involved with defining end to end and interoperability standards for the emerging networks that will, over the next few years, replace the traditional TDM based UK PSTN with a SIP-based telecommunications network. As well as working on the standards, through its members, NICC continues to be active in highlighting the implications of the change to

SIP networks to some users of the traditional TDM circuit switched network, including banking, alarms and telecare industries, local authorities, health trusts and others.

Recently, NICC standards have enabled a raft of telecommunications advances, including the continued support of Ofcom General Condition of Entitlement C6 regarding Calling Line Identification facilities. They published the requirements for a UK telephone numbering database that would improve number portability, provide the ability to route calls directly, and helping with tracing calls.

NICC provided best practice and security documentation to the industry based on collaboration with major trade bodies and provided guidance on controlling network overloads in the core network and in SIP enterprise networks.

They are currently focused on developing UK standards in the following areas – stopping scam calls from abroad when spoofed with a UK number; providing guidance on the scope of the Telecoms Security Act in the UK, and specific information on the implementation of Privileged Access Workstation. As well as this, they ensure emergency calls are prioritised and routed over SIP networks, and that accurate location information is provided to the receiving call centres. NICC are also continuing to monitor the migration to IP and provide support and guidance where required to operators, vendors and the wider industry. M

FURTHER INFORMATION

NICC technical secretary: secretary@niccstandards.org.uk niccstandards.org.uk

Connected Britain: a microcosm of the UK’s digital transformation

How a small telecoms event grew to become the lynchpin of the UK’s digital economy

This year, Total Telecom’s Connected Britain is celebrating its 10th anniversary, marking a decade of networking, innovation, and collaboration. The conference is now the UK’s largest digital economy event, set to welcome over 7,500 delegates from the telecoms industry and beyond to discuss the hottest topics at ExCel London on September 11–12.

But it wasn’t always this way.

Connected Britain came from humble beginnings. Back in 2015, the event’s first edition, hosted at the Victoria Park Plaza in London, saw it open its doors to just 200 attendees. At that time, the event was heavily specialised for the telecoms sector, focussing primarily on the technology and deployment of fixed broadband infrastructure.

Today, ten years on, Connected Britain has grown almost 40-fold, now going far beyond the

merits of fibre optic versus copper cables. While infrastructure remains a vital piece of the puzzle, discussions today have evolved to encompass the evolution of 5G, the emergence of telecoms satellite constellations, the evergrowing Internet of Things, and much more. In fact, the event’s focus in 2024 is a much about how we make the best use of connectivity as it is about the technology itself.

Attitudes towards connectivity have changed immensely in the first half of this decade. Consumers are no longer content with stuttering streaming on their mobile phones; enterprises require robust broadband for video conferencing and hybrid working; and industries are beginning to see the benefits of automation, robotics, and AI. As highlighted by the coronavirus pandemic, being connected is no longer a ‘nice to have’ for society: it is at E

F the core of our everyday existence, both at home and at work. As such, everyone is a stakeholder when it comes to connectivity.

The Connected Britain community increasingly reflects this new reality. Alongside traditional mobile and fixed broadband network operators and related vendors, Connected Britain 2024 will feature speakers and exhibitors from manufacturing, education, healthcare, agriculture, local government, national government, automotive, Big Tech, and the utilities sectors, to name but a few.

The fact that high quality connectivity underpins every sector of the UK economy is not lost on the government either. Billions of pounds of public investment have been poured into digital infrastructure projects like Project Gigabit and the Shared Rural Network in recent years, aiming to ensure everyone in the country has access to rapid, reliable broadband connectivity and is not cut

off from an increasingly digital-first service environment.

But while connectivity itself is evermore in the spotlight, the UK telecoms market is – as Three UK’s CEO Robert Finnegan put it back in 2020 – “dysfunctional”. Strong competition, high market penetration, and lacklustre consumer demand for premium services have kept traditional telco revenue growth depressed for years. At the same time, deploying digital infrastructure at scale does not come cheap, with operators’ capex swelling to billions of pounds as they race to expand their 5G and fibre networks.

Today, this has left telcos pivoting to pastures new, leaning into novel technologies like AI and extended reality to offer new experiences for consumers and vital digital services for business partners.

But can a leopard truly change its spots? Will these new revenue streams provide the growth the sector so desperately needs? What does a healthy telecoms industry look like in the UK? Ultimately, what does a truly digital economy look like and how do we get there?

These are the questions at the heart of Connected Britain 2024.

What to expect from Connected Britain Telecoms superstars take to the stage Over 350 leaders from throughout the UK telecoms industry and beyond take to the stage to discuss the hottest topics, from the rise of generative AI to eliminating the digital divide.

A networking platform like no other Bringing together over 7,500 attendees from 2,000 organisations, as well as over 400 exhibitors, Connected Britain is forum like no other to make meaningful connections and transform your business.

Local Authority Showcase: a vector for public–private collaboration

Engaging with both local and national government is crucial to creating a more digital society. Our Local Authority Showcase stage has become a major highlight, giving companies direct access to key decision makers throughout the public sector, from regulators to local government.

Join

the unicorn hunt in the Start-up

Zone

With over 100 of the UK’s most innovative tech and telecoms start-ups, as well as an ecosystem of start-up accelerators, VCs, and investors, Connected Britain is the UK’s leading innovation hub. Can you find the next billionpound business?

Nurturing the next generation of telecoms professionals

The UK telecoms industry is suffering from a major skilled labour shortage. Connected Britain offers support for organisations help to

recruit and train the telecoms professionals of the future, ensuring the industry has a bright future for years to come.

Celebrating excellence with the Connected Britain Awards

The Connected Britain conference also plays host to the annual Connected Britain Awards, shining a light on the many brilliant projects, initiatives, and individuals throughout the UK. With 15 categories ranging from Sustainability to Digital Council of the Year, the Connected Britain Awards showcases greatness from throughout the industry.

In 2024, the UK is more connected than ever, but we have a long way to go to create a truly connected UK! Join the discussion at the UK’s largest digital economy event, Connected Britain. M

FURTHER INFORMATION

For more information visit the Total Telecom and Connected Britain websites.

Five ways Trefi Smart Towns Cymru are futureproofing Welsh high streets

Kiki Rees-Stavros, project manager at Trefi Smart Towns Cymru, explores how the programme is helping to elevate the country’s high streets

Data-driven decision making

Our mission at Smart Towns Cymru is regenerating Welsh high streets, in line with the Transforming Towns agenda. It might sound strange then to start by saying that we do not have the solution that will save our town centres.

We know that weighing the pig does not make it any fatter, but we also know that making decisions based on a hunch, anecdotal evidence or ‘the way we’ve always done things’ is not working. This is why we are supporting councils, communities and businesses to harness data for a better understanding of our high streets.

We believe that for our towns and businesses to prosper, they need to be able to make informed decisions, and to respond in real time to the challenges and opportunities on their high streets. This means monitoring footfall, which in recent years has become the standard for classifying town centres.

While there is no standard for monitoring footfall in Welsh towns, and no perfect way of recording exact figures, having a yardstick to compare year on year, or before and after interventions, allows decision makers to gain a better understanding of the factors that impact their town, how they can capitalise on opportunities and mitigate challenges.

We saw this kind of monitoring enter the spotlight following the pandemic, but even then, data was mainly available to high street managers and fed into media reports.

Thanks to investment from the Welsh Government, we are striving to make this kind of data available to all. We are also empowering businesses with the skills to use this kind of data, so that they can be agile and adaptable enough to compete with the data-driven multinationals, and e-commerce giants.

Open data: levelling the playing field

Since the advent of Tesco’s Clubcard nearly 30 years ago, supermarket chains have developed advanced strategies to understand their customers’ habits and preferences. They collect and manipulate data to build customer profiles allowing them to predict what we want and when, maybe even before we know it.

Tracking shoppers’ movement on aisles informs product placement in a similar way

Smart Towns technology

is relatively primitive and unobtrusive

to ecommerce analysis, providing these businesses with actionable insights.

High street chains have the resources to buy private licenses for high street data and employ analysts and strategists to help them respond competitively. Meanwhile, independent businesses often struggle to keep up, lacking the resources and expertise. Enter Patrwm...

Patrwm is an open access Smart Places platform built for Wales by Kodergarten, in collaboration with social enterprise Menter Môn. Patrwm visualises data collected from town WiFi analytics, from footfall and dwell time (measured by probe requests) to demographic data given with consent when people log in to the WiFi. No personal data is collected - and the data is freely available for anyone to access and use.

This allows businesses to identify trends, or ‘patterns’ in their town over time, and even to compare their high street with other similar towns. This system is currently in place in three Welsh counties, allowing businesses to adapt opening hours, stocking and staffing levels, target their marketing campaigns, and compare data sets to understand the effect of weather, E

F holidays, events and countless other factors on their town and business performance. We are often asked about privacy and the ethics of measuring footfall. It is important that these questions are asked, and we advocate for transparency with any kind of data collecting. It is equally important to understand that compared to the kind of surveillance that we consent to when we enter a supermarket or airport or scroll blindly to click ‘accept’ on websites and apps, Smart Towns technology is relatively primitive and unobtrusive. We are simply trying to make sure that our towns do not get left behind in this data revolution.

Data on usage is helping to justify investment in our public services

Public engagement

While the aim of the Smart Towns project is to improve economic activity on our high streets, the wider benefit of these projects in Wales is to improve the town centre experience for both residents and visitors.

This all begins with public engagement. This is not a programme that enforces technology on a town as part of a strategic rollout. Our process begins with a workshop where we introduce the idea of Smart Towns, and the many potential benefits to the community. We’re always fascinated to see how the diverse character of our communities can bring about endless possibilities, depending on the challenges they face and their priorities as a community.

We have mining towns harnessing technology to preserve their history and highlight their culture and market towns monitoring air quality to push for behaviour (and even policy) change. Town councils using WiFi systems to send targeted emails, helping keep residents informed and visitors engaged. Smarter parking and traffic management to boost accessibility as well as business. Monitoring sound levels at night can help to reduce anti-social behaviour, and remote monitoring of defibrillators and flotation devices can mean the difference between life and death.

Reducing routine monitoring in industries from hospitality and health to farming can save valuable time as well as running costs for our businesses. Smart buildings systems to reduce

energy use can literally mean being able to keep the lights on for some businesses.

The Welsh government’s investment into LoRaWAN coverage across the country is enabling our towns and businesses to deploy low-cost sensors onto open licence networks to improve efficiency and sustainability across the board.

Future proofing our councils

And it isn’t just businesses who are trying to keep their heads above the water. With Local Authorities’ budgets becoming ever tighter, Smart Towns technologies can help councils cut costs without cutting services.

We have seen councils implement sensors in their buildings, bins and public toilets to monitor use and adapt services accordingly. This means freeing up their teams for more pressing tasks and reducing emissions by eliminating unnecessary checks. Parallel to this, data on usage is helping to justify investment in our public services and ensure that valuable resources are allocated according to demand.

Scaling these kinds of efficiencies over a county or even a country can mean significant savings and can help local authorities hit their net zero targets.

Creating a Smart Towns ecosystem

A thriving high street is supported by a connected and collaborative ecosystem and the success of Smart Towns projects is determined not by the technology or innovation used, but by the ‘Smart Ambassadors’ driving the project.

Smart Towns Cymru is building networks between businesses, councils, and communities, fostering a spirit of cooperation and mutual support. By sharing data and insights, these

Honest discussion in this field has allowed councils to save thousands of pounds of public money and streamline innovation

stakeholders can work together to implement strategies that benefit the entire town.

This ecosystem approach encourages innovation and resilience. For example, if a particular intervention proves successful in one town, the data can be shared with others, enabling them to replicate and adapt successful strategies. We are championing this through case studies , study visits and in conferences and roadshows across the country.

We are also encouraging knowledge sharing on a more strategic level with our online networking sessions providing an informal opportunity for decision makers to share experiences – and most importantly – what doesn’t work. Honest discussion in this field has allowed councils to save thousands of pounds of public money and streamline innovation. Through this collaborative and communitybased approach to Smart Towns projects, we are cultivating a culture shift that will outlast the lifespan of individual projects, instilling an appetite and aptitude for data in everyone from shopkeepers to decision makers all over Wales. M

FURTHER INFORMATION

Inspired? Click here to join our Smart Ambassador training programme and help future-proof your town or county.

Bridge the Digital Divide with ChromeOS Flex

ChromeOS has made funding available for UK local authorities to address digital poverty and reduce e-waste using ChromeOS Flex. You can take advantage of this with a Jumpstart managed pilot through Getech.

Enable every citizen

Improve sustainability

Embrace the cloud

Be an IT hero

The Cost of Digital Exclusion (And How to Address It)

The digital landscape is constantly evolving, transforming the way we access information, manage our daily lives and interact with essential services. While online platforms have streamlined service delivery for citizen engagement, a significant portion of the population remains on the other side of the digital divide

The social cost

While financial constraints are real, the consequences of digital exclusion extend far beyond. From older adults unable to connect with friends or family, to low-income households struggling to pay bills or find employment opportunities and students who can’t use online learning resources, there are many getting left behind. Approximately 1.7 million households in the UK don’t have internet access, according to the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee

The economic cost

The digital divide has a significant economic impact, costing the economy a staggering £63 billion annually, highlighted by the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee

The World Economic Forum’s 2022 Global Risks Report also emphasises the growing importance of lifelong learning in the digital age, making bridging the digital divide even more crucial.

The environmental cost

Addressing the digital divide requires a focus on innovative and sustainable solutions. The constant acquisition of new devices puts a burden on capital expenditure and contributes

to the growing e-waste problem. A report by the WEEE Forum finds the UK heading to be Europe’s biggest e-waste contributor per capita while having the third-lowest collection rate at 30 per cent. Refreshing and repurposing the devices you already have offers a sustainable, cost-effective solution that can also help address digital exclusion in our communities.

The low-cost solution

Here’s where Google’s ChromeOS Flex is a game-changer, allowing anyone to breathe new life into old Windows and MacOS and extend their lifespan while reducing technology’s total economic and environmental impact. By refreshing the stock you already have and putting it back into the community, ChromeOS Flex gives public bodies a low-cost solution to addressing the digital divide in their community.

How to get started

Getech is Google’s #1 Premier Partner in the UK for Education and has been working with enterprise, SMB, nonprofit and public sector customers for over 30 years. As a value-added distributor, we help organisations meet their challenges and evolve for the future by consulting on technology solutions that work and are backed by services that help deliver change with less stress, on time and under budget.

The importance of accessibility in compliance training

Culture Gem explains how making regulatory requirements easy to understand is the way to go

In today’s fast-paced world, leaders face challenges that demand innovative solutions. Ensuring compliance, promoting accessibility, and fostering an inclusive workplace are crucial. Culture Gem’s accessible compliance e-learning fosters a cohesive and efficient culture.

Compliance isn’t just about avoiding fines; it’s about upholding an organisation’s integrity and sustainability. Staying current with regulations is essential for building trust and resilience. Culture Gem simplifies regulatory requirements with adaptable training, ensuring teams are always up-to-date with the latest standards.

Making compliance training accessible should be a priority. Culture Gem’s approach goes beyond meeting standards like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). It integrates digital accessibility and inclusive design into

compliance training to ensure all employees can perform at their best.

Investing in accessibility promotes inclusivity and respect, resulting in staff who are more engaged and productive, leading to better overall performance. Embracing accessibility helps attract a diverse talent pool, who bring unique perspectives and skills.

By focusing on compliance, accessibility, and diversity, organisations can build a strong, inclusive, and resilient culture. Accessibility in compliance training is not just a legal requirement but a step towards a more equitable workplace where every employee has the opportunity to thrive. M

Breaking down digital trust barriers

Chris

Dimitriadis, chief global strategy officer

at ISACA (Information Systems Audit and Control Association) on how public sector organisations can protect themselves from cyber threats

Public sector organisations in the modern digital economy face an ambitious task in earning – and maintaining – people’s trust. Recent events like high-profile security breaches involving senior government officials, and the ransomware attack on Hackney Council, have fed into a growing distrust in many institutions. And with heightened scepticism about how well-equipped organisations are to protect personal data, building a trusted public relationship is more challenging than ever.

The only path forward is for organisations to make strengthening digital trust – defined by ISACA as “the confidence in the integrity of relations, interactions and transactions among providers and consumers within an associated digital ecosystem” – a central priority, and to strategically work through all obstacles that could impede this pursuit.

What specifically is preventing public bodies from achieving digital trust? According to ISACA’s State of Digital Trust 2022 survey report, the top obstacles are a lack of staff skills or

training, lack of alignment of digital trust and strategic goals, lack of leadership buy-in, and lack of budget. Let’s look at each of these areas to see how public bodies can work through these obstacles to achieve digital trust.

Lack of staff skills and training

Many of the digital trust fields – areas such as cybersecurity, privacy, IT audit, risk management and IT governance – face critical staffing shortages, as the labour supply in those areas often does not keep pace with public sector demand. But in many cases, organisations can find the right employees by being less rigid about criteria for filling these roles. They can then reduce the skills gaps by providing ongoing training and supporting relevant professional certifications while on the job.

Organisations also need to strongly promote a culture of collaboration among these professionals. Digital trust cannot be achieved with a siloed approach – security and privacy E

F professionals must support each other’s work and ethical considerations related to emerging technology implementations must be considered cross-functionally.

Lack of alignment of digital trust and strategic goals

Digital trust is so critical for public sector organisations to succeed that it must be baked into strategic goals from the outset, instead of only being considered once goals already have been established. People rightly expect public bodies to demonstrate urgency in putting plans into action but failing to ensure the necessary security measures are in place can undermine commitments to serve the community. Taking process shortcuts in the name of a near-term goal is likely to lead to a long-term problem that could erode trust with the public and key stakeholders.

Lack of leadership buy-in

While public sector leaders may not understand all the intricacies of the threat landscape or data privacy regulations, they should understand how building and sustaining trust with the public is necessary to achieve their goals. If that is not the case, digital trust champions such as chief information security officers, data privacy officers and risk leaders should engage organisational leaders by communicating in clear, business-focused language what the business risks are of failing to prioritise digital trust.

Too often there is a disconnect between organisation leaders and technology functions in the language that they speak. Framing these conversations around building digital trust can be an effective way to bridge that divide and gain leadership buy-in.

Digital trust is so critical for public sector organisations to succeed

Lack of budget

Prioritising digital trust inevitably requires a significant investment in staffing, tools and ongoing training and professional development for employees. While the public sector is often burdened by budget constraints, the risks of failing to make the necessary security investments must be carefully considered.

Public sector organisations are an attractive target for cyber criminals due to the sheer volume of personal identifiable information they hold. And while the tactics employed by bad actors are becoming more sophisticated, many organisations are increasingly at risk due to outdated technology, systems, and processes. As we have seen in the fallout of the ransomware attack on Hackney Council, huge investments in time, money, and resources are required to recover from such an incident, but budgets can be better managed when proactive steps are taken in anticipation of threats

Overcoming the obstacles

While there is much progress to be made, each of the above obstacles can be addressed through commitment from public sector leaders and a renewed commitment to cross-functional collaboration.

Without earning and preserving trust from the public and other stakeholders, no amount of digital innovation will be enough for modern enterprises to remain competitive. Whatever factors might currently be holding organisations back from driving toward digital trust must be identified and overcome to set a foundation for sustainable success. M

FURTHER INFORMATION www.isaca.org

Ready, set, go: the journey to a healthy Britain

As the Olympics Games approaches in July, we explore how both local and central governments can reduce barriers for those who want to get active

Seeing Olympic athletes racing across our screens is the perfect way for many to get inspired to get involved in physical activity.

Back in the summer of 2012, the London Olympics prompted a flurry of local and central government funding to encourage the next generation to get active.

In 2013, the UK government announced additional funding for primary schools in England, initially for two years, but subsequently extended it.

The Primary PE and Sport Premium provides £320 million per year to make additional and sustainable improvements to the quality of the physical activity and sport offered through their core budgets.

There are differing views on the topic of whether the Olympics actually makes a longlasting difference to adults participating in physical activity.

However, the Olympics page said that some studies found increases in the percentage of adults participating in sport in the immediate aftermath of the Games in England: numbers peaked around the Games in 2012.

They said the numbers dropped slightly after 2014, but the overall participation remained at a higher level than before the Games-related sport participation efforts started.

The studies finding an increase in participation also show that the positive effects were more significant in terms of increasing the E

F frequency of participation of active people than attracting new participants. They added the positive effects have been stronger among ethnic minority groups, which shows a positive contribution in terms of social inclusion.

As another Olympics rolls around (albeit this time across the pond in Paris), it serves as a reminder to both local and central governments to step up to reduce the inequalities that stop people from accessing opportunities to exercise.

A recent study from The Fields Trust suggested that 2.3 million children in Britain under the age of nine live more than a ten-minute walk from the nearest playground, which contributes to their ability to exercise.

In April this year, however, Sport England found that two million more adults are getting active on a regular basis through sport and physical activity than in 2016, despite the impacts of the pandemic and the cost of living crisis.

On the other side of the coin, they said that one of the biggest issues in levels of exercise in the UK is the disparity between different demographics.

A person’s age, sex, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic group, whether they have a disability or long-term health condition, and the place they live in are all significant factors impacting the relationship with sport and physical activity. We have highlighted some of the initiatives that are pushing for physical activity to be accessible for everyone.

Research by countryside charity CPRE shows that women, in particular those from culturally diverse backgrounds, face greater barriers to accessing and enjoying outdoor spaces

Fighting the gender gap

One of Sport England’s campaigns, Let’s Get Out There , was introduced with the aim of getting more women active outdoors.

Launched at the start of May this year, the campaign features editable assets, photos and social copy for organisations to use and make them specific to your own audience, sport, physical activity or local area.

Research by countryside charity CPRE shows that women, in particular those from culturally diverse backgrounds, face greater barriers to accessing and enjoying outdoor spaces.

This could be due to a lack of access or awareness, or not knowing what to expect from the exercises.

Their social media campaign using the hashtags #ThisGirlCan and #LetsGetOutThere to encourage women around the UK to get involved and post about their journeys.

Organisations like Canal UK and the walking group Blaze Trails have supported the project.

Making funding application easier

Sport England’s new Movement Fund launched in April, and aims to simplify funding applications and will help those with the greatest need secure investment to support people to live active lives.

It is worth £160 million over the next four years, and will offer crowdfunding pledges, grants and resources to provide physical activity opportunities.

When the fund was launched, Tim Hollingsworth, chief executive of Sport England, said: “We know that choosing the best fund to apply for can be confusing, which is why we’ve worked hard to create a single application form that allows us to do the hard work and best assess your suitability.

“But while the method of application may have changed, our intention to unashamedly

prioritise funding for people and communities who need it most, has not.

“Whether it’s a crowdfunding pledge or a grant, the Movement Fund is here to help our mission to tackle deep-rooted inequalities and unlock the advantages of sport and physical activity for everyone, to become a reality.”

Empowering local governments

If councils are not dedicated to tackling inactivity, it becomes a lot more difficult for people to get active.

The Local Government Physical Activity Partnership was established in 2017 with the aim of empowering local government agencies to work collaboratively to improve the social and economic value of public physical activity service provision.

The group came together to create an environment for positive debate and discussion about the key strategic issues facing local councils focussed on supporting physical activity.

As well as this, they wanted to provide reflective and perhaps at times provocative think pieces for the wider sector to consider. L

If councils are not dedicated to tackling inactivity, it becomes a lot more difficult

Where the fun begins

Vita Play Limited are one of the UKs most innovative playground design, install and maintenance providers, working hard to develop and create accessible, challenging and safe environments to play.

We market an extensive range of children’s playground equipment that caters for all ages and abilities.

Design Groundworks Drainage Tarmac

Installation Surfacing Resin Bound Stone

Artificial Grass Fencing/Gates

MUGA (multi-use game areas)

Shelters/Storage Line Markings

Thermoplastic Graphics

Outdoor play is a natural way for children of all ages and abilities to have fun through physical activity. Its good for children’s health and well-being to be physically active whilst playing, being active burns energy.

The vital role of playgrounds in local communities

API Chair Dr Amanda Gummer gives some top tips on playground maintenance

The Association of Play Industries (API) is the lead trade body in the play sector. It represents the interests of manufacturers, installers, designers and distributors of both outdoor and indoor play equipment and safer surfacing. The API promotes best practice and high-quality play provision within the play industry and all their members are bound by a Professional Code of Conduct.

API Chair Dr Amanda Gummer tells us about their latest campaign – Pathway To Play – and offers some key pointers on best practice for upkeep and installation.

In the heart of every thriving community lies a space that is essential for children’s health and development – the local playground. As Chair of the Association of Play Industries (API), I have witnessed first-hand the transformative power of these community hubs. Our new Pathway To Play campaign highlights the critical importance of playgrounds as vibrant centres of community life.

Pathway To Play

Pathway To Play is a call to action and a call for change in a world where childhood obesity, poor mental health and sleep issues are on the rise. The API are launching a rallying cry to the next UK government to invest in public playgrounds.

With a clear vision of fostering children’s wellbeing, we are urging the UK government to prioritise outdoor play by investing significantly in the UK’s most popular location for outdoor play – public playgrounds.

Our #PathwayToPlay manifesto champions the vital role of outdoor play in enhancing the health and wellbeing of children nationwide. Our call is for a modest yet impactful investment that will transform communities and children’s lives.

We are calling on the new government to make a commitment to: conduct a national audit, assess the quantity, quality and location of public playgrounds; ensure long-term E

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F sustainability, provide dedicated funding for the installation and upkeep of free-to-use community play spaces; and increase physical activity levels in schools, integrate outdoor learning into the National Curriculum and fund school play spaces and equipment.

Physical health

Playgrounds offer an antidote to sedentary lifestyles, particularly for those children in the most deprived areas and for the one in eight families (one in five in London) without a garden. Regular play in local playgrounds helps children develop crucial motor skills, improve coordination and build strength and endurance. The varied equipment found in well-designed playgrounds encourages a range of physical activities, from climbing and balancing to running and jumping, promoting cardiovascular health and overall fitness.

Mental wellbeing

The mental health benefits of playgrounds are equally significant. Play is a natural stress reliever and an essential part of healthy brain development. Through play, children learn to manage emotions, build resilience and develop coping mechanisms for stress and anxiety. Playgrounds provide a safe environment for children to explore risk, develop creativity, engage in imaginative play and experience the joy of unstructured activity – all of which contribute to improved mental wellbeing.

Playgrounds offer an antidote to sedentary lifestyles

Social development

Playgrounds are also critical for social development. In the playground setting, children learn to interact with peers, practice social skills and build relationships. Playgrounds foster a sense of community and belonging, bringing together families and neighbours. They are spaces where social bonds are strengthened, fostering a sense of cohesion and mutual support within communities.

Best practice for playground upkeep and installation

Community engagement

Successful playground projects start with community engagement. Involving local residents, especially children, in the planning and design process ensures that the playground meets the specific needs and desires of the community it serves. This collaborative approach fosters a sense of ownership and pride among community members, increasing the likelihood of sustained use and care.

Inclusive design

Inclusivity should be at the forefront of playground design. Playgrounds must be accessible to children of all abilities, ensuring E

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A hydraulic outdoor gym gives exercisers the ability to add resistance to their workouts. The hydraulic units are also very similar to the gym equipment you see at leisure centres except they can withstand the varying UK weather conditions.

Hydraulic Resistant Gym equipment allows the user from beginners to regular gym goers to complete an fully body workout based on their capabilities whilst setting long term fitness goals. Using the Caloo Pulse App, the users will be able to track their progress and see demonstrations on how to best use the equipment. Not every person can afford the luxury of a gym membership so why not start using a free Caloo gym that gives you the benefits of internal gym equipment.

Integrating educational elements into playgrounds can enhance their value as learning environments

F that everyone can participate in play. This includes installing equipment that caters to a range of physical and sensory needs and ensuring that pathways, surfaces and entry points are accessible to all. Inclusivity extends beyond physical accessibility; playgrounds should also offer a variety of play experiences that cater to different interests and developmental stages.

Safety standards

Safety is paramount in playground design and maintenance. Adhering to safety standards and guidelines is crucial to prevent injuries and ensure that children can play without risk. This includes using appropriate surfacing materials, regularly inspecting and maintaining equipment and addressing any potential hazards promptly. Playground safety standards, such as those set by the API, provide a benchmark for creating safe play environments.

Quality materials and equipment

Investing in high-quality materials and equipment is essential for the longevity and safety of playgrounds. Durable, weatherresistant materials reduce the need for frequent repairs and replacements, ensuring that playgrounds remain safe and inviting for years to come. Partnering with reputable suppliers E

ustigatewaterplay.co.uk

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Playgrounds are more than just places to play – they help to build stronger, healthier and more connected communities

F who are members of the API and adhere to industry standards, guarantees that the equipment installed meets safety and quality benchmarks.

Sustainable practices

Sustainability is an increasingly important consideration in playground design and maintenance. Utilising eco-friendly materials, incorporating natural elements and promoting biodiversity through landscaping can create more sustainable play environments.

Regular maintenance and inspection

Ongoing maintenance is critical to the safety and usability of playgrounds. Regular inspections should be conducted to identify wear and tear, potential hazards and areas needing repair. Establishing a routine maintenance schedule ensures that issues are addressed promptly, preventing accidents and extending the lifespan of the playground. Community involvement in upkeep can also foster a sense of collective responsibility.

Educational elements

Integrating educational elements into playgrounds can enhance their value as learning environments, with equipment that encourages cognitive development through problemsolving and imaginative play. Playgrounds that combine fun with learning opportunities contribute to the holistic development of children.

Investment in playgrounds

Playgrounds offer a multitude of benefits that extend far beyond recreation. They are spaces where physical health, mental wellbeing and social connections flourish. By adhering to best practices in their design, installation and upkeep, playgrounds can remain safe, inclusive and sustainable hubs of community life.

The Association of Play Industries remains committed to advocating for high-quality play spaces through initiatives like the Pathway To Play campaign. We call on local authorities,

community groups and stakeholders to prioritise investment in playgrounds and to adopt best practices that will sustain these invaluable community assets for generations to come.

Playgrounds are more than just places to play – they help to build stronger, healthier and more connected communities. By working together, we can create play environments that inspire joy, foster growth and enrich the lives of children and families across the UK.

Our members

Members of the Association of Play Industries are the UK’s leading play companies and are reliable, trustworthy and financially sound. Backed by the API’s Professional Code of Conduct, they operate to the highest standards and will provide evidence of previous work and references. The API Charter ensures they design exceptional, high-quality play spaces for children of all ages and abilities. M

FURTHER INFORMATION

For more information about the Pathway To Play campaign, click here

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Our expert team of professional climbers, groundsmen and machine operators are fully trained to the highest industry standards, ensuring we can provide you with a professional service from start to finish. We are proud to be Arboricultural Association Approved and have a wide range of knowledge in all aspects of tree care and

We cover the entire Southeast of England, including London and the Home Counties.

Education in trees and election actions for arboriculture

The Arboricultural Association sets out some of the actions it wants the new government to take

Welcome to the home of tree care

The Arboricultural Association is a charity and professional body supporting everyone who works with and cares about trees. Our vision is to inspire, support and promote the tree care community for a society that better appreciates and cares for trees.

We’re the leading organisation in the UK for tree care professionals working in all areas of arboriculture, including central and local government, consultancy, contracting, management, production, policymaking, research and education. We have more than 3,000 members in the UK and around the world, and are increasingly recognised as an international, as well as a national, leaders in arboriculture. The Association is dependent on its members, its volunteers – including Trustees, Committee members and Branch officials – and a dedicated staff team operating out of the Malthouse in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire.

With governments and the general public recognising the importance of trees, the expertise and knowledge of tree care

professionals is now more important than ever. Arboriculture has a critical role in protecting and caring for those trees we have now and ensuring that the trees we plant today will establish and thrive in the decades and centuries to come.

The Association produces a variety of campaigns and free resources, from technical guidance to materials promoting arboriculture. We’re passionate about promoting the range of amazing career opportunities and variety of skillsets within arboriculture.

Find out more today: access free help, advice and guidance on a wide range of tree-related topics or join our cause and become a member at trees.org.uk .

Professionals you can trust

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Tree work is a highly technical job which requires appropriate skills

F technical job which requires appropriate skills, knowledge, attitudes, training and experience. The Association believes that it would be in the best interests of arboricultural contractors, the general public, tree owners and managers, and the trees themselves if arboriculture were to be effectively regulated by government. However, this is not currently the case.

In the absence of regulation, in the UK, the AC Accreditation Scheme is the only recognised way of identifying Arboricultural contractors who have achieved the required professional standard in health and safety, customer care and tree work.

Becoming an Approved Contractor demonstrates the ability and desire of your business to work to best practice, achieve higher levels of knowledge and skill, and your ambition to promote and raise the professional standards of the industry.

The purpose of the accreditation scheme is to raise standards in Arboricultural practice across the profession by encouraging contractors to meet robust requirements that relate to the quality of tree work, health and safety, professional standards, and good business and customer care practices. The accreditation and its management processes are ISO 9001 (2015) certified. The key values of the Scheme are highquality tree care and high-quality customer care. The requirements, in simplified terms, are high-quality tree work, undertaken safely and legally, combined with high-quality customer care. The increased complexity of achieving accreditation in multiple elements is reflected in

the duration and cost of the assessment process for these ACs.

You can find your nearest Arb Approved Contractor here .

Three actions for arboriculture

As the biggest professional body supporting those working with trees, the Arboricultural Association is calling on all parties and candidates to acknowledge the importance of tree care and establishment, and to commit appropriate resources to supporting arboriculture as the profession responsible for the success of the trees in our towns and cities.

During the 2019 General Election campaign, the major political parties of the UK each promised to plant ever-increasing numbers of new trees. The Arboricultural Association remains pleased that trees – and the many varied benefits they bring to our communitiesremain high on the political and public agenda.

We need to act now so that the benefits of trees will are felt today, and by future generations. We’re calling on elected MPs and the next government to work with us to deliver against our three recommendations.

It is increasingly recognised that trees are good for us, and provide a wide range of environmental, social and economic benefits to society. However, not everyone knows about the profession which is responsible for these amenity trees: arboriculture.

The Arboricultural Association works to inspire, support and promote the tree care community for a society that better appreciates and cares E

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F for trees. We’re working in tree time, not within electoral cycles.

However, we must act now so that the benefits of trees will be felt by future generations. We’re calling on prospective MPs and the next government to work with us to deliver against our three recommendations.

Invest in people

Arboriculture is an exciting industry with varied roles that appeal to all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. Tree care should be for everyone, and we must ensure that the next generation of arboriculturists represent the communities they live and work in.

We must see increased support for training, education and apprenticeships for the next generation of entrants into these important green jobs.

Allocate funding and resources

Trees outside woodlands are critical infrastructure which can contribute towards tackling many of the problems society faces. To maintain and increase canopy cover and improve access to trees where people live, we must retain and protect existing trees where possible and take appropriate steps

to fully establish those we plant. This requires an adequate, skilled workforce across both the private and public sector.

We must see increased money and capacity available for tree care.

Enable arboriculturists

Despite the crucial role of arboriculture in daily life, and in tackling the climate and nature crises, there is low general awareness about the work of tree care professionals. To realise the potential of trees, arboriculturists must be involved at the earliest stages of planning for all projects involving amenity trees in both urban and rural settings. Greater valuing of arboriculturists alongside other professional industries allow us all to benefit from their skills and expertise.

We must see increased recognition for arboriculture and its role in society. M

Decarbonising in a nonfluorescent lamp world

The Lighting Industry Association (LIA) investigates the best way to replace old lights

To say that life for government and local authorities is challenging right now is something of an understatement – in terms of their building portfolio they need to decarbonise, address significant energy price inflation, ensure purchase decisions on new energy-saving technologies actually deliver the claimed savings and all at the time of tight finances and often a skills shortage.

As with any challenge, governments and local authorities need frameworks to make decarbonisation and energy saving plans; some are standards based, some are not-for-profit schemes, others are profit making – they need varying levels of officer and management time to administer. All the frameworks have several things in common: target setting, strategies and plans to achieve those targets and methods to plot progress against those targets.

Buildings account for 40 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, and with 85-90 per cent of our current building stock very likely to be still in use by 2050, the problem becomes one not of new build, but of reengineering and reequipping the existing property portfolio for a net zero future.

Net zero

Back in 2007, the global consultancy firm McKinsey teamed up with the Swedish energy giant Vattenfall to analyse pathways to net zero, essentially comparing which carbon saving technologies gave you the best ‘bang for your buck’. Updated in 2010, the data clearly showed that the move to LED was very much the low hanging fruit of decarbonisation. Up until Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent energy cost crisis, the payback on replacing fluorescent luminaires with LED was typically three years, with the return on investment (ROI) sometimes being made even easier through interest free loan schemes. Post the energy cost crisis, those ROIs have become even shorter. But some are still sitting on the fence, millions of fluorescent lamps are still installed across the country. The problem is that soon you will not be able to buy any more replacement lamps – the time has come for us all to move on from fluorescent. Under the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) regulations from the Department of the Environment and Rual Affairs (DEFRA), it became illegal to place compact fluorescent, linear fluorescent and E

Closing the lighting loop

Nigel Harvey, chief executive of lighting WEEE compliance scheme Recolight, talks us through how lighting can be part of the solution to reducing carbon

Waste hierarchy

The waste industry operates a waste hierarchy that is still very applicable to lighting. It is effectively a simple aid to decision making that orders strategies according to their impact on the environment.

Reduce

At the top of the hierarchy is “Reduce”. That means not buying new lighting if the old lighting does the job – or only replacing lighting which is definitely inefficient and cannot be upgraded. And of course, using daylight wherever possible, both to reduce the number of lights that are installed, and to reduce the amount of time they are in use.

Reuse

There is a growing number of UK lighting companies that offer reuse or upgrade services to enhance the efficiency of installed lighting, for example by retrofitting LED light sources in fluorescent fittings. Industry estimates indicate that such upgrades typically have half the embodied carbon of a new product.

Recolight Reuse Hub

To facilitate reuse, Recolight has launched the Recolight Reuse Hub. This is a free to use lighting digital marketplace to facilitate the donation of new and used lighting products and equipment. Currently, there are considerable volumes of new and used lighting products that are needlessly recycled when they could be reused. The Recolight Reuse Hub allows donors of such

products to link up with potential recipients; companies that could use the donated products, and so avoid unnecessary recycling or disposal.

Recycle

All too often, we assume that if old lighting is replaced with new lighting, we are meeting our environmental obligations if the waste fittings recycled. That thinking needs to change. Recycling is rightly near the bottom of the waste hierarchy. That is because recycling destroys much of the embodied carbon in a product, and simply recovers the raw materials. All the energy involved in the manufacture, supply and distribution of the products is lost. An extreme example is of mobile phones, where 85-95 per cent of their carbon emissions are in the production phase, and the value of the raw materials that can be recovered is typically less than one pound. M

FURTHER INFORMATION

www.recolight.co.uk

F most high pressure sodium deluxe lamps on the UK market. The reason is that these lamps contain mercury and they become toxic waste on disposal. These lamps may still be available from your usual suppliers, but it is a case of buy now whilst stocks last – though it is definitely better to move on to LED alternatives.

To bend the Life of Brian ‘what did the Romans do for us’ sketch, why should I move to LED? Well, apart from the energy cost savings, the decarbonisation through energy efficiency, the ease of using lighting controls that save considerably more energy, the maintenance savings due to long service lives, the reduced heat load into over-heating buildings, the potential for human-centric lighting delivering wellbeing and the fact that you cannot buy the old technology soon – not much.

Benefits of switching

There are three solutions to a non-fluorescent world, LED lamps, new LED luminaires and new LED luminaires with all the benefit of digital control.

LED lamps allow you to retain your old luminaire (light fitting), reduce your energy consumption compared with fluorescent and are a fast and easy way to upgrade an existing luminaire. The downsides are that you need to check that the installation does not require the luminaire’s wiring to be modified (if so, it will invalidate its existing CE/UKCA compliance) and typically the distribution of the light from the LED lamp and the converted luminaire is very different which can cause issues of glare. In conclusion, they have their place, but trial and check that the converted fitting performs as intended and seek a reputable supplier.

The better alternative is to move to a new, or with an eye on circular economy, professional reengineered LED luminaire. Dedicated LED luminaires bring benefits that their optics,

electronics and thermal engineering are all purpose designed, the result is that you get the best energy efficiency, life and lit effect outcomes.

The best alternative is to go to full digitally controlled LED with either wired, wireless or Internet of Things (IoT) controls. Even the best LED luminaire is a waste of energy if nobody is occupying the space or there is sufficient daylight – lighting controls save the most energy and deliver you furthest down your road to net zero. Controls can be simply effective, for example those that can be built into street lights to enable part night dimming (late at night the reduced numbers of cars on a given section of road reduce the risk of accident so lighting levels can be safely reduced, without the risk of turning fully off). Controls can also be enablers of things we simply could not do before. Research is now showing the connection between light and health and light and sleep, simply put the reason why your smartphone screen turns warm after 9pm is based on this research and it applies to buildings as well. Residents of a care home can especially benefit from this technology, with little access to natural light they become daylight deprived, causing body clocks to drift and increasing the likelihood of disturbed sleep at night. Circadian Lighting LED systems can deliver blue rich light in the mornings when they need it and warm light in the evenings, to hasten healthy sleep. One proviso we would make is competence. Dame Judith Hackett in her report on the Grenfell Tower disaster used the word competence 157 times, also in a heavy hint to the benefits of product quality, she described value engineering as nothing to do with value and nothing to do with engineering. We at the Lighting Industry Association (LIA) would strongly suggest that you only procure products from an LIA member, as all members are rigorously checked to be compliant to product safety standards we have done the quality assurance work for you.

In conclusion, the end of fluorescent is very much an opportunity rather than a problem, it was already time to move on, regulations have simply caught up with the inevitable. Those who embrace the new technology, particularly with lighting controls, can have a healthy, low maintenance building stock that is right on strategy for a net zero future. M

FURTHER INFORMATION

www.thelia.org.uk

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Visitor Management

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Mobile Muster App

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From tech to tactics: putting the ‘I’ in International Security Expo

On 24-25 September 2024 at Olympia Events in London, International Security Expo returns; bigger, better, with more features, and expected to draw over 10,000 security professionals from across the world

Key this year is the ‘I’ in international.

International Security Expo is for security leaders from both the public and private sectors to come together and learn through outstanding free talks, to see the latest innovations, many brought to life through immersive demonstrations, and to network with those at the top of the profession and representing all aspects of the security community.

With so many high-level individuals, from Ministers, senior government department directors, police chief officers, heads of government agencies and their global equivalents, as well as CEOs, CSOs and CISOs all in the same place, so much can be achieved in a small time. This is one event you can’t afford to miss.

A truly international event, with speakers from Europe, the USA, Australasia and more, alongside global innovators on the exhibition floor representing all product areas, individuals from over 90 countries are expected to visit. Some of these will attend as part of a formal

International Delegations Programme, supported by UK Defence & Security Exports, Department for Business & Trade, and the Connect+ Live Hosted Buyer Programme, both of which match security buyers who have active buying requirements to exhibitors, ensuring the most can be gained from attending.

Government Zone

The Government Zone returns this year, highlighting the substantial levels of support received by UK Government and offering the chance to meet with the key government departments and agencies in charge of homeland and international security. This year will see a wide range of stands within the Zone on the exhibition floor, including Joint Security and Resilience Centre (JSaRC), National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO), Border Force, Counter Terrorism Policing, UK Defence & Security Exports (UKDSE), FCDO Services, Security Industry Authority (SIA), RISC and Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA). E

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F Innovation

Also key this year is the ‘I’ in innovation. With a comprehensive showcase from hundreds of exhibitors, the Expo will spotlight innovations in areas including access control, body armour, counter UAV, and hostile vehicle mitigation. Much of the innovation will be demonstrated in new live demos, including the all new Live Immersive Demonstrator in partnership with CrisisCast, featuring two simulated real-life scenarios bringing to life how to deal with complex public safety and security situations.

The ever-popular LPCB Live Testing Lab returns, alongside counter threat demonstrations from Counter-EO UK and CBRN UK, whilst the teams from Border Force and British Transport Police will be showcasing the techniques and strategies they employ. These demonstrations offer an opportunity to gain unparalleled insights into the latest security products and strategies.

The Innovation and International themes continue into the ever-popular Summit and Conference programme. The Global Counter Terror & Security Summit, supported by media partner Counter Terror Business, will look at high-level Counter Terror and Security issues whilst providing updates from those in charge of the Government agencies and departments tasked with keeping the public safe, as well as hearing from counterparts from outside the UK. The last three years has seen the Security Minister speak at the Summit. The ever popular “Realities of Terror” theme continues, with strong input from Travis Frain OBE, recently decorated by His Majesty, for his work after the London Bridge attacks.

Complementing the Summit is the International Security & Resilience Conference, sponsored by CSL, with themes looking at airport and aviation security, port and maritime security, resilience, and resilience planning in its broadest sense. There will be innovation spots for new tech to be introduced, as well as a reality of crime and frontline realities perspective. For the first time the Conference will include lessons from the front line, such as how our nurses and NHS staff cope with daily threats as they do their job. Both the Summit and Conference form an exceptionally highquality CPD-certified educational programme, available for attendees free of charge.

International Cyber Expo

But International Security Expo isn’t running in isolation – it is co-located with Intentional

These demonstrations offer an opportunity to gain unparalleled insights into the latest security products and strategies

Cyber Expo. Visitors will have full access to both events free of charge, with this rare opportunity to explore the worlds of both physical and cyber security under the one roof. International Cyber Expo will feature the Global Cyber Summit, Tech Hub Stage, many leading cyber security companies showcasing the latest tech on the exhibition floor, alongside fun and creative live demonstrations to demonstrate how best to deal with a cyber-attack.

Whether you’re seeking to gain competitive insights, expand your professional network, or explore the newest technological advancements, International Security Expo is the place to be. Its significance extends beyond the immediate realm of security, hinting at the broader implications these innovations and discussions have for future trends and global resilience. Attendees can look forward to not only enhancing their professional knowledge but also contributing to the collective progress in tackling contemporary security challenges. M

Members of the Government Business team will be attending ISE this year, come say hello at the Counter Terror Business stand.

FURTHER INFORMATION

For more information and to register for this year’s International Security Expo and International Cyber Expo for free, please visit the website.

A load of rubbish?

The previous government said recycling was confusing and announced plans to simplify collections across the country. However, Labour’s manifesto barely mentioned it. So where are we now?

Every week, bin day inevitably rolls around. Love it or hate it, sorting out different types of waste has become a routine for every household across the UK.

This is partially down to a push to reduce plastic and cardboard waste, as well as the general public’s awareness of the devastating effects not recycling will have on the environment.

Three years ago, the previous government outlined its goal of recycling – setting the target for 65 per cent of all household waste to be recycled by 2035 – with no more than 10 per cent of this waste ending up in landfill.

Greenmatch found that the recycling rate of household waste in the UK has gradually increased over the years, reaching around 45 per cent.

With campaigns such as Let’s Go Zero teaching the next generation the importance of looking after the planet, do households right now understand the recycling rules?

One bin to rule them all

In May, the previous government announced that they would be introducing “simpler bin collections”. However, no timeline was set in place and it remains unclear whether the plans will continue under the new government.

Then recycling minister Robbie Moore said: “We all want to do our bit to increase recycling and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill – but a patchwork of different bin collections across England means it can be hard to know what your council will accept.

“Our plans for Simpler Recycling will end that confusion: ensuring that the same set of materials will be collected regardless of where you live.”

The approach in cluded plans for the same materials to be collected from homes, workplaces and schools in a bid to end confusion over recycling systems.

There were plans for councils to be able to collect plastic, metal, glass, paper and card in E

F one bin in all circumstances. Similarly, food and garden waste would have been allowed to be co-collected.

Similar measures would have applied to non-household municipal premises, including businesses, hospitals, schools and universities, places of worship, penal institutes, charity shops, hostels and public meeting places.

The Labour party manifesto was criticised for not putting enough attention on waste and recycling. A short snippet mentioned: “Labour is committed to reducing waste by moving to a circular economy,” but it did not mention recycling.

How many people find recycling confusing?

The reason the previous was government wanted to introduce these rules was due to what they saw as complexity for councils and other waste collectors, and to ensure they retain the flexibility to collect recyclable waste in the most appropriate way for their local areas.

As well as this, they introduced it with the aim that people will no longer have to check what their specific council will accept for recycling.

A survey from Robinsons in 2022 found that as many as eight in 10 adults in the UK still failed to recycle simple items like cardboard, plastic and food.

It also said that more than four in 10 (42 per cent) felt there are so many “misconceptions and myths” around recycling, they probably don’t do it properly and still find it confusing.

The same number of respondents said they break down their cardboard boxes for pick-up, and almost 60 per cent didn’t think to put paper anywhere other than their general waste bin.

Recycling around the world

Globally, the UK does pretty well in terms of their household recycling rates. Wales was recently named the second best recycling nation in the world, behind Austria. Northern Ireland is ranked ninth, England 11th and Scotland 15th among the 48 countries included in the comparison.

While the UK is currently on the right track and doing well in comparison with the rest of the world, it is clear there is still a long way to go to ensure that everything that can be recycled is. It remains to be seen what policies and incentives the new government will put in place. L

The Labour party manifesto was criticised for not putting enough attention on waste and recycling

How Turmec is leading the way with turnkey solutions

With more than 50 years’ experience in the engineering and recycling industries, Turmec offers planning, installation and support to waste and recycling management companies globally

From a base in Gaeltacht at Rathcairn, Co. Meath, an in-house team of engineers and designers offer a complete turnkey process, from conceptual drawings to a fully operational plant, for bespoke plants through to solutions for new or existing plants, and general engineering projects.

Turmec has lead the way in recycling innovations with turnkey solutions for waste management, exemplified by a world-first project in Brisbane.

One of Turmec’s key projects is the Turmec/ Rino project, the world’s largest state-of-theart construction waste processing facility in Brisbane.

Geoff Bailey, chief executive officer, said this project is a testament to Turmec’s commitment to sustainable waste management and its ability to deliver large-scale, complex projects.

The €30 million project began in March 2022 with a timeline for completion by November 2023. The facility processes Construction & Demolition (C&D) and Commercial & Industrial (C&I) waste, with a processing capacity of 475,000 tonnes per hour. It’s a world-first, able to sort through wet and dry waste under one roof.

Upon completion of the plant, Dan Blaser, Rino recycling general manager, said they had scoured the globe and “brought together the best engineers in the world to successfully collaborate with us to deliver a leading plant that underpins a strong sustainable recycling industry for Australia”.

Geoff Bailey, Turmec chief executive officer, said the project is the company’s largest, by scale, in its long history in the supply and installation of mechanical treatment plants worldwide.

“Our expertise and knowledge made us the ideal candidate for this project, which is the biggest mixed construction and demolition plant in the world by volume,” Geoff said.

“The solution Turmec created and installed, in collaboration with wet plant specialists CDE, means that varied waste types can be integrated into an automated production line which effectively separates out the materials allowing for the production of a number of high-quality products such as aggregates and road base. The residual waste can be used as fuel for industrial boilers.” M

FURTHER INFORMATION

www.turmec.com

Limited free tickets available for the UK’s largest environmental services & solutions expo!

The countdown to the Environmental Services & Solutions Expo (ESS Expo) is on! As the UK’s largest environmental gathering, ESS Expo is set to take place on 11-12 September 2024 at the NEC, Birmingham

The show offers an incredible opportunity for professionals across the entire environmental spectrum to connect with the industry’s biggest players, learn from the sector’s brightest minds, and drive positive environmental change via discourse on natural resources, development policy, sustainability, circular economy, net-zero emissions, and biodiversity conservation.

The event is free to attend for the first 20,000 registrants, so secure your free place at the forefront of environmental innovation, solutions, and knowledge exchange while you still can! Secure your free ticket at www.essexpo.co.uk .

What is ESS Expo?

This is the UK’s leading environmental event, showcasing cutting-edge technologies and

strategies in net-zero, decarbonisation, resource management, circular economy, water scarcity and management, biodiversity conservation, energy management, environmental emergency response, land management, emissions control, and more. Attracting over 12,000 international visitors, the trade show unites industry pioneers, visionary entrepreneurs, and eco-driven professionals to collaborate, learn, and inspire one another towards a greener future.

ESS Expo combines five co-located shows under one roof, creating a comprehensive platform dedicated to environmental services and solutions. This unique format allows attendees to seamlessly explore a wide array of sectors and industries, all focused on addressing the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. E

STAY AHEAD

F From government, to Europe’s largest environmental services contractors, to big brands, ESS welcomes over 12,000 professionals from up and down the supply chain. Whether you are a business planning your net-zero strategy, a council looking to hear the latest regulatory updates or an equipment manufacturer launching a new piece of innovation, this is your platform to collaborate, network and learn with the people shaping the future of our planet.

Here’s a closer look at the five shows that make up ESS Expo:

Resource & Waste Management (RWM) Expo

RWM Expo is at the forefront of resource, waste management and recycling, addressing critical issues such as resource scarcity, plastic pollution, and sustainable materials use. Attendees can expect to discover innovative solutions and technologies that promote recycling, waste reduction, and the circular economy, ensuring ecological balance and long-term economic growth in the resource sector.

Energy, Fuels & Decarbonisation (EFD) Expo

EFD Expo is dedicated to sustainable energy generation, energy from waste, bioenergy,

alternative fuels, energy management, and decarbonisation. It covers a broad spectrum of topics, including carbon capture, hydrogen technologies, and clean energy systems.

Water Resource Management (WRM) Expo

Focusing on water scarcity, flood and drought cycles, wastewater management, and water quality issues, WRM Expo dives into wastewater treatment, point source treatment, and sustainable practices to ensure safe and accessible water resources. The expo features innovations in water equipment and systems, water quality monitoring, water networks & sewage, wastewater, and emergency flood management.

Contamination & Land Remediation (CLR) Expo

CLR Expo addresses the remediation of contaminated sites, soils & materials, brownfield regeneration & greenfield development, geotechnical engineering & technologies, biodiversity & natural capital, and the management of hazardous substances. This show highlights technologies and best practices for environmental restoration and sustainable land use, including site investigation, soil remediation, and hazardous waste management. E

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F Air Pollution Control (APC) Expo

APC Expo focuses on air quality management, emission reduction, stack monitoring, noise prevention, dust and odour control. It showcases the latest technologies for air pollution control, including stack emission monitoring, leak detection, indoor air quality, and noise prevention

Numbers that speak for themselves 12,000+ attendees; 86 per cent hold buying power; 6,000+ companies; 64 countries; 26,000+ leads generated; 17,000+ meetings.

What’s on?

Expert-led Conference Programme

ESS Expo features an expert-led conference programme that includes interactive speaker presentations, lively panel discussions, workshops, and Q&A sessions. Attendees will have the chance to learn from industry leaders and gain insights into the latest trends and innovations across the entire environmental spectrum.

Current headliners include Chris Packham MBE (one of the UK’s leading wildlife presenters and conservationists) and Mike Gunton, an icon of wildlife broadcasting as BBC Studios’ Creative Director and executive producer of record-breaking series, Planet Earth III. More huge names will be revealed soon (think global brands and Government officials, as well as industry focussed seminars).

ESS Expo boasts 17 Stages, 350 speakers, live bands, DJs, live demos and a whole lot more. Discover a diverse array of stages and themes at the show, each designed to bring you the latest insights and innovations across the environmental sector. From high-level government discussions and cutting-edge technical sessions to interactive presentations and vibrant entertainment, the stages offer something for everyone. Attendees will benefit from a unique blend of learning, networking, E

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The real savings are not in material costs, but in the time saved in having a ready-to-install product, and not having to dewater the watercourse to place the bagwork.

SoluForm MSE Bagwork is supplied pre-filled with a high quality sand rich topsoil, supplied in a form that is ready to use and assemble on site once it arrives.

It aims to establish and promote vegetation growth on, and inside the bagwork, giving the bagwork structure an improved appearance.

F and fun as they tackle the industry’s most pressing issues.

The stages range from the Net Zero Summit Theatre, which acts as the foundation for highlevel discussions on environmental policies, strategies, and innovations, to the Green Skills & Future Talent Hub, which aims to nurture and develop the next wave of environmental professionals, to sector-specific technical theatres, and the ESS Live Stage, the heart of the event’s entertainment, featuring live bands and DJs.

Networking opportunities

Networking is the cornerstone of ESS Expo, with no shortage of options over the two days. With numerous opportunities to connect with peers, suppliers, and potential clients, attendees can engage in private meetings, AGMs, tutorials, member networking events, industry-specific forums, award presentations, breakfast briefings, and socials around the central bar, Inn on the Green, and ESS Live Stage. This is a prime chance for environmental leaders to build strong, lasting relationships and expand professional networks.

Live demonstrations and workshops

The expo offers live demonstrations of vehicles, equipment, and machinery, providing a hands-on experience with the latest technologies working in their intended environments. Workshops and talks will cover a range of topics, offering practical insights and solutions for everyday challenges in the environmental sector.

Award schemes & initiatives

ESS Expo proudly features a variety of award schemes and initiatives that celebrate the achievements and contributions of outstanding individuals and organisations within the environmental sector.

Women in Resource & Sustainability:

Taking place on the morning of day two, this inclusive networking platform is dedicated to celebrating and exploring the contributions of women in the resource, recycling, and waste management sectors. It offers a fantastic opportunity for professionals within the industry to share experiences, challenges, and success stories, fostering a supportive community and encouraging greater inclusion and diversity in the sector.

35 Under 35 Awards: This programme identifies the trailblazers in the environmental sector who are striving for professional excellence, promoting industry innovation, and giving back to their company or community. This programme invites individuals from waste and recycling, water management, energy, construction, and anyone connected to managing sustainability within their organisation to join an exclusive group of professionals under the age of 35.

The Environment 100 Recognition Scheme: Recognising our environmental leaders and sustainability champions, The Environment 100 shines a light on the trailblazers and visionaries driving forward environmental sustainability in the UK.

Register now for your free ticket

Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to be part of the beating heart of environmental excellence. With limited free tickets available, now is the time to secure your spot. Register via the website today and join us at the NEC, Birmingham, on 11-12 September 2024, for the UK’s largest environmental gathering. Be part of the conversation, explore the latest innovations, and connect with industry leaders. M

FURTHER INFORMATION

www.ess-expo.co.uk

The business case for reducing stress

Carole Spiers, chair of the International Stress Management Association UK, explains why it is in the best interest of every organisation to reduce employees’ stress

Stress has become an inevitable part of modern life, particularly in the workplace. High stress levels among employees can lead to various negative outcomes, including decreased productivity, increased absenteeism, and higher turnover rates. Conversely, companies that actively reduce stress among their workforce can enjoy a myriad of benefits that enhance overall performance and profitability. This article explores the compelling business case for reducing stress in the workplace.

Enhancing productivity

Stress is a major productivity killer. When employees are stressed, they struggle to concentrate, make more mistakes, and are generally less efficient. The annual costs of workplace injury and new cases of work-related ill health reached £20.7 billion in 2022/23, which is a notable increase from previous years [HSE Press Office]. By implementing stress reduction strategies, companies can significantly boost

productivity. This can be achieved through various means such as promoting a healthy work-life balance, providing mental health resources, and fostering a supportive work environment.

Reducing absenteeism and presenteeism

High stress levels contribute to both absenteeism and presenteeism. Absenteeism occurs when employees frequently miss work due to stress-related health issues, while presenteeism occurs when employees are physically present but mentally disengaged. Both scenarios result in lost productivity and increased costs. The World Health Organization estimates that the economic cost of lost productivity due to absenteeism and presenteeism is staggering. Companies that prioritise stress reduction see a decrease in these issues, leading to a more reliable and engaged workforce.

Lowering healthcare costs

Chronic stress is linked to a variety of health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, depression, and anxiety. These health issues lead to higher healthcare costs for employers who provide health insurance. By reducing stress, companies can lower their healthcare expenses. Wellness programmes, mental health support, and stress management training are effective ways to help employees manage their stress levels, ultimately resulting in healthier employees and reduced healthcare costs.

Improving employee retention

High stress levels often lead to higher turnover rates. Employees who feel overwhelmed and unsupported are more likely to leave their jobs in search of a healthier work environment. The cost of replacing an employee can be substantial, often amounting to several times the employee’s annual salary. By creating a workplace that prioritises stress reduction, companies can improve employee satisfaction and retention. Happy, healthy employees are more likely to stay with the company, reducing the costs and disruptions associated with turnover.

Enhancing employee engagement

Engaged employees are more productive, innovative, and committed to their work. Stress, however, is a significant barrier to employee engagement. When stress levels are high, employees are less likely to feel motivated and connected to their work and the organisation. Reducing stress can enhance employee engagement by creating a more positive work environment. This can be achieved through

High stress levels often lead to higher turnover rates

recognition programmes, opportunities for professional development, and fostering a culture of open communication and support.

Boosting company reputation

In today’s competitive job market, a company’s reputation is crucial for attracting top talent. Companies known for their supportive and stress-reducing work environments have a competitive edge. Potential employees are more likely to be attracted to organisations that prioritise their well-being. Moreover, existing employees are more likely to speak positively about their workplace, enhancing the company’s reputation as an employer of choice.

Driving innovation and creativity

Stress stifles creativity and innovation. When employees are stressed, they are less likely to think outside the box or take risks. A relaxed and supportive work environment, on the other hand, encourages creativity and innovation. By reducing stress, companies can foster a culture where new ideas are welcomed, and employees feel confident in experimenting and innovating.

Implementing stress reduction strategies

To effectively reduce stress in the workplace, companies should consider a multifaceted approach that includes promoting a healthy work-life balance, providing access to mental health resources, implementing regular stress management training, and fostering an open and supportive work environment.

It starts at the top: effective stress management starts with leaders setting a positive example and fostering a supportive environment that prioritises mental well-being for the entire team.

Promote work-life balance: encourage employees to take breaks, use their vacation time, and disconnect from work after hours. Provide mental health resources: offer access to counselling services, stress management workshops, and mental health days.

Foster a positive work environment: create a culture of support, recognition, and open communication. Encourage teamwork and collaboration.

Train managers to actively listen: encourage open communication, empathetic engagement, E

Companies that invest in comprehensive stress reduction strategies can significantly enhance productivity

F and regular check-ins with employees. Equip them with skills to recognise early signs of stress, such as changes in behaviour or productivity, and to provide timely support and resources.

Offer flexible work arrangements: allow employees to have flexible working hours or remote work options to better manage their personal and professional responsibilities. Invest in employee development: provide opportunities for career growth and professional development to help employees feel valued and motivated.

Encourage employees to speak up when they feel stressed: remove the taboo around discussing mental health and fostering an open, supportive workplace culture.

Conclusion

The business case for reducing stress is clear and compelling. Companies that invest in comprehensive stress reduction strategies can significantly enhance productivity, reduce absenteeism and healthcare costs, and improve both employee retention and engagement.

Moreover, these efforts can boost the overall reputation of the organisation, making it more attractive to potential employees and customers alike. In today’s fast-paced and highly demanding work environment, prioritising employee well-being is not just a moral imperative; it is a strategic advantage that can set a company apart from its competitors.

By fostering a supportive, healthy, and stress-free workplace, companies can ensure a healthier, happier, and more productive workforce, ultimately driving business success and long-term sustainability.

I would say that is a positive direction for industry. What about you? M

About the Author

Carole Spiers FISMA, FPSA, MIHPE

Carole is CEO of a leading UK Stress Management Consultancy, currently working with equal success both in the UK and the Gulf. She is a well-respected authority on building resilience and improving health and wellbeing, a BBC Guest-Broadcaster and author of ‘Show Stress Who’s Boss!’

She is Chair of the International Stress Management AssociationUK, an international Motivational Speaker and is regularly called upon by the national press and media for comment and is founder of International Stress Awareness Week.

FURTHER INFORMATION

https://isma.org.uk

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