New research has revealed that the value of rental arrears owed to local authorities has increased by more than 70% in the last five years.
Public sector payments specialist, Access PaySuite, part of Access Group, has created the Rental Arrears Index by submitting Freedom of Information requests to local authorities.
The analysis shows that local authorities providing social housing are owed on average £3.1 million per authority in rental arrears. This has increased by 71% from an average of £1.8 million in 2019.
As well as the jump over the last five years, authorities have also seen a significant jump over the last year – with Access PaySuite’s analysis finding a 14% increase when compared to March 2023.
It’s not just local authorities facing the challenge of surging rental arrears in social housing. In March this year the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) recorded an 8.4% rise in rent arrears reported by housing associations – hitting a record high of £800 million – the highest single year jump since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Local authorities have seen a similar picture, with the number of tenants falling into rental arrears increase by 17% over the last five years. On average, 41% of social housing units are currently in rental arrears.
The research found that the value of rental arrears per tenant have increased from £492 in 2019 to £710 in 2024, an increase of 44%.
221 local authorities in the UK own social housing, with a total 1.56 million units of housing stock recorded by the Regulator of Social Housing in 2023.
Commenting on the findings, Alex Common, Divisional Director, Product and Engineering, Access PaySuite, said:
“Social housing budgets have been squeezed significantly over recent years. On top of this, the cost of living crisis has caused real difficulties for many people to meet their living costs, whether they rent their property from their local authority, a housing association or a private landlord.
“If we apply our representative sample across the 221 local authorities which own social housing, the total value of rental arrears across local government could be as high as £650 million.
“For local authorities and housing associations, this creates a challenging balancing act between affordability for tenants, while meeting costs for their own essential expenditure requirements. Alongside rental arrears, local authorities are also spending significant amounts of time chasing overdue council tax payments, all of which is adding to their operating costs.
“Finding a long-term solution to the challenge of rising arrears is a complex challenge. However, in the meantime, there are important steps that local authorities can put in place to support their tenants and make rent collections as simple as possible.
“At Access PaySuite, we understand that housing associations’ and local authorities’ priorities are to deliver high quality services and drive better public sector outcomes for all their customers, citizens and communities. This includes providing accessibility, financial inclusion and a great customer experience as well as choice and flexibility in ways to pay, which marry affordability with cost effective payment collection, whether that’s face to face, by phone or online.”
Fusion21 urges housing providers to take action NOW as Wave 3 funding applications open
Procurement experts Fusion21 have called on housing providers to take immediate action as the government opens applications for the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund Wave 3.
Paul Towers
The fund – previously known as the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) – aims to make millions of social homes more energy efficient by 2028.
Applications open on 30 September and will close at midday on 25 November 2024. Funding will be available from April 2025 to March 2028, and the total amount will be confirmed at the April 2025 Spending Review.
Fusion21’s experts have advised that this round of funding will likely see increased competition, making early preparation and procurement planning essential to ensure landlords fully benefit from this critical opportunity.
Paul Towers, Framework Manager (Construction and Decarbonisation) at Fusion21 said: “Wave 3 is a critical fund for social landlords and housing providers, to help more people live in homes that are warm, efficient and affordable to heat.
“The first two waves have not been without their challenges, and we strongly encourage providers to act now. Engaging early with suppliers and with a procurement partner is crucial – as we already know there is a shortage of qualified supply partners.
“Fusion21 is prepared to help organisations from the outset, simplifying the decarbonisation journey and helping our members improve the quality of their housing stock.
“The toolkit we’ve developed will help housing providers meet the Social Housing Fund Wave 3 requirements with confidence. Quality asset data, early procurement decisions, and full engagement with supply chains will be key to successful applications. We’re here to support providers every step of the way.”
To help housing providers navigate the complex requirements of Wave 3, Fusion21 has launched a seven-step toolkit that includes the following key actions:
Understand your targets, be clear about what you are setting out to achieve through the fund and make sure you have a backup list.
Select your retrofit delivery partner early, think about partnerships and turn-key approach – enlist experts to manage this process.
Engage comprehensively with tenants using a robust engagement strategy.
Integrate the fund with planned capital works programmes.
Start data analysis as early as possible – don’t rely on historic, out of date, or inaccurate property data. Identify the gaps and weaknesses in your data.
Use time wisely, cleanse your data, undertake sample EPCs, retrofit assessments and technical surveys at pre-submission stage.
Engage early with relevant bodies such as Planning, Building Control, Distribution Network Operators and understand what information you will need to provide e.g. asbestos surveys.
Wave 3 introduces two routes to accessing funding: the Challenge Fund and Strategic Partnerships.
The Challenge Fund is open to all landlords who meet minimum standards, meaning applications that meet the basic requirements will be awarded funding. The Strategic Partnerships route is available to larger providers with a proven track record, offering a more flexible approach to delivery at scale.
Additionally, smaller providers will have access to new incentives, including funding for low-carbon heating technologies.
Fusion21 has already procured more than £500 million of decarbonisation retrofit projects and is now supporting its members in preparing for the upcoming wave.
As housing providers face increasing pressure to meet net-zero targets and reduce fuel poverty, Fusion21’s national Decarbonisation Framework, worth £750 million, offers a streamlined approach. It provides access to a network of qualified suppliers, enabling housing providers to accelerate decarbonisation projects across the UK.
Report details 65-strong investor coalition’s progress tackling modern slavery in UK company supply chains
‘Find it, Fix it, Prevent it’ Modern Slavery coalition now backed by 65 investors with collective assets under management and advice of £15 trillion.
Launch of the CCLA benchmark on Modern Slavery spurs action across consumer goods, travel, retail, mining, technology and finance companies.
Construction companies redouble Modern Slavery efforts following a roundtable with the Cabinet Office and investors.
Dame Sara Thornton and Dr Martin Buttle of CCLA give evidence to the House of Lords review of the Modern Slavery Act and push for the UK to adopt mandatory human rights legislation.
CCLA Investment Management today publishes its annual Find it, Fix it, Prevent it report outlining progress made by investors to combat modern slavery in company supply chains.
Since its launch in 2019, the Find it, Fix it, Prevent it collaboration has become a unique and influential coalition of investors using their leverage to help companies find, fix, and prevent modern slavery in their supply chains. CCLA-led, it is now supported by investors with collective assets under management and advisory of £15 trillion[1] and has three complementary workstreams: corporate engagement, public policy and developing better modern slavery data.
Modern slavery is an umbrella term encompassing slavery, servitude, human trafficking, and forced or compulsory labour. Victims are controlled by debt bondage, threats, violence, deception and coercion.
In 2022 over 50 million people were estimated to exist in modern slavery, a number that has grown over recent years as Covid, conflict and climate change have disrupted labour markets. Ten million more people were experiencing modern slavery in 2021 than in 2016[2]. Find it, Fix it, Prevent it focuses on forced or compulsory labour, and in 2022, the International Labor Organization estimated that 28 million people were victims of forced labour[3].
Modern slavery is increasingly a financially material risk for investors, particularly with new regulations on business to address human rights risks. The European Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) for example, mandates legal expectations on what constitutes responsible conduct, and applies to businesses based in the European Union and many that trade in Europe. 63% of those trapped in forced labour are in the private sector[4] and the UK alone imports an estimated $18 billion worth of goods that represent a high modern slavery risk[5].
Progress of particular note made by Find it, Fix it, Prevent it over the past year includes:
Launch of the CCLA Modern Slavery Benchmark which assesses the modern slavery statements and other disclosures of the largest 100 UK companies and has resulted in consumer goods, travel, retail, mining, technology and finance businesses investing new resources into tackling modern slavery and human rights. A number of large publicly listed companies including National Grid, Reckitt, RELX, Rio Tinto and Tesco have also now acknowledged the benchmark in their 2023/24 modern slavery statements.
A roundtable held by the Cabinet Office, CCLA Investment Management, LGT Wealth Management and the Supply Chain Sustainability School and attended by 17 major UK-listed and private construction companies including Balfour Beatty. This spurred activity across Government, with the Cabinet Office looking to incorporate more about the Modern Slavery Act in sourcing and contract management. It also saw a potential collaboration with civil society and regulators to provide a modern slavery intelligence network discussed, which several large construction companies have indicated they are willing to support.
Active engagement with government, policy makers and regulators to promote a meaningful regulatory environment. CCLA gave evidence and engaged with public officials on the effectiveness of the Modern Slavery Act and pushed for a mandatory human rights due diligence legislation in the UK similar to the European CSDDD. Dame Sara Thornton and Dr Martin Buttle gave evidence to the House of Lords review of the Modern Slavery Act and argued for improvements to legislation on transparency in supply chains at the Home Affairs Committee on Human Trafficking.
Peter HUGH SMITH, CCLA Chief Executive, said: “CCLA are committed to being a catalyst for change across our industry, using our influence to convene the City around the crucial issues that are not getting the attention they deserve. Modern slavery is often a misunderstood and underestimated problem and one where investor engagement has the potential to drive tangible and lasting positive change. We remain committed to leading a constructive, multi stakeholder approach to tackling modern slavery head on, working with our peers in the investment industry alongside companies and government.
We re-iterate the 2019 Find it, Fix it, Prevent it call to action for UK companies to increase their efforts to identify human trafficking, forced labour, and modern slavery in their supply chains, review, assess and disclose the effectiveness of their attempts to address these issues and support the provision of remedy to victims of modern slavery within their supply chains.”
More detailed highlights from the three Find it, Fix it, Prevent it workstreams include:
Corporate engagement:
Construction is regarded as a high-risk for modern slavery as it relies on relatively low-wage labour, a high-proportion of migrant workers, long-labour supply chains and material sourcing from countries with low levels of labour market enforcement. It was chosen as the primary sector for engagement for phase 2 of the Find it, Fit It, Prevent it programme following engagement with hospitality firms in phase 1.
As a result of the corporate engagement workstream businesses have enhanced their due diligence processes, identifying modern slavery risks and putting in processes to reduce them, as well as beginning to provide remedy for workers.
Public policy:
As members of the Home Office Prevention and Enforcement Forum, CCLA have advocated the need to update statutory guidance on transparency in supply chains and are pleased that this work has now been commissioned. Dame Sara Thornton and Dr Martin Buttle gave evidence to the House of Lords review of the Modern Slavery Act on the need for the UK to adopt similar legislation to the European Parliament’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), which includes legal obligations on large companies in respect of the adverse impacts of their activities on human rights and environmental protection. This would provide consistency of standards for businesses and would reduce the risk of goods made with forced labour being dumped in the UK.
CCLA have also submitted written and oral evidence making this point to the Home Affairs Committee on Human Trafficking and the House of Lords review of the Modern Slavery Act.
In addition, CCLA has argued for financial institutions to be explicitly required to report on their investing and lending portfolios and met with the Investment Association in an effort to raise standards and performance.
CCLA has also continued to raise the issue of migrant workers potentially exposed to forced labour on UK farms, arranging a briefing for investors by the Seasonal Workers Scheme Taskforce and contributing to the government’s Independent Review into labour shortages in the Food Supply Chain. Having gathered a supportive coalition of 14 investors, CCLA wrote to, and met with, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs urging DEFRA to implement the recommendations and received a positive response.
Developing better modern slavery data:
A lack of readily available data is hindering the potential for investors to act on Modern Slavery. In 2023 CCLA launched its highly successful benchmark on the top 100 UK listed companies based on the Find it, Fix it, Prevent it framework, which is described above. In the foreword to the benchmark report, the former Prime Minister Theresa May stated: “This is a great example of investors taking the lead and using modern slavery statements as a catalyst for improvement and I welcome it”.
Dame Sara THORNTON, Consultant Modern Slavery for CCLA, commented: “The number of people trapped in modern slavery has grown over the past six years as Covid-19, conflict and climate change have disrupted labour markets and so it is vital that businesses do everything they can to prevent it in their own organisations and value chains. As investors, we can have influence not just over the companies in which we invest but across the wider system. However, in order to know where to start – we need information and data, which in the case of modern slavery, can be hard to come by.”
“I’m immensely proud of our work at CCLA in driving the investor response to this vital issue, and, in particular, in producing our first Modern Slavery Benchmark. The Benchmark has already enabled investors to have constructive engagement with companies and there is evidence that companies are taking more steps to identify, mitigate and prevent forced labour. It is this kind of responsible business conduct which will prevent vulnerable workers from egregious exploitation and abuse.”
Dr Martin BUTTLE, Better Work Lead at CCLA, said: “We are seeing more and more businesses up their game on eliminating modern slavery in their supply chains, spurred on by engaged investors. However, we have a long way to go before we can be confident that all the companies we invest in are taking robust action. Transparency on this issue would be monumental in driving change, but without clear legislation, there is a disincentive for companies to disclose. That is why this group’s policy engagement work is so important, and why we will continue to advocate for more robust human rights regulation in the UK.”
“Thankfully, recent regulatory developments globally are making this an increasingly material topic for investors and companies, so we hope and expect to see much greater focus on this issue going forward.”
Jake MOELLER, Associate Director, Responsible Investment at Square Mile Investment Research & Consulting, said “CCLA’s ‘Find it, Fix it, Prevent it’ initiative is to be highly commended. Modern slavery involves the exploitation of workers by corporations and intermediaries who abuse employment practices and vulnerable people to access cheap labour. It can appear in any supply chain without committed vigilance. Through CCLA’s initiative, signatories are provided with the education and expertise to identify and stop modern slavery within their supply chains. I have witnessed first-hand the impressive work CCLA undertakes with investee companies to eliminate the sourcing of seasonal staff from predatory recruiters, complex and unreliable visa applications, and hidden costs. While this issue is more widespread than many realise, collaboration among NGOs, charities, and investors shows potential for its eradication.
Increasingly, fund gatekeepers such as us at Square Mile Research, are determining that powerful advocacy initiatives from groups like CCLA are a key consideration in deciding which fund managers we seek to build relationships with.”
Browne Jacobson has made three key appointments to its expanding team of social housing legal experts.
Richard Macphail joins the UK and Ireland law firm as Partner and Co-Head of Social Housing alongside Gabor Taller.
Francesca Smith and Holly Chadwick are Senior Associate additions, taking the number of lawyers with expertise in social housing real estate to 14 people.
Richard, an experienced property lawyer who was previously Head of Social Housing at Hugh James, predominantly acts for housing associations and developers in England and Wales, as well as for local authorities in relation to their portfolio management work.
Left to right: Francesca Smith, Richard Macphail and Holly Chadwick with Gabor Taller
He is based in Browne Jacobson’s Cardiff office – which also continues its rapid growth trajectory just over a year after opening – and his addition further bolsters its real estate offering.
Recognised in the Chambers and Legal 500 directories as a notable practitioner, Richard has been the lead adviser on some of the largest and most innovative development projects to have taken place in Wales in recent years.
He specialises in site acquisitions, including package deals, golden brick agreements, section 106 schemes, development agreements, options and promotion agreements.
Richard said: “Ever since Browne Jacobson opened an office in Cardiff in July last year, I’ve been able to see first-hand how it has shaken up the Welsh legal market with a dynamic offering underpinned by a clear social mobility value.
“It’s therefore a hugely exciting time to be joining a sizeable and growing UK and Ireland firm that is positioning itself at the forefront of society’s biggest issues, and has the strength and depth to advise clients on complex issues.
“Given that the delivery of sufficient affordable housing is also at the top of the new government’s agenda, Browne Jacobson’s cross-sector expertise also makes us uniquely positioned to play a key role in this over the coming years.”
Browne Jacobson’s social housing team is part of the wider built environment department, which comprises more than 50 people.
Its client roster includes some of the most actively developing registered providers in England, which provide homes to than one million people collectively. These include Platform Housing, Sanctuary, emh group, Midland Heart, Nottingham Community Housing Association, Longhurst, Housing21 and Great Places.
Gabor added: “These senior appointments represent a significant strengthening of our social housing team. They are all recognised experts with proven track records in delivering for housing associations and developers in England and Wales – they are a great fit.
“We now act for more than a quarter of all strategic partner registered providers in England, which will play a hugely important role in the government’s manifesto pledge to ‘deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation’, while our presence in the Welsh sector continues to grow at pace.
“With Richard taking a leadership role, and supported by Francesca and Holly’s additions, we are well-equipped to support this sector during a hugely important period.”
Other new partner additions include Gavin Hoccom, who was recently promoted to lead the construction team in Wales, as well as Tom Saunderson and Christian Farrow, who bring corporate expertise covering a broad spectrum of M&A and investment work.
Tim Edds, Head of Cardiff, added: “Richard and Francesca are fantastic additions to our Cardiff team, further broadening our offering in the Welsh market. Our rapid growth shows no sign of abating, with further key hires anticipated in the coming months.”
By Barley Laing, the UK Managing Director at Melissa
The new government brings with it new ideas on driving efficiencies and positive change within the public sector. It is a necessity in light of the state of the public finances.
Barley Laing
As it formulates its next steps in these areas the onus is on organisations in the public sector to take the lead in driving efficiency savings and change – the focus of Labour’s manifesto – which are interlinked.
One of the most important areas to focus on when looking at delivering efficiencies is the data they hold on citizens, in particular making sure they have accurate, verified address data, and the appropriate technology to make sure it’s delivered. This is a big issue when data degrades at around 25 per cent a year as people move home or pass away, for example.
The cost of poor address and other contact data
The cumulative cost of inaccurate data is between 15 per cent to 25 per cent of revenue for most organisations. This is because poor quality data wastes resources, undermines everyday operations and communications – particularly personalised communications, such as direct mail to citizens.
The public sector are stalwarts in sending direct mail on things such as recycling and rubbish collections, through to hospital appointments, bills and legal correspondence. Unfortunately, unverified, inaccurate address data can lead to costly mis-deliveries, delays and returns. If, for example, it’s correspondence related to a medical appointment which is then missed because of an inaccurate patient address, then there’s an additional cost in wasted staff time to the health service, and therefore the taxpayer; as well as the patient being put at risk with an additional delay. This is best avoided, particularly with public sector budgets under huge pressure.
It’s important to recognise that it’s not only about the monetary cost with inaccurate data, but reputation damage. If a resident does not receive their expected communication from a public sector organisation, or it’s delayed, it will not leave them with a good impression of the sender. This makes it essential for the address, and in fact all contact data, to be checked and verified, because citizens won’t be pleased to see public money being wasted in this way.
Furthermore, bad decision making is caused by inaccurate data on citizens, such as the delivery of a service, or the future creation of a new one – with negative implications for effective resource allocation and budgeting. Having clean, verified address data helps to deliver a single citizen view (SCV) – insight that can be used for better resource allocation, targeting and personalisation, and to make informed decisions.
Sustainability
The issue of carbon neutrality, and more widely sustainability, are very important in this sector, as in many others. Central government bodies are required to publish a ‘Public Sustainability report’ every year and also recognise ‘The Greening Government Commitments 2021 – 2025’ which commits those in the public sector to minimising waste and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. On top of this the government is also committed to net zero emissions by 2050, with a 50 per cent cut in emissions by the public sector by 2032. Ensuring accuracy with verified addresses will reduce carbon emissions from the production and distribution of incorrectly addressed mail that will be returned, and have a positive impact on the efforts of public bodies in operating sustainably.
Access an Address Autocomplete service
The best way to deliver accurate citizen data is to use an address autocomplete or lookup service. These services deliver accurate address data in real-time by providing a properly formatted, correct address at the onboarding stage, when the user starts to input theirs. Tools such as these are very important because around 20 per cent of addresses entered online contain errors; these include spelling mistakes, wrong house numbers, and incorrect postcodes, as well as incorrect email addresses and phone numbers, typically due to errors when typing contact information. Another benefit of the service is the number of keystrokes required when entering an address is cut by up to 81 per cent. This speeds up the onboarding process and improves the whole experience.
In fact, similar technology can be used to deliver first point of contact verification across email and phone, so these important contact datasets can also be verified in real-time.
It’s vital any address verification service sourced has access to Royal Mail’s PAF and supporting databases, such as Multi Residential and Not Yet Built. It can help to enrich data, such as fill in any gaps. The provider of such a service should also offer access to a geocoding tool that can deliver latitude and longitude coordinates for pinpoint (rooftop) accuracy to improve the delivery and user experience. This, additionally, enables organisations to map their constituents and understand dispersion.
Use a data quality platform
It has never been easier or more cost-effective to deliver address and wider data quality in real-time across existing customer databases. One that stands out is a scalable data cleaning software-as-a-service (SaaS) – such as our Unison platform – that can be easily accessed, and doesn’t require coding, integration, or training to use. This technology can cleanse and correct names, addresses, email addresses, and telephone numbers for the UK, but also worldwide. It also matches records, ensuring no duplication, and data profiling is offered to help identify issues for further action. A single, intuitive interface offers the opportunity for data standardisation, validation, and enrichment, ensuring high-quality contact information across multiple databases. It can deliver this with held data in batch and as new data is being gathered. As well as SaaS, such service capabilities can alternatively be accessed via cloud-based API (application programming interface), Microsoft SQL Server or deployed on-premise.
Clean address / contact data helps prevent fraud
It is important to recognise that access to up to date verified address data – standardised, recognised and accurate addresses for citizens – is a big first step on the path to prevent fraud. You only have to go one step further and undertake address validation – matching a name to an address – to help put the lid on costly fraud, with the Cabinet Office estimating that fraud and error costs the public purse up to £51.8 billion every year. For best results in preventing fraud using an electronic identity verification (eIDV) platform to undertake ID verification is the way forward. 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 cloud API; 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 far less risk of human error when using this technology.
By taking steps to obtain verified address data and wider contact data those in the public sector will improve the accuracy of their held address data on citizens. This will help to stop costly mis-deliveries, deliver insight that will help them personalise their communications, and make learnings that will drive efficiency savings, while also improving the user experience and driving positive change. It will also lessen their impact on the environment and help avoid costly fraud.
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.
Lightfoot’s driver improvement and efficiency technology has saved more than £100 million in fuel for customers in five years, the firm has announced.
The landmark figure was achieved by hundreds of customers in the UK covering in excess of four billion miles over the five-year period, operating a variety of vehicles ranging from cars to LCVs. Showing the major impact the introduction of Lightfoot’s in-vehicle driver coaching technology has had over the period, the figures revealed:
£102,189,084 in fuel savings
68.5 million litres of fuel saved
An average fuel economy improvement of 9%
180 million kg of CO2 saved
Paul Hollick, Managing Director at Lightfoot, said: “The scale of these savings is immense and just goes to show that getting drivers to buy into our unique offering pays dividends, both financially and environmentally.
“Our approach of in-vehicle coaching and reward creates safer drivers and more efficient fleet operations, as well as helping companies meet their environmental targets by significantly reducing carbon emissions.
“The data from the past five years shows the substantial impact Lightfoot has made, and we expect this trend to continue as we expand further into Europe.
“To put these figures into context: before using Lightfoot, a large diesel panel van covering 20,000 miles at an average of 150p per litre and 25mpg would cost nearly £5,500 in fuel. With Lightfoot fitted, the fuel bill would be just over £5,000 for the same mileage, reflecting a 9% improvement in fuel economy.”
And the improvement is continuing. Figures so far for 2024 show Lightfoot to be on course for a record-breaking year in terms of fuel saving and CO2 reduction, with £20.4 million in savings already made in the first six months, and more than 35 million kg of CO2 emissions saved.
“It’s clear that fleets are heavily invested in the decarbonisation journey,” said Hollick. “On the one hand they are looking at electric alternatives for the future, but they’re also not ignoring the improvements that can be made to internal combustion engine efficiency right now – and as these remarkable figures over the past five years show, Lightfoot continues to be a proven gamechanger when it comes to slashing costs and emissions.”
Combining energy infrastructure and EV charging experience for a better, faster infrastructure rollout
Charge point operator (CPO) Believ has entered a strategic partnership with energy infrastructure business Smart Metering Systems (SMS plc) by acquiring SMS’ Public EV Charging Business to further accelerate the deployment of publicly accessible electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, encourage the faster uptake of EVs and ultimately deliver cleaner air for all.
The partnership will continue to draw on SMS’ extensive low-carbon energy infrastructure experience in metering, power network design, delivery and energy services, while also benefitting from Believ’s wide-ranging and proven EV charging capabilities. These include charge point network deployment, operation, maintenance, and communications networking (through delivery partner Virgin Media O2).
Believ’s market-leading financial backing, provided by Liberty Global, world leader in converged broadband, video and mobile communications services, and Zouk Capital, infrastructure fund manager, ensures further long-term confidence to EV charging site providers and makes this partnership possible.
With SMS’ strong national footprint and valued relationships with landowners in retail, hospitality and parking, the acquisition will widen the reach of Believ’s best-in-class EV charging experience for EV drivers and site providers.
Believ currently operates a rapidly growing network of almost 1,700 charge points, offering all charging speeds and using 100% renewable energy across 547 UK locations.
The partnership will see 10 employees join the Believ team to provide continuity of services to SMS’ existing and prospective customers, whilst SMS will continue to provide related metering, delivery and energy services. Believ will open new offices in Wales and Scotland as their footprint across the United Kingdom grows.
Guy Bartlett, Believ CEO, says both companies recognise the urgent need for a faster charge point rollout: “This partnership answers this requirement by combining the ideal skills and expertise to accelerate the scale and pace of the UK’s infrastructure deployment. And crucially, we are well placed to deliver EV charging infrastructure that is of the highest possible standards.
“Would-be EV drivers need to see more charge points, in the right places and working brilliantly, to make the switch. We’re now in an even better position to deliver on those requirements.”
Tim Mortlock, CEO at SMS, says Believ’s, complementary capabilities and established market presence will make this a strong partnership:
“Believ’s significant backing make it a reliable, long-term partner and ideally placed to provide long-term stability to all stakeholders. Its wealth of specialist EV charging experience evidenced by its UK-wide network of reliable charge points ideally complements our own. By joining forces with Believ, we can offer wider and better services to customers across all segments of the market”.
Report from SCAPE and Social Value Portal reveals social value created by skills and employment has more than doubled since 2022
Room for improvement across the country through a stronger national campaign and focus on upskilling to support Labour’s growth agenda
New research has revealed that apprenticeships have become one of the biggest drivers of social value generation in the UK construction industry, with job creation measures making up 16.4% of the total amount of social value generated in 2023, more than doubling since 2022 (8%).
Published recently by public sector procurement authority SCAPE in partnership with Social Value Portal, the Social Value in Construction Benchmarking Report 2024 highlights how social value delivery is evolving and becoming more embedded across the construction industry.
Across the UK, 329 contracts with a combined total value of £3.2bn (accounting for 10% of all public sector construction spend) were analysed to establish the national and regional trends in social value delivery. Of the contracts analysed, 282 projects enabled skills and employment improvements, delivering more than 15,600 weeks of apprenticeship placements on site across the country.
However, the data, which compares the number of apprenticeship weeks delivered per £1m of contract spend, shows that there is significant variation across regions. Leading the way with an average of 10 weeks delivered per £1m is the West Midlands, where SCAPE has several live projects on site. This is closely followed by almost 9 weeks in Wales, where clients procure in accordance with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and where the national apprenticeship employment scheme Y-Prentis is in operation. Meanwhile London, despite representing the highest contract value of those analysed, lagged behind at just 4.5 weeks per £1m.
Apprenticeships help to address the problems caused by an ageing workforce and the skills gap. They are critical to safeguarding the future of the construction sector, but the regional disparity reported in SCAPE’s analysis indicates that more can be done at national level to harness this potential.
With apprenticeship outcomes being hugely influenced by national procurement policy, the report suggests that Central Government has an opportunity to support Local Authorities in delivering more consistent improvement across the UK. This would support Labour’s aims to kickstart economic growth and drive forward productivity; a core part of the Government’s plans.
The report points again to Wales, where many framework operators and clients make apprenticeships a contractual requirement, and to SCAPE’s experience of collaborative social value planning around the Commonwealth Games in the West Midlands as examples of best practice.
The report’s findings indicate that if all regions achieved the same level of delivery as these two, an additional 13,810 apprenticeship weeks could have been created – an 88% increase. This would result in roughly 288 extra apprenticeships nationally and make significant strides towards supporting the next generation of skilled workers.
Since 2020, SCAPE has produced an annual Social Value in Construction Benchmarking Report for the UK construction sector, drawing on the combined expertise and industry reach of Social Value Portal, SCAPE and its delivery partners to provide a definitive review of social value in public sector built environment projects.
The findings show that overall social value return on investment is on an upwards trajectory since SCAPE’s first report in 2020, increasing from 17% to 27%. The 2024 report indicates that social value delivery in most regions is increasing year-on-year, on average by 10-15%. The biggest jumps were in the North West and the South East, which is reflective of the high number of projects in these areas’ major cities.
To accelerate the pace of change, this year’s report suggests solutions such as a greater focus on smarter procurement, including via the use of quality frameworks – such as those like SCAPE’s that are verified as Gold Standard, or those that are part of the National Association of Construction Frameworks (NACF). It also advocates for more transparency of pipeline, which supports long-term planning, enhances project outcomes and aligns with the Procurement Act 2023 due to be implemented in February 2025.
Mark Robinson, group chief executive at SCAPE, said: “The Social Value in Construction Benchmarking Report highlights the positive impact the construction industry is having on communities up and down the country. The increased value delivered by apprenticeships we have seen over the past year demonstrates the clear potential these programmes have for supporting the next generation – as well as the industry’s ability to drive positive economic growth.
By facilitating shared learning and best practices, SCAPE is proud to be leading the way in unlocking social value through public sector procurement. Our Gold Standard frameworks deliver strong skills and employment outcomes for the benefit of both local communities and economies. However, there is still more to be done – with Labour’s mission to drive economic growth and jobs creation, it is evident that there is a real opportunity for Government and industry to work together to ensure best practice is reflected consistently across the country. The findings of this report show a clear route for how this can be achieved and the benefits waiting to be realised.”
Nathan Goode, Chief Strategy Officer at Social Value Portal, added: “The construction sector has a pivotal part to play in building stronger, more resilient communities, and in progressing the wider social value movement. We’re encouraged by insights in this report, particularly around the year-on-year growth of the sector’s social value return on investment. While there is always room for improvement, the construction industry is clearly embracing its role in creating positive social and environmental outcomes. At Social Value Portal, we’re proud to be working alongside SCAPE and our many other construction partners to make sure every project delivers lasting value for society where it is needed.”
The contenders for the IED Annual Awards 2024, which recognise achievers in the public and private sector through a series of individual, team and organisational categories, have been announced by the Institute of Economic Development.
In another highly competitive awards round, the final three nominees for seven IED Annual Awards have been decided. The winners will be revealed at the IED Awards Dinner, which will take place in the Great Hall at BMA House in London on 6th November, following the IED Annual Conference which this year is themed ‘Economic Transition – How do we deliver long-lasting change in our towns, cities and regions?’.
Economic development professionals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and management in their role, and who motivate and inspire their team to achieve success through effective leadership.
Becky Davies, Economic Development Manager, Torbay Council.
Bev Hurley CBE, CEO, YTKO.
Claire Pearce, former Director of Planning and Economic Development, This is Gravity Ltd.
Exceptional economic development teams who have gone above and beyond in ensuring the smooth running and effective delivery of economic development functions in their organisations.
Economic Development Team, Basildon Council.
Economic Growth and Housing Service, Sefton Council.
Economy Team, Torbay Council.
Rising Star of the Year – sponsored by AtkinsRéalis
Younger economic development team members aged 30 or under (as of 1st June 2024) who have demonstrated excellence, commitment and gone above and beyond in their early career.
Connor Conneely, Senior Economic Development Officer, Torbay Council.
James Corden, Economic Development Planning Manager, National Highways.
Individuals and teams who have championed and made a significant contribution to social value creation, developing best practice in their field and making positive impacts in their communities.
Charles Rapson, Strategic Lead for Social Economy Growth, West Midlands Combined Authority.
Make Your Place, Southampton Business School and the Future Towns Innovation Hub, University of Southampton.
The Sunspot, Jaywick Workspace, Tendring District Council.
Innovative economic development projects which have pushed the boundaries beyond traditional approaches and delivered additional beneficial outcomes as a result of the innovation.
Business Tapas, Cheshire West and Chester Council.
Enterprise Facilitation Project, Blaenau Gwent Country Borough Council.
Greater Manchester Foundational Economy Innovation Fund, Greater Manchester Combined Authority Economy Team.
Collaborative Initiative of the Year – category available to sponsor
Outstanding cross-sector economic development collaboration between two or more partners drawn from local authorities, private sector, third sector, business and academia.
Cradle to Career, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Right to Succeed Charity.
Place-Based Impact Investing (PBII) initiative, The Good Economy.
STEP Fusion Programme, West Lindsey District Council.
For projects delivered and concluded in the last five years, which demonstrate benchmarked evidence against other similar initiatives. Impacts could include environmental, social, business support (from start-up to growth and scale), rural development and regeneration.
From trains to cranes – HS2 and the West Midlands’ development boom, HS2 Limited and Arcadis Consulting (UK) Ltd.
Salford Central Masterplan, English Cities Fund in partnership with Salford City Council.
The Business and Tourism Programme: Boosting the economic legacy of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, West Midlands Growth Company.
A further award, Outstanding Contribution to Economic Development, will be announced on the evening to recognise an individual who has made a sustained outstanding contribution to the field of economic development.
“Following the success of last year’s IED awards to celebrate our 40th anniversary as a professional body, we are delighted to bring them back for a second year,” said IED Executive Director Nigel Wilcock. “Congratulations to those who have been shortlisted, and thanks to everyone who has taken the opportunity to enter and sponsor the IED Annual Awards 2024. The evening promises to be another insightful, inspirational and uplifting occasion. We would also like to express our gratitude to AtkinsRéalis, Growth Maturity Index, Pegasus Group, Lichfields and WECD for their sponsorship of the Annual Conference, with opportunities for conference and awards packages still available.”
More than 350 jobs were created and a record number of people accessed apprenticeships after national procurement expert Fusion21 helped companies to deliver their social value targets.
Based in Knowsley in Merseyside and operating nationally, Fusion21 ensures its members, ranging from housing associations to education and health providers smash social value targets on every project – from work placements and apprenticeships to tackling unemployment and delivering voluntary work and community-focused initiatives.
Figures released by the procurement specialist show hundreds more jobs and apprenticeships were created and retained in the last year – alongside a raft of work placement opportunities and tailored careers advice for young people.
And the total number of people either gaining employment or in sustained jobs (staying in work) saw a 24% annual increase rising from 1,353 in 2022-2023 to 1,674 in 2023-2024. The jobs include roles such as a Retrofit Assessor, Tenant Liaison Officer, Gas Engineer, and Quantity Surveyor.
Sarah Maguire, Head of Social Value at Fusion21 said: “This data demonstrates the incredible outcomes that have been delivered across our frameworks, with our members and suppliers creating hundreds of jobs, apprenticeships and crucial training courses along with work experience opportunities.
“I’m delighted that these latest figures have exceeded our targets and reflect how committed our members and supply chain are to making a visible difference, achieving social impact, and delivering social value you can see through intelligent procurement.”
Additional data for the financial year 2023-2024, compared to 2022-2023 reveals:
114 apprentices in trades ranging from plumbing, joinery, and painting and decorating were created compared to 90 the previous year, representing a 27% annual increase
76 apprenticeships were sustained compared to 61 the previous year – a 25% rise
583 people benefited from accredited training courses, up from 245 the previous year – a 138% increase
1,418 people accessed non-accredited training compared to 837 in 2022-2023, a 70% rise
296 people undertook work experience placements including site visits – up 8% from 275 in 2022-2023
Careers advice presentations rocketed from 1,416 to 3,668 – a 159% annual increase
Other ways social value was achieved include suppliers on Fusion21’s frameworks volunteering days for community projects, which rose 40% from 582 to 815.
And the value of supplier donations, including materials and monetary donations, also rose significantly from £381,000 in 2022-2023 to £803,741 in 2023-2024 – a 111% rise.
Their generosity included the distribution of fuel vouchers, the installation of defibrillators in local communities, and monetary donations to support the renovation of homeless shelters. Housing association residents have also benefited from DIY training courses and materials have been provided to help improve community green spaces and gardens.
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.”
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