Major Equipment Ltd, a leading innovator in professional tractor-powered groundcare mowers, is excited to launch its upgraded TDR Rotary Mower at SALTEX 2024
Designed for the management of parklands, sports pitches and semi-rough golf course grass, this new model delivers enhanced durability, precision and efficiency in maintaining expansive green spaces.
The upgraded TDR stands out with several key improvements over its predecessor including:
Galvanised Body: The entire body of the Major TDR is now galvanized, offering superior resistance to rust and corrosion, ensuring longevity and reducing maintenance costs.
5mm Blades: The new model is equipped with 5mm blades, designed to deliver a cleaner, more precise cut. These robust blades enhance the mower’s ability to handle tougher grass and vegetation, resulting in a consistently professional finish, adding an aesthetic appeal to any public space.
Hydraulic brakes: Safety is paramount, and the inclusion of hydraulic brakes as standard ensures that operators have better handling and can operate the mower with increased confidence particularly when travelling between sites.
Heavy duty driveline: The gearbox drive line delivers consistent cutting rates, even in heavy and wet conditions, eliminating the belt slippages and inconsistent cutting associated with belt driven mowers.
Simple height adjustment: Operators can easily adjust the cutting height from 10-140mm, allowing for a wide range of applications and delivering the perfect cut every time.
The upgraded Major TDR is available in two working widths; 4.90m and 6.1m and is the ideal solution for local authorities responsible for maintaining parks, sports fields and other public spaces, as well as private contractors who require reliable, high-performance equipment for large-scale landscaping projects. The rear deck can be detached from the chassis and used independently. This feature allows for greater operational flexibility, making the TDR a multi-purpose tool for any grounds maintenance team.
Major Equipment will be showcasing the TDR at stand J112 at SALTEX 2024, October 30th and 31st 2024. Visitors to the stand can also see the Major CS-Pro, a 3m tractor-mounted mower ideal for smaller compact tractors and the MJ2000 Flail Collector, a versatile machine designed for cutting and collecting grass and perfect for areas with infrequent mowing cycles.
For more information about the upgraded Major TDR or to schedule a demonstration call Major Equipment Ltd on 01524 850501 or visit www.major-equipment.com
Hire Association Europe & Event Hire Association (HAE EHA) has announced the appointment of a new commercial director to support its continued growth in its 50th year of operation and continue to champion the hire sector. Neil Bravery will take up the position following a three-year stint as the Association’s chair.
Neil Bravery
Bravery was managing director at SHC Hire for 11 years, acquiring the business though a management buyout. In his time at SHC, Bravery more than doubled the number of depots to 10 following the acquisition of Hartley Hire in 2021, expanding the business beyond Yorkshire into the Lake District and Lancashire.
With 34 years’ experience in the hire sector, Bravery has also held senior roles with national and independent tool and plant hire companies.
HAE EHA is a Birmingham-based industry-leading trade association for the plant, tool, equipment and event hire sectors with membership representing businesses from new startups to some of Europe’s largest hire companies. It has over 700 member companies based in the UK, Europe and across other parts of the world.
Commenting on his appointment, Neil Bravery said: “I am honoured to take on the role of commercial director for HAE EHA and can’t wait to get stuck in. I have worked with the Association for many years and the work that it does to support the sector is truly invaluable. Our more-than-700 members are the heartbeat of the sector which holds up all of Britain’s major industries, from events and hospitality to infrastructure and construction.
“I am dedicated to ensuring the sector continues the incredible work we deliver as well as leading positive change to improve the sector and its support. Continued hire member engagement including our supply chain partners is paramount, I’m looking forward to speaking with prospective and existing members and showcasing the benefits of HAE and EHA.”
Paul Gaze, HAE EHA’s CEO, said: “Following a thorough recruitment process, I’m delighted to announce that Neil Bravery will be joining the HAE EHA as our new commercial director. Neil’s all-round experience of hire and rental, his commitment to providing solutions, his passion for the industry, and his contribution to the Association are well known. He will make a significant impact as part of the leadership team in our 50th year of operation.”
Unremitting financial pressures, ongoing staff reductions and the unforgiving need to deliver new political initiatives against tight budgets are leading local, regional and national government managers across the UK to turn to outsourced private sector business transformation experts for the delivery of organisational change and new services.
David Pinchard
A leading supplier of this kind of high-level support is the Bristol-based consultancy, Transformation-Leaders.com, whose Managing Director, David Pinchard, says: “We fully understand the financial and manpower restraints facing the UK’s public sector and have responded with a unique and cost-effective business model that can help these under-pressure managers deliver new services and political initiatives whilst complying with all necessary financial standing orders, HR regulations and ‘best value’ criteria.
“Starting with a well-constructed project specification is the key to success,” says David. “The tighter the tender, the greater the return on investment and the more successful the outcome”.
“This is why we like to be in at the start of a project and work alongside clients to develop a well-thought out specification, clear objectives and a realistic timetable for the successful delivery of the project, especially those that are valued under the EU’s ‘small lots’ threshold @ c. £65,630 or c.£118,130 for central government contracts.
“Once the specification is in place, our clients then have the option of going out to tender – which can often be a lengthy and unpredictable process – or they can contract one of our pre-qualified business transformation experts to deliver the project, starting work within a few days and with strict cost-controls in place.
“Government agencies which we have helped in this way include the General Social Care Council, the Legal Services Board, the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group, the Law Society and the Stationery Office and Ordnance Survey, along with local authority and regional government agencies across many sectors.
“Our clients are always surprised to learn that this kind of highly-qualified managerial support can be acquired within such a short turnaround period and that transformation-leaders.com will continue to provide 24/7 back-up support should unforeseen circumstances or problems arise.
“Full details of how we work can be found on our website – www.transformation-leaders.com which demonstrates our ability to deliver complex public and private sector projects on time, on budget and to specification, no matter what it takes, and with offices in London, Bristol and Halifax, help and advice is never far away”.
THIS year marks a significant milestone for HLM Architects as we celebrate 60 years of practice. Since our founding in 1964, HLM has built a strong reputation for design excellence and expertise, focusing on solving client’s challenges while considering the broader impact design can have on people, communities, and society.
Where it began
HLM Architects’ journey began with the competition-winning design for the Paisley Civic Centre, a project that laid the foundation for the practice. 60 years later, just a few miles along the White Cart River, the firm’s latest achievement – the energy carbon-neutral National Manufacturing Institute of Scotland (NMIS) headquarters. Together these represent six decades worth of ‘Thoughtful Design’.
HLM has a proud history of creating architecture that has positively impacted people’s lives for more than half a century. Our design philosophy places people at the heart of every project. Our ‘Thoughtful Design’ approach has led to the creation of educational spaces that inspire, healthcare environments that nurture, homes embedded in thriving communities, and infrastructure that is sustainable in every way. It is this sense of social purpose that drives us on and is at the heart of everything we do. The practice’s dedication to thoughtful design has earned it numerous accolades, recognising both our innovative solutions and our contributions to society and the environment.
Values that have stood the test of time
A key to our success over the past 60 years has been our unwavering commitment to core values, even as the practice has evolved. We make a commitment to bring our expertise and creativity to each project we undertake, working in partnership with our clients in a collaborative and transparent way, never losing sight of our ambition to make better places for people.
At the heart of our practice are our four guiding values: creativity, commitment, transparency and expertise. These pillars shape our approach and will continue to drive us to build places that inspire and support people in the future.
The HLM team
We would not be able to achieve what we do without the passion, commitment, and enthusiasm of our team. More than 180 talented individuals fill our studios, connected at both regional and national level, bringing diversity of thought to every aspect of our business. We work as one team across five studios, collaborating and sharing new ideas and best practice through open and honest communication, creating strong relationships and great friendships along the way. Our nurturing culture encourages thoughtfulness and creativity, and we surround everyone with the right mix of resources and a working environment to energise and inspire; supporting everyone to grow and flourish. Most of all, we enjoy what we do and the great places that we create for people.
In December 2022 we became a part of an Employee Ownership Trust. Employee ownership means all of us working together, with a common purpose and passion, to improve outcomes for each other, our clients and our communities.
Reflecting on six decades of practice, chair,head of design, Philip Watson said: “HLM’s journey over the past six decades has been fascinating and remarkable in many ways. We take immense pride in our rich heritage, and how the practice has evolved into one of the premier architectural practices in the UK and Ireland.
“Looking forward, we intend to build on our legacy of innovation, inclusivity, and sustainability; and as we celebrate our successes, we remain dedicated to evolving our practice to meet the ever-changing needs of the communities we serve. The practice has never been stronger, and we look forward to 60 more years of creating spaces that inspire and transform people’s lives.”
Health technology provider Alcidion has appointed digital health leader Will Smart as a non-executive director
A former national chief information officer for health and social care in England, Will Smart will join the Alcidion Group board in a global role from October. He will provide strategic insight as the company continues to support healthcare organisations in different parts of the world digitise frontline services.
Will Smart
During an extensive career in digital health, Smart has advised senior government ministers, has played leading roles in initiatives including the Global Digital Exemplar programme and has helped to drive technology adoption from within the health technology industry.
Commenting on his new role with Alcidion, Will Smart said: “Alcidion continues to win really interesting projects, as healthcare systems work to advance digitisation. The company deserves mindshare from healthcare CIOs for its very impressive modern, interoperable, standards-based EPR platform, and for technologies now needed to address key issues such as how patients flow across systems. I look forward to sharing ideas and working closely with the Alcidion team, who have proven themselves to be thoughtful and committed in delivering the best possible products and outcomes for customers.”
Smart is a former global director of external relations for Dedalus Group. He has also held executive roles at several NHS trusts during his career, including group chief information officer for the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.
He will remain in post as digital non-executive director for Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, from where he serves as a member of the Acute Hospitals Alliance EPR Joint Committee, which is responsible for overseeing the delivery of a shared EPR across three NHS trusts.
Smart remains a director of CareTech Partners Limited, which provides digital advisory and consultancy support. He is also a member of Health and Social Care Council at techUK, a trade association which represents and champions companies in the UK technology sector.
Kate Quirke, CEO for Alcidion, said: “Will’s extensive experience in digitising frontline services will help to inform our strategic direction as we continue to serve more and more healthcare providers throughout the world, with genuine solutions to meet their needs. We look forward to inspiring and open discussions that will help to further enhance our effectiveness in this mission.”
Arun Thaneja, Winvic’s Technical Services and Sustainability Director – who last year supported the development of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) guidance on carbon offsetting and associated carbon pricing to support the shift towards Net Zero buildings – will lead Winvic’s attendance at regular roundtables. He will be supported by Heidi Salmons, Winvic’s Head of Marketing, Communications, and Social Responsibility, who will bring valuable insights on the Social aspects of ESG to the discussions.
Winvic will play a pivotal role, joining the roundtables with ministers, parliamentarians, regulators, standard-setters, NGOs and academics that the PLG organises, contributing to bridging the knowledge gap in ESG among parliamentarians and advancing the ESG and sustainability agenda in Parliament. Discussions will inform key government figures, maintaining the legacy of being one of the most prominent cross-party groups in Westminster.
A place on the Advisory Board means that Winvic will have the opportunity to shape future topics for discussion and make recommendations to parliament as well as shape topics for reports and influence the Decarbonisation Strategy to meet the current 2030 target in The Labour Party manifesto.
Bridging the wider corporate world and that of parliament, the PLG’s strategic objectives include identifying and proposing policy solutions for the challenges that companies and investors face when adopting and applying ESG principles and frameworks. The group also aims to align commercial strategies and public sector objectives, such as achieving net zero, reducing biodiversity loss, ensuring a Just Transition and amplifying diversity, equity and inclusion.
By supporting the development and implementation of effective, low-burden reporting requirements and showcasing how ESG frameworks and principles can enhance business resilience and lower investors’ exposure to risk, the PLG will help the UK become a global green finance centre and an ESG leader.
Arun Thaneja, Winvic’s Technical Services and Sustainability Director, said: “It’s an honour for Winvic to be invited to join the Advisory Board of the Policy Liaison Group on ESG. Having a seat at the table will allow us to share our expertise, influence cross parliamentary discussions and collaboratively find solutions to ESG challenges and I’m optimistic that Winvic will gain fresh and innovative insights from other industry experts on the Advisory Board.
“As the only construction contractor to join this significant cross-party forum, we are committed to representing the industry positively and honestly. We view this role as both a privilege and a responsibility. We will leverage our extensive knowledge and passion to help advance the ESG and sustainability agenda in Parliament, with the goal of strengthening the UK’s position as an ESG and sustainability leader globally.”
Heidi Salmons, Head of Marketing, Communications & Social Responsibility added: “Winvic has consistently been at the forefront of ESG initiatives in the industry, and we are eager to contribute our expertise to the PLG. We are particularly passionate about highlighting the Social aspect of ESG, underscoring the importance of a Just Transition to ensure that no one is left behind as we work towards a more sustainable future. We look forward to supporting the PLG’s mission to help parliamentarians understand ESG, and how frameworks, metrics, practices, and approaches can drive both environmental and social impact, while also securing a more stable and efficient business climate through effective corporate governance.”
For more information on Winvic, the company’s latest project news and job vacancies please visit www.winvic.co.uk. Join Winvic on social media – visit X (formerly Twitter) @WinvicLtd – and LinkedIn.
By Stephen Repton, CEO and founder of project-management SaaS and training firm, Flowlio, and social-housing PM expert
The recent King’s Speech set out some once-in-a-generation tasks for social housing providers.
Sir Kier Starmer wants to create 1.5 million homes in the next few years and local councils will have to play a major role in this, overseeing some enormous building works.
The Regulator of Social Housing’s new standards have also created a lot of work for social-housing landlords, including councils and housing associations, who need to collate and report the views of hundreds of thousands of tenants on the upkeep their homes. Landlords also need to find quicker, more efficient ways of maintaining properties.
All this creates the need for some huge, complicated projects and project management. Many council leaders may feel overwhelmed at the prospect, dreading the paperwork and staff and resource coordination involved. That is where new, innovative tech solutions come in. Systems that provide central digital hubs from which everyone can work collaboratively and efficiently.
Setting sensible goals
It’s important that any local authority or other organisation sets out a clear business case that is specific to their needs and capabilities, before stating any project. It sounds obvious, but all too often it doesn’t happen.
Over my career advising and working with housing associations and councils, I’ve seen major maintenance or building projects that get underway with little reference to how they fit in with an organisation’s wider strategic plans. Staff and leaders haven’t been clear on the precise benefits to them or their section of the organisation of the project. This can lead to a lack of staff buy-in, poor use of resources, slow project momentum and even project failure.
A tech solution with a centralised dashboard allows all leaders and teams to see exactly what the project aims are and the mini targets to be reached along the way. This almost forces planners to come up with a clear case that shows the benefits of a project, as it can be scrutinised by everyone involved, rather than just enforced top-down with limited explanation.
The dashboard can also detail everyone’s tasks and roles in the project, with an obvious golden thread running through them so staff can see exactly how they are contributing to the end goal.
Under the new government’s targets, of course, an overall aim might be as simple as “build 10,000 houses in the area”. But having a centralised hub allows you to make it clear how this is broken down into a series of smaller goals.
Software systems can also automatically report to teams how the project is already bringing benefits, before completion, to spur them on. An increase in tenant satisfaction scores, perhaps, or a 10% reduction in heating costs, due to the rollout of new maintenance procedures.
Working together
If everyone from roofers to company finance directors are working on a building or maintenance project through one software dashboard, rather than a series of emails, sub-meetings and separate department IT systems, better collaboration is almost inevitable.
Everyone can see each other’s tasks and current progress, in real time, all in one place. The chances of their work accidentally overlapping or becoming too siloed fade away. Feeding into one central piece of software brings a sense of togetherness and ownership for the project, too, boosting staff motivation and morale.
Teams feed the latest project data into the system, so it can flag up automatically when a task is falling behind schedule, needs more resources or is running into difficulty. This allows senior leaders to intervene as soon as they need to, providing guidance and support, rather than waiting for teams to ask for help – by which time it may be too late to avoid more serious problems. A lack of project visibility amongst senior leaders, with all information coming from one project manager, can and has led to spiralling costs and problems and possible project failure, in my experience.
A spreadsheet or one project manager co-ordinating everything via DMs might work for small projects, but not for the sort of huge data-gathering and building tasks councils and other social landlords have ahead of them. Working through a centralised dashboard is much more likely to make such daunting tasks successful.
Automatic admin not bureaucracy
If a project manager has to contact dozens of team members to harvest the latest data and budget details for reports to executives, it can eat up a huge chunk of their time, as can the data analysis required. But if staff are all constantly feeing information into a digital hub, there’s no need to chase it and it can do the data analysis automatically. Indeed, software solutions can even compile information into report templates and help generate end-of-project documents for CEOs, the housing regulator or whoever needs them. A good system will also prompt users to update it, such as with details of the latest resource usage orfilling out RAID logs.
A very useful by-product of working with a good PM software provider is that their systems can upskill your staff. Training in how the software works shouldn’t just cover which button to press when. It should also cover the PM fundamentals and best practice that underpin how the system operates. This can provide employees with the knowledge and confident to run a successful project, saving you the cost of hiring in new staff or expensive PM consultants.
A major headache for organisation is when a project manager or other key team member leaves before a project is finished. It can take hours to locate vital information, from contact details to work schedules, that are spread out across work emails, Excel and Word documents or even on pieces of paper. Data may be lost forever. Centralising all information in one place takes this business risk away.
Slotting projects into place
Any project, no matter how well designed or executed, can fail if people don’t know how to apply its results to their everyday job. This could be particularly true if the project is designed to facilitate some of the new ways of operating required by the Regulator of Social Housing.
Just as a central dashboard allows you to display clearly people’s tasks during a project, it can also set out actions they need to complete and approve before go-live. This automated process avoids confusion and a loss of time and money if a project is launched too soon.
Stephen Repton is CEO and founder of OneConsulting and Flowlio. He is also former Assistant Director Business Transformation, First Choice Homes Oldham and Group IT Infrastructure Program Manager at Your Housing Group.
Flowlio offers a unique end-to-end project-management SaaS, along with full training in how to operate it. For this and other Flowlio training solutions, please visit www.flowlio.co.uk
ByNeil Mclvor, Head of Data for Public Services at technology consultancy, esynergy
Neil Mclvor
Under its newly appointed Chief Strategy Officer, Gina Gill, the CDDO has now kicked off a project intended to solve urgent governmental issues around “data quality”. Whilst undoubtedly important, this overlooks a vital first step; that is, educating the civil service on what exactly “data” itself is. Indeed, across the Government, the term is often conflated with its analysis and/or the insights it can provide.
All operations and outcomes – both in the public and private sectors – rely on data. As such, building and implementing a more effective data strategy will be fundamental to the success of central government initiatives going forward. Therefore, it is essential that any new strategy focuses not just on improving the collection and measurement of data, but also on elevating education around it more widely. Indeed, many civil servants, despite perhaps lacking in-depth education on the topic – have strong aspirations for the potential, radically positive impact that an improved data strategy would have upon almost all aspects of civilian life. The Government should look to leverage this ambition.
Educational foundations
Although focusing the One Big Thing on data upskilling last year was a crucial step to improving the civil service’s education around data, this did not go far enough. The training focused on how data can be transformed into insights, rather than the underlying mechanics of how it flows through systems, where it comes from and how to acquire it – what I term the ‘get-put-use’ model. There is a widespread assumption that relevant data is simply available, on tap, that it readily moves through systems and that valuable insights can be easily drawn from it. Stripping the training back to instead consider and interrogate what data itself is and how it is inextricably linked to business processes, before incorporating learning modules that address all of its different elements (measurement, analysis, insights, et. cetera) would go a long way in empowering civil servants to derive more value from data.
Building these educational foundations is also the first step to democratising data within the civil service. If individuals better understand the nature of the information they are requesting, and where it comes from, they can more effectively use it for decision-making (rather than relying solely on designated data teams to do so). Necessary security guardrails should and must remain in place, but opening up data access in this way could exponentially increase efficiencies across departments.
Developing the architecture
The current data infrastructure also has limitations that need to be recognized, along with systemic challenges that must be tackled. In part, this is due to the fact that, historically, the government’s approach to data has naturally been more reactive than proactive. In other words, significant developments have been driven by need or emergency.
For example, COVID-19 drove some seismic breakthroughs for the Government when it came to unlocking the power of data. In the Department for Education, the data teams built a system that measured, in real-time, how many children and teachers were in school every day, as well as their reasons for being off sick. This information, and the insights it provided, then informed resultant governmental decisions, tapping into the true value that data can provide when it comes to benefitting society. Furthermore, the resulting infrastructure was later used in the publication of the official statistics around teachers’ industrial action in February 2023, which went on to win the 2023 Campion Award for Excellence in Official Statistics.
While necessity will always be the mother of invention and this period showed what was possible, it is essential that a balance is struck here. The Government still needs to look to innovate and develop data infrastructure and pipelines outside of such acute situations, to be better prepared for and more resilient against future shocks. What’s more, when effective systems are created, like those developed by the Department for Education, they must be systematised and automated across departments to prevent a ‘cottage industry’ effect. This will help to address the fact that, although there are pockets of truly groundbreaking work going on, on a macro level, capabilities around data remain relatively siloed within and across departments.
Redefining the future
The government undeniably faces a complex challenge in developing and executing a new data strategy; namely, a smaller civil service, budget cuts, and the substantial investment required for enhancing end-to-end infrastructure. However, digital transformation cannot happen without data transformations, particularly as departments look towards applying technologies like AI. As such, a new data strategy is the first step to driving radical change across all aspects of public service and ensuring that projects provide maximum value right from their inception. This begins with education.
Neil Mclvor is the Head of Data for Public Services at technology consultancy, esynergy. Previously, he was Chief Data Officer at the Department for Education and has 23-year career spanning five government departments.
Introduction: How Matrix Workforce Management Solutions used its unique service-line portfolio to offer an end-to-end workforce solution for the Greater London local authority helping to streamline temporary and permanent recruitment processes, saving them time and money, while increasing candidate quality.
Matthew Richards
The Problem: Like most local authorities across the UK, Barnet Council is facing an increasingly competitive public sector staff marketplace with a shrinking talent pool and tightening budgets. As a result, it’s Hiring Managers required support to better understand their evolving recruitment needs to ensure they were taking the best possible approach to finding and onboarding the right talent at minimum cost. In trying to address these needs with an already overwhelming expectation on their in-house Hiring Managers, it became clear that going it alone for each temporary and permanent vacancy wasn’t a viable option. Instead, Barnet Council needed a more coordinated and consistent process that would increase staffing agency and candidate reach as well as the overall quality of their talent pool.
The Solution: Rather than Hiring Managers dealing with multiple recruitment agencies for each hire, Barnet Council ideally wanted a one-stop-shop for both interim and permanent recruitment. Matrix was brought on board, uniquely able to deliver a self-service platform that consolidates the offerings of multiple agencies, and is quickly and easily accessible through a single online portal; Matrix Prism. Tailored to the local authority’s specific hiring needs, Matrix Prism provides all reporting requirements in one place. Specific solutions include:
Matrix Talent Pool, where Barnet can store contact details for its known temporary public sector workers to quickly fill one-off placements when required, saving time and avoiding hefty agency charges for each placement.
Matrix Milestone, a procurement and supply chain platform where subject matter experts for specialist projects like town planning and transport infrastructure can be sourced in line with IR35 legislation, improving outcomes, giving greater control and reducing spending.
Matrix Security Watchdog Pre-employment and background screening, which vets and validates all candidates chosen through the Matrix platform in line with the stringent demands of the public sector. Barnet has also launched electronic ID pre-employment checks for permanent hires, further tightening recruitment security.
The Outcome: Barnet Council’s partnership with Matrix has opened the door to a highly accessible, larger and more varied talent pool, made up of validated and better-quality candidates. Costs are also being reduced through the negotiating and buying power Matrix can leverage across its network of recruitment agencies. Meanwhile, Barnet Council benefits from a single line of authority for all recruitment needs, which means only one regular meeting is needed to address any issues and policy shifts. This streamlining results in increased efficiencies, boosts transparency, saves time and accelerates the response to the local authority’s rapidly changing needs, while also enabling better, more efficient and effective future planning.
The Results:
£200k savings in agency charges achieved through Matrix Talent Pool
Through Matrix Talent Pool, the London Borough of Barnet has seen an increase in accessibility to a diverse and skilled workforce that covers 16 job categories and across 64 job titles, via the Matrix platform
£800k of supply chain savings through using Matrix Workforce as a managed service provider
99% Fulfilment Rate for Orders in FY23/24
Conclusion: In partnership with Matrix, Barnet Council now enjoys a streamlined, end-to-end process that addresses its recruitment needs, transforming and future-proofing its staffing process. As a result, hiring is faster, and more consistent, efficient, effective and transparent, saving time for hiring managers and costs for the local authority.
What the customer says:
“The strong agency partnerships that Matrix has forged increase its buying and negotiating power and drives deeper engagement. This brings down commission costs for Barnet, gives us access to a much wider pool of talent, and makes it easier for us to find the right candidates for our more difficult-to-fill roles. We now have a variety of recruitment solutions in one basket, with all reporting in one place, enabling better, more efficient and effective future staffing planning.”
Council eliminated Java vulnerabilities, accounting for more than 80% of its IT security vulnerabilities overall, with no disruption or impact on performance
Azul, the only company 100% focused on Java, recently announced that Newcastle City Council (NCC) has successfully implemented Azul Platform Core to address critical security vulnerabilities in its Java-based applications. This strategic move has significantly enhanced the council’s cybersecurity posture, remediating more than 80% of its IT vulnerabilities overall, with no disruption to its essential municipal services or impact on performance.
NCC provides municipal services to over 300,000 residents of Newcastle, the largest city in northeast England. Critical applications such as financial management, housing and benefits run on Java version 8.
Changes to Oracle Java Licence and Pricing Left Council Exposed to Security Risk
In 2019, Oracle changed how it licensed and priced licensing and support for Java 8 and, as a result, NCC lost access to free quarterly security patches. Committed to the highest standards of security, NCC conducts annual security audits. When these audits began flagging the Java runtime (JDK) as a major concern – accounting for more than 80% of the organisation’s IT security vulnerabilities – the council knew it needed commercial support to access security patches for its older versions of Java. It also needed to be able to address the vulnerabilities without disrupting its essential Java-based business applications and systems used daily by approximately 1,100 employees.
Full Support of Java Application Estate and Critical Patch Updates
NCC explored several options to address the need for more secure Java applications, including migrating away from Java completely. However, this move would have launched a year-long, prohibitively expensive process, creating unacceptable downtime for the government body. It also looked at moving to a free distribution of OpenJDK, but it needed full support for its Java estate to ensure security and stability.
After exploring these options, the council turned to Azul Platform Core, an OpenJDK-based alternative to Oracle Java. With Azul, NCC received a one-for-one equivalent to a commercial support subscription from Oracle, including Critical Patch Updates (CPUs) that allowed IT to immediately deploy security fixes in production.
Because Azul supports more Java versions and platforms than any other vendor (including Java 6 and 7), the council could continue to safely use its older versions of Java without needing to upgrade to newer releases. This transition also fortified the security of its Java environment across 5,000 desktops, and ensured that its systems remained robust, efficient and compliant with the U.K.’s Public Services Network (PSN) requirements.
“Through our strategic partnership with Azul, we significantly reduced our security risk level with our Java applications and Java-based infrastructure, which certainly helps me sleep better at night,” said Jenny Nelson, the council’s head of ICT & Digital. “In addition, the benefits of switching to Azul Platform Core as our JVM are clear. Our Java estate is now consistent, standardised, easier to maintain, and has brought a level of simplicity that’s a huge benefit to our organisation.”
The council rolled out Azul Platform Core to over 1,000 employees with no impact on performance and no complaints from service users. The rollout achieved the council’s business objective: a fully supported and secure Java application estate.
“We are proud to support Newcastle City Council in its mission to secure critical municipal services by helping to eliminate over 80% of NCC’s IT security risks,” said James Johnston, vice president of EMEA at Azul. “The council’s successful implementation of Azul Platform Core is a testament to our unwavering commitment to help customers maintain the integrity and performance of their critical Java applications, while advancing their overall security posture and without impacting service levels or performance.”
Industry-Leading Readers Provide Seamless Integration, Security and Compliance with UK Regulations
HID, a worldwide leader in trusted identity solutions, announces that its Signo™ Readers seamlessly integrate with the UK government’s GovPass standard, built on open standards for enhanced security and flexibility.
GovPass, the most secure government pass to date according to the UK government’s website, leverages open standards to ensure interoperability across different suppliers. Leveraging the UK government’s standard for card encryption and HID’s pioneering expertise in Open Supervised Device Protocols, Signo Readers underwent rigorous evaluation, testing, and certification to deliver enhanced security and compliance for government facilities.
As more government departments adopt the GovPass standard, HID Signo readers offer a reliable and efficient path to compliance.
“HID is committed to providing innovative solutions that support the UK government’s open standards approach to secure identity management,” said Spencer Marshall, Head of Europe at HID. “Our Signo Readers offer a compelling option for organizations seeking to achieve GovPass compliance while enhancing overall security.”
HID Signo Readers with GovPass compliance offer:
Security by design: The readers were designed with the UK Governments standard for card encryption and HID’s Secure Access Module for storing keys, providing the best-in-class security for government premises.
Certified reliability: HID Signo readers have undergone rigorous evaluation, testing and certification to meet all required GovPass standards.
Agnostic protocol: Seamlessly integration with existing infrastructure, regardless of Wiegand or OSDP communications.
Path to migration: Users can smoothly transition to HID’s multi-technology Signo Readers, supporting custom profiles that meet GovPass Standards.
Dedicated to the unsung heroes of community and volunteer sports grounds, this year’s zone promises to be the place to be for all things turf maintenance for grassroots and community sports clubs.
Following its triumphant debut in 2023, we’ve pulled out all the stops to make this years’ experience even more spectacular. More space, more machinery, and yes, its very own Learning LIVE stage!
This year on the brand-new Community Sports Stage, ten engaging sessions will take place over two days, with hot topics such as Facility Funding, Essential Planning for Pitch Improvement Projects, Quality Surfaces on a Shoestring Budget, Understanding Your PitchPower Report and How to Attract and Manage Club Volunteers. Many visitors cite Learning LIVE as a key reason for attending the show and it’s no wonder with it being the largest live educational event in the grounds management sector.
Meanwhile, the machinery on display will be perfectly suited to the needs of community and grassroots sports clubs, with leading exhibitors like ISEKI, Dennis and SISIS, Campey Turf Care Systems, and Trimax Mowing Systems showcasing their top products. It’s not just about top-tier recommendations, but about providing practical solutions that work on the ground for clubs with limited resources.
Trimax Mowing Systems will present their ‘Trimax Striker’, a multi-spindled rotary mower designed with a unique baffle system to enhance grass distribution and minimise clumping while requiring minimal maintenance. Built for tough conditions, the Striker offers variable height adjustment for year-round use and features an enclosed cutting chamber for enhanced safety. Its ability to mow efficiently at a high standard makes it ideal for educational and sports facilities where appearance matters.
ISEKI will introduce the latest additions to their lineup: the TM4 series 25hp tractor and the 40hp TLE3410 tractor, both popular choices among sports facility customers. These tractors will be equipped with specialised attachments for sports ground maintenance.
Jason Booth, Chief Operating Officer at the Grounds Management Association, emphasises the importance of the Community Sports Zone for volunteers:
“The Community Sport Zone is now a vital part of SALTEX, particularly for the grassroots volunteers who play such a crucial role in maintaining community sports facilities. We’ve designed this space to provide information, advice and guidance, from funding through to grass pitch maintenance, tailored learning opportunities, and hands-on access to equipment that directly benefit those who give their time and energy to support their local clubs. This year’s expansion reflects our commitment to helping these volunteers succeed and ensuring that community sports continue to thrive.” For more information on SALTEX 2024 and to register for the event, please visit www.saltex.org.uk/
By Barley Laing, the UK Managing Director at Melissa
The new government has new objectives and expectations, with an emphasis on positive change and efficiencies, which is important during a period when public expenditure is under pressure like never before.
Now is the time for the public sector to take the lead in driving efficiency savings and change – the focus of Labour’s manifesto – which are interlinked. However, for both to take place there has to be access to clean data on citizens and the appropriate technology to deliver it.
Barley Laing
Obtaining clean data on citizens
When, according to MIT Sloan, the cumulative cost of inaccurate data is between 15 per cent to 25 per cent of revenue for most organisations, sourcing and maintaining accurate data on citizens is vital. The simple truth is poor quality data wastes resources, undermines everyday operations and communications – particularly personalised communications to citizens.
It will lead to the delivery of communications that often aren’t relevant or might not even reach the intended user, leading to reputation damage because citizens won’t be happy to see public money wasted in this way.
Inaccurate user data will also negatively impact on effective decision making. Using poor quality data to inform the future of a service, or the creation of a new one, will have consequences for effective resource allocation. This isn’t the type of change the government is looking for.
Delivering clean data
All that’s required are simple changes to the data quality process at the onboarding stage and for held data. A good start is to access technology such as an Address Autocomplete or Lookup service that delivers an appropriately formatted, correct address when the user begins to input theirs.
It necessitates deduplicating data using an advanced fuzzy matching tool to merge and purge the most challenging records, and therefore avoid the sending of multiple communications to the same user.
Also essential is undertaking data cleansing or suppression to highlight those who have moved, are no longer at the address on file or are deceased.
It’s important to source a data cleaning platform that can undertake all these actions – a scalable data cleaning software-as-a-service (SaaS) tool – which can be accessed in a matter of hours and doesn’t require coding, integration or training. It’s the best way to obtain accurate data on citizens to improve communications, and make learnings for effective decision making, which will help to deliver positive change and improve efficiencies.
Embrace technology to prevent fraud
Putting a stop to fraud is also a vital part of the journey to improve efficiencies, with the Cabinet Office estimating that fraud and error costs the public purse up to £51.8 billion every year.
With the plethora of identity documents to review from around the word, and levels of fraud remaining stubbornly high, using an electronic identity verification (eIDV) platform is the way forward to undertake ID verification. An automated tool such as this can be accessed via delivery mechanisms, including an “out-of-the-box” user interface with no integration required; or a cloud API (application programming interface); and scaled up or down according to the requirements of the users.
With these platforms being “always on” they are able, in real-time, to cross-check the names, addresses, email addresses and phone numbers provided by applicants during remote onboarding. This delivers a good experience, while preventing fraud. Sourcing an eIDV tool with access to billions of consumer and business records from reputable sources around the world, such as government, utility and credit agencies is recommended for the best outcome.
Using such an automated platform is significantly quicker, more accurate and cost effective for undertaking ID verification and preventing fraud when compared with manual checks. There’s no additional staffing or training costs, and there’s no risk of human error when using this technology.
The value of Microsoft SQL Server
While I’ve already covered SaaS and cloud APIs as ways to integrate technology onto your systems to drive efficiencies, one of the most valuable for the public sector is via Microsoft SQL Server.
The Microsoft SQL Server database management system is already used by many in the public sector. It offers a great route to easily access third-party applications via SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), because it acts as a connector between systems, and functions at a high operating speed. Services can be simply accessed without further integration – just drag, drop and start using – to quickly benefit from efficiency savings.
Using SQL it’s not necessary to outsource anything or undergo complex data privacy and compliance because you are in control, with data remaining behind your organisation’s firewall. Therefore, there’s no danger of any data breaches.
However, it’s important to take into account that all connector technologies have their strengths. It’s simply a case of choosing the appropriate option for you that efficiently delivers the technology you need.
With a new government at the helm now is the time drive efficiencies and positive change by sourcing the appropriate technology to clean data on citizens, implement ID checks to prevent fraud, and access suitable connector technology to integrate it. It’s vital to get ahead in demonstrating efficiencies and positive change with resources set to be allocated in the autumn budget.
For more information about Melissa and their data quality and ID verification services please visit: www.melissa.com/uk, email: barley.laing@melissa.com or call: 020 7718 0070.
With the new Prime Minister in situ at Downing Street, businesses across the UK are keen to know what this will mean for them. And of course, as accountancy and tax professionals, we are here to advice our clients with whatever the future holds under a Labour government.
Some of this commentary will obviously be speculative. However, we saw many potential tax changes missed from Labour’s pre-election manifesto. Was this on purpose? We will never know. However, what we can do is consider what the changes could be and the realities of those being implemented.
Steph Gemson
The new PM, Sir Kier Starmer, has made it clear that his plan for short-term economic growth is to stick to strict fiscal rules and avoid stirring economic unrest. We therefore believe there will only be one budget statement per year. The new Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, has indicated that a Budget would only be held with the accompanying Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts, which requires ten weeks’ notice. Therefore, a budget before October is unlikely.
So, what taxes might be impacted?
VAT on private school fees
The new PM has made his plan to add VAT on private school fees widely known, which could add approximately 20% to the price of private education. I am erring on the side of caution with this as there is always the possibility that each of the services could be separated out with different VAT treatments instead of the entire cost, forming part of a higher single, standard supply.
Business rates for private schools
Labour’s manifesto includes getting rid of private schools’ 80% relief from business rates which could lead to a further increase in private school fees if these rising costs are passed on to parents. Some private schools may offer an option for pre-payment before it comes into place, or perhaps Grandparents could help with pre-payment as a tax efficient transfer of wealth to the next generation.
Income Tax and National Insurance
Under the Tories, income tax thresholds were frozen until 2028, and Labour promised not to raise income tax or national insurance, although this was featured in the manifesto. On the Labour website, they state that “Labour will not raise taxes on working people.” We can only watch and wait.
Capital Gains Tax
Capital Gains Tax (CGT) is an area of huge contradiction and speculation. In the summer of 2023, Labour declared that they did not intend to implement a wealth tax. However, this contradicts rumours that have circulated in the past. For example, back in 2019, there were strong indications that Labour wanted to raise CGT, and these rumours have certainly resurfaced in recent months that this may actually be on the cards.
Pension review
For state pensions, Labour will maintain the state pension triple lock; however, it is no secret that Labour is committed to a pension review for private pensions. Some believe that this could be a positive thing as their manifesto declared that they would “deliver better returns for savers” and “improve security in retirement.”
However, this may not be such happy news from a tax perspective, as it is possible to make tax relief on pensions less favourable. Chancellor Rachel Reeves had previously stated that there should be changes to tax relief on pension contributions, providing a flat rate of relief for everyone. This would be incredibly challenging on the benefit of providing income to a pension for higher and additional rate taxpayers. However, it is understood that there has been a change of heart on this.
Inheritance Tax
In the UK, we already pay one of the highest rates of inheritance tax, 40% above the nil rate band. It is currently set at £325k per person, with an additional £175k main residence relief for those who leave their home to direct descendants when they die.
There have been rumours of an Inheritance Tax raid where these bands could change, thus making more people eligible for the 40% tax on their death estate.
Non-Dom Tax
Labour has been very clear of their intention to get rid of the non-dom tax status, which encourages wealthy foreign individuals to become UK residents but to keep overseas asserts and income outside of the charges on UK taxes, unless remitted in the UK.
In the Spring 2024 Budget, the Conservatives implemented rules to replace the concept of domicile and its UK tax benefits with new rules, which last just four years instead of 15. There is also a transitional rule for existing tax residents who have already been in the UK for more than four years, providing a temporary 50% reduction in the foreign income subject to UK tax for 2025/6. However, Labour has said that they intend to “close down this loophole”.
Conclusion
As we said at the beginning, much of this is speculative, so we are preparing ourselves to help our clients when we hear what the Chancellor has to say in a potential Autumn Budget.
A report from the cross-party UK Parliament Education Committee in May 2024 also emphasised the need for programmes to boost teacher recruitment, training and retention. There’s an urgent need for prompt and effective action: our children are our future, but that future is looking increasingly gloomy.
By Carole Lamb, Head of Education, Integra Education
Teacher recruitment is now at such a critical level that it could impact the future quality of education in our schools. That’s a key finding of the 2024 report from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER). In 2023, England failed to meet targets set for initial teacher training (ITT) recruitment in both primary and secondary schools. Secondary school recruitment was particularly poor, reaching only half of the target figures overall.
A lack of recruitment
Each year, the Department for Education (DfE) sets targets for the number of trainee teachers needed to ensure schools are fully staffed. Since the pandemic, recruitment has fallen to its lowest levels in relation to these targets. And the number of teachers leaving has increased. Combined with ever-growing class sizes, this is causing even greater pressure on those teachers who remain.
Carole Lamb
The changing face of teaching
There are some initiatives aimed at improving recruitment in certain secondary subjects, including bursaries and the international relocation payment (IRP) scheme. These have made some impact but much more needs to be done, as future recruitment looks set to continuing failing to meet the targets.
Other recent developments could influence recruiting levels. Early Career Teachers (ECTs – previously Newly Qualified Teachers) now have to complete an induction period of six terms rather than three to gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). However, with teachers being overworked, ECTs aren’t receiving the support they need to provide the best levels of education and to help them deal with pupil behaviour and development.
Meanwhile, the temporary education market has been attracting more teachers, with benefits including a fixed contract, greater motivation and job satisfaction. This, along with flexible or part-time work, could help to boost recruitment and retention, also opening further opportunities for teachers who then may want to look at more permanent staffing roles.
Lack of retention
Another issue is why retention rates are still falling. Any increase in leaving rates affects the DfE’s recruitment targets, which will have to rise even more to compensate. In May 2024, Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary of the NASUWT, said: “The teaching profession is in the midst of a crisis of recruitment, retention and morale, with 40,000 teachers leaving in the last year alone.”
So what’s happening, and what are the key factors causing teachers to leave?
Low pay and higher workloads
Teachers generally feel under-paid, under-valued and over-worked. The NFER report stated that teachers’ pay has effectively deteriorated since the pandemic. Meanwhile, they’re having to cope with increasingly large classes and a huge amount of pressure relating to both admin and results.
The recent Conservative government prioritised the reduction of teachers’ working hours, with the easing of planning, admin and marking pressures producing some initial successes. Despite this, teachers’ working hours rose significantly last year. There are some signs of progress on the pay front, but much still needs to be done to reduce workloads.
More disruption and less support
A key reason for teachers leaving is the growth in disruptive behaviour from pupils. In primary schools, low funding has often led to a lack of teaching assistants, so teachers spend much of their time dealing with poor behaviour rather than teaching, which in turn increases their workload. In the NFER report, the areas highlighted most frequently as a high priority for workload reduction were behaviour management and pastoral care.
According to University College London’s Institute of Education, teachers are effectively becoming social workers, having to support pupils with mental health issues due to ‘inadequate’ capacity in social and mental health services. Similarly, research by the charity Education Support found that 33% of teachers reported having to help resolve a family conflict.
Conclusions
So, those are just some of the issues, but what are the solutions? The NFER report states that, given the scale of the challenges facing teacher recruitment and retention, policymakers need to consider radical but cost-effective actions.
The most pressing need is to reduce teacher workloads. One of the main recommendations of the NFER report was: “Government should set up an independent review focussing on how to reduce teachers’ workload related to behaviour management and pastoral care, which should consider the role of external support services.”
The Chair of the Parliament Education Committee, Robin Walker MP, agrees: “For many current teachers, excessive workloads, rather than pay, was the biggest factor pushing them to leave… We also heard that ‘overspill’ from wider social problems is heaping extra stress on teachers.”
We fully support the NFER recommendation and believe that a long-term strategy of reducing workload by offering flexible work options and focusing on high-quality, condensed education will improve teacher recruitment. Our teachers are one of our most valuable resources. We must ensure they have all the support they need. Without their expert help, our nation’s children will be unable to meet their full potential. And that, in turn, will be a disaster for our nation and our society.
Integra specialises in education recruitment. Carole Lamb is a brand ambassador who promotes Integra’s core values of integrity, passion, quality, and compliance. She has over 24 years of experience in the recruitment industry and specialises in Education.
Tile Hill, a leading firm specialising in interim management and executive search services for public sector organisations, received widespread acclaim in the results of the 2024 Institute of Interim Management (IIM) Survey, an annual survey of the interim market. The survey is widely recognised as the most comprehensive and prestigious insight into the Interim Management market, with over 5,000 interim managers across various sectors completing the survey each year. This year 68% of respondents were from the private sector, with only 27% from the public sector (down from 37% last year).
The survey’s results reveal that Tile Hill has risen to 2nd place in the leading interim service provider, from 3rd place in the 2023 survey. Two Tile Hill consultants have also been highlighted for their achievements in the industry, with Nik Shah recognised as the IIM Interim Service Provider Consultant of the Year for the 2nd year in a row, and Dino Christodoulou rising to 3rd in the rankings.
Anthony Lewis, Director at Tile Hill, celebrates the company’s exceptional results and endorsement from the professional community. Lewis remarks, “It is hugely inspiring to work alongside colleagues who care so passionately about the experience they provide to our interim community. For this to have been recognised in this year’s IIM survey is amazing. We are proud to have risen to 2nd place and are grateful to everyone who took the time to fill out the survey.”
“For Nik to have been recognised as the leading consultant for the 2nd year running, and for Dino to have ranked as 3rd highest consultant is a testament to the time they invest in supporting candidates. However, it truly is a team effort and I fundamentally believe we have the best team in the industry.”
Wider findings of the survey showed that the ethnic origins of the respondents matches that of ONS data for the whole of the UK, this is a positive uptake on last year, and shows improvement in the diversity of Interim Managers across the UK. Worryingly, this improvement in ethnic diversity doesn’t appear to have been matched with gender balance. The number of female interims have dropped this year, going down to 25% from 29.7% last year, with 74% being male. The survey results also showed that women are paid 15% less than men, an improvement on last year’s 21%, but still not where it needs to be.
Looking ahead, Tile Hill commits to utilising the results of the Institute of Interim Management (IIM) Survey to continue the company’s efforts to drive organisations towards excellence and foster a better society through recruitment. Lewis adds, “We look forward to reading the full survey report and will share our action plan on what we can do to support our interim community in the year ahead.”
To explore more about Tile Hill and the comprehensive services they offer, please visit their website: www.tile-hill.co.uk.
Leading health tech PR and marketing agency will provide media and content services for the conference, exhibition, and networking event, as it expands to become a “festival” of digital health
Highland Marketing has been named as the communications partner for this year’s Healthcare Efficiency Through Technology show, which takes place at ExCeL London from 24-25 September.
Rikki Bhachu
The leading health tech PR and marketing agency will provide media, content and digital services for HETT, to raise awareness of its conference, exhibition, and new innovative interactive features and networking opportunities.
Rikki Bhachu, head of marketing at HETT organiser GovNet, said: “We have designed this year’s HETT to be a festival of digital health, so we were looking for a communications partner that could spread the word to the NHS, to suppliers, and beyond.
“We have chosen Highland Marketing because of its excellent reputation in the health tech market and are looking forward to working with its expert team.
“We want to make sure that everybody with an interest in digital transformation knows they can come to HETT, whether they want to hear about the latest in NHS and IT policy or tune into the NHS choir.”
This year’s show will host five theatres, with presentations and debates running across both days. The digital maturity theatre will focus on electronic patient records, how they can be deployed safely and effectively, and how to prepare for the coming world of AI.
The digitally empowered patients theatre will explore the evolving features of the NHS App, and emerging patient facing-technologies and bring patients to the core of the conversation.
Infrastructure, data and cyber security theatre will cover everything from the future of the Federated Data Platform to the green agenda. While further theatres will explore integrated care, and workforce, adoption and productivity.
On the exhibition floor, over 150 suppliers will gather to showcase the latest in digital health technologies, and share how they can support the NHS address the challenges faced while improving patient outcomes.
Visitors will also be able to head over to a product demo zone for an “immersive experience” of the latest ideas and innovations, delivered through fireside chats and question and answer sessions. Or they could opt to join an “innovation trail” for a curated tour of the exhibition, chosen to match their specific interests.
For networking, they could choose to take part in Rockaoke at the Fox, a drinks reception with a rocking band to raise money for The Brain Tumour Charity on the evening before the show. The event, sponsored by DELL and Rackspace, will remember Glenn Winteringham, who led digital development at the Royal Free Group of hospitals, who sadly died in May following a diagnosis of brain tumour.
Mark Venables
Visitors could catch a performance from the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir on the morning of day one. Or they could join VIP drinks at the end of a busy afternoon for an inspiring speech from The Brain Tumour Charity, a special guest-DJ appearance from the NHS’ very own Gary McAllister, and some top-level networking.
Mark Venables, chief executive of Highland Marketing, said: “We were very pleased to be invited to become the communications partner for this year’s HETT.
“As visitors to the show for many years, we know that it is highly valued by NHS digital leaders and by exhibitors, and it is great to see the organisers adding new and innovative elements to make it even more relevant to their needs.
“We look forward to working with HETT before, during and after the event, to make sure the festival atmosphere can be enjoyed by as many people as possible.”
HETT is also working with Highland Marketing to amplify views from exhibitors on the biggest opportunities for technology in the NHS.
Highland Marketing will be filming short videos at the event and using social media to capture the most inventive ideas from the exhibition floor.
The Highland Marketing team, which is supported by an advisory board that includes digital leaders with NHS CIO, CCIO and CNIO experience, will also be available throughout HETT for one-to-one conversations on effective approaches to health tech marketing and focused communications to the market.
Companies interested in these opportunities should get in touch with the agency.
By Dr Guillermo Moreno-Sanz, Scientific Director, Zerenia Clinic UK
Healthcare in the UK faces significant challenges, but what can be done to improve the situation? In recent years, the burden on the NHS and care services has increased dramatically, leading to longer waiting lists and strained social care services. Conventional medications and care services are struggling to meet the growing demand. Are there new ways to help ease this burden? One option worth exploring is the wider adoption of medical cannabis to relieve the symptomatic burdens associated with chronic pain.
Dr Guillermo Moreno-Sanz
This is a key issue contributing to the pressure on the healthcare sector. Around eight million adults report moderate to severely disabling chronic pain. Back pain alone accounts for 40% of sickness absences in the NHS, and chronic pain costs the economy over £10 billion annually. So, this not only affects the quality of life for these patients but also places a substantial financial and operational strain on the NHS, affecting its ability to deliver timely care to other patients.
Exploring new solutions
Alternative treatments such as cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) could help some patients who haven’t found adequate relief through conventional treatments. By alleviating chronic pain, these products could reduce the need for more expensive and resource-intensive interventions. CBMPs interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system to help control pain and they may include dried cannabis flowers, inhaled using a vaporiser, or medical cannabis extracts, which are taken orally.
Legalised in the UK in 2018, medical cannabis is slowly gaining recognition within the medical community. Prescriptions for CBMPs must be initiated by a doctor on the GMC’s Specialist Register after other options have been exhausted. Currently, medical cannabis is predominantly available through private clinics, with NHS prescriptions remaining relatively rare. However, as more evidence of its efficacy emerges, there is potential for its wider implementation within the NHS. It could offer a valuable tool for managing chronic pain, especially for patients who might otherwise require costly surgical interventions or long-term pharmaceutical treatments.
Insights from clinical practice
At Zerenia Clinic, we’ve observed the benefits of medical cannabis first-hand. For instance, one patient with muscular dystrophy had long relied on painkillers to manage severe leg cramps, but these either proved ineffective or caused unpleasant side effects. After switching to inhaled medical cannabis, his pain significantly decreased, and his mobility improved, with minimal side effects. Another patient with fibromyalgia experienced immediate pain relief and increased energy levels from an oral cannabis extract, enabling her to focus more effectively on her work.
A study of over 2,000 patients conducted by Zerenia Clinic supported these observations, showing that 9 out of 10 of the participants using CBMPs reported improvements in chronic pain, with 7 out of 10 noting an improvement greater than 50% after four weeks of treatment. A number of other studies have recorded similar findings, including a recent report in the BMJ that concluded: “Cannabis-based medicines are effective in people with multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, and inflammatory bowel disease.”
Potential benefits for the NHS
The wider implementation of medical cannabis within the NHS could yield several benefits:
1. Reduced waiting times. By effectively managing chronic pain, medical cannabis could reduce the need for patients to seek frequent medical consultations or pursue more invasive treatments, thereby easing pressure on waiting lists.
2. Cost savings. Effective pain management with CBMPs might reduce the reliance on expensive pharmaceuticals and surgical procedures, leading to significant cost savings for the NHS.
3. Improved patient outcomes. Offering an additional option for pain management could improve the quality of life for patients with chronic pain, potentially reducing the overall burden on healthcare services.
4. Resource allocation. With fewer chronic pain patients requiring intensive care, resources could be reallocated to other critical areas within the NHS, improving overall efficiency and patient care.
Moving forward
Despite the promising potential of medical cannabis, many doctors still have reservations about it, despite a great deal of powerful personal evidence from patients who have experienced significant pain relief. More research is therefore necessary to fully understand its benefits and limitations. As the evidence base grows, it is crucial for the NHS to consider integrating CBMPs into its pain management protocols. They could provide a practical and effective solution for certain patient cohorts, ultimately helping to reduce some of the pressures facing the NHS.
In conclusion, by carefully evaluating and incorporating medical cannabis, the NHS could take a significant step towards more innovative and effective healthcare solutions, ensuring better outcomes for patients and more sustainable operations for the system as a whole.
A new initiative between The Prince’s Trust and medical imaging IT and cybersecurity company Sectra, is helping to widen access to technology career opportunities for young people from different backgrounds.
‘Get into IT and Administration’, a new digital and technology-focused employability programme, was launched in Belfast during the summer. It has been actively supporting under-represented groups, to help more young people gain a better understanding of career opportunities available to them in technology.
Having already supported its first intake, the initiative has provided real-world exposure to what it is like to work in the health tech sector, as well as providing practical support in areas such as CV writing, technical training, and industry insights. Direct career pathways through apprenticeships with Sectra are also being provided.
Yousif, one of the programme’s first participants, said: “The hands-on experience and exposure to real-world challenges showed me how impactful and rewarding a career in this field can be. The team at Sectra were incredibly knowledgeable and supportive and it was inspiring to see how they use technology to make a difference in the world.”
Young people who have taken part in the programme commented on how it had helped to build their confidence, develop practical skills, and create networking opportunities for their future careers.
Lauren, who took part in the programme, said: “This experience has made me really excited for any future prospects in technology. If you get the opportunity to go onto a programme, I would say to go for it. You will get new experiences from it and get to know new people.”
Over the past two years, The Prince’s Trust has helped more than 2000 young people into digital and technology engagement and employability programmes.
However, with inequalities still widening, The Trust hopes to support more disadvantaged communities, and engage with more of the hardest-to-reach individuals, by strengthening support through programmes such as the new initiative with Sectra.
Julia Beaumont, Chief Technology Officer, at The Prince’s Trust, said: “Through our partnership with Sectra, we’re able to challenge existing perceptions and inspire young people from all backgrounds to consider careers in the digital and technology space, regardless of the barriers they might face.
“It is crucial for governments, businesses, and charities to unite in providing young people with employability training, career opportunities, and the technical skills that are vital in today’s job market. Through partnerships with passionate and dedicated organisations like Sectra, we are harnessing expertise and making this vision a reality.”
Jane Rendall, Managing Director for Sectra in the UK and Ireland, said: “We have been extremely impressed by the energy and enthusiasm shown by individuals taking part in our initiative with The Prince’s Trust.
“Health technology companies have an opportunity and a responsibility to embrace diversity in their workforce, by recruiting from the communities in which they are privileged to serve.
“This programme is an example of putting that into practice, and is a fantastic opportunity to help to empower more young people to reach their potential in a sector that touches the lives of so many.”
SCAPE, one of the UK’s leading public sector procurement authorities, has achieved Constructing the Gold Standard verification as of 1 August 2024 – becoming one of the country’s first public sector framework providers to realise this goal.
Mark Robinson, CEO of SCAPE, with Chair of Constructing Excellence’s Gold Standard Task Force Professor David Mosey CBE
SCAPE’s achievement of the Gold Standard demonstrates that its approach to procurement, performance management and framework operation is compliant and aligned with Central Government policy set out in the Construction Playbook. Through this approach to smarter procurement and Early Contractor Involvement, SCAPE has saved the public sector more than £118m over the past five years.
Constructing Excellence’s Gold Standard Verification scheme was established in 2021 by Professor David Mosey CBE on behalf of the Cabinet Office, with the aim of ensuring that the public sector adopts urgent measures to improve value, reduce risk and achieve strong socioeconomic outcomes through its procurement. SCAPE, which has been championing public procurement best practice for over a decade, has achieved verification for its suite of consultancy, civil engineering, construction and utilities frameworks.
SCAPE joined the Task Force for the Gold Standard scheme in 2023. Since then, it has worked collaboratively with selected industry peers, including the Ministry of Justice, Environment Agency and CHIH to inform criteria in areas such as building safety and information, risk management, collaborative delivery, sustainability and supply chain engagement.
Assessment criteria for the Gold Standard include demonstrating high levels of SME and supply chain engagement, providing visibility of future pipelines and fostering a collaborative, outcomes-based approach to the design and delivery of procurements.
From its transparent pre-market engagement and evaluation processes through to its project and commercial delivery model, SCAPE has rigorous procedures in place throughout the lifecycle of its frameworks to ensure they are compliant and competitively tendered.
The mandate for public sector procurement to have a greater focus on the outcomes for local communities is aligned with how SCAPE has operated since it was first established by its six local authority shareholders in 2006. For almost 20 years, SCAPE has been helping clients with significant buying power, such as central and local government, to maximise the value of their investment, as well as providing price and quality assurance.
SCAPE’s focus on improving communities, creating jobs and promoting local economic growth drives projects that regularly exceed the legal requirements for social value return. This in turn supports better supply chain engagement, enabling local SMEs to operate more sustainably, invest in technology, skills and resources and build resilience – reflecting one of the core tenets of Construction Excellence’s criteria for Gold Standard status. To this end, SCAPE recognises the important role that its framework delivery partners, local SMEs and supply chains play in designing solutions to the problems facing clients. Measures are in place to ensure that all of SCAPE’s delivery partners act with transparency and integrity, pay their supply chains fairly and promptly and adhere to ethical labour best practice.
SCAPE’s approach to technology and innovation also ensures that its frameworks provide solutions throughout the lifecycle of a project, which helps clients reduce their carbon, construction waste and environmental impact.
As a public sector organisation, SCAPE believes in transparent, collaborative procurement and works closely with Constructing Excellence collaborative groups such as the UK Green Building Council, the National Association of Construction Frameworks (NACF) and Build UK to share best practice and improve standards.
Mark Robinson, SCAPE Group Chief Executive said: “Collaborative, compliant and transparent procurement has been at the heart of our approach for over a decade. This Gold Standard achievement for our frameworks across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland demonstrates our commitment to maintaining the highest standards in public procurement and framework operation.
Smarter procurement helps drive efficiency, innovation and quality in public services. Faced with a complex set of economic pressures, it is important that government departments and local authorities are making the right choice and using compliant frameworks effectively to achieve value for money and community benefits.
As a mark of quality, the Gold Standard verification enables us to further demonstrate the value of our work, delivering continuous improvement for our local authority clients, shareholders and the wider public sector.
It also highlights the alignment between SCAPE’s values and behaviours and what our clients and their communities expect from public sector frameworks. We share their aspirations for using procurement to drive meaningful change and are committed to maximising value for the taxpayer through improved efficiency, social value and environmental outcomes.”
Professor David Mosey CBE, Chair, Constructing Excellence Gold Standard Task Group said:
“I am very pleased that SCAPE has achieved Gold Standard Full Verification of their 11 current frameworks. SCAPE and their Independent Verifier, Katie Saunders of Trowers & Hamlins, have put enormous work into the verification process and have shown the power of Gold Standard frameworks and framework contracts to deliver significant benefits for public sector clients and the construction industry. Implementing the 24 Gold Standard recommendations will place SCAPE in a strong position to work collaboratively with their clients and supply chain members through strategic planning, integrated teams and continuous improvement which will deliver better, safer, faster and greener project outcomes.”
Recent Comments