Monthly Archives: June 2021

Healthcare, Healthcare Tech

Why Connecting the NHS Is More Important Than Ever—And How Technology Can Help

Written by Grainne Elliott, CMO, Thrive

Mental and physical fatigue, lack of support, tricky staff logistics and shift patterns, not to mention long hours—these are just some of the challenges that NHS employees face. After a really rough year (and we’re not completely in the clear just yet), connecting NHS employees is more important than ever.

1948 was the birth year of the NHS, a historic development that brought healthcare to all in the UK. Back then—a near half-century before the digital age—all things were done with paper. Today, the NHS is in the early stages of digital transformation.

These plans and efforts to digitise are much needed in a system that, while it has seen significant progress, has much more progress still to make when it comes to connecting information and people.

For the patient, that lack of connection and technological innovation within the NHS can sometimes be a frustrating experience full of administrative hurdles, delays between appointments, and long waiting lists for tests and procedures.

For staff, the inability to connect is but one frustration of many, but it holds the key to groundbreaking changes in all the other areas of frustration. Because society’s ability to connect has come so far since the NHS’s early days, and because connection is such a crucial aspect of patient care and provider well-being, technology that connects people—from administration to GPs to nurses—is an urgent part of advancing the NHS’s technology policy and implementation.

Why Connection Matters Right Now in the NHS

Why should it matter that the NHS is connected? Because staff connection is linked to everything from patient outcomes to productivity and profits.

As one NHS director put it, “If people feel happier at work then this is linked to productivity. They will pay more attention to their tasks in their jobs, which trickles down into patient outcomes: patients are happier, they go home earlier and they are happier with the care they are given.”

Many measures of staff satisfaction have improved. The most recent NHS Staff Survey conducted late in the pandemic found that staff in general are proud to work for the NHS. On the other hand, two important metrics had declined. Results showed that:

  • Team working had declined.
  • Well-being scores were lower for those who worked on a COVID-19 ward or area.
  • Well-being scores were also much lower for those who have been shielding.

The decline in these three areas specifically show a need for more robust opportunities to connect, and in this time of all things digital, a digital- and mobile-first approach could be the answer those in the NHS need to increase those key touchpoints.

Creating Connections with technology

One way to facilitate much-needed connections via technology is through the use of employee communications technology. In thinking about the requirements an app or other new technology must fill, here are a few guidelines:

  • New technology must be inclusive
  • Stakeholders from a variety of areas and levels need to be included in selecting and rolling out new technology intended for engagement and connection—not just CEOs and members of the executive group.

When selecting an employee communications technology platform, it’s also a good idea to account for diversity and health inequalities. Make sure no one is forgotten—that defeats the point of making sure people in every role feel valued.

Set everyone up for success with proper training.

It’s critical that everyone receives in-depth training in how to leverage your new technology tools. Digital literacy doesn’t come naturally, so support all staff in the effort by training, and even appointing training leaders to educate groups on how to use it.

Only when people feel fluent will they recognise the efficiency and time-saving the new technology affords them.

  • Help people find each other and share with each other.
  • Connection can’t happen if people don’t know how to get in touch. Technology can bring people together in both logistical and social ways. For example, people directories and shared rotas make managing or swapping shifts easier. Likewise for making teamwork (one of the pain points made clear in this year’s survey) more viable.
  • Consider incorporating features such as social walls for posting photos and fun messages, or for sharing everything from canteen menus to big departmental accomplishments.
    Think holistically about support.
    What needs do staff members at all levels have with regards to support? Certainly they need to hear from upper management, and can feel supported in their roles when it’s easy to find resources (such as company policies or training modules) they need.

But other types of support, particularly around physical, mental, and emotional well-being, have grown ever more important as we wade through the COVID-19 crisis. Technology can help bridge the gap left by not being able to be within close proximity to colleagues, and can provide much-needed support via planning of well-being events and offering mental health resources.

With the right technology in pace, NHS staff members at all levels can forge new connections, work more efficiently with one another, and feel more supported.

 

HR News, Industry News, News

New Survey: 70% of HRDs and Chief People Officers from the UK’s largest organisations are considering moving roles

  • A survey of senior HR Directors (majority from FTSE 250 companies or organisations with over 1000 employees) reveals the impact of the pandemic
  • Nearly one in four feels burnt out; just over a third feels resilient
  • Nearly 90% see burnout in their teams; three-fifths expect turnover in their teams in the next six to nine months

New research of senior HRDs in major UK organisations has revealed that 70% are considering moving from their current positions. The study from LACE Partners, an HR consultancy that supports major employers with HR transformation, technology advisory, change and adoption, also found that nearly a quarter of senior HR professionals (23.2%) feel burnt out, with just 36.2% feeling resilient.

Sixty-nine of the most senior HR people in the UK responded to the survey with three quarters working in organisations with more than 1000 employees (76.8%). The largest number of respondents (39.1%) came from firms with over 10,001 employees.

The top factors motivating the senior HRD or Chief People Officers to consider leaving their roles were long-held plans to move on once reaching this stage (21.7%), stress from working in their current organisations during the pandemic (13%) wanting to take a break (10.1%) as well as enacting plans that were previously deferred due to the pandemic (10.1%). On top of this, nearly a quarter (23.2%) said they feel less emotionally attached to their organisations since the beginning of the pandemic.

Cathy Acratopulo, Managing Director and Co-Founder at LACE Partners, said:

“From the survey sent to our senior HR contacts in major organisations, we can see that the pandemic has created significant levels of stress and burnout. Yet there is concern for their teams too. Nearly 90% (88.4%) of the respondents said some or most of their teams are showing signs of burnout. On top of this, three-fifths (59.4%) expected to see movement or turnover in their teams in the next six to nine months.

“The impact of both HR burnout and churn could be highly unsettling for some of the UK’s biggest businesses, although some may see it as a time to reset people strategies and outcomes. How much of the forthcoming churn will be led by individuals – or by the executive team – is yet to play out when strong performance in a time of significant turmoil will have been expected.

“Whilst every member of the workforce is feeling the impact of the pandemic, HR teams have also had the pressure of ‘owning’ the way the business responds, so we would encourage leaders to listen to and recognise the particular pressures their HR teams may be experiencing.”

Health and Safety, Logistics Tech, Lone Workers, News, Tech

Ringway Jacobs to enhance lone worker employees’ safety with video-enabled service for fleet operation

Ringway Jacobs, a leading highway services provider, has become the first UK fleet operation to adopt a video-enabled lone worker service that is designed to better safeguard drivers operating in the field. Ringway Jacobs’ H&S and Fleet departments teamed up with Peoplesafe and SureCam to roll-out the integrated safety solution, by using a mobile phone app that enables the benefits of lone worker protection with those of video telematics.

David Bonehill, Head of Fleet at Ringway Jacobs said, “Health, wellbeing and safety is at the heart of everything we do, so our aim is to provide a safe working environment for our employees at all times. We are committed to adopting industry best practice technology and processes, which is why we are rolling out the video-enabled lone worker service. This latest initiative, developed with our valued partners at Peoplesafe and SureCam, will not only increase compliance of our lone worker processes, but also extend and enhance the levels of protection we provide to drivers in and out of the vehicle.”

Ringway Jacobs has been using Peoplesafe’s lone worker protection service since 2016, providing peace of mind to 300 employees that assistance is available, should they need it. The company is now taking advantage of a strategic partnership between Peoplesafe and SureCam to integrate the service with dual-facing, connected dash cams fitted on 163 vans and specialist vehicles last year. This will enable footage to be viewed direct from the cameras fitted on the vehicles in the event of an alarm being raised.

Lone workers will scan a QR code when entering a vehicle to register a unique ID and confirm exactly who is driving. This will enable controllers at Peoplesafe’s Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) to access both audio and video, as well as incident data via its portal, when an incident is reported such as injury, illness or an act of violence. This will include footage from forward-and rear-facing vehicle cameras, providing immediate visual insight into what has happened, so the most appropriate action can be quickly taken.

Naz Dossa, CEO of Peoplesafe commented, “The added understanding provided by the video evidence means our service can act faster and respond better when an alarm is raised. We are working closely with Ringway Jacobs to support their health and safety strategy and best protect drivers from the risks they face when they are working alone, especially in isolated locations or out of hours.”

Sam Footer, Strategic Partnership Director at SureCam said, “By bringing together these proven technology solutions, we are offering customers such as Ringway Jacobs an effective way of not only improving safety and reducing fleet risk, but also safeguarding staff when they are in or out of the vehicle.”

News

UK economist delivers positive outlook for city businesses at free event

City centre businesses were given an update on the UK economy as part of a new networking group created by the city’s Business Improvement District, Chester BID.

The Professionals in Partnership group includes law firm Aaron and Partners as well as companies such as HSBC, Ellis & Co, Carting Minds Collective and JK Events and is aiming to bring the city’s business community closer together in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The event was the third since the group was formed, with Liz Martins, UK Economist at HSBC, delivering a positive outlook on the UK economy for attendees.

Individuals and businesses based across the city centre have been influential in setting the group up, including Emma McGlinchey, who sits on the Chester BID board and is a commercial property lawyer with a focus on the retail sector for Aaron & Partners.

She said: “Through this group we have hosted a series of informative online events and workshops with key themes focused on helping businesses work through many of the problems presented by COVID-19.

“This latest event followed a similar theme with a fantastic speaker offering all those in attendance valuable information on the health of the economy and what the future might hold for businesses.

“Aaron & Partners has been based in Chester city centre for 37 years and so this city is very much rooted in our heritage.

“We want to see it thrive and that’s why we’re supporting the Professionals in Practice group, helping to ensure professional services firms throughout the city can connect and learn from one another, and to create a stronger local network of like-minded professionals.”

The group has more free events planned for the future and is open to anyone with a vested interest in the growth and development of Chester’s business district.

Nick Hodson, Deputy Chair of Chester BID said: “Chester’s Business Improvement District comprises about 450 businesses and, although many are retail and hospitality, a significant number are professional services companies and we have been working hard to provide support tailored to their needs.

“Chester BID is keen that Chester is seen as a centre of excellence for professional services within the North West and North Wales, and the creation of high-quality events with great speakers with national profiles has been key element of our strategy.

“We’re keen to see as much cooperation and referral within the city as possible and believe the better we know each other and the stronger the relationships are, the more likely that will be.”

To find out more about the Professionals in Partnership group, visit https://chesterbid.co.uk.

News

Exposed: Research shows the cheapest way to increase the square footage of your home

Looking for extra space? Stop searching Rightmove. Recent research by Ready Steady Store has found the cheapest way to increase the square footage of your home – without even moving. In fact, it could even save you over £47,000… 

Whether it’s the Christmas tree that makes an appearance once a year or some spare dining chairs just in case you’ve got a few extra people coming to visit, we’ve all got items in our homes that we don’t use often but, equally, don’t want to throw away. Ready Steady Store have calculated the square footage that these items add up to and compared this data to find out how much this equivalent space would cost across various regions across England. 

So, instead of moving to gain more space and by putting the average amount of lifestyle items in storage, what could this save house buyers?

 

Region:

East Midlands: £17,321

East of England: £25,939

Greater London: £47,017

North East: £12,021

North West: £15,468

South East: £30,370

South West: £22,620

Wales: £14,652

West Midlands: £18,334

Yorkshire and The Humber: £15,007

National average: £22,333

Mehran Chania, CEO of Ready Steady Store, said: “Recently, we’ve seen a rise in lifestyle storage users, or “lifestylers”: people who don’t necessarily want to throw things away or who might only use items once a year, such as seasonal items or even hobbies. Putting these items into storage would cost around £37.50 a week, in contrast to having to pay a five-figure sum to expand around 80 sq ft just to store them. Saving space by putting items safely into storage elsewhere could mean being able to move to your dream location or even save you tens of thousands of pounds.”

 

News

Punch Pubs & Co Signs-Up For Pub Pride 2021

Ask For Clive inclusivity campaign gains backing of leading UK pub company

https://pubprideshop.co.uk

 

Punch Pubs & Co announces partnership with Ask For Clive and pledges to support its Pub Pride 2021 events across the UK. Punch is kicking off the collaboration by signing up a number of its iconic venues for the inaugural Pub Pride event which takes place on Friday 23rd July.

 

Keen to support the campaign are two of Punch’s flagship pubs – The Goose that sits in the heart of  Manchester’s Gay Village and The Lord Roberts, an iconic and well-loved pub in Nottingham; both pubs will be hosting Pub Pride events.

 

Pub Pride is a nationwide campaign, locally activated, which aims to unite LGBTQ+ communities and celebrate this year’s pride season at a grassroots level.

 

Danny Clare, co-founder of Ask For Clive explains why this is so important for the cause: “When we gained official charity status our number one priority was to work with major pan-UK pub chains to help spread our message far and wide. We are ecstatic that Punch Pubs & Co will be joining our first Pub Pride event and supporting us across their estate. After discussions with the team about how to activate the campaign, we couldn’t be happier with the level of commitment they are showing. The Ask For Clive campaign is being strongly embraced across their business and venues. We very much look forward to making the event a national success.”

 

Punch will be promoting both the Pub Pride 2021 event and ongoing Ask For Clive campaign to its 1,250 venues across the UK, encouraging them all to get involved.

 

Punch is hosting an internal immersion day in support of the campaign for both its HQ in Burton upon Trent, Operations teams and any Punch Publicans wishing to participate. This campaign activation training will provide guidance to venues and will include webinars delivered by the Ask For Clive team explaining why the need for inclusive hospitality is important now more than ever.

 

Russell Danks, Marketing & Strategy Director at Punch Pubs & Co, commented on the news: “At Punch, our ‘Doing Well by Doing Good’ programme underpins the way we do business. This mantra sits at the very core of our business, and as part of this, it has become more important than ever to support charities such as Ask for Clive. With hate crime on the rise in our UK communities, we need to work harder than ever to stand up and show zero tolerance. Our pubs are the hubs of their communities, and we are proud to support this campaign, raising awareness across the UK, working with our Publicans and teams to ensure that everyone will always be welcome in our pubs.”

 

Ask For Clive works with venues across the country to promote inclusion and create safe, welcoming social environments for all members of the LGBTQ+ community.

 

News

Schneider Electric Appoints Luis D’Acosta as Executive Vice President of its Digital Energy Division

Schneider Electric, the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, has appointed Luis D’Acosta as the new Executive Vice President of its Digital Energy global business starting July 1, 2021.

Luis will be based out of Boston and takes over the position from Laurent Bataille, who was appointed Executive Vice President, France Operations, and Member of the Executive Committee.

Power digitalization plays a foundational role in energy management to achieve reliability & quality, efficiency, cost savings and path to sustainability. It turns data into business value by using technology and analytics to support better decision-making, generating intelligent automation and control of operations; from the electrical grid infrastructures and critical facilities, to the buildings where we spend most of our lives.

In his new role, Luis will be responsible for accelerating the digitalization of power networks and systems across the entire energy landscape through EcoStruxure, an IoT-enabled architecture and platform that embraces advancements in IoT, mobility, sensing, cloud, analytics, and cybersecurity. He will also oversee building segments which encompasses dedicated strategic account executives and solution architects addressing the needs of global design firms and customers in healthcare, commercial real estate, retail, and hospitality.

“Schneider Electric is helping companies prepare for an all-electric, all-digital world,” said Luis D’Acosta, Executive Vice President, Digital Energy Division, Schneider Electric. “Today buildings are responsible for 40% of global CO2 emissions, which presents an enormous opportunity to rethink how we design, build, operate and maintain our global infrastructure. With an increased focus on occupant well-being and increasing regulatory pressure, there has never been a more critical time to invest in building management. I’m looking forward to bringing my years of experience in grid management and resiliency to this space as Schneider Electric continues to push the envelope on what’s possible for buildings of the future.”

Luis joined Schneider Electric in 2018 as Vice President of Energy Digital Solutions NA where he led the Digital Grid Services division. During this time, he oversaw the development and deployment of software solutions to digitize utilities around the world.

As an electrical engineer with over 25 years of experience in the electric power industry, Luis has diverse experience in deploying solutions for generation, transmission, distribution, and industrial systems. Luis came to Schneider Electric from Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, where he reached the position of CEO. He also held various positions at ABB and was on the Board of multiple organizations such as Auto Grid and Alpines.

Luis holds an MBA and Master’s in Business Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management.

About Schneider Electric

Schneider’s purpose is to empower all to make the most of our energy and resources, bridging progress and sustainability for all. We call this Life Is On.

Our mission is to be your digital partner for Sustainability and Efficiency.

We drive digital transformation by integrating world-leading process and energy technologies, end-point to cloud connecting products, controls, software and services, across the entire lifecycle, enabling integrated company management, for homes, buildings, data centers, infrastructure and industries.

We are the most local of global companies. We are advocates of open standards and partnership ecosystems that are passionate about our shared Meaningful Purpose, Inclusive and Empowered values.

www.se.com

The more big-data, the more opportunity for informed decision-making and the ability to automate building and power management to save energy, resources and time.

News

Work on new homes development in Towcester reaches halfway mark

Construction work is progressing well at Bellway’s new housing development in Towcester, where over half the homes have now been built.

The housebuilder has released the next selection homes for sale at Farriers Court, located off Burcote Road, which comprises a collection of three and four-bedroom properties for sale.

Once complete, the development will total 90 new homes, 73 of which are for private sale and the remaining 17 affordable homes available for local people through rent or shared ownership.

Construction began in early 2019 and more than 25 households have already moved in, with the final homes set to be completed in March next year.

Elaine Brown, Head of Sales for Bellway South Midlands, said: “Construction work is making good progress at Farriers Court, with over half of homes now built and one third of the private homes already occupied.

“There is a growing demand for houses in this part of Northamptonshire, which this development is helping to meet. Farriers Court offers buyers a wide range of properties, from smaller homes for first-time buyers and downsizers, to larger properties for growing families. In particular, we have had a large number of families interested in the site.

“The picturesque location and good road links, close to the A5 and A43, also appeal to working professionals looking to move into the south Northamptonshire countryside while retaining easy access to towns such as Northampton and Milton Keynes.

“As part of the planning agreement for Farriers Court, we are also investing more than £800,000 into the local area, which will benefit existing residents as well as those moving into our development.

“These investments include more than £460,000 towards primary and secondary education and £240,000 for sports and recreation. Other contributions will be made to town centre management and improvement, public transport, the fire service, kerbside recycling and public art.”

There are two show homes at Farriers Court which can be viewed by appointment only. The three-bedroom Somerby is an ideal starter home, while the larger three-bedroom detached Lichfield has plenty of space for family living.

There’s currently a choice of three and four-bedroom houses available to reserve at the development, with prices starting from £275,000.

For more information on the properties available at Farriers Court, visit bellway.co.uk or call the sales office on 01327 272831.

News

Resolver founder joins Board at Ombudsman

James Walker joins as independent Non-Executive Director at Dispute Resolution Ombudsman.

The Dispute Resolution Ombudsman, incorporating the Furniture & Home Improvement and Rail Ombudsman, has today announced that tech entrepreneur and consumer rights champion, James Walker has joined their Board of Directors as part of the Executive team.

As founder of the UK’s leading consumer complaints and resolution tool resolver.co.uk, Walker helped over 23 million consumers resolve over £4.5billion of issues with UK companies and organisations. Under his leadership, Resolver successfully partnered with Martin Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert to be the only 3rd party to carry its branding by way of endorsement. Walker currently advises the UK and Scottish Government on consumer rights and was nominated as Social Entrepreneur of the Year in 2018.

Deep routed in innovation and change, Walker’s career spans across previous roles including head of innovations at B&Q and Kingfisher, in addition to his recent appointment as CEO at both JamDoughnut a service to help reward consumer loyalty and Rightly, the only UK online service to help consumers police and manage their personal data that companies and organisations hold. He is also a member of the Consumer Expert Panel for the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), which provides independent advice to help the ORR fulfil its role as the railways’ safety, economic consumer and competition regulator.

For more than a quarter of a century, the independent, not-for profit and government approved Ombudsman has offered a range of services to its members and their customers including independent alternative dispute resolution, training and advice spanning across sectors including retail, rail, furniture and home improvement. The Ombudsman helps to provide consumers with additional peace of mind and supports businesses and their customers in finding solutions when disputes occur, without the need for costly and lengthy litigation.

Announcing the appointment, John Peerless, Chair of the Board of Directors at the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman said, “I am delighted to welcome James Walker to our Board as he has thorough knowledge of the consumer and Ombudsman landscape as well as technological innovations in Alternative Dispute Resolution and brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the role. As with other sectors, we’ve had to work in resilient and transformative ways to carry out efficient, modern and accessible ways of resolving disputes as we emerge out of a worldwide pandemic.

“As we look forward to the future, we would like to extend a warm welcome to James on behalf of myself, our CEO and Chief Ombudsman Kevin Grix and staff.”

For more information, visit www.disputeresolutionombudsman.org.

Children and Childcare, FInance, Financial Wellbeing, News

Welsh parents & carers encouraged to get the tools they need to give children a head start when it comes to money

How do you teach children about money?

It’s a question asked by many parents and carers who feel they don’t have the right tools to help their children learn more about money and finance.

That’s why NatWest has launched Learn, Talk, Do, a new digital workshop that in just two hours aims to help people with children gain the skills they need to give their kids that all important head start in life.

Adults with children are certainly feeling more under pressure to help provide a solid financial future for their kids right now. According to the Royal Mint’s 2021 Savings Report, 78% have vowed to improve their financial habits throughout this financial year to benefit their children’s futures.

Yet financial education is just as important to empowering children before they reach adulthood.

Learn, Talk, Do provides parents and carers of children aged between three and 11-years-old with strategies, tips and more confidence to talk to their children about money. There are six workshops taking place throughout July to choose from.

The workshop was created by the Money and Pensions Service and is being delivered by NatWest’s team of community bankers. During 2016 and 2017, an in-person version of the workshop was successfully piloted in Wales and 99% of attendees involved in the evaluation said they would recommend it to other parents.

The workshop is split into six core sections, which are brought to life through activities and discussion covering why we need to actively teach our children about money, how to teach children through everyday activities, and options for how best to put this into practice.

Gregory Couch, one of NatWest’s Community Bankers in Wales, said: “The workshop has been designed to be relaxed and fun, so you can take part whilst sat on your sofa with a coffee. It’s definitely not like being back in school. If your children are with you too that’s absolutely fine, we know how difficult it is juggling things when you’re a parent or carer.

“That’s why there’s several workshops to choose from, each taking place on different dates and times of the day so you can pick the one that best suits you. All you need is access to Zoom.

“Today four out of 10 adults feel they are not in control of their finances and that’s why it’s so important we empower children from a young age so that as adults they’ll be more confident and secure with their finances. The workshop is therefore two hours that can really transform your children’s lives and allow you to give them an important head start in life.”

The dates for the workshops are: July 7, 18:30 to 20:30; July 8, 10:00 to 12:00; July 13, 12:00 to 14:00; July 14, 10:00 to 12:00; July 20, 18:30 to 20:30; and July 22, 12:00 to 14:00. To book your free place visit https://eu.eventscloud.com/website/4341/.