Mon – Fri – Minimum of 20 hours a week and possible additional hour’s dependant on work load and holiday cover.
A full driving licence and experience of driving long wheeled base (LWB) vehicles and good knowledge of East Anglia is preferred.
All applications to be sent via email to Rachael@mdthompson.co.uk by 22nd December 2017.
Barford+Co, established in 1974, has a reputation for providing personal, high-quality agency, planning and professional services to a range of corporate and private clients, local authority and developers throughout Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, and into Hertfordshire to the south, and Northamptonshire to the west.
Brown & Co, Property & Business Consultants, already employs 220 staff and will now be operating from 13 UK offices from the Humber to the Thames together with offices in Poland, Romania and the Caribbean.
Shelia Smyth, Director at Barford+Co will become a partner in the Brown & Co business. She commented “All the team here in St Neots are pleased to be joining Brown&Co. We have an enormous amount in common and I believe that all our clients can only benefit from such a friendly and professional merger”. Charles Whitaker, Managing Partner at Brown&Co added “This merger gives us a major presence throughout the Cambridge, Peterborough and Bedford triangle. Our intention in due course will be to amalgamate the St Neots and Huntingdon offices together, which fits with our strategy to develop larger centres of excellence, offering our full range of services to create and add value to our client base spanning agriculture, land, commercial and residential property”.
https://www.brown-co.com/articles/brownco-and-barfordco-join-forces
Former president of the Great Yarmouth Chamber and Director of the Norfolk Chamber, Gary Williams, has recently re-joined the Chamber of Commerce with his growing Great Yarmouth based, consultancy business, COS Solutions Ltd.
COS Solutions calls upon Gary’s 35 years in senior management roles in Oil, Gas, Renewable and Marine businesses, having successfully started and grown numerous award winning companies and steered them to success both domestically and internationally. Gary, along with some likeminded associates, is working with a number of companies around the UK and locally to help secure sustainable growth in new markets, sectors and regions.
One of the areas that SME’s and start-up’s struggle with is finding the time to pull themselves away from the day to day running of the business and create a strategy for business development, and then of course, to implement this. COS Solutions can help with this many ways, from independent advice, strategy revue and down to earth, sleeves rolled up involvement in helping businesses achieve their potential. With 35 years of networking under our belt we can open those doors.
We also provide support in other areas through the associates we work with and whether this is IT, raising finance, bid writing, HR support, client meetings, to mention but a few, we can provide the right person to help and within, we believe, a very affordable budget.
Having held a number of non-executive directorships within trade and membership associations in the past, Gary is keen to become re-involved in this area and is currently seeking roles that his experience in building and running businesses and practical problem solving will add value to other organisations.
Gary stated “I suppose at heart I am an entrepreneur, I love meeting and working with people and the challenge and enjoyment I get out of securing increased but sustainable growth for any business, is one of the reasons I get out bed in the morning”.
COS Solutions is looking forward to bringing the knowledge and experience it has to other businesses in the region, not just in the energy sector as all of this is, of course very transferable to all sectors.
Norfolk County Council is excited to host a free Work and Health Event at The King’s Centre in Norwich on 2 February 2018 from 9.15am to 4pm (lunch included).
This free event is for businesses that would like to improve the health of their workforce. Stress, depression and anxiety, as well as some physical conditions such as back, shoulder and knee pain are amongst the biggest causes of absence from work.
Improving the health of your workplace will not only reduce the number of working days lost, it will also create a happier workforce with higher morale and better mental health. This can lead to increased productivity and better staff retention rates.
Featuring prominent speakers, including the Chairman of the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, as well as workshops, you will have the chance to:
Our new workplace health provider, Thriving Workplaces, will also talk about their innovative free service that aims to support businesses to improve their workplace health.
Their range of services includes: Strategic workplace health analysis, digital diagnostic tools, workplace health champion training and support, policy development, mental health first aid training. They can also facilitate access to NHS Health Checks for employees.
To secure a place at this free event, please book here by Friday 19 January 2018 where you will find more details including an outline agenda for the day.
If you have any questions about the event please email michele.taylor@norfolk.gov.uk
This event is brought to you by Norfolk County Council’s Public Health department in collaboration with the Employment and Skills team.
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Exciting opportunities – 2 x Project Manager posts
Passionate about property and devoted to development, you’ll discover all kinds of inspiration here on the beautiful East Norfolk coast. Our area is rich with heritage and famous for its unspoilt beaches, charming villages and breathtaking countryside. You will be at the heart of ambitious plans to shape a future every bit as exciting as Great Yarmouth’s storied past.
Great Yarmouth is firmly in the centre of the European shipping and offshore energy industries. The town boasts world-class knowledge in the offshore industry, with deep water outer harbour. Great Yarmouth boasts a growing retail experience and leisure market which the Borough Council is at the heart of supporting.
Our current projects:
Exciting project opportunities within the Project Management Office include:
· Town Centre redevelopment in line with the Masterplan.
· Seafront redevelopment, incorporating the potential delivery of a new leisure centre for the Borough.
· Preservation of the Venetian Waterways and Boating Lake, having secured more than £1.7m from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Big Lottery Fund.
· Preservation and renewal of the historic and nationally significant Winter Gardens.
Role:
As a member of our newly developed and expanding Project Management Office, you will enjoy a real influence on the continued growth and prosperity of the borough. Roles will be instrumental in the economic growth of the Borough with varied remits.
Project Manager:
Degree standard & PRINCE2 essential
2 Posts – Permanent and 2 Year Fixed Term Contract
Full Time or Part Time – all applications considered
Band 7: £28,485 to £31,601
The Project Manager role will have responsibility for a varied portfolio of projects, particularly in relation to the delivery of the Town Centre Masterplan, with the opportunity to expand and develop within the team. Your knowledge and experience is key and should include: PRINCE2 project management, an ability to process complex information, deliver against competing deadlines, communicate amongst many internal and external stakeholders, as well as influencing, persuasion and negotiation skills.
For this role, it is the pride you take in achieving ambitious goals that will set you apart.
The role will be in line with priorities identified in the Council Corporate Plan and the economic growth of the Borough, and regeneration projects.
For an informal chat, please contact Michelle Burdett on 01493 846812 or Kate Watts 01493 846547.
Presentation to Panel will be held on 4th January 2018 and, if successful, you will be invited to attend an interview on 5th January 2018.
A recent decision of the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has confirmed that a taxi driver who was free to work as and when he liked was not an employee. Professional Support Lawyer Elizabeth Stevens and Trainee Solicitor Laura Tanguay report.
The claimant in this case, Mr Knight, worked as a taxi driver with Fairway & Kenwood Car Service. Under the terms of their written agreement, Mr Knight was free to work or not work as and when he pleased.
Mr Knight brought a claim for wrongful dismissal, which was rejected by the employment tribunal on the grounds that he was not engaged under a contract of employment. He appealed against the tribunal’s decision to the EAT.
The EAT reviewed the relevant case law in this area which has established that, for a contract to be a contract of employment, it must infer an obligation to work and enable the employer to exercise some degree of control.
The EAT considered whether Mr Knight was under any obligation to work for Fairway & Kenwood and concluded that he was not. There was no contractual requirement for him to work a minimum number of hours or accept a minimum number of jobs. So long as the weekly ‘rent’ was paid to Fairway & Kenwood, Mr Knight was not in fact obliged to work at all. The fact that the taxi driver actually worked seven days a week in reality was not, in itself, sufficient to say that an employee-employer relationship should be implied by the tribunal.
Mr Knight’s appeal was therefore dismissed by the EAT and his claim for wrongful dismissal rejected.
Comment
This case is a useful reminder that tribunals will not infer an employee-employer relationship where there is clear evidence (in this case a written agreement between the parties) that a worker is not required to work – even if in reality he or she is working seven days a week. There was no suggestion in this case that the agreement was a sham and did not reflect the true arrangement between the parties. It is important when engaging such workers to make sure that any written agreement is an accurate reflection of the working arrangements.
A copy of the EAT judgment is available here.
LSI Architects is delighted to announce that Associate Partner Peter Courtney is to become an Equity Partner at the Practice from 1st May.
Since joining the Practice in 2009, Peter has played an integral role in the development of LSI Architects London studio, successfully delivering projects such as the Lycée International de Londres, Brent Knoll School and Queensmill ASD School.
Peter has led EFA Framework, BSF, Diocesan and Independent sector school projects with a number of notable contractors, covering traditional and D&B procurement and both new-build and refurbishment work, including the Harpley PRU in Stepney Green, recipient of two BCSE national design awards.
Previous experience in other sectors has been invaluable to the ongoing diversification of work in the London studio, including a number of office projects for the London Borough of Islington, an office project in India, and commissions at several London teaching hospitals.
Peter Courtney commented “Over the past few years the Practice has gone from strength to strength. I am very proud to have been given the opportunity to play a leading role as we continue to improve our design and our service to the benefit of our clients. I believe that the exciting opportunities ahead reflect the importance the London studio plays in the growth and direction of the Practice.”
The Practice is also delighted to announce that experienced project Architects David Bannister and Daniel Pedley are both promoted to Associates.
Since joining LSI’s London studio in 2012, David has been involved in projects such as Brent Knoll School, St John’s Green Primary School and the SS Robin Visitor Centre, with current projects including Eltham Primary School. Over his time at LSI, David has gained particular experience designing spaces for Autistic children, with projects including the conversion of a 1990s office building into a school for Autistic children to accommodate the expansion of Blossom House School in Wimbledon.
Daniel is another experienced Project Architect who initially joined LSI’s Norwich office as a Part 1 student in 2006. Since then, Daniel has achieved his Part 2 and Part 3 qualifications whilst at LSI, working on projects such as the on-shore facility for offshore energy company SCIRA and the Moy’s End Stand at Peterborough United Football Club as well as numerous education projects. Daniel is currently involved with projects at Gresham’s School in Holt, including the development of a new sixth form and music school and boarding house.
As he launches the 2018/19 police budget and council tax consultation, Norfolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Lorne Green, is asking ‘Would you pay more council tax to help fund policing?’
PCC Lorne Green will soon have to decide whether to increase or freeze the policing element of council tax to fund next year’s policing service, and he wants to know what the Norfolk public thinks.
By law, the PCC can only raise policing council tax by a maximum of just under 2% – a cap fixed by central government. But, as well as giving Norfolk’s communities the chance to vote for a freeze or a 2% rise for 2018/19, for the first time Lorne will be asking if they would be willing to pay even more if the central government cap is lifted – a possibility in mid-December.
“What I am asking is do you support a freeze, keeping policing council tax at last year’s level or do you support a rise? And, if so, please tell me the maximum amount you would be prepared to pay,” said Lorne.
“I am now 18 months into my work as your PCC and, during my time in office, I have become increasingly aware of just how challenging the financial situation is for policing in our county.
“Grant funding from central government continues to reduce year on year but policing costs are increasing, along with demands for service. If austerity continues, Norfolk Constabulary will need to make cuts of between £2 million and £3 million every year just to cover inflation. The Government has made it clear it expects me to increase the policing element of council tax by the maximum I can to help bridge the gap. That budget gap in 2018/19 is estimated to be £6.8 million.
“The Chief Constable has recently announced a new policing model for Norfolk which he says will ensure the Force is best placed to tackle the biggest threats to the safety of our communities, while also maintaining neighbourhood policing and being more sustainable in the current financial climate. He also says, however, that further difficult decisions will be needed to balance the 2018/19 policing budget.
“I, along with other PCCs, have been lobbying central government to look again at police funding and lift the council tax limit above the 2% maximum. This would allow PCCs more flexibility to set council tax levels in response to funding challenges and local policing needs.
“To help inform my budget decision if that were to happen, I would like to know what you would be prepared to pay next year for policing in Norfolk.
“Some 58% of Norfolk’s policing budget is funded by central government, meaning your council tax makes up the rest so I want all Norfolk residents to have the opportunity to have their say.”
You can have your say now by taking the online survey at www.norfolk-pcc.gov.uk.
You can also share your views by telephone on 01953 424455, by email to TellLorne@norfolk.pnn.police.uk, or by writing to the PCC at OPCCN, Jubilee House, Building 8, Falconers Chase, Wymondham, NR18 0WW.
Join together with colleagues and take part in the 2018 Active Workplace Challenge and be in with a chance to win prizes!
Active Norfolk’s 2018 Workplace Challenge is back for eight weeks, running from January 8th with the aim of encouraging you and your colleagues to reduce your stress, improve your wellbeing and re-energise by building in 10-minute bite-sized chunks of activity into and around the working day.
Just adding small chunks of activity throughout the day can all add up; switching the lift for the stairs, walking to work, challenging the boss to a table tennis rally or taking part in a Midday Mile. So together let’s make every minute count!
Throughout the eight weeks there are some amazing local and national prizes up for grabs thanks to our sponsors.
It’s free to get involved! Click here for more information.
Take part in our anuual Owner managed Business Survey and be in with a chance of winning a Jarrold Christmas Hamper for you or one of your clients.
Many thanks to those businesses that have taken part in the survey so far. We are confident that the results will prove to be very beneficial and allow us to provide you with future help and advice.
For those that haven’t yet been able to participate, we hope that you can find a few minutes of your time to complete this simple survey.
The survey will take no longer than 10 minutes to complete and will close on Wednesday, 13 December 2017.
If you’d like to see a copy of the survey report from last year please click here.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us.
Ryan Oates, Corporate Financial Adviser, SG Corporate Services says
“Changing a pension scheme’s rules or terms and conditions to increase member contributions normally requires employers to consult with the scheme members. ” Consultation is only necessary if: • An employer has 50 or more employees, which is determined by calculating the average number of employees in the previous 12 months. • An employer wishes to amend the scheme rules to increase member contributions at a different time or rate than originally set out. The consultation period must not be less than 60 days. However, where the scheme rules are already set to increase contributions to the minimum levels, either in April 2018 and 2019 or earlier, the employer will not need to consult members. You should still notify them that increased contributions are due to be taken. If the change is being made to ensure the scheme remains qualifying – that the rules or terms and conditions are being amended purely to reflect the minimum increases set out in law – the employer will not need to consult.” Further information can be found here: https://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/docs/employer-duty-to-consult-on-scheme-changes.pdf