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The Layrd Design Survey looking into the best ways in which to improve our working lives, in order to promote better mental and physical health post Covid-19 is still LIVE.

Please use the link below to fill out the survey. It will only take you a few minutes but could make a big difference.

Why not try to improve our workplace environments, instead of simply picking up where we left off? 

https://surveyhero.com/c/374b093d

Safepoint, in partnership with Pathfindr, have today launched a device to help staff safely return to work in the coming weeks and months. The Safepoint Distancing Assistant helps staff maintain physical distancing by alerting them when they’re standing too close.

The team at Safepoint said “Practicing safe physical distancing can be difficult. We know we need to stay at least 2 metres away from other people to slow the spread of Coronavirus, but it’s tricky, especially when at work.”

The device can be worn on a lanyard or clipped onto clothing. When a device comes within two metres of another device it emits a clear, audible or vibrating alert.

The Safepoint Distancing Assistant is available to buy now from the Safepoint website

It goes without saying that everyone has been impacted in some way by COVID-19, some personally, some professionally and for a lot people, both. Atkinson Moss has been no different and we are still very much trying to adjust to a new normal, I think the same can be said for a lot of businesses. During the first week of lockdown, it felt like everything would stop completely.

This was somewhat understandable, with our clients navigating through their new home working set up, ensuring their teams were fully functioning and understanding the support available from the government. So in those first few weeks of lockdown, we saw a massive decline in recruitment, however we still had plenty of candidates actively looking with a lot of questions around how the process would now work and whether employers would still be prepared to interview them.  

These conversations were often quite fraught and included a few horror stories where previously issued job offers were retracted and in some cases the candidates had already left their previous company! 

Interestingly, Atkinson Moss also made a job offer to a new starter just before the full impact of COVID-19 was clear. Seeing what was happening to our workflow and hearing what was happening in wider marketplace made us think long and hard about how to move forward. We were adamant about maintaining our ethics and principles in the face of adversity, the future will be different but it can still be bright. We believe hiring new talent is still key to the success and growth of our business – even in tough times.

This brings me on nicely to the introduction of Laura Ward. Laura officially joined us on 4th May 2020 and we are over the moon!

Laura has worked in recruitment for just over 8 years and specialises in Professional Office support. She will be working alongside Claire Pitt to support all our clients and candidates with Administration support/Secretarial staff, Personal Assistants, Executive Assistants, Customer service professional, receptionist and many more

Recruiting through this time has not come without its challenges though. Imagine your first day on the job is taking place in your living room! This isn’t your average onboarding experience., Instead of walking into a new office, you are sitting on your sofa, juggling Zoom calls and Microsoft teams!

Atkinson Moss have had to rise to this challenge and so far so good! I have to admit, I can’t take the credit for this, Graham has risen to this challenge, embraced remote onboarding and has done a fabulous job.

We are so pleased that we have been able to onboard Laura and cannot wait for our team at Atkinson Moss to be together again.

Next week you can hear from Laura herself about how she is finding working for a new business whilst on lockdown.

Following the publication of detailed guidance from the Government on 12 May, the housing market in England has been given the green light to safely re-open operations under the next phase of coronavirus pandemic management.

Essential housing industry services

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has announced new guidelines covering every aspect of the sales and letting process which aim to enable people to move home safely. Estate agents, removal firms, conveyancing solicitors and surveyors have been detailed as among the essential housing industry services who can now resume their work.

Property plans on hold

According to the property portal Zoopla, since the end of March, 373,000 transactions have been on hold, and newly agreed sales down by 90%. The BBC have estimated that 450,000 buyers and renters have put their property plans on hold.

It is now lawful to visit estate agents, residential developer sale offices or show homes, to view residential properties for the purposes of buying or renting, and to move house.

Rachael Hughes, Hatch Brenner Residential Property Conveyancing Executive commented: “The Hatch Brenner conveyancing team has remained accessible whilst working from home in the first phase of lockdown. We now welcome the opportunity for transactions which have been stalled awaiting moving dates to progress to completion. We have clients who have been patiently waiting for this having finalised their property sale or purchase, but having not been able to arrange a moving date until now. We also expect to see new properties entering the housing market, with enquiries from people who have emerged from the initial lockdown period with plans to move house and alter their circumstances; for instance to include a garden, proximity to relatives, access to the countryside, or a spare room for a home office.

“As we have started seeing across the economy, this will be a ‘new normal’ with more virtual viewings, meetings and technology-driven transactions. We are well placed to offer this to our conveyancing clients.”

Covid-secure

It will be paramount for all related housing market businesses to follow the strict guidelines on operating a Covid-secure, safe working environment for their employees, clients and third parties and that the relevant risk assessments and social distancing practices are adhered to. Housing Secretary Mr Jenrick has stressed that guidance from Public Health England must continue to be followed; for example, anyone advised to self-isolate should continue to do so and not move home. The housing sector re-opening remains dependent on the coronavirus outbreak staying under control.

For the detailed Government Housing Market guidance see: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/government-advice-on-home-moving-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak

For related articles from BBC News:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52641373

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52640696

If you have any questions regarding your house moving plans at the current time, or if you would like a quote for conveyancing services in Norwich and Norfolk, please contact Rachael Hughes at rachaelhughes@hatchbrenner.co.uk, Conveyancing Executive Julie Palmer at juliepalmer@hatchbrenner.co.uk or call 01603 660 811.

Luxury hotel and venue The Norfolk Mead in Coltishall has announced the extension of their weekend takeaway Afternoon Teas until the end of June.

Available for collection or delivery within 15 miles of their Coltishall-base, the boxed up Afternoon Tea includes sandwiches, sausage rolls, scones and cakes as well as everything else you might need including homemade jam, clotted cream, tea bags and milk. You can also request additional wine or Prosecco.

Norfolk Mead owner James Holliday commented: “We have been absolutely blown away by the support for our takeaway Afternoon Teas since we launched them in early May. For the first two Saturdays we have completely sold out our allocated slots which is just fantastic and such a boost for our whole team.    “As well as our loyal guests ordering their favourite treat, offering an affordable and safe Afternoon Tea at this time has captured the attention of local residents who may not have tried our high quality food offering before. We are delighted to be able to put our experience in delivering outside catering events into good use by adapting our usual Afternoon Tea offer into takeaway format. We can confidently stick within the new Covid-secure guidelines, and apply social distancing in the workplace and when arranging the collection and deliveries with our customers.    “We are really proud of what we have put together, which reflects the attention to detail and quality we put into all our food. Being currently closed in line with the Government pandemic guidelines, the takeaway is a great way to continue doing what we love and to give our customers something special to look forward to and savour. Many customers have ordered the Afternoon Tea boxes for their self-isolating neighbours or relatives, for lockdown birthdays and anniversaries, as a treat for key workers, and we have even had groups order them separately and then eat together over video call.”   The Afternoon Tea is priced at £15 per person, with £3 extra for delivery within 15 miles of Coltishall. Afternoon Teas can be ordered online, by email at info@norfolkmead.co.uk or call 01603 737 531. Whilst 16th May is full, there is remaining availability for Sunday 17th May, and the following weekends until the end of June.    Reviews received for the takeaway Afternoon Teas include:   “Ordered an afternoon tea for my mum and stepdad, as a surprise to cheer them up. My mum was so pleased with it, and said it’s one of the nicest afternoon teas she has had! My mum said the sandwiches were so fresh with delicious fillings and the cakes were amazing. Thanks Norfolk Mead, can’t recommend enough!”   “Had a lovely surprise with our afternoon tea and wine ordered by my lovely daughter for mine and my partner’s birthday. The food is fantastic and would recommend it to anyone. Thank you so much everyone concerned.”   “We would just like to say a very big thank you for providing us with afternoon tea today. We have just finished the last of it, and it was truly delicious! We are both key workers, and have been working very hard over the past several weeks and needed a little something different to pick us up a little. Oh my goodness, the afternoon tea sure supplied us with the tonic needed. That, with a beautiful day, took us back to memories of staying at your hotel, where we have stayed on several occasions despite being ‘only up the road’. We are now looking forward to when you are able to re-open, and we intend to spend a night with you, picking up the little boat for a river trip as well. Unfortunately, we shall be working next weekend, and so unable to take advantage of another afternoon tea, but you can rest assured, you will be seeing us again.”   “Thank you for a scrumptious afternoon tea today – great way to celebrate our daughters birthday – sharing the tea virtually.”   “Just had our afternoon tea and to say it was scrumptious would be doing it an injustice … it was out of this world, the taste of each item was a serenade to the taste buds. Will have to have another for my birthday at the end of May.” “Ordered one for my mum and step-dad who celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in lockdown this week. They said its absolutely beautiful! They LOVED it. Thank you.”   “Norfolk Mead is one of my favourite places to visit. I had my baby shower there and also got married at Norfolk Mead so when I saw they were doing Afternoon Tea delivery during lockdown I was so happy! The afternoon tea was delivered to my home from a safe distance. It all looked and tasted delicious. There was so much to have from sandwiches, scones, cakes and included tea, coffee and a small bottle of milk. They even added the cream and jam. Thank you so much! Would order again.”   “On 09/05/2020 we collected an afternoon tea to celebrate our daughters birthday which we shared virtually, once we had delivered it to family (you can have it delivered for a small extra charge). Ordering and payment were completed online. Collection was well organised and efficient (social distancing being maintained, as you remain in your car). The tea was scrumptious – well presented and packaged. Even tea, coffee and milk provided, we only had to boil the kettle. Thank you Norfolk Mead for enabling us to make a birthday a little more special during this challenging time. An excellent service.”   “To celebrate our wedding anniversary we chose a takeaway afternoon tea from The Mead. It was gorgeous! Apart from the food being lovely as always, the detail including the little bottle of milk and menu on the box made it feel extra special. It was delivered with a smile … again, as always and helped to make our day. We discovered The Mead a year ago exactly and we will keep going back!”

An empowering and creative new company with the purpose of ‘making people happy’ has been launched today (3rd April).

The Engaging People Company has been set up with the aim of transforming employee and customer satisfaction through inspiring and targeted engagement and communications activities.

The company has been established by Michelle Gant, who was previously Director of Engagement for West Norfolk-based housing provider Freebridge Community Housing.

Michelle said: “I passionately believe that empowering and supporting satisfaction leads to business success. Because happy employees feel able to be the best they can be and happy customers will want to work with companies time and time again.”  

The company, which also offers support around wellbeing as well as facilitation, coaching and writing, is built on Michelle’s personal values of creativity, authenticity, being kind – and having fun.

She added: “I want to make a difference. And I am truly committed to and inspired by the ethos and values of The Engaging People Company to do so.”

The Engaging People Company can be found at https://engaging-people.co.uk/ and @engagepeopleco

A Norse Commercial Services apprentice has won a top award in the College of West Anglia’s Apprenticeship Awards 2017. Abbie Tuddenham, currently working to complete her advanced IT apprenticeship and fulfilling a full-time role with the IT Application and Project Services team at Norse Commercial Services, came away with the prestigious IT Apprentice of the Year Award, the top accolade for the IT category.  More than 1200 apprentices across 800 companies were eligible to be nominated across 18 categories, highlighting the competition Abi faced in achieving her nomination and subsequent award. No newcomer to awards, Abbie was runner-up to the Apprentice of the Year at the Pride of Norse Awards 2015, and went on to deservedly receive the top Norse apprenticeship award, Norse Apprentice of the Year in 2016. Abbie has been with Norse since October 2014, having previously completed her studies in Animal Welfare at Easton & Otley College. Being unable to find a position in that field of study and having a keen interest in IT, Abbie applied for the IT apprentice vacancy with Norse where she sailed through her Intermediate Apprenticeship studies and was subsequently offered and accepted the role of IT Systems Administrator.  Denise Cunniam, Head of IT Application & Project Services, is full of praise for Abbie: “I am continually impressed with the way Abbie approaches her college portfolio work, and in considering how new skills learned can immediately be applied to workplace tasks, thinking about and then demonstrating ways of becoming more efficient in her job role.   “Abbie is always keen to learn and is eager to ask questions in order to further her development and understanding of how IT can and should be used to support the business.  Abbie is an important part of our IT team; her work ethic, desire to learn how to deal with ever more complex scenarios, greater workloads, and standard of work are exceptional. Since day-one Abbie has far exceeded the expectations I would have had of an apprentice.” In recognition of her performance and the high-regard in which she is held by colleagues and managers, Abbie has recently taken on new roles and responsibilities at Norse and this has given her the opportunity to develop even more skills and knowledge, demonstrating this in the high-quality of work produced for her college portfolio.

As October rolls in and
Halloween decorations start to appear, it’s a good time for businesses to
reflect, not on ghosts in the attic, but on the “ghosts” of financial mistakes
from the year so far.

Every business, no matter how successful, will encounter
challenges. The key is learning from them before they haunt your next year’s
performance.

Common Business Errors
That Haunt Companies

Some of the most
frequent missteps we see include:

Cashflow neglect:
Waiting too long to monitor inflows and outflows can leave a business
vulnerable.

Delayed financial
planning: Ignoring forecasts or budgeting can turn minor issues into major
problems.

Over-reliance on a
single client or market: This can create risk when circumstances change.

Ignoring compliance or
filing deadlines: Late accounts, tax filings, or statutory obligations can
trigger fines and legal trouble.

How to Exorcise Your
Financial Demons

Review and analyse:
Take a candid look at what went wrong this year and why.

Plan ahead: Implement
robust budgeting, forecasting, and monitoring systems.

Seek expert guidance:
Insolvency and restructuring specialists can help identify early warning signs
and strategies to prevent repeat mistakes.

Diversify and mitigate
risk: Spread exposure across clients, products, or suppliers.

Turning Mistakes into
Strengths

The mistakes of the
past don’t have to haunt the future. By learning from them, directors can:

Improve financial
resilience

Protect jobs and
reputation

Build stronger, more
adaptable businesses ready to face next year’s challenges

At Leading Business Services, we help businesses
dig up the skeletons in their financial closet, plan for the future, and
implement practical solutions. This Halloween, don’t let last year’s money
ghosts haunt your business – exorcise them, learn from them, and rise stronger
than a financial Frankenstein!

We’re
Here When You’re Ready

At Leading, an
experienced insolvency and business restructuring firm, we believe in having
early, honest conversations, because the sooner we talk, the more options we
can explore together.

If your business is
experiencing financial stress, or you’re supporting a client who is, we’re here
to help. We offer confidential, no-obligation guidance tailored to each
situation.

We’re happy to speak
directly with business owners, or work in partnership with accountants, HR
professionals, or other advisers.

Let’s
take the first step together, while there are still options on the table.

You can contact our friendly and experienced
team on 01603 552028 or email us at mail@leading.uk.com.

LSI Architects has again achieved the ‘Gold-Achieving Excellence’ accreditation at Mind’s Workplace Wellbeing Awards.

The Practice placed 2nd overall from 103 organisations to take part in Mind’s second annual Workplace Wellbeing Index and 1st in the staff survey section, and was recognised with a Gold Award, evidencing our committment to achieving change within our workplace, for the third successive year.

HR Manager Katrina Parsons has also received the award for Wellbeing Lead, one of four employee recognition awards, which is Awarded to an employee who has had a positive impact in the course of their duties safeguarding mental health and wellbeing.

Mind’s Workplace Wellbeing Index is a benchmark of best policy and practice, celebrating the good work employers are doing to promote and support positive mental health, and providing key recommendations on the specific areas where there is room to improve.

Director Ben Goode said:

“We are extremely proud of our gold reaccreditation in the 2019/2020 Workplace Wellbeing Index.

We know that even before the current, difficult situation we all now find ourselves in that there are certain characteristics about the way architects work which can add to the likelihood that a mental health issue will occur. The trap of working longer hours and doing more for less in response to the challenges that the industry faces often results in higher staff turnover, poor health and a lack of long term investment in people’s development.

There is still a level of stigma attached to people suffering with poor mental health.

We are proud that the majority of the people who shared that they have experienced difficulties with their mental health have disclosed this to us so that they could access the support that they needed and that every one of our team felt that the practice encourages openness and discussion about mental health which has been an important objective of our work in this area.

We can take a great deal of confidence from the feedback in the MIND Workplace Wellbeing Index survey that when it comes to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of our teams we are on the right track.

We also know, however, that we still have a lot more to do and the current situation we are all in is almost certainly going to give rise to more difficulties with their mental health.  As a practice, however, we remain fully committed to continuing to improve how we support the mental health and wellbeing of our teams.”

Emma Mamo, Head of Workplace Wellbeing at Mind, said:

“Every employer depends on having a healthy and productive workforce – valued and supported employees are far more likely to deliver the best outcomes for your organisation. That’s why we’re delighted to recognise and celebrate employers making mental health a priority for their organisation through our Workplace Wellbeing Awards.

“This year, we’ve been overwhelmed to see so much good practice right across the board, from each and every one of the 103 diverse employers to take part. The Awards event provided an opportunity to recognise those forward-thinking employers who are at the cutting edge when it comes to investing in their staff wellbeing, and in turn getting the best outcomes for their business.”

As you start to return to work and your business gets up and running again we at Norfolk Fire and Rescue service just want to remind you about a few things you may not have considered to ensure you, your staff and your property are safe from fire.

• Are you currently employing fewer staff than usual or have new temporary staff?
• Is any part of your building unoccupied or locked up that people would normally have access to?
• Has the way you check your fire alarm system, fire extinguishers or emergency lighting changed?
• Do you currently have higher than normal stock or waste levels?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes then please review your fire risk assessment. We have attached a short leaflet with some advice on what to consider. If you have any queries or want some more advice please don’t hesitate to contact us (details below.) We hope you are doing everything you can to stay safe during this difficult time and thank you for your efforts to ensure the safety of your premises and staff.   Fire Protection Department – Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service 0300 123 1669 hq@fire-norfolk.gov.uk

Welcome… In this month’s newsletter we look at; – Norfolk Carbon Charter Launch – We Have an App! – No.8 Virtual Tour – Feedback From Our Clients – Your Own Place Video Launch

Norfolk Carbon Charter Official Launch

The Norfolk Carbon Charter was officially launched in Norfolk on Tuesday 7th March at No.8. No.8 Thorpe Road holds a Bronze Carbon Charter and the RedCat team have for a number of years.

The Carbon Charter recognises environmental commitments and progress, and has been specifically designed to be of practical benefit to businesses.

For more information on the launch here

Thank you for your interest… Please don’t hesitate to contact us about anything No.8 related; you’ll find our contact details below.

Sarah, Richard, Mitchell, Lauren & John

A straw poll conducted by local solicitors Ashtons Legal suggests that only 13% of businesses have seen their revenue unaffected by the pandemic. Forty-three percent think it will take them between seven and 12 months to get their revenue back to normal levels while a further 20% believe it will take them over a year.  The survey also revealed that 86% feel their businesses will be increasingly willing to allow regular home working when we enter the ‘new normal’ phase as the pandemic recedes.

The survey took place during a free ‘Returning to Work in a COVID19 era’ webinar hosted by employment lawyer Jessica Piper and HR consultant Lucy Pakes. The webinar was seen live by over 100 business people across the region and remains available online for others to view.

Ashtons HR Consulting also carried out a twitter poll the previous week on the issue of working from home, with an even higher result. Ninety-one percent of respondents felt that their business would continue with more home working in the future.

Ashtons is one of many professional services firms across the region that has continued to provide a full service to clients by making effective use of a range of video-conferencing technologies to suit the individuals’ needs and is using webinars to communicate with a wider commercial audience.

Jessica Piper comments: “Businesses are facing a wide variety of different challenges in providing their employees with a safe return to work but all those attending our webinar were asking questions that suggest they are committed to getting it right.”

Lucy Pakes from Ashtons HR Consulting adds: “We are also seeing an array of questions around the interaction between furlough leave, holiday pay and redundancy.  Bringing people back to work in a cost-effective but compliant way at the time that best suits their business is currently a priority for most.”

Anyone wishing to sign up for future Ashtons’ webinars or wishing to view those already recorded can do so at www.ashtonslegal.co.uk/events/webinars .