Member News

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

With lockdown restrictions easing and many business premises getting ready to open after being inactive for many weeks, it is important to recognise the threat of legionella bacteria.  The team at Heatlink Services are here to help with any questions you may have.  Legionella which can thrive in certain conditions, eg when buildings have become low in occupancy or shut completely (mothballed). In such cases the chances of Legionella surviving can increase as a direct result of low turnover of water within systems that are not being used as frequently.

What is Legionnaires Disease? Legionnaires’ disease is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia contracted by inhaling aerosols contaminated with legionella bacteria. The bacteria multiplies in stagnant water, poorly designed water systems and in water temperatures between 20 degrees C and 45 degrees C.

What are the symptoms? The symptoms of Legionnaires disease are similar to the symptoms of Covid 19;

• high temperature • feverishness and chills • coughingwith the potential to lead to pneumonia. • muscle pains • headache • diarrhoea

Who is at risk? Everyone is susceptible to infection; the risk increases with age, but some people are at higher risk including: • people aged over 45 • smokers and heavy drinkers • people suffering from chronic respiratory or kidney disease, diabetes, lung and heart disease • anyone with an impaired immune system

Ideal Environment for Legionella • Water temperatures of between 20ᵒC – 45ᵒC • Stagnantwater • Systems containing nutrients for bacterial growth e.g. rust, sludge, sediment, scale, organic matter and biofilms

Recommissioning your water systems

It is essential that water systems are not simply put back in to use. It is sensible to put together a re-commissioning plan for each water system within the building, to provide reassurance to people returning to work that the water systems are safe for normal use. To ensure the safety of employees throughout the business, the following control measures are recommended:

• A chemical disinfection of all Cold water storage tanks, storage vessels & header tanks, where possible including their associated water systems. • A thermal disinfection/ pasteurisation or all hot water heaters, where possible including their associated water systems. • Ensure all outlets and associated systems are flushed thoroughly. • Expansion vessel are purged and drained. • Where possible samples of the water should be taken ensure all control measures implemented were successful in reducing the proliferation of bacteria. • Shower heads, hoses & spray heads where fitted should be dismantled, cleaned and chlorinated. • Limescale should be removed from outlets. • Check water softening equipment where fitted is fit for use

If you have any questions please do contact us on 01603 980950 or email us at Heatlink Services and we will be very happy to help you!

Additional advice So the advice is :- Take careful note as you reopen your business as the safety, health and wellbeing of your employees and members of the public using your premises is paramount when it comes to Legionnaires disease and the fact many of the symptoms are similar to those of Covid 19 could make it hard to differentiate between the two. Hot supplies should be minimum of 50 °C within one minute (55 °C in healthcare environments) & cold supplies should be below 20 °C within two minutes of running the cold tap.

John Thompson, CEO of the Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors organisation said “Landlords and employers have a legal duty to assess and control the risk of exposure to Legionella bacteria. Risk assessments, precautionary actions and remedial work can be implemented to protect against Legionnaires’ disease. However, we believe the vast majority of landlords and employers are unaware of their legal duty and of the actions that need to be taken.

These are unprecedented times and never have so many buildings been closed for so long without any thought for bringing these buildings back into use, which if not facilitated correctly could lead to a serious outbreak of Legionnaires disease just as the country and the NHS recover from COVID-19.”

The association has advised landlords, property owners and employers to take action now by contacting a suitably qualified plumbing and heating engineer in order to carry out a risk assessment, advise on precautionary measures and, if required, implement remedial work.

Furthermore WRAS (Water Regulations Advisory Scheme) has also encouraged business and property owners to consider the risks as stagnant water can encourage the growth of micro-organisms including Legionella and unless steps are taken before a building is reoccupied, there is potential risks to health

Where a building has been unoccupied for more than 30 days it is important to refer to buildings water management plan as flushing, disinfection and other measures may be required

Julie Spinks, MD of WRAS said “Stagnant water can pose a risk for the users and residents of any kind of building, so it is vital that the water system is prepared and refreshed before access resume”

When stagnant, water is prone to microbiological contamination and poses a significant risk to building occupants on their return, if not treated correctly

Microbiological contamination includes algae and bacteria such as pseudomonas and Legionella – and these can cause serious health issues if they enter the human body. For example, if inhaled (usually from water droplets dispersed from outlets such as taps (see video detailed in the link below for more info), showers, hot tubs and air-conditioning units), Legionella bacterium can cause Legionnaires’ disease, a serious and potentially fatal type of pneumonia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LskeGezlHBg

Welcome to our quarterly newsletter. We at Drive Alive are hoping you are keeping safe and well during these testing times. We are pleased to share with you that the team has been busy behind the scenes developing our online services to ensure continued legal compliance for all our customers. We are also pleased to announce and welcome a new member to the team; Andrew Bunn, who joined us in early April as our new Sales Executive. We hope you find this newsletter informative. Stay safe and take care from us all at Drive Alive.

E-ASSESSMENT A convenient way to risk assess your drivers and maintain legal compliance. https://www.drivealive.co.uk/fleet-risk-management-driver-e-asse

ONINE DEFENSIVE DRIVING Defensive driving techniques reduce the likelihood of a collision or incident and can even save costs related to vehicle maintenance and fuel consumption. https://www.drivealive.co.uk/online-defensive-driving

DEEP VEHICLE CLEAN We have put together a simple checklist on how to ensure your vehicle is thoroughly clean during the Pandemic. https://c1a104d8-9e6f-4e52-a368-f2e4a7d49a75.usrfiles.com/ugd/c1a104_fe1534e1444348e9be7795c877574d0e.pdf

FRENCH BREATHALYSER – GOOD NEWS for drivers travelling to France in the future, it appears that the French government have dispensed with the law requiring you to carry Breathalyser kits in your vehicle!

In a recent survey, 74% of employees stated they would be more likely to take a job if the prospective employer had a good benefits package, and 75% of employees said they were more likely to stay in their job for the same reason.*

Leading mortgage and protection broker, Mortgage Advice Bureau, can give your employees access to fee-free mortgage and protection advice from a professional adviser, either in your workplace or at a time that’s convenient for them.

How Mortgage Advice Bureau can help you

We offer a dedicated employee benefits service to ensure your staff not only have access to fee-free mortgage and protection advice when they need it, but also help with education to support them with their overall financial well-being. Our fully qualified mortgage specialists can support your staff no matter what their circumstances. For instance, they could be planning to take their first step onto the property ladder, upsizing to a bigger home for their growing family, or perhaps they’d just like to see if they could save money on their current mortgage. Whatever their circumstances, we can give you peace of mind that your employees are being looked after, and that those with money worries will have one less thing to worry about.

Our mortgage service offering

• Advice drop-in sessions at your premises
• Mortgage and protection ‘Lunch and Learn’ sessions
• Face to face or telephone mortgage and protection appointments at a time to suit
• Access to information, tips and calculators
• Dual branded mortgage portal to easily arrange appointments
• Financial well-being emails to be sent at a frequency to suit you.

Get in touch

If you’d like to speak to us about our dedicated employee benefits service, feel free to get in touch.

Telephone: 07436 236841

Email: hannah.littlechild@mab.org.uk

*Salary Finance.com – Employers Guide to Financial Wellbeing 

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

Fee-free advice is only available from the above contact details.

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

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

https://www.brewin.co.uk/insights/delving-into-distress

Please click on the link to listen to this week’s podcast

Following the Government announcement on 23 June, we are delighted to confirm the reopening of our Hotel, Restaurant and Bar from Saturday 4 July.

This initial reopening will include our overnight stays, breakfast, light lunches, afternoon tea, coffee, drinks and dinner, seven days a week. We will also be recommencing the boat hire of our beautiful six seater English Harbour yacht from 4 July.    For all the couples still waiting to start planning their weddings in earnest, we are also delighted to announce our reopening for venue viewings including The Garden Room in our Walled Garden, by pre-appointment only through our Events Team at events@norfolkmead.co.uk.    Sadly we are going to have to wait a little longer before we can safely reopen The Treatment Rooms and start hosting Weddings and larger events again – bear with us and we remain hopeful that it will not be too much longer. Do contact the events team with any specific questions about your plans.   Covid-secure measures   We take the safety of our guests and staff very seriously, and are putting in place the highest level of covid-secure measures so you can book and visit with confidence. With our plentiful outdoor spaces and multiple function room options, we can deliver social distancing and be your escape for a little while for you to rest, relax and recharge.    Back and better than ever!   We have also been undertaking improvements across the Hotel and Grounds whilst we have been closed, so prepare to be wow-ed by how gorgeous everything is looking! You’re going to love it all! We’ll be releasing some preview pictures over the next few days so keep your eyes peeled to our social media to find out more!    Book now!   Contact the Team via info@norfolkmead.co.uk for any questions, and to book, or browse our Hotel website where there are enquiry links and direct booking links for your ease!   We can’t wait to see you all again! Love Team Mead.   Read more including our detailed safety measures: Welcoming you back to The Norfolk Mead.

A multi-million-pound bid that could transform King’s Lynn town centre has been submitted to the Government.

It comes as the Borough Council for King’s Lynn and West Norfolk – together with its partners – works to support the town’s recovery and renewal from the economic impact of Covid-19.

The council has made a submission for £21.6m in grant funding to the Future High Streets Fund having been successful in its initial expression of interest in 2019.

And, if successful in the competitive funding process, with match funding, the total investment in King’s Lynn town centre through the Future High Streets programme could be in the region of £35.5m.

The plans, which aim to tackle the town’s priorities and support its long-term future, have been informed by feedback from the public through community consultation last year, and developed in partnership with Norfolk County Council.

Councillor Graham Middleton, Cabinet Member for Business Development said: “We are very pleased to be submitting this business case to the government, which comes at an important time for the town. We are committed to supporting the town centre and businesses in light of the impact of Covid-19.

“The Future High Streets Fund is a competitive process and our bid will be considered against submissions from across the country. We believe that we have developed a robust submission which reflects the long-term needs of the town centre, and which has been shaped with feedback we received through our community consultation.

“Our proposals support the sustainable long-term future of the town, which is now even more of a priority for us than ever. A successful bid would be part of our Covid-19 recovery plans for the town centre.

“But we don’t just want King’s Lynn town centre to survive – we want it to thrive. Our submission would help the town to do just that.”

The projects highlighted in the submission are:

A multi-million-pound bid that could transform King’s Lynn town centre has been submitted to the Government.

It comes as the Borough Council for King’s Lynn and West Norfolk – together with its partners – works to support the town’s recovery and renewal from the economic impact of Covid-19.

The council has made a submission for £21.6m in grant funding to the Future High Streets Fund having been successful in its initial expression of interest in 2019.

And, if successful in the competitive funding process, with match funding, the total investment in King’s Lynn town centre through the Future High Streets programme could be in the region of £35.5m.

The plans, which aim to tackle the town’s priorities and support its long-term future, have been informed by feedback from the public through community consultation last year, and developed in partnership with Norfolk County Council.

Councillor Graham Middleton, Cabinet Member for Business Development said: “We are very pleased to be submitting this business case to the government, which comes at an important time for the town. We are committed to supporting the town centre and businesses in light of the impact of Covid-19.

“The Future High Streets Fund is a competitive process and our bid will be considered against submissions from across the country. We believe that we have developed a robust submission which reflects the long-term needs of the town centre, and which has been shaped with feedback we received through our community consultation.

“Our proposals support the sustainable long-term future of the town, which is now even more of a priority for us than ever. A successful bid would be part of our Covid-19 recovery plans for the town centre.

“But we don’t just want King’s Lynn town centre to survive – we want it to thrive. Our submission would help the town to do just that.”

The projects highlighted in the submission are:

1.            King’s Lynn Multi-User Community Hub

Working in partnership with Norfolk County Council, this would provide a modern shared community space in the heart of the town that brings together a range of services anchored by a relocated town library.  In addition to increasing footfall, it would enhance training and skills provision in the town centre, providing a focal point for upskilling and accessing learning. It would be a multi-service hub, providing people with the space and resources to start up or engage in new activities and services. In the community consultation people said they wanted the town centre to feel inclusive with something for everyone. This would be a space for the whole community.

2.            Town Centre Housing Project

This project would provide in excess of 150 homes over a ten-year period, bringing more people to live in the town centre. Increasing the density of the in-town population would create greater sustainability, increase footfall, and expand use of the town centre. To facilitate the housing provision, this project would see land released from existing car parking space to provide the town centre homes.

With land from existing car parking space used for these much-needed new homes, an innovative sheltered car park would be constructed to provide spaces for town centre parking. This would incorporate green technology: namely photovoltaic panels connected to electric vehicle (EV) charging points. This would help to support the council’s green agenda. In December 2019, part of the community consultation focused on creating opportunities for town centre living which this project would create.

3.            St George’s Guildhall Refurbishment

This scheme would see the refurbishment of St George’s Guildhall, creating a new heritage and cultural attraction using the unique selling points of the oldest theatre in the UK and the Guildhall’s Shakespeare link. The refurbishment plans are based upon a recent feasibility study carried out in December 2019 by the Shakespeare Guildhall Trust and the council.  This project provides King’s Lynn with the opportunity to create a new heritage attraction bringing increased numbers of visitors to the town. This project would require a separate match funding application through the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Throughout the community consultation, people highlighted the heritage of King’s Lynn as the number one attribute that they feel makes the town centre special, and that which can attract visitors into the town.

4.            South Gate Gateway

To improve traffic flow around the town, and to protect the historic entrance at South Gate as a visitor attraction, this project would focus on creating a highway diversion. The South Gate roundabout is a key gateway for the town and a bottleneck.  This project would tackle this issue, creating better access.

This project would also see public realm improvements, creating a more pleasant arrival and capitalising on the South Gate as a visitor attraction.  It would also allow for improvements to London Road pedestrian crossings and traffic lights as well as pedestrian and cycle links, increasing the options for visiting town.

Not only would this project alleviate the access issues, it would also allow for improvements that would enhance perceptions of this key gateway into the town and support the future development around this strategic site. The proposal sits within the wider transport strategy to relieve congestion at this crucial bottleneck location and deliver wider visual improvements to the town’s primary gateway.  The feedback revealed the huge value that people place upon the historical assets and the living heritage that exists in abundance in the town; this project would capitalise on the South Gate as a visitor attraction.

The full details of all of the projects would be developed should the bid be successful.

As outlined, all of the projects link into themes which emerged during extensive community consultation. In the first survey in February 2019, over 700 people gave their views and their feedback helped to inform the expression of interest. In the second round of consultation in November / December 2019, around 500 people shared their thoughts on their town centre experience and their ideas for the area.

If successful, the Future High Streets funding would align with the wider Town Investment Plan. This is the town’s vision for its economic development over the years to come and is currently being developed. This will potentially help the council to access a further £25m of Town Deal funding that has been allocated by the Government.  The Town Investment Plan will be the overarching vision and strategy for the area.

The submission was made to government on 22nd June with a decision expected in the early autumn.

Councillor Graham Middleton added: “The Future High Streets Fund potentially represents a fantastic opportunity for our town centre, allowing us to address challenges and maximise the area’s many strengths. Vitally, it will help us to support the town’s recovery and renewal from the impact of Covid-19 – which we are all committed to.

“We want King’s Lynn town centre to be a place of choice, with increased use and satisfaction. This funding, alongside the other investment we are making, could be transformational for the town and leave a legacy for generations.

“I am excited for what is possible.”

Follow Vision King’s Lynn on Twitter @vision_lynn Facebook: Vision King’s Lynn or visit www.visionkingslynn.co.uk for updates and further information.

Stress at work can be crippling, whether you are the CEO of a construction firm or a frontline worker servicing water supplies. Think about how overwhelming it can be when you are under time pressure to deliver crucial services to people’s homes, or when a patient falls in their own home and it’s up to you to provide adequate care and keep your service users safe. 

In this article, we take a deep-dive into the factors that cause stress in the workplace and how you can take positive action to reduce stress for your workforce.

Read the full article here.

We are thrilled to announce that we are working with Money Savings Advice, a website recently set up by an experienced team of lead generation experts, to provide consumers with the best financial products available. Covering all areas of personal, secured and unsecured finance, Money Savings Advice is already well on the way to becoming a strong, viable prospect and a resounding success.

The search engine optimisation (SEO) team at Tudor Lodge Consultants have been, over the past few weeks working hard and behind the scenes with the design, development and lead generation team at Money Savings Advice. We are working closely to ensure the site is set up from its outset and from the very beginning to capture online users via Google Search.

SEO is at the heart of what Money Savings Advice are working hard to achieve. From Equity release to bridging loans, short term personal loans and even personal funeral plans, the rankings which are expected will cover a wide range of areas.

We have been working with Money Savings Advice on every aspect of their website’s online positioning and SEO and this has already included:

Crawling – We are working to ensure the site is able to rank on and be understood by Google for its desired search terms and phrases. This is paramount from the outset as the content being written is designed to target specific ‘clusters’ of searches.

Website Code – The source code of a website is the very basis upon which a website’s information and features are built. Therefore, much like the design of an engine, the source code must be optimised and efficiently structured to function to the optimum level.

Targeting – What the website targets is just as key to its success as how it targets the desired areas. Thus, working with the experienced team at Money Savings Advice to ensure that the best search terms in each area are targeted remains one of the most important tasks thus far.

Online PR – Online PR in SEO is a very important factor, acting as a trust signal to both search engines as well as users and potential customers. We are therefore working with the team at Money Savings Advice to create and disseminate the best PR for the brand for both SEO and user purposes.

Technical SEO – SEO relies on various areas of focus, one of which is the technical SEO. It is in large part, these technical factors which, through the content and PR allow websites to rank and be picked up for the desired terms.

We are looking forward to what the future and the coming months have in store for Money Savings Advice, who are already seeing leaps and bounds of progress in their area, and we are sure there is more to follow.