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London housing association uses Totalmobile’s cloud-based job management solution Connect to power up a new in-house repairs service for residents
Totalmobile, the UK leader in Field Service Management software solutions, recently announced that it has provided the technology for Barnet Homes to successfully launch a new in-house repairs service that is dedicated to improving the way property maintenance is delivered to tenants. The provision, designed in consultation with residents and the housing association’s Performance Advisory Group, is shaped around delivering services in line with customers’ needs.
“Our vision is to deliver services efficiently, first time. To achieve that goal, we needed a modern integrated system that could handle everything from appointment booking to work planning in a highly unified and automated manner,” says Pete Davey, Head of IT, Barnet Homes. “Delivering the high-quality repair and maintenance services our residents expect and deserve depends on us having full visibility of our repairs teams at all times – and that’s exactly what Connect gives us, thanks to integrated job management and mobile working technologies.”
Providing a real-time snapshot of the performance of field operatives, the easy-to-configure solution has enabled Barnet Homes to streamline, automate and centrally manage its service delivery processes. The fully featured cloud-based solution provides all the scalability, integration with back-office systems and secure backup Barnet Homes needs to ensure its day-to-day operations are never compromised or disrupted.
Launched at the height of the coronavirus crisis, the new service has already proved a hit with residents.
“Even though Barnet Homes have only been using Connect for a short while, we can already see the benefits that this is delivering to our organisation,” continues Davey. “The dashboards provide us with the real time visibility and control we need and the transition to a cloud-based solution means we now have complete confidence in the security of all our tenant and organisational data.”
Barnet Homes is now using Connect to initiate a number of service enhancements that will significantly extend the portfolio of services delivered to residents. In August, just months after the initial service launch, Barnet Homes successfully brought the servicing and installation of gas heating appliances, as well as managing heating breakdowns, back in-house.
“Residents now have the confidence of dealing with our own operatives, plus we’re better able to manage the speed and quality of our response to residents’ needs. Connect not only enables us to better manage and coordinate our services on a day-to-day basis, it also gives us instant access to the data sets we need to determine the effectiveness and performance of the service and evolve our offering in line with new identified needs,” concludes Davey.
Jim Darragh, CEO of Totalmobile comments, “With Connect, Barnet Homes can use real time monitoring to trigger tasking into the work management system, increase workforce capacity with automation, and use a video-based diagnostic solution to reduce unnecessary site visits. It represents a huge milestone for the team and has been pivotal in helping it transform its operations and respond more effectively to the needs of residents.”
 Abbot’s Way school With schools increasingly relying on digital technologies and cloud-based storage and services to plan and teach the curriculum as well as to communicate with parents and carers, fast, reliable internet access is now essential in education.
For community focused ISP Truespeed, pledging free ultrafast broadband for life to schools passed by their network is part of their ongoing deployment of full fibre, gigabit-capable broadband to businesses and homes in harder to reach areas of the south-west underserved by national broadband providers.
The Bath-based full fibre infrastructure provider is providing staff and students at 50 rural schools in the BANES (Bath and North East Somerset) and Somerset local authority areas free ultrafast broadband for life to support their education.
Marksbury School, Abbot’s Way School and Churchill Academy are already connected to Truespeed’s gigabit-capable broadband service. And all 31 schools that make up the Bath & Wells Multi Academy Trust will come on stream soon, ensuring 7,800 pupils and over 1,400 staff benefit from this award-winning service.
According to Julie Player, Head Teacher at Marksbury C of E Primary School, Truespeed’s ultrafast broadband service has already transformed school life for pupils and staff. “Before we went live with this service our broadband connectivity was so unreliable that we couldn’t really rely on online learning resources,” she explained. “Now teachers can now make the most of cloud-based storage for lesson planning, as well as a whole host of valuable cloud-based teaching aids accessible via interactive smart boards during lessons. Pupils also get to do more real-world learning in class – an important part of the curriculum – by using school iPads to access the internet and connect with local businesses. We have also been able to resurrect our dedicated ICT lessons.”
Gareth Wright and Hellen Lush, Joint Heads at Abbot’s Way School, a new forward-thinking specialist school near Glastonbury added, “The introduction of our Truespeed connection is a vast improvement, with speeds reaching 200Mbps. For our students, assistive technology is an essential resource, enabling them to explore, discover and thrive within the world of technology and support their general learning. The installation of a fast, reliable broadband service is crucial to any educational environment and we are very happy with the Truespeed service,” they concluded.
The firm’s community ethos also extends to providing free broadband for life to local community hubs passed by its network.
Founded in 2014 to help people overcome their struggles with poor connectivity, Truespeed started rolling out its network and gained a £75million from Aviva Investors in 2017. Since then it has connected over 100 communities and has brought life-changing broadband to thousands of people. Truespeed’s deployment methods include connecting fibre cables to existing ducting and poles used for telephone and power lines, minimising disruption to local residents and businesses.
Truespeed recently announced plans to bring Wells into the digital era with Gigabit-capable broadband connectivity for residents, schools, GP surgeries and businesses.
 This afternoon, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and CDL Michael Gove spoke to 250 business leaders on preparing for the end of the transition period.
The Prime Minister thanked businesses for the huge efforts they have made so far this year, both to help with the coronavirus pandemic and to prepare for the end of the transition period. He reiterated that on 1st January 2021, change is going to happen and we will be leaving the single market and the customs union, and that the Government stands ready to help businesses get ready.
He added that this should be a moment of change and dynamism for the UK, providing businesses with fantastic opportunities. He also set out the Government’s ambition to unite and level up the country, by providing better skills, education, technology and infrastructure.
The Prime Minister said:
“Our job is to create the platform for dynamic businesses such as yours to compete and to grow. But it is vital that everybody on this call takes seriously the need to get ready, because whatever happens – whether it’s Canada or Australia – change is going to happen. There is a big opportunity for this country and we want to help all of you to seize that opportunity.”
CDL said:
“I am hugely appreciative of the efforts that so many companies have made over the course of this year, both to help us deal with the Covid crisis and also to prepare for the end of the transition period. We know that this December 31st we will be leaving the customs union and single market come what may. It’s in law, and it’s a fact that the EU and UK accept as immoveable, and that means we need to make sure we’re ready.”
Attendees represented a range of British business and industry, including transport, retail and manufacturing. They outlined ongoing preparations for the end of the transition period, including the challenges and opportunities ahead.
CDL committed to continue working closely with industry in the coming months to ensure that all businesses can prepare for the changes at the end of the transition period, and the actions which businesses need to complete regardless of the outcome of negotiations.
The Prime Minister also made clear that the Government will support businesses to get ready – and was optimistic that the country will thrive whatever the outcome of the negotiations.
Prisons across England are being virtually connected to local hospitals by secure encrypted video, in a move that will reduce the need for prisoners to travel to receive specialist care
NHS England and NHS Improvement have signed a new national agreement that is rapidly connecting prisons in England with specialists in their local hospital through a video collaboration platform provided by health tech company Visionable.
Instead of coordinating physical visits to hospital – which can cost hundreds of pounds – prisons will now be able to use Visionable’s technology to allow prisoners to securely speak to consultants remotely whenever possible and appropriate. The system has already been used to transform how patients and doctors interact in the NHS, and has seen a sharp rise in use during the coronavirus pandemic.
A secure, encrypted client version of the Visionable system was initially rolled out to a prison in March allowing hospital clinicians to provide specialist video consultations to prisoners under the supervision of the prison’s own medical team.
The initiative has proven so successful that it has now been scaled nationally and is in the process of being rapidly deployed to 114 prisons and young offender institutions, 15 secure children’s homes, and five immigration removal centres, where in the longer term it could also potentially be used to virtually connect patients to other NHS services – including primary care and mental health.
 Security has been a paramount consideration during the introduction of the system into prisons. Secure laptops can only be activated with a remote key held by the prison’s own healthcare team, who take the laptop to the prisoner’s location.
The member of staff then uses the secure Visionable platform to join a virtual room, in which they connect to a specific consultant at the hospital at an arranged time. The laptop is then placed in front of the prisoner who can virtually talk to and see their consultant. Consultants are also able to use the system to show important information and diagnostic images such as x-rays and CT scans.
Once the consultation has finished, the consultant can then talk to hospital staff and advise them of necessary next steps – such as issuing a prescription.
The laptop and software have been configured so that it cannot be used for any other communication purpose and that in the event of a laptop being stolen, it would be rendered inoperable.
Alan Lowe, Visionable chief executive, said: “Virtual ways of working in healthcare have quickly become more urgent since Covid-19. But they are also a key means for transforming how people interact with their healthcare professionals in the longer term. This particular project, envisioned before the coronavirus pandemic, is an important expansion of how the NHS has been using remote video technology to transform pathways, and will result in significant efficiency and security gains for organisations involved. But it also demonstrates how clinicians can be brought to the individual, regardless of their location. If used in the right way, remote technologies provide significant opportunities to bring services to individuals in a more convenient way and in ways that can improve access and equity in healthcare.”
Data loggers have highlighted more than £1.5 million of potential additional water costs for organisations this year, after highlighting issues including leaks at sites, new figures show.*
This included:
- One of the largest universities in the UK had leaks on two sites – which were losing an estimated 100 cubic metres (100,000 litres) of water a day. It was able to spot these after installing 29 Automatic Meter Reader (AMR) data loggers through work with water retailer Water Plus.
- Another large university has been supported this year with their maintenance programme after 17 data loggers were installed, making more data on water consumption available to them to help identify any weak points on their sites’ pipework.
A London-based university was also able to see a water loss that needed attention, after more than 30 AMR data loggers were attached to water meters, so they could get more information see where any water issues or savings opportunities were. Data monitoring from the loggers made it possible to identify and fix a 1,750 litre per hour leak in the last year.
More than 720 data loggers have been installed during 2019, through work by Water Plus to help organisations to track levels of water consumption.
An online AMR portal helps energy and utility managers stay a step ahead to keep control on water costs when working remotely
Scott MacIndeor, Head of Advanced Services at Water Plus, said: “Data loggers and online portals help to get organisations with multiple water meters much closer to their water use and helps to highlight where issues or opportunities for efficiencies are when it comes to water consumption across sites.
 Photo by Samuel Sianipar on Unsplash “We know organisations in the public sector – and elsewhere – are keen to help protect their operation and prevent extra spending in the future, particularly now, and data loggers with online portals provide an easy to use platform to spot when action is needed to avoid increased costs. It helps to keep energy and utility managers a step ahead – and in more control – when they’re working remotely across multiple sites.
“As we know data is an important tool for the Public Sector and businesses – and as part of enhancements to our online customer portals – we’ve recently updated how information on water use is displayed on the AMR portal, giving greater detail and data analysis – making it even easier to use and saving time for organisations.”
Water Plus has also recently secured a place on the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) framework which will allow it to be a water, wastewater and ancillary services supplier to public sector organisations across the UK. It’s the second time the retailer has won a supplier place on the CCS framework, which runs for four years from 1 December this year (2020) and is expected to save the public sector approximately £20 million.
 Scott MacIndeor, Head of Advanced Services at Water Plus Scott said: “We manage the water and wastewater services for many public sector organisations, including some of the largest and most diverse in the UK – such as councils, schools, colleges, universities, UK Government-owned sites, prisons, hospitals and the emergency services – so we understand their different needs and drivers and we’ve helped organisations make significant savings across their portfolio, reducing water use and contributing to their sustainability aims and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”
The CCS supports the public sector to achieve maximum commercial value when procuring common goods and services. In 2019/20, CCS helped the public sector to achieve commercial benefits worth over £1bn – supporting world-class public services that offer best value for taxpayers.
Water Plus won a number of substantial Public Sector contracts while on the previous framework, which they secured a place on in March 2017. These included Greater Manchester Police and Bury Council.
As part of wider work to help raise awareness around leaks and water efficiency, an interactive water leak checklist for site managers and caretakers has been provided this year by Water Plus for use on smart phones, tablets and laptops (and to print out, if needed). And the retailer also commissioned research last year to help public sector utility and facility managers on water attitudes of public sector employees.
As part of highlighting water efficiency and its benefits across England and Scotland, it regularly joins industry events and meetings including the Greater London Authority’s Water Advisory Group, chaired by the Deputy Mayor.
Find out more about lowering your costs in the future and how to help meet your organisation’s sustainability goals.
If you’re interested in Automatic Meter Reader (AMR) data loggers, that show water use through an AMR online portal, as well as getting closer control over water costs – or exploring how water efficiency can benefit your organisation – please email our experts at: advancedservices@water-plus.co.uk or go to www.water-plus.co.uk/watermanagement.
- Water Plus is the UK’s largest business water retailer that provides customer service, meter reading and billing for water and wastewater services, along with advice on water efficiency, to public sector organisations and businesses of all sizes, across England and Scotland. It works with and supports universities that are amongst the top rankings in the People and Planet University League (2019) and the Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings (2019) for their contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Further detail on the main cost statistic
 *The “more than £1.5 million” additional cost for businesses and public sector organisations is based on the volume of water lost if the leaks had run for 12 months without a repair. The leaks would have seen 650,000 cubic metres of water lost along with increases in bills and potential structural damage. Having the data available allowed for the leaks to be identified early, reducing risks to businesses and other sites continuing to operate and costs. The cost of £1.6 million is estimated, based on average wholesaler water and wastewater charges per cubic metre of water. 1 cubic metre of water is equivalent of 1,000 litres of water.
Research Water Plus commissioned and published about water attitudes in the Public Sector at work can be found here – admin.water-plus.co.uk/wpstrategic/media/PDFs/water-use-in-the-public-sector.pdf
And further details on the research can be found here – www.water-plus.co.uk/fresh-thinking-hub/your-employees-want-you-to-save-water
 Responding to the news that Wales will go into a national lockdown from Friday 23 October to Monday 9 November, Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price MS told GPSJ: “A fire break is a last resort and should only be used in an emergency. We are now in an emergency.
“The time the fire break buys us must be used build up a resilient test trace and isolate system in Wales which means we can prevent being in the position we’re currently in where the case numbers have risen to the point where they can overwhelm an already exhausted NHS.
“We also need to ensure the safeguarding of workplaces, and that sufficient financial support is available for businesses and their employees who will be directly impacted by this fire break.
“It’s time for us as a nation to come together once again – as communities, as Government and as Opposition – working together to protect our NHS and save lives.”
 Sascha Giese, Head Geek™, SolarWinds By Sascha Giese, Head Geek™, SolarWinds
The U.K. public sector has never been more digital than it is now, and an increasing use of applications—both within organisations and for use by the general public—have allowed the sector to work more efficiently and provide better services. But, the more applications in use, the higher the risk something could go wrong. The problem needn’t be something as severe as the app breaking entirely, but could include something as simple as it not performing optimally. If, for example, an app for patients to book GP appointments is slow and tricky to use, most patients will give up and call their surgery instead, making the app unnecessary and increasing the pressure on GP receptionists.
That’s why “slow” is the new “down.” Users have high expectations from technology now, and the public sector must keep up. There are five key reasons why organisations need a comprehensive performance management strategy to track and measure all of their digital touchpoints and mitigate the impact to both the organisation and the user.
- Keeping Everything on a Tight Schedule
Until recently, most organisations across all sectors typically ran on analogue models, where users or customers would physically go to the organisation and initiate an interaction to receive certain products or services. The old system worked fine in most cases, but compared with new methodologies the analogue model was inefficient. It required more advanced prep, longer wait times, and led to higher overheads.
Now the public sector—along with the rest of the world—is interconnected, often by custom apps and websites (custom, because each organisation is different, with different needs unable to be fulfilled by a “one-size-fits-all” approach). When it works well, everything runs smoothly. But a small blip can mean disaster. Every modern, digitally-interconnected system is kept in good working order by monitoring. Everything about the app and the site is monitored and measured to the “nth degree.” How is the mobile app performing? How long did the user stay on a page? How quickly did the app fulfill a request?
Monitoring allows you to find this out quickly, and fix any problems before they grow. This is known as application performance monitoring, or APM, and it’s rapidly becoming a must-have for organisations to ensure poor performance is avoided.
- Speed Should Be a Top Priority
In the business world, speed is rapidly becoming one of the most important features of apps and websites. In 2018, Google changed its algorithm to make site speed a ranking factor in mobile search, prioritising sites providing users with a fast response. Businesses unable to provide this can miss out on potential sales, because customers expect quick transaction times.
A similar challenge is becoming evident in the public sector—users interact with digital services far more than before, but if a site is slow to load, they may be tempted to seek the same help elsewhere. A recent study by Decibel found 95% of consumers in the U.S. and U.K. will leave an e-commerce or brand site if they’re having a frustrating time. Google says a mobile site should load within three seconds. Take longer than five seconds, and the probability of users bouncing increases by 90%. Every organisation, therefore, needs to know where and when they jump. You can find out with APM. It gives you continuous visibility into how your application is performing and helps answer the question, “is my app any good?”
- But Speed Isn’t the Only Priority
In the early days of cloud, the majority of IT leaders were impressed by its ability to disconnect from messy interactions with on-premises equipment. It was elastic, scalable, and agile; they could quickly deploy more resources if anything slowed down in the cloud. However, it didn’t automatically guarantee a better user experience.
Teams still need proactive visibility. With continuous monitoring, you can understand the performance of both the application and the infrastructure it runs on. Instead of always reacting to any problems, you can start delivering better results. APM tells you where you’re getting value and where you’re not, and highlights when you’re spending too much on a less vital feature. Successful monitoring isn’t necessarily about spending the most money—it’s about knowing where and when to spend it. APM won’t solve everything, but it does give you a perspective of the cost of running your applications and the performance of running those applications—and it does this proactively.
- Ensuring Teams Can See Clearly
Having full visibility of all IT systems and applications ensures problems potentially causing delays or outages can be kept to a minimum. But when there are interruptions, end-to-end visibility shows you the links between the application and the infrastructure. Technology teams can rapidly do root-cause analysis and fix the problem much faster because they’re no longer guessing at where the issues might be.
It means IT isn’t wasting time pointing fingers, and in the public sector where budgets and time are often limited, this is particularly important. Teams can work off a consistent and standard set of information. Additionally, for traditional IT organisations, APM gives advanced visibility into infrastructure, whether on-premises, cloud, or hybrid. It also gives key stakeholders a view into important metrics, helping them keep up to date and showing the value of the investment.
- Developing the Perfect Application
There are many reasons why applications don’t always perform well. They could have other applications contending for resources or custom applications could be poorly written. APM is especially useful in the development stage of applications because it allows people writing the applications to understand how their application code is performing immediately. This way, they can optimise their code before it goes live.
That app can be written in any number of languages, and it can be designed for any location. APM instruments these apps and allows you to see how those apps are performing down to the code level. The likelihood of deploying poorly performing code into production is then greatly reduced.
The key takeaways for public sector IT leaders are that APM might be an expense now, but it enables organisations to deliver better performing applications, and have confidence in doing it quickly and efficiently. Without APM, you have an unknown level of risk associated with the availability and performance of your applications, their transactions, and your infrastructure. And for stakeholders, APM is a valuable tool to boost visibility, so they can be sure their investment provides value to users who can help continue to improve public services across the country.
 Alert Technology Ltd, is excited to announce the launch of their new Alert PureAir R150 unit Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) is a growing environmental health and wellbeing risk faced by most building occupiers today. Recognised as one of the largest environmental risks we face by WHO (World Health Organisation) – it is known that general air pollution causes over 3 million deaths globally per year and 3 million lost working days in the UK.
It appears there’s little reprieve indoors either, with UK campaigners calling our highly insulated, poorly ventilated, energy efficient homes and buildings “toxic boxes” where the air inside can be up to 3 times worse than outside.[1] Air pollution contributes to lung cancer, asthma, allergies, cognitive impairment and mental health issues and the negative impact of poor IAQ or ‘Sick Building Syndrome’ is just as worrying – long term damage is being caused to our health, wellbeing and productivity and as Europeans spend 90% of their time indoors, improving our indoor air quality is a major issue.
Clean Air Day falls this year on 8th October 2020 and is in its fourth year as the UK’s largest air pollution campaign. Led by Global Action Plan, its objective is to bring communities, businesses, schools and the health sector together to raise awareness of how air pollution impacts our health and how we can all work together to tackle it. To learn more about Clean Air Day and what you can do, visit their website www.cleanairday.org.uk.
In recognition of Clean Air Day, Devon-based company Alert Technology Ltd, is excited to announce the launch of their new Alert PureAir R150 unit – the ultimate in air purifying technology as part of their ongoing commitment to safe air and safe working environments.
The Alert PureAir R150 eliminates 99.995% of particles passing through its multi-stage sanitising process. Using medically proven UVC technology, superior HEPA-14 filters and fully programmable controls, it changes the air in a room of 150m3 up to 7 times per hour providing clean, safe, virus-free air.
Alert Technology believe there is no better way to demonstrate your commitment to the health and safety of your people than the strategic placement around your premises of air cleaning purifiers (of the correct capacity), like the Alert PureAir R150 unit.
Mr Alan Archer, CEO of Alert Technology Ltd says, “As the UK reaches ~50,000 COVID-19 attributed deaths, and approaches the winter flu season, for businesses trying to safely encourage the return of their employees and customers it has never been more important to provide a clean and safe environment to live, work, and breathe.”
Mr Archer goes on to highlight, “Recent evidence that the coronavirus can remain suspended in the air for some hours[2], means we have to fundamentally change our tactics for reducing transmission rates in crowded, closed or poorly ventilated settings. Studies show even a small increase in long-term exposure to pollutants such as fine dust can increase the COVID-19 mortality rates by up to 8%[3].”
The Alert PureAir R150 unit filters out airborne pollutants such as dust, allergens, aerosols, moulds, and VOCs (volatile organic compounds), and its UVC light sterilisation kills airborne bacteria and viruses, including COVID-19. It is also effective at removing strong odours with the addition of an optional extra carbon filter.
Air purification is already widely adopted within the healthcare sector. The wider implementation of air filtration and purification across all sectors will help reduce risk, demonstrating that the duty of care to provide a safe environment for people to live and work in a post lockdown world is being fulfilled.
For more information on the Alert PureAir R150, please contact: Loretta King, COO, Alert Technology Ltd
www.alerttechnologyltd.com/pureair | Email: info@asbestos-alert.com | Tel: 01803 546262
 Stuart Hardisty By Stuart Hardisty
Yesterday I spoke at the Westminster Briefing event on Planning Policy Reforms Under the New Government www.westminster-briefing.com/Planning_Under_The_New_Government around the impacts of such reform on employment land, an issue I am firmly embedded in.
Three years ago I wrote a blog post setting out a series of risk factors affecting the supply of employment sites and premises ied.co.uk/news_events/a_crisis_is_brewing_are_we_fuelling_a_future_employment_space_crisis/. Then, 18 months later, I wrote a second article looking at some of the possible solutions, following the IED and British Chambers of Commerce coming together to discuss the problems ied.co.uk/news_events/how_can_we_help_solve_the_uks_looming_lack_of_employment_land_crisis/.
A further 18 months on, and with a raft of reforms to the planning system in England either implemented or proposed, including the Planning for the Future consultation which closes on 29th October, it is timely to consider where we are now and where we might be headed. To summarise the position prior to recent announcements:
- There is evidence of continued demand for new employment sites and premises. Whether you look at short-term trends in enquiries, long-term indicators of economic change and market drivers, or speak to commercial agents there is a consistent picture of unmet need and a requirement for new premises to come forward. New stock that is brought to the market is taken up rapidly, whether you are in rural or urban settings.
- Much of England’s (and the rest of the UK’s) existing employment premises are ageing and often dilapidated. Occupiers are often having to make do with sub-standard accommodation because there is no alternative. However, it also means a supply of low-cost accommodation for smaller companies operating with tight margins.
- There is insufficient delivery of new employment premises. Whilst there is no real shortage of allocated employment land within local plans this is not coming forward for development. There are a raft of supply side constraints contributing to this. These include an overwhelming policy focus on housing which is leading to landowners holding out for higher value development; fundamental viability challenges across large swathes of the country and a lack of infrastructure to open up sites. The move away from significant levels of active public sector delivery of employment property (e.g. the days of English Partnerships and the Regional Development Agencies – remember them?) is a key issue here.
- The rapid extension of Permitted Development (PD) rights over the last seven years, in a bid to deliver additional housing, has eroded the existing stock of employment premises at a time when there is already insufficient delivery of new floorspace. Take-up of PD was much higher than anticipated and is consistently identified as negatively impacting the supply of employment floorspace, including the Government’s own research[i]. It is not just removing vacant and dilapidated stock, with clear evidence of landlords failing to renew leases in order to realise higher values from their assets with the impacts disproportionately falling on SMEs and the third sector.
- A deficit in strategic planning in some areas is making it a challenge to allocate large strategic sites for uses such as logistics that are not always viewed as desirable by local authorities.
So, where will the recent and proposed reforms to the planning system take us?
- Further extensions to PD rights came in to force in July 2020. This will lead to further erosion of the stock of premises and more of the effects already outlined above.
- The new E Use Class moves current B1 Uses into a combined new Class for commercial uses. Whilst the intention is that this will enable a more flexible approach to town centres there is concern as to what this will mean for business parks and other out-of-town employment locations. Unlike PD rights there will be no Article 4 type directive to stop change of use. In terms of employment land the expectation is that it will lead to further erosion of existing stock and create incentives for landlords to seek higher value uses or hike rents for existing tenants. Savills report an expectation of substantial disruption to existing leaseholders[ii]. RPS note that it will make planning for future employment land needs challenging, with so much uncertainty in how much existing supply is likely to remain[iii].
- Planning for the Future is virtually silent on employment matters with a primary focus on housing. As many have pointed out, the lack of detail is so great it is difficult to comment. But the concern is that the current picture of employment as an afterthought will continue. There is also concern as to how strategic employment matters will be resolved with the removal of the duty to cooperate. Local government reform was clearly a potential tool to address this, but all indicators are that this has been kicked down the road for the time being. Being able to address employment issues across functional economic market areas is essential. The approach to zoning or categorising, with three types of land, is attracting a lot of attention. The detail will be critical here, as there is a clear risk that housing will again crowd out employment with landowners seeking the greatest return. Finally, the proposed Infrastructure Levy could be an opportunity if employment land is recognised as key supporting infrastructure and funds are directed to support its delivery. However, I will not be holding my breath with a long queue of infrastructure needs.
- Revisions to the standard method for calculating housing numbers may not seem to be an employment land issue, but in reality the significant uplifts in housing need figures will squeeze employment land and become the focus for landowners.
So, all in all, there is little comfort. To date it all points towards exacerbating the issues that were already clear with existing stock being eroded and no real clarity on how delivery of new employment space can be achieved.
Stuart Hardisty is a Director of the Institute of Economic Development and a Director of Hardisty Jones Associates. He has worked as an economic development consultant for more than 20 years, primarily at the interface of planning, property and economic development. He regularly advises public and private sector clients on employment land matters.
[i] RICS (2018) Assessing the impacts of extending permitted development rights to office-to-residential change of use in England.
TCPA (2020) No place for place-making: the impacts of permitted development rights on place-making, and what they tell us about the Government’s planning reforms.
MHCLG (2020) Research into the quality standard of homes delivered through change of use permitted development rights.
The Prime Minister has set out new plans to Build Back Greener by making the UK the world leader in clean wind energy – creating jobs, slashing carbon emissions and boosting exports.
£160 million will be made available to upgrade ports and infrastructure across communities like in Teesside and Humber in Northern England, Scotland and Wales to hugely increase our offshore wind capacity, which is already the largest in the world and currently meets 10 per cent of our electricity demand.
This new investment will see around 2,000 construction jobs rapidly created and will enable the sector to support up to 60,000 jobs directly and indirectly by 2030 in ports, factories and the supply chains, manufacturing the next-generation of offshore wind turbines and delivering clean energy to the UK.
Through this, UK businesses including smaller suppliers will be well-placed to win orders and further investment from energy companies around the world and increase their competitive standing on the global stage, as well as supporting low-carbon supply chains.
The Prime Minister has also set out further commitments to ensure that, within the decade, the UK will be at the forefront of the green industrial revolution as we accelerate our progress towards net zero emissions by 2050.
These include:
- Confirming offshore wind will produce more than enough electricity to power every home in the country by 2030, boosting the Government’s previous 30GW target to 40GW.
- Creating a new target for floating offshore wind to deliver 1GW of energy by 2030, which is over 15 times the current volumes worldwide. Building on the strengths of our North Sea, this brand new technology allows windfarms to be built further out to sea in deeper waters, boosting capacity even further where winds are strongest and ensuring the UK remains at the forefront of the next generation of clean energy.
- Setting a target to support up to double the capacity of renewable energy in the next Contracts for Difference auction, which will open in late 2021 – providing enough clean, low cost energy to power up to 14 million homes
These commitments are the first stage outlined as part of the Prime Minister’s ten-point plan for a green industrial revolution, which will be set out fully later this year. This is expected to include ambitious targets and major investment into industries, innovation and infrastructure that will accelerate the UK’s path to net zero by 2050.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:
“Our seas hold immense potential to power our homes and communities with low-cost green energy and we are already leading the way in harnessing its strengths.
“Now, as we build back better we must build back greener. So we are committing to new ambitious targets and investment into wind power to accelerate our progress towards net zero emissions by 2050.
“This sets us on our path towards a green industrial revolution, which will provide tens of thousands of highly-skilled jobs.”
Together with planned stringent requirements on supporting UK manufacturers in Government-backed renewables projects, these measures will mean the industry can reach its target of 60% of offshore wind farm content coming from the UK.
 Business and Energy Secretary Alok Sharma said:
“The offshore wind sector is a major British success story, providing cheap, green electricity while supporting thousands of good-quality jobs.
“Powering every home in the country through offshore wind is hugely ambitious, but it’s exactly this kind of ambition which will mean we can build back greener and reach net zero emissions by 2050.”
Today’s announcement marks the latest stage of the Government’s support for renewable energy. Last September the third round of the Contracts for Difference renewable energy auction delivered record-low prices on enough clean energy to power 7 million homes. Earlier this year the Government announced the next round would be open to onshore wind and solar projects for the first time since 2015.
The UK has the largest installed capacity of offshore wind in the world, with around 10GW in operation off its coasts.
The Government’s plan for renewable energy forms part of wider efforts to ensure the UK meets its legally binding target to reach net zero emissions by 2050 and build back greener from coronavirus.
Over the past decade, the UK has cut carbon emissions by more than any similar developed country. In 2019, UK emissions were 42 per cent lower than in 1990, while our economy over the same period grew by 72 per cent.
 Specialist social value agency, Samtaler, has appointed entrepreneur and former Vice Chair of Social Enterprise Scotland, Zahra Hedges, as its new director of operations.
The Scottish-based boutique agency has been experiencing a period of rapid growth in 2020 and has a solid roster of clients including Europe’s leading energy company, Vattenfall, as well as several local authorities. The agency is also working closely with Social Value UK, on its latest project, Contracts For Change, which will feed into national policy and improve how social value is embedded in organisations across the UK.
As social value continues to rise to the top of the agenda in both the public and private sector, Zahra will be responsible for all aspects of Samtaler’s future growth and strategic direction, bringing with her a unique blend of commercial, third sector and public sector experience.
With an entrepreneurial background, having founded and sold a successful retail and wholesale business, Zahra moves to Samtaler from CEIS, where she led the marketing strategy for Just Enterprise – the national support for the third sector – and managed ‘Our Place’, the asset-based community development project in North West Dumfries. She has also spent the last three years as Vice Chair and Board Member for Social Enterprise Scotland where she was involved in reviewing the intermediary support provided to social enterprises, and worked with Glasgow City Council to quickly adapt and transform the support given to social enterprises during the Covid-19 lockdown. Zahra will also continue to work with the Scottish Government on projects across all 32 local authority areas.
Speaking of her appointment to GPSJ, Zahra said: “I have long been a fan of Samtaler and the work they do, so to be able to join the business at this pivotal time is a real honour. The growth over the past two years has been remarkable and shows a real desire amongst both public sector procurers and some of our large businesses to really understand and embed community benefit and social value in what they do in a meaningful, sustainable and cost-effective way.
“Samtaler is a thought-leader in this field and is shifting the paradigm from a mitigation-based approach to a far more positive and dynamic one which actually meets the needs of all stakeholders. This is an area I am really passionate about and I’m looking forward to helping Samtaler lead the way in what I believe will be a seismic shift in how social value is delivered across the UK.”
Sarah Stone, director at Samtaler, comments: “Zahra’s extensive experience across the private, public and third sector makes her a real asset to our team. She has a natural ability when it comes to understanding the different needs and priorities of clients, stakeholders and their communities and how they can align their core purpose and values to deliver social value. This is exactly what Samtaler is all about.
“While our vision is to remain a small, boutique agency, we will be using Zahra’s fresh perspective and expertise to grow our client base. Every organisation is different and we believe in designing bespoke solutions for all our clients, so Zahra will be leading this personalised approach and focusing our growth strategy so that we only work with organisations who are ready to collaborate and genuinely want to build social value.”
Bristow & Sutor, one of the UK’s leading players specialising in debt recovery, are meeting with more people now than before the coronavirus pandemic began. Despite not currently entering premises, contact rates have increased by 15% and Enforcement Agent (EA) payment results have shown an increase of 24%. The company believes this proves the majority of debtors are willing to engage and those who can afford to pay remain happy to do so.
Bristow & Sutor has over 42 years’ experience in the collection of local council tax, non-domestic rates and unpaid Penalty Charge Notices. Importantly, the company has received zero complaints related to doorstep enforcement or conduct since the resumption of EA visits at the end of August. Bristow & Sutor employees are directly employed and are not paid based on the performance of one visit, their goal remains to help find the best solution and not focus purely on achieving immediate revenue.
Much of the success seen since resuming activity last month can be attributed to more people working from home, making now a better time than ever for local authorities to act and resolve cases of unpaid debt. Less traffic on the roads has also resulted in faster journey times for EAs, with call rates increasing by 8%.
In the first 7 days of resuming enforcement activity, Bristow & Sutor EAs knocked on almost 10,500 doors. The company has indicated reactions to their visits and case outcomes have been reflective of business as usual, which is a pleasant surprise considering the significant COVID-19 related changes to processes and procedures. Every Bristow & Sutor EA now possesses equipment such as hand sanitisers, antibacterial wipes, disinfectant sprays and gloves as standard. They are not permitted to enter properties currently, so any resolution found is done so in a socially distanced manner from the doorstep.
Latest Government and CIVEA advice and protocol is being followed by Bristow & Sutor employees at all times. COVID-19 guidance for staff on how to deal with customers, including revised guidance on vulnerability, is allowing EAs to deal with cases appropriately, safely and efficiently. This includes immediately withdrawing from the doorsteps of vulnerable debtors and passing these cases onto welfare teams so that people can get the correct support that they need. So far, Bristow & Sutor has recorded less than 100 instances of COVID-19 affected debtors in line with CIVEA guidance since resuming enforcement activity.
The reality remains however, that debts are less collectible the older they become. ‘Gone Away’ results have increased by 48% recently due to cases aging during the five-month period where no visits were permitted. It is imperative, therefore, that local authorities seize the moment and engage with debtors now that they are available and open to communication.
Andy Rose, CEO at Bristow & Sutor, says, “Suspending enforcement action during the coronavirus lockdown has left local authorities requiring fast, efficient and accountable recovery action as soon as possible. Our strong performance for councils following the return of visits shows that the public are comfortable with the measures in place and remain keen to resolve their debts. Now is the perfect time for all local authorities to act and recoup significant amounts of money they are owed, at a time when they need it most.
“We must acknowledge that more people could face vulnerable circumstances, but our ability to handle these scenarios and support those individuals remains the same. We believe that our approach maintains the same sensitivity and pragmatism that recovery cases should always be handled with.”
Before resuming visits, Bristow & Sutor supplied reconnection letters to debtors, giving them the opportunity to set up flexible payment arrangements and discuss changing circumstances. The company managed to secure over £8million pounds of revenue for local authority clients throughout lockdown, prior to enforcement resuming.
Bristow & Sutor prides itself on delivering an ethical, compliant and high-quality service to the public and private sectors. Agents regularly assist debtors with completing questionnaires, setting up payment arrangements and directing them towards support and advice where appropriate. They are trained to the highest standard and use modern technology and data to achieve market-leading performance, whilst protecting the most vulnerable in society and the reputations of clients.
Following a highly competitive procurement process, last week The Retail Energy Code Company (RECCo) announced the appointment of three new service providers to carry out the Code Manager function for the Retail Energy Code. RECCo is the corporate vehicle for ensuring the proper, effective, and efficient implementation and ongoing management of the Retail Energy Code (REC) in the UK. All three providers will collaborate, so the single Code Manager operates seamlessly to parties, industry and stakeholders.
The implementation of the REC will set an innovative new standard for industry code governance. It will mark the transition from a ‘Code Administrator’ to ‘Code Manager’ function, and it is critical that the appointed Code Manager service providers embody this role. They will deliver this through a consumer outcomes-based’ approach, an accessible set of arrangements in plain English and digital format with robust technical and performance assurance frameworks.
Chris Anastasi – Chair of the RECCo Board, stated “The RECCo Board is committed to the efficient and effective running of the retail energy market, including its systems and processes. It is delighted to be working with three established and experienced service providers that are aligned with its vision and will strive to promote innovation, competition and positive customer outcomes”.
 Gemserv has been appointed to the role of REC Professional Services provider (RPS). Gemserv will be responsible for delivering the REC Portal, which parties and stakeholders will use to communicate with all Code Manager services irrespective of provider. In addition, they will offer support to parties through Operational Account Managers, manage the change process, provide the front-line service desk and the REC knowledge repository.
Jon Harley, Executive Director and REC RPS Mobilisation Director, Gemserv commented “We are incredibly proud to be appointed as the REC Professional Services Code Manager. The REC will modernise how retail energy markets operate, delivering better outcomes for consumers, supporting net-zero and reducing regulatory burdens. Gemserv is now focussed on getting the REC up and running to deliver these benefits, and we look forward to working closing with RECCo, the other code manager service providers and industry stakeholders on this”.
 Deloitte has been appointed as REC Performance Assurance provider (RPA). In this role, Deloitte will monitor market participant and service provider performance, using dynamic risk assessments, digital technologies and analytics to help drive market and code improvements. Deloitte will be responsible for administering the REC Party entry, and exit process on behalf of the Performance Assurance Board (PAB) and will develop and implement the REC Performance Assurance Framework (PAF) to identify, assess and mitigate retail market risks, working collaboratively with the other code manager functions.
“Deloitte will support RECCo during this period of significant change for the retail energy market. The RPA has an important role to play in the new REC arrangements which are intended to protect consumers, provide wider societal benefits through greater reliability and speed of switching energy supplier, improve consumer engagement within the sector, and drive greater energy efficiency and value.”
Walter Carlton, Deloitte Lead RPA Partner. Capgemini will undertake the role of REC Technical Service provider. Capgemini will be responsible for delivering and implementing the REC Digitalisation Strategy, development and maintenance of the Energy Market Architecture Repository (EMAR) and undertaking the role of Technical Design Authority. The EMAR will contain the digital twin of the code and will include all industry code data items, messages, processes, services and business rules.
“The role of RECCo is pivotal in accelerating the pace of change as the energy industry transitions to net zero, meets the needs of society, and protects the interests of consumers. We are committed to be the digital engine room of this change and working with RECCo, the other providers, and all stakeholders to deliver this.”
Peter King, Capgemini Invent VP Head of Energy and Utilities and Capgemini Exec for RECCo RTS.
InfoSaaS and UKCloud have signed a partnership agreement that will see InfoSaaS’s data security, risk management and compliance software solutions made available to UKCloud’s customers and partners, free of charge for the an initial six month period.
UKCloud’s customers and partners can now access InfoSaaS’s solutions supporting data security, risk management and general business compliance activities (ISO9001, ISO27001, ISO27017, ISO27018 and ISO27701), supply chain management (ISO28001), data protection, (UK Data Protection Act 2018 and GDPR) and health and safety risk management (ISO45001).
Peter Rossi, co-founder of InfoSaaS, said: “Our solutions have always been intended to make obsolete the ‘traditional’ approaches used by companies for their information security, risk management and compliance activities, which are prone to human error and omissions. Essentially, we aim to help organisations to move on from spreadsheets and documents – but, of course, inertia and cost are always obstacles to change. This agreement removes the cost issue, for companies which have – through a process of digital transformation and migration to the cloud – already shown that they are unlikely to be held back by inertia.”
James Maynard, Solutions Director for UKCloud said: “UKCloud is committed to supporting our public sector customers and industry partners in driving out the cost and risk associated with traditional approaches to common challenges such as security and compliance. We have developed our multi-cloud platform to provide the flexibility, assurance, and expertise necessary to power innovative and specialist SaaS solutions, ensuring our customers and partners never have to compromise on security or value. We are delighted that InfoSaaS has chosen to use our platform to deliver this generous offer designed to accelerate adoption of digital solutions.”
InfoSaaS provides industry-leading SaaS software solutions for achieving and retaining multiple ISO management system certifications. By virtue of being platform-based, its solutions enable:
- Compliance managers (or whoever is responsible for ISO compliance within their organisation) to collaborate easily with other, remote colleagues, and to conduct “internal audits” to ensure that standards are met ahead of any external audit; and
- Certification Bodies to conduct surveillance audits more easily and even remotely.
ISO management system certifications have grown in importance to organisations operating in increasingly competitive markets around the world, clearly communicating relevant or important competencies to potential customers. Demonstrating certification against industry standards and evidencing a mature approach to the protection of sensitive information and personal data have become baseline requirements in many markets and for some customers.
 Pothole damage on our roads Traffic accidents, potholes, road deterioration, trip hazards on pavements and in car parks, There seems to be an epidemic happening all around us affecting every city, town, village and the connecting roads in between. Why is this happening? What can we realistically do about it?
What can be done?
The solution is surprisingly simple but it would require us all to make a little change. Many little changes can make a life changing difference, as all of us are affected on a daily basis by these problems. With this kind of change we would all start to see the results in our lifetime.
The change in question is to stop putting down untreated rock salt onto our roads, pavements and car parks over the winter period. Brine and pure de-icing salt aren’t much better either.
What’s wrong with what we are doing now?
In their current form, these products are super corrosive and terrible for our environment and ecosystem. They are not even that affective, sometimes having to be put down multiple times a day, as these products have a low absorption factor. They are also only active to temperatures of -7C and anything below that renders them useless (the ground temperature is often colder than the air temperature).
Their corrosive nature is evident all around us if we stop and look. Where grit bins are placed at sloping junctions and on hills, the roads are much worse than the surrounding areas. It doesn’t matter if the surface is tarmac (asphalt) or concrete, rock salt will eat its way through the surface as the hard grit embeds itself into the smallest cracks and holes. With the high volume of traffic we have on the roads, this causes the whole surface area to weaken and deteriorate much quicker than we can fix. Potholes need to be permanently fixed without cutting a section out (Thermal Road Repairs leads the way with this technology), nothing else will do but because the whole road surface is getting eaten away, as soon as you fix one pothole another will appear near by because of the weakened surface.
Highways England recognise a deterioration annually of 3% to the road network which must run in the £10b’s, even £100b’s in damage annually when you work out how many roads we have and this is increasing each year with new housing estates being built everywhere so the problem is only going to get worse, not better and if our weather starts to worsen in the future, we are going to have a real problem on our hands.
Are the products we are using now that bad?
Nature over millions of years has locked away many “nasties” inside the rock salt to protect the planet and we are spreading it back around before we’ve even treated it, no wonder it’s cheap. Urea is touted as a safe alternative to rock salt but in reality, if adopted on a national level would put our waterways and sea at risk of toxic algae blooms (more info in online article) which would be devastating for us.
Is there any hope?
Fortunately yes, and it comes under the name of EcoGrit Concentrate.
EcoGrit can be applied traditionally like rock salt, it works to a temperature of -20C and is 80%, yes 80% less corrosive. It also has a much higher absorption factor meaning it doesn’t need to be put down as often and in low traffic areas can last a number of days depending on snowfall.
It has the ability to be mixed with water so it can be applied by spray. In this form it works to about -8C (100g per litre) but can cover a larger area than in grit (granular) form. It’s ideal for steps, fire escapes, paths and entrances to buildings. It creates no mess and isn’t walked into buildings.
EcoGrit has no storing or handling restrictions and does not fall under COSHH regulations. It can also be used in large amounts (nationally) without harm to the environment unlike Urea.
It is a natural, bio-degradable product with inbuilt rust inhibitors. It is non-toxic and safe to use around children, plants and animals (non-harmful if ingested).
EcoGrit can be used as an anti-icer, de-icer or anti corrosion liquid.
Please help rebuild our country !
Keeping a few buckets on hand will prevent us from having to close schools or key services and allow people to queue safely this winter.
We know we need to make a change as we can’t keep destroying our roads quicker than we can fix them, otherwise we will never be a nation that can truly grow again.
Let’s make Britain “GREAT” again.
Visit www.ecogrit.co.uk
To trial this product please email: sales@ecogrit.co.uk, or call: 0800 193 6466
 Former Chief Inspector of Constabulary Sir Keith Povey QPM Former Chief Inspector of Constabulary Sir Keith Povey QPM, is to Chair the Taming Aggression Group (T.A.G).
A newly formed technical think tank, T.A.G aims to investigate the use of new technologies that can be adapted to deter instances of violence and criminal disorder in society.
Sir Keith brings a wealth of experience to the role having served in the police force for 42 years, working his way up from a constable in the South Yorkshire police to Chief Constable in Leicestershire before becoming Chief Inspector in 2002.
Since 2008, Sir Keith has been Chairman of the SmartWater Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation, established by the risk management company, the SmartWater Group, to provide free of subsidised services and equipment for crime reduction initiatives.
One area the T.A.G. is currently exploring is how technology like SmartWater can be used to tackle domestic violence by alerting potential offenders of this risk of being marked if they approach the vicinity of their former partner.
Says Sir Keith: “Often with domestic violence there is an injunction prohibiting people from going into certain areas, yet they still go there and it is very difficult to prove they were there at a particular time.” He adds: “But if they are tagged with a forensic marker it becomes much easier for the police to prove.”
Initial trials with South Yorkshire Police have proven to be very successful to such a degree that a video has been made to explain how the technology works.
The TAG Initiative intends to broaden its research to look at problems such as football hooliganism, public order and attacks on front line workers and will be engaging with experts in the field, ranging from academics and scientists to police officers, victims and other important stakeholders.
Sir Keith says: “Police resources are stretched so we believe that we can help them and potential victims to explore how various technologies can be adapted to either create a deterrent to violent crime or provide evidence in support of a prosecution. The domestic violence initiative is an important first success for the TAG Initiative, but we have other announcements in the pipeline, which we believe will have a similar deterrent impact”.
Link to domestic violence video: youtu.be/bNgF_Bw60lo
A Downing Street spokesperson has told GPSJ:
“The Prime Minister spoke to Yoshihide Suga this morning to congratulate him on his recent appointment as Prime Minister of Japan.
“The leaders discussed the importance of the UK-Japan relationship across economic cooperation, security and defence. They resolved to work together closely to tackle shared challenges such as coronavirus, climate change and issues in the Indo-Pacific region, including through the UK’s Presidency of both the G7 and COP.
“The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Suga welcomed the recent agreement on UK-Japan free trade, the UK’s first major trade deal outside the EU.
“They looked forward to meeting in person as soon as possible.”
 Christian Jacob, Managing Director, Qualco UK With millions outstanding in tax revenues and unpaid debts, local authorities and central government agencies are evaluating how they recoup their losses.
Around six million people across the UK have found themselves with bills they cannot pay as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
This figure, from Citizens Advice, was taken from a survey conducted among 6,015 adults between 29 June and 8 July. Since then, Britons have been faced with more job cuts and local lockdowns, so it is reasonable to assume that the number of people with unmanageable debts is even higher.
For local authorities, this poses an enormous challenge. Even before Covid-19, local authority finances were in a sorry state. An Institute for Government report, published in November 2019, attributed the financial difficulties of local councils to the previous decade of austerity, which saw councils such as Lancashire, Northamptonshire and Torbay take special measures to balance the books.
The arrival of the novel coronavirus, then, is particularly ill-timed, loading another financial burden on the already fully-stretched finances of local government authorities.
According to the Local Government Association, Covid-19-related costs and lost income by councils amounted to £3.2 billion between March and May alone.
Subsequent figures released by Moody’s Investor Services suggest that local and regional authorities in the five largest countries of Europe are collectively facing a shortfall of €77 billion.
Researchers found that the financial strength of UK local authorities is particularly weak and likely to require “the use of reserves to balance budgets” until the end of the financial year, at least.
A shift in thinking
Traditionally, public bodies have used the threat of enforcement agents and evictions as blunt methods to extract payments from indebted citizens. But, in June, as industries remained closed, people self-isolated, and the economic consequences of the pandemic were becoming clear, a temporary block on bailiffs seizing assets came into force, running until 23 August 2020.
During this period, the government launched its Fairness in Government Debt Management consultation, which seeks to explore how local authorities can work more collaboratively with citizens to maximise repayments, and minimise mental anguish to the customer.
“Fair debt management lessens the physical and mental impact on individuals struggling to repay what they owe, and the pressure on businesses and business owners,” the government report states.
Enforcement was previously the “go to” for most authorities until the Covid-19 outbreak. For many public bodies, the decision to appoint bailiffs and begin evictions may seem as a low-cost and efficient option.
In actual fact, it is anything but. Opting to use enforcement action at the earliest opportunity can bring a host of unintended consequences. The distress that the customer feels from such an interaction can have a lasting effect on their mental health. And, if evicted, it will be the local authority that will then be tasked with rehousing the individual or offering further support down the line. Local healthcare providers may also find they are tasked with rebuilding the customer emotionally after the psychological trauma of such an event.
According to the government’s Fairness in Government Debt Management report, working more collaboratively with customers can also improve returns to creditors “by avoiding the use of aggressive recovery techniques.”
A National Audit Office case study showed that employing the use of affordable repayment plans saved the creditors of one debt advice agency some £82m in one year alone.
Wokingham Council has become one of many local authorities to review its collection procedures, after it considered the impact that its methods could have on its residents and on its income.
Embracing a new approach
While enforcement techniques are coming back into play for local authorities, the Crown Commercial Service is urging decision-makers to use the new Debt Market Services (DMS) framework, which helps organisations better identify and understand customers in financial difficulty.
The framework — delivered through Qualco — gives authorities access to a government-approved centralised service of customer analytics, debt management advice, collections, error reduction tools, litigation services and, if appropriate, enforcement options.
“DMS uses analytics from credit reference agencies, and other sources, to understand consumer circumstances, meaning that local authority resources are focused towards delivering best value and returns,” explains Matthew Hooper, Senior Commercial Lead, Debt Management at the Crown Commercial Service.
“In addition DMS also saves valuable resources, and costs, by providing access to multiple best in class services delivered through a single supplier.”
Crucially, the DMS services are designed to treat customers fairly and they are open to all UK public sector organisations, including both central government and local authorities.
The DMS was established after its predecessor, the Debt Market Integrator (DMI), had established the need for best practice in government debt management. When the DMI was introduced back in 2015, the economy was in a very different position, but it did highlight the need for a more co-ordinated approach on collections throughout government, as well as a need to resolve inadequate data sharing between the private sector and public bodies. The DMI is now closed to new clients.
A fair, realistic approach
While the DMS framework can never totally remove the need for enforcement, particularly for those cases where all other forms of engagement with the customer have failed, it does offer public bodies the best possible chance of understanding the pain points of their customers. It also gives a clearer picture of those who can’t pay and those who simply choose not to pay.
Some believe that a supportive approach to debt management yields better results for creditors and for customers. The DMS allows public bodies a chance to access the tools which can enable successful outcomes for both parties.
As the UK focusses on getting the economy back on track, public bodies will need every bit of assistance to maximise their revenues, whilst at the same time embracing the Fairness in Government Debt Management initiative. It is only by harnessing the technological advances of recent years, better data analytical capabilities, and available insights into consumer behaviours that government organisations will be able to achieve this goal.
 Blocser believes cards still have a hold Ambitious Danish fintech Blocser has partnered with top UK card manufacturer allpay.cards with designs on the fast-growing gig economy.
Blocser has pinned their Butterfly Card to one of its biggest market moves yet – the UK offer to the near 5million now estimated as working in the nation’s gig economy.
Butterflies, says Blocser founder and CEO Henrik Danbjørg, are those who “dare to work on their own and only collect what they need”.
allpay.cards took that on board – and the butterfly took flight.
“At allpay.cards, we understand the importance of card design and the impact it can have on the market.
Our designers created a wide range of stunning design options, all of which enhanced the card with multiple printing techniques, bringing the butterfly to life,” said Emily Lovelock, Head of Sales, allpay.cards.
“We are excited to be working with Blocser and look forward to supporting them through their launch,” she said.
From the off, Blocser’s offer has backed those working beyond the 9-5 model with an account, payment card, billing tool and digital business card. To draw a direct comparison with the gig economy, Danbjørg says: “Think of us as a ridesharing service but instead of rides you sell your work – build your work-life one deal at the time.
“We will help you find customers and use all the great free online channels that exist today if you are looking for extra income selling your skills and time directly to others.”
For a fintech offering a full range of solutions, Blocser believes cards still have a hold.
“You will find many advocating the death of cards. In China they pay with face recognition, Apple pay and Google Pay converts smartphones into payment vehicles and wearables are on the rise as well – but the fact is that card payments hold a huge proportion of payments,” says Danbjørg.
“It is universally accepted and with the rise of Fintech, it has become a cornerstone of a lot of the new valuable services offered to freelancers, cross border workers, ex-pats and everyone else who is marginalised by traditional banks.
“Cash is declining and the first ones to get hit by that are people who would normally get paid in cash – primarily “The blue-collar freelancers”.
“These people live from gig to gig, the absence of a monthly paycheck makes them irrelevant to banks and Tax authorities struggle to collaborate with them – they get marginalised… stigmatised… underserved…”
Blocser’s partnership with allpay.cards offer the UK gig market transition support allowing digital payments directly to the Butterfly card.
Those payments are pitched as instant and fee-free between blocsers.
“And it will feel like cash because they get a card they can use in more than 30 million stores and three million ATMs,” says Danbjørg.
Michelle Pacey, director of allpay.cards said getting ahead of the gig economy is one of the biggest challenges facing UK fintech.
“Our work with Blocser demonstrates what can be done with cards as the sector rises to this challenge – a challenge we’re ready to lead on at allpay,” she said.
Please visit: allpay.cards/
 Anthony Browne MP The All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Environment is ushering in a new era today, bringing in a new secretariat and an ambitious calendar of events ahead of the 2021 ‘Super Year’ for the environment. Led by a new cross-party committee chaired by Anthony Browne MP, the APPG is relaunching with Green Alliance taking the reins as secretariat.
Founded in 1979, Green Alliance has a uniquely close working relationship with a wide network of NGOs and parliamentarians, including founding the Greener UK coalition in 2016 to defend and strengthen environmental protections as the UK renegotiates its relationship with the EU. Robin Bines and Adrian Wilkes, who have managed the group for over 27 years, are due to retire at the end of September. Plans are already in place to ensure MPs from all parties are best informed as they look to support, scrutinise and challenge the upcoming government programme of legislation, such as the new Energy White Paper and the National Tree Strategy.
Kicking off the APPG’s schedule of events is former Bank of England governor Mark Carney, who will address parliamentarians on the need for a green economic recovery in the aftermath of COVID-19 at a virtual event later today (Tuesday 15 September). He is expected to discuss what global governments can do to ensure that the post-Covid economic recovery accelerates progress towards the Paris climate goals, and what can be expected of the postponed COP26 climate summit, which takes place in Glasgow in November next year.
Anthony Browne, Chair of the APPG on the Environment, and former environment editor of the Observer and Times newspapers, said: “We have a moral duty to pass on a sustainable world to future generations. I am determined to raise the profile and understanding of environmental issues across the House of Commons and House of Lords, as well as more widely across government and policy-making circles. Relaunching the APPG, fuelled by the impressive expertise of Green Alliance, is a key way of doing that. Their long history working with NGOs and legislators, as well as their politically-neutral evidence-based approach, will be essential as we look to ensure environmental priorities are at the heart of government policy.”
He continued: “I want to thank Robin and Adrian for the many years of service they have given both the APPG and its cause. They have achieved a great deal in pushing the group to influence public policy and debate on the environment and laid the groundwork for a bright future ahead.”
Chris Venables, Head of Politics at Green Alliance, and staff lead for the APPG Environment, said, “We’re really excited to be taking the reins of this all-party environment group. It has an impressive history of driving forward action on the nature and climate crises, and with so much at stake in this most crucial of decades, we believe it’s vital that parliamentarians collaborate across party divides. There is no area of environmental policy in which increased scrutiny and calls for greater ambition from MPs and peers would be unwelcome – so that is our goal – and we’re excited to work with the officers and members to achieve it.”
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