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Norfolk County Council has produced a toolkit for supporting businesses when re-opening premises after the closure restrictions. 

Please click onto the document to read this week’s market summary

We are delighted to announce that Little Havens Hospice are our designated charity for 2017. We will be raising money in a number of events throughout the year.

Little Havens Children’s Hospice who are the only children’s hospice in Essex, opened in 1988 and designed specifically to provide the necessary care and support for children aged 0-19 from Essex and London.  Little Havens take it further than simply caring for the children that need it so much as they also take pride in helping the families of the children that have been diagnosed with a life-limiting illness and provide end of life care, as well as respite breaks for up to 8 weeks of the year.

In order to carry out these truly life-changing services, Little Havens need to raise around £2.5million per year. This is due to receiving very limited government funding and not charging a penny for the care that they provide. So in order to keep their services free of charge and as effective as possible, Little Havens Hospice relies on donations from the community and businesses.

  So the events that we will be involved in and planning are… 

·       19th May – their corporate golf day which we are attending

·       22nd – 26th May – Children’s Hospice Week –  cake sale & raffle

·       1st July – National Three Peaks Challenge

·       19th October – Monthind’s Golf Day

The Maids Head Hotel in Tombland, Norwich, one of the oldest hotels in the UK, will emerge from lockdown on Saturday, July 4. It is believed that this is the first time that the hotel has been closed since it started trading as the Murtel Fish Inn during the 13th century.

Christine Malcolm, General Manager said: “We are all looking forward to welcoming guests to the hotel after this three month closure. It will also be very good to see our staff return from furlough. They have been keeping their spirits up with a whole range of activities from a baking competition, to a Zoom lunch and a virtual run between the Maids Head and our sister hotels, The Gonville in Cambridge and The Ship at Brancaster. We recently delivered a lockdown gift of Norfolk strawberries, clotted cream and chilled rose wine to our 90 staff who live across the county, from Norwich to Wymondham, Reepham and Gorleston. This resulted in some great feedback, Dawn said: ‘Lovely surpirise today, thank you Christine and the team, miss you all…’ “

“We have also been working very hard behind the scenes to ensure the wellbeing and safety of our guests and staff when we re-open. We have minimised touch points and brought in a range of measures to help reassure everyone that they will have a safe visit to the Maids Head.”

To contact the Maids Head Hotel t. 01603 209955, email reservations@maidsheadhotel.co.uk or see www.maidsheadhotel.co.uk.

Preparations for Opening

The Yard Bar, with its magnificent 15th century fireplace, has been fully refurbished and will now be the main bar, with social distancing measures in place.

Thoughtful social distancing measures are also in place in all public areas including the lounges, the open air courtyard and the Wine Press Restaurant and conference and event rooms.

A customer journey video is being produced to help guests prepare for their visit.

In and out routes are in place and automatic entrance doors are being installed.

A thermal imaging camera will check guests’ and staff temperatures.

A new app will be available to ease the check in and check out process.

Infra red hand sanitiser units in place at all entrances and throughout the hotel.

Ongoing meticulous deep cleaning of all areas of the hotel: an electrostatic cleaning system has been purchased to deep cleanse all rooms and public areas every day. Bedroom doors will

be sealed after cleaning. Bedding will be rested for 72 hours.

A knock and drop service will be available for all meals.

Health and safety champions appointed in each department.

Branded masks produced for staff to wear.

Work place assessments written and available on request for all areas of the hotel.

Running maps, picnic maps and Norwich maps offered for guests so they can explore the city.

Drophead Bentley available for trips in the city on sunny days.

Flexible cancellation terms.

The Maids Head Goes Dog Friendly

Three of the hotel’s executive bedrooms are now available for guests with a maximum of two dogs per room. Dogs are not allowed in the public areas, other than the courtyard.

Norfolk and Waveney MIND, Charity of the Year

Norfolk and Waveney MIND is the hotel’s charity of the year. The Hotel is offering 105 classic double rooms in July from as little as £105 bed and breakfast for two people, with £5 going towards MIND.

Team Maids Head

The Maids Head staff have been very supportive of each other during during lockdown and set up their own FaceBook page and challenged themselves to a weekly bake off, running goals, Monday quiz nights and had a staff celebratory lunch on Zoom. Head Chef Magic devised a Mexican bean enchiladas recipe for the Zoom lunch.

We are excited to announce that our keynote speaker for our upcoming Cyber Security Conference is well-known ethical hacker and social engineer, FC (also known as Freaky Clown).

FC has been working in the information security field for over 20 years and excels at circumventing access controls. As an ethical hacker and social engineer, FC ‘breaks into’ hundreds of banks, offices and government facilities around the world. His work demonstrating weaknesses in physical, personnel and digital controls assists organisations to improve their security.  FC will be highlighting the change in mindset when working from home compared to an office or more secure location. He will be focusing on the type of attacks your business should be paying attention to, as well and how you protect yourself and your business. The annual conference, previously held in December, has been brought forward this year in response to the dramatic changes to our working environments due to COVID-19.  As a result of the pandemic, businesses have had to adapt to employees working from home. In April 2020 the UK’s Office for National Statistics released data showing that 49.2% of adults in employment were working from home. It is expected that many businesses will continue allowing staff to work from home or adopt a more flexible approach. With this comes a range of cyber threats, meaning security is not something to be overlooked.  The agenda will also include talks from Breakwater IT Managing Director, John Gostling, and a guest from Mimecast.  The conference is open to all businesses with no knowledge of security or IT needed. The aim of the event is to support businesses in their awareness of potential threats, and the steps that can be taken to prevent them.  For full details or to book your place: click here

Community clear up at Monks Close Community Centre Freebridge Community Housing employees and tenants teamed up on Thursday 4 May for a community clear-up day at the Monks Close Community Centre in Bircham Newton. The clear-up comes in advance of the reopening of the centre for use by the local community and other service providers. Services providers who have already expressed interest in using the facilities include the owner of the adjacent Dreamy Hallow Campsite, Nigel Day, who will be establishing a permanent exhibition in the centre, displaying the historical significance of the local area and its links to the First World War. The community clear-up saw employees from the Freebridge’s Providence Street Placeshaping Team working together with others in the community to help give the Monks Close Centre a facelift after it had lay closed for some months. Robert Clarke, Freebridge Director of Housing, said: “By reinvigorating the Monks Close Community Centre Freebridge are continuing to work towards our vision of supporting a better West Norfolk. “This is a great example of the positive impact our Providence Street Placeshaping Team are achieving in our area. The Providence Street centre has become a hub for supporting and accommodating charities and community groups that work in West Norfolk, and we hope these relationships continue to go from strength to strength.”

• One in seven (15%) people in the East of England lack the ‘essential digital skills’ needed for day-to-day life online
• But, more than a third (39%) have boosted digital skills during lockdown

One in eight (13%) people in the East of England were unable to use the internet by themselves prior to lockdown, lacking the basic skills required to communicate, shop or bank online, the latest Lloyds Bank Consumer Digital Index (CDI) has revealed.

Technology is now a necessity for keeping connected, working remotely and accessing vital information. Research1 carried out before the introduction of lockdown restrictions showed that one in seven (15%) of those surveyed in the East of England lacked the digital skills needed for everyday life2, with more than one in ten (11%) unable to connect a device to a Wi-Fi network, and around one in ten (9%) unable to turn on a device and log into accounts or profiles they have.

However, in a separate poll3 carried out after lockdown measures were introduced, more than a third (39%) of people said they have now taken action to boost their digital skills for work, health and well-being during the crisis.

Matt Hubbard, Lloyds Banking Group’s Ambassador for the East of England, said: “Being online has proven to be incredibly valuable in recent months as we all adapt to working from home and keeping in touch with loved ones remotely.

“It’s worrying to see that there are still people in the East who are struggling with essential digital skills. But, with so many people in the region working to boost their skills, we’re narrowing the digital skills gap and it’s clear that many are doing their bit to help friends and loved ones stay connected.

“We also understand that it shouldn’t fall to individuals alone to boost their digital skills and are committed to helping people and businesses with this challenge. That’s why we’ve got Digital Champions on hand to help people get online, and for those wanting to develop their skills there is the Lloyds Bank Academy, a free online resource designed to help with basic online training.”

Even before lockdown, people in the East of England with high levels of digital engagement recognised the benefits of these skills, with eight in ten (80%) saying it helps them stay connected to friends and family, more than half (54%) say it improved their ability to get a job, and more than a third (35%) reporting it helps manage and improve their physical and mental health.

Boosting skills in lockdown

In the last few weeks of UK lockdown, almost nine in ten (87%) of people surveyed in the East of England believe that the situation has escalated the need to be online and over eight in ten people (86%) have felt that technology has been a vital support during the outbreak.

Almost one in four (39%) across the East of England have taken action and boosted their digital skills, with more than a third (35%) reporting they have up-skilled for work reasons, while four in ten (41%) are using technology more than usual to help them with their health and wellbeing.

Of those in the East of England who have improved their skills, six in ten (61%) are self-taught, a fifth (21%) are calling upon family members for support and a similar proportion (20%) are relying on friends.

More than one in three (39%) in the East of England have also helped other people improve their digital skills during this period. Staying in touch with others is the most popular reason to ask for help, with more than two thirds (68%) of people helping their family members to use apps such as Zoom or WhatsApp. This is followed by banking and shopping cited by more than a third (38%) of respondents.

Encouragingly, more than half (59%) of people in the East of England want to continue to boost their skills beyond the current climate, with almost a quarter (23%) having used the time at home to do online learning to improve digital skills.

Stephen Noakes, Managing Director, Retail Transformation, Lloyds Bank, said: “The impact of lockdown has brought into sharp focus just how important digital skills are, when all of a sudden it may be the only way for some people to stay connected to loved ones, buy food or get hold of other essential items such as medicine.

“While this unprecedented situation may have a greater impact on those who remain digitally excluded than those who are online, it is encouraging that this has focused people’s attention on digital capability as a vital life skill. We and many others have responded to this with extra support, including free training through our Academy, but more needs to be done to close the digital divide.”

Helping to address the digital divide

The latest Consumer Digital Index also shows that without any intervention, by 2030, a quarter of the UK will still have a very low level of digital engagement.

To help people improve their skills Lloyds Bank is running online digital skills training via the Lloyds Bank Academy. Free webinars are held each week providing access to digital experts, training on key skills and opportunities for virtual networking to support individuals, local businesses and charities. Everyone can access free online resources at www.lloydsbankacademy.com.

In addition, through a new partnership with WeAreDigital, a specialist phone line has been introduced to help up to 20,000 customers access the internet and learn new skills to help with everyday digital tasks such as online shopping and connecting virtually with family and friends, as well as online banking. Over 20,000 of the Group’s Digital Champions are also using online volunteering platforms and telephone services to help the most vulnerable in society during this difficult time.

Norfolk Integrated Domestic Abuse Service (NIDAS) and
Norwich City Football Club have teamed up to raise awareness of the support
that is available to men experiencing domestic abuse.

Before the Canaries’ last home match of the season against
Cardiff City, NIDAS had a stand outside the ground displaying information about
the service and engaging with men about domestic abuse.

It was well received by fans, with many stopping to talk
NIDAS’ Male IDVA (Independent Domestic Violence Advisor) or pick up information
leaflets detailing the support the service provides.

Domestic abuse is often a taboo subject for men, which can
add barriers to accessing support or confiding in friends, family, or
colleagues for support. 

NIDAS and Norwich City are aiming to break down some of
these barriers and encourage conversations around this important issue, helping
men experiencing domestic abuse in Norfolk to access the support that they
need.

It is hoped that this is the start of a long-term
collaboration to raise awareness of domestic abuse and increase the visibility
of the support that is available to those experiencing it.

NIDAS was created by the Office of the Police and Crime
Commissioner for Norfolk to end the postcode lottery of medium and high-risk
domestic abuse support in Norfolk, ensuring that all residents in the county
are able to access services, regardless of where they live or who they
are. 

Delivered in partnership with Leeway Domestic Violence and
Abuse Service, The Daisy Programme and Safe Partnerships (for target hardening
of high-risk clients), the service provides direct support for adults (16+) of
all genders.

The service also offers dedicated support for children and
young people (if their parent or care giver has been in service) along with
coordinated multi-agency support and access to specialist court IDVAs based in
the county’s Magistrates courts, who offer support to victims or survivors in
domestic abuse proceedings.

NIDAS IDVAs work directly with victims or survivors to
develop personalised safety and support plans to help people to move on from
abuse with increased confidence and wellbeing, towards long-term positive
outcomes.

Charlotte Richardson, NIDAS Service Manager,
said: “We are delighted to work with Norwich City Football Club
to tackle this important issue. The response we got from fans was positive and
it was great to have the opportunity to raise awareness of the important work
that we do, as well as encouraging men to open up about domestic abuse.

“We hope to continue to work closely with the club over the
coming months, breaking down the barriers that prevent men from accessing
support and generally encouraging conversations around domestic abuse.”

Norfolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Sarah
Taylor, said: “It’s important to recognise that domestic
abuse is not limited by class, race and gender – this can affect anyone from
any walk of life and there should be no shame for seeking help and support. The
NIDAS male Independent Domestic Violence Advisor is a crucial role to encourage
and improve communication with male victims.

“We know that one in seven men suffer from domestic abuse
with catastrophic outcomes affecting their mental health, confidence and
wellbeing. It’s essential for everyone to be vigilant and help signpost family
and friends in need of this service.”

Norwich City FC: “It
was fantastic to have NIDAS support our Healthy Fans project at Carrow Road on
the final game of last season. The day had a great feel to it and NIDAS’s
involvement gave our fans the opportunity to have personal, sensitive
conversations with the right person if needed. As we have a high foot fall of
fans walking around the stadium before the match, just having NIDAS’s presence
visible would have been enough for fans to take note of the service if ever
needed. We have NIDAS posters and leaflets available in our matchday support
hub for future signposting.”

Anglian Water has today announced who will form its new Strategic Pipeline Alliance after a competitive procurement process.

The water company will join forces with construction and engineering giants Costain, Farrans, Jacobs and Mott MacDonald Bentley as part of a contract worth over £350 million, to complete one of the largest strategic water infrastructure projects the UK has ever seen.

The programme forms a key part of Anglian’s Water Resources Management Plan which looks 25 years ahead to manage and secure the water resources by safe-guarding against the potential future impacts of water scarcity, climate change and growth, while protecting the environment.

A vital element of the ambitious plan is to create up to 500km of interconnecting pipes and associated pumping equipment, as well as upgrading existing infrastructure to allow water transfer across Anglian Water’s region. Its single aim is to make the East resilient to the risks of drought by securing water supplies for future generations.

By installing new pipework to better join up the existing water network, the water company will be able to move water more freely around the region in stages, from areas of water surplus in north Lincolnshire down, to the south and east of the region, where it is less readily available.

Strategic Pipeline Alliance Director, James Crompton, said: “The challenges of population growth and a changing climate are felt nowhere more keenly than here in the East of England, which is one of the driest parts of the UK. Starting this project is a significant part of our planned investment in the region over the next five years, which will begin to tackle those challenges and secure customer supplies well into the future.

“The programme will make it possible to reduce the amount of water taken from the environment, as well as strengthening resilience by reducing the number of homes and businesses which rely on a single water source.

“It will be a complex and challenging major infrastructure development. It presents an exciting opportunity for these civil engineering, design and construction experts and we’re delighted to have four such prestigious partners on board.”

Anglian Water has already proven the durability and success of an alliancing way of working. In 2015, the company signed 15-year contracts with its existing partners but recognised the need for specialist engineering and construction for such a large-scale project. The tendering process to form the new strategic alliance began last year.

James continued: “We’ve seen how successful and powerful a truly integrated and collaborative alliancing approach can be and now we’re building on it. Each of our new partners bring not only a wealth of experience but they also bring new mindsets, thinking and innovation for what is an incredibly exciting project, but also collectively, one of the largest investments in our water infrastructure we’ve made in recent years.”

With its initial training course now running virtually, TaxAssist Accountants is pleased to offer a cash back deal to new franchisees.

Due to social distancing measures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, TaxAssist Accountants is running a modified initial training course online, making use of technology to provide an engaging and interactive course that will still fully prepare franchisees for opening their practices.

Karl Sandall, Group Chief Executive Director said: “Our first virtual training course started on June 15th with two new franchisees, who having done their research and obtained their funding, are keen to get started on their journey with TaxAssist Accountants.

“Obviously these are unprecedented times, so we are pleased to be able to offer the £4,000 cash back on our franchise fee, in recognition of the change in setting for the training course. This offering will be available for as long as we choose to run the course virtually. We do, however, look forward to welcoming any new joiners back to the Support Centre for a face-to-face follow up as soon as it is safe to do so.”

Samantha Skyring, Senior Training and Communications Manager at the TaxAssist Accountants Support Centre, explained what new franchisees can expect from the course.

“We have had to completely overhaul the training course,” said Samantha. “which has been quite an undertaking, but vital, as we want to make sure we are able to stay engaged with each new franchisee and establish a good rapport as we would normally on our face-to-face course.

“This is important so our new franchisees get to know us all well and feel comfortable to ask us questions throughout the course. We will be using video calls, telephone, emails, instant chat features, live and recorded videos, as well as software such as Sway, Teams and Zoom to alternate our communication channels, as we introduce different members of the team and new topics. We obviously also want to make the course as enjoyable as possible, so we have designed it so that our delegates will not be sitting in front of their computer for hours on end.”

If you are interested in joining TaxAssist Accountants, monthly Virtual Discovery Days are being held, where you can spend a day with the team to find out more about the business opportunity and support on offer. Visit the TaxAssist Accountants website www.taxassistfranchise.co.uk for more information.

More than two thirds of legal firms will review their business processes and well over half are planning a major change in strategy following the COVID-19 pandemic.

That’s according to a survey of more than 100 UK law firms of all sizes conducted by MHA, a UK-wide association of independent accountants and business advisors.

The survey, carried out during lockdown, showed that 85% of firms said the pandemic would have a ‘moderate’ or ‘major’ impact on fee income. Almost one in five (19%) of those surveyed have seen fees drop by more than 30%.

However, 59% of firms said they will use the opportunity to change their business strategy with a focus on better IT, review of specialisms, and improving profitability.

Firms are ready to embrace more agile working, 63% of firms surveyed said they found the transition to homeworking during the pandemic ‘easy’ or ‘very easy’, and 81% said they expect to allow staff to work part of the week from home in future.

Jon Woolston, head of the Professional Practices team at MHA Larking Gowen, said: “Like many other sectors, legal firms will be hit financially in the short term by the pandemic, however, there’s also a huge opportunity to use this as a catalyst for modernisation and achieving longer term financial stability.

“When it comes to business strategy, many firms have been telling us that the pandemic has encouraged them to take action to remove high-risk areas of work and to change their focus from increasing fee income to increasing profitability.

“There’s clearly a huge opportunity around staff recruitment and retention due to the agile working practices we’ve all become used to in a very short space of time. This may enable some firms to staff the business and attract new work without geographic restriction.”

Among the other key findings of the survey were:

• 68% are reviewing their current premises requirements or considering smaller offices
• 87% of firms have made use of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and 31% accessed the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme to date
• 68% have deferred VAT payments and 31% have used the HMRC Time to Pay arrangement
• 66% are changing their plans for investment in IT systems and procedures to allow more homeworking
• 61% have changed their recruitment plans
• 40% said they are changing their plans to focus on credit control and tightening up requests for advance payments on account from clients

Jon added: “This has been a big reset moment for the legal sector and there’s definitely opportunities for those firms who can move quickly to take advantage of new profitable business generated online or from non-traditional routes or regions. Those firms who are looking forwards, taking positive lessons from lockdown, and making decisions to change, based upon a modern IT infrastructure, will be those to profit not just survive.”

An infographic summarising the main findings of the MHA Legal Sector Covid-19 survey is available here on the MHA website