Member News

As a theatre and a small charitable business, Coronavirus affects us in many ways, but the government’s call for the public to avoid non-essential social contact and requirement for theatres to respond has resulted in the closure of the Puppet Theatre to the public as of March 17th until further notice. BUT THE SHOW MUST GO ON! Despite the fact we have some staff working from home, and some on furlough, our team is being creative and trying to bring our work to families at home in these unprecedented times. The whole company is determined to emerge once more as one of England’s 3 Professional Puppet Theatres at the other end of this crisis. We are working with our self-employed creative partners (many of whose avenues for income have abruptly dried up) to bring our lovely theatre and creative learning activities to you via digital channels. Norwich Puppet Theatre’s YouTube Channel can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC90yGyJLmL04mep1vCnKm7w There are several resources at https://puppettheatre.co.uk/about-us/online-puppet-theatre including templates to print and cut out at home, and videos from our lovely partners! We are exploring this at a new level for us, so we’d welcome your feedback!  Email us at info@puppettheatre.co.uk or Twitter @norwich_puppet or you can find us on Facebook. We hope you and your families will enjoy our short films and want to stay in touch with us and follow the growing range of materials on the channel. Of course, this crisis has stopped us in our tracks with none of the regular live activities in our lovely theatre, on tour, with schools and at festivals and outdoor events.  This immediately translates to a massive hit to our bottom line. We haven’t tried to introduce a subscription or pay per view model for what we are doing. There are lots of ways in which you can respond to our request to make a donation and many of our friends and customers are so doing already. We are so grateful to them! If you or your company would like to donate, here is a link  https://www.totalgiving.co.uk/donate/norwich-puppet-theatre-trust-limited THANK YOU!

Following an employee satisfaction survey carried out by independent research agency WorkBuzz, TaxAssist has once again been named as a ‘5 Star Employer’.

Above benchmark results compared to businesses of a similar size and industry, has led to TaxAssist Accountants being awarded the ‘5 Star Employer’ accolade for the second year running.

One of the biggest challenges faced by many organisations is recruiting and keeping the best talent available in their respective sectors. And within the UK’s ever-changing job market, employees’ expectations are constantly evolving – they want to feel secure in their roles particularly at times such as the present, have faster career progression expectations and demand instant change in their workplace based on their feedback.

What has made gaining WorkBuzz 5 Star Employer status unique, is that it is based on confidential feedback from employees, who are invited to complete Engagement Surveys on a regular basis.

Karl Sandall, Group Chief Executive Director, said: “We are incredibly proud that TaxAssist Accountants has once again received this award and to have received such positive feedback from the 60 members of staff at the Support Centre.

“With the world experiencing unprecedented levels of uncertainty and change right now, I hope this accolade gives our franchise network a much needed boost, knowing that they are fully supported by a happy and engaged workforce who are committed and dedicated to helping and guiding them through the months and years ahead.”

Steven Frost, CEO of WorkBuzz, said: “For several years, we’ve been helping leading organisations gather feedback from their employees, to improve employee engagement and reduce staff turnover. Through the WorkBuzz 5 Star Employer awards, we will now be able to recognise employers who are truly leading employee engagement to improve the working lives of their people.”

For more information on the award click here.

After a rapid adjustment following the government’s advice we have been able to set up all staff to work from home and arranged full access to all facilities to continue operating every aspect of our business throughout this continuing health crisis. We have also recently invested in various areas to strengthen our service departments (in particular our trade marks division) before these developments occurred as outlined below. First, in July of last year we acquired the well-known established trade marks practice of Oakleigh IP Services Limited together with its international client base and wider legal contacts – they are now fully integrated into ip21’s operations worldwide. Next, we have expanded our UK operational base to incorporate new client contact facilities in Cambridge and Ipswich with the first of these, in particular, bringing in a rapid take-up of new business from the scientific and academic community. Finally, we have in the last month been trialling a system in which we offer to supply, free of charge:

• An up-to-date schedule of a client’s IP holdings and pending contentious matters including a ‘next due date’ list
• A review of a client’s portfolio and a report identifying any gaps in protection, e.g. geographically and/or in terms of specification, logos, colours etc; or
• A brief IP holdings report identifying the pending and registered trade mark and/or patent rights of up to three of a client’s principal competitors.

I hope this has given you a snapshot of how we view the current situation and what we are doing to service our clients’ needs and ensure we all emerge stronger from it.

May I please end with the sincere wish that you and those closest to you will come safely through this challenging period, and if you would like to discuss any of the services mentioned above, or any other IP topics, please do get in touch.

Richard Jones, Operations Manager for ip21 Ltd – info@ip21.com – 01603 457008

Group Commercial Director Daren Moore has written to Rishi Sunak requesting he reconsider key elements of the government’s support and intervention packages. 

Following the flurry of recent announcements from the Government on new initiatives to support small businesses and the self-employed, the TaxAssist Accountants Support Centre team has been working flat out to offer help and guidance to its network of accountants and their 76,000 clients.

While many clients will welcome the measures announced so far, large sections of the business community have been overlooked, without the help and funding they need.

In order to address this, Daren Moore has written a letter to the Chancellor to request that he reconsider a number of key issues missing from the recent announcements.

“Whilst we support many of the measures announced to date, we are concerned that large sections of the business community are suffering and that these measures will not provide the help and funding they need,” explained Daren. “We are already seeing our clients under stress and we risk seeing many thousands of small businesses fail without prompt action.”

Daren outlined four key issues that TaxAssist’s clients and its franchisees would like to see urgently addressed including:

• Sole/small company directors and their ineligibility to be furloughed under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
• The proposal to look at three years for averaging purposes, leaving those who commenced trading since 5th April 2019 financially stranded
• The unfairness of the £50,000 trading profit threshold
• The need for emergency funding to speed up the flow of money

Daren added: “As a proud and ethical franchisor we will take every available opportunity to use our voice to highlight the needs and concerns of our core clients – small businesses – the ‘lifeblood’ of the UK economy. In these difficult times, we need to support and protect them in any way we can, now, to ensure that the sector remains intact and fully functioning when the recovery does come.”

A copy of the letter that was sent to Rishi Sunak can be viewed here.

At a time when we’re all being affected by Covid-19, many Norfolk businesses are having to adapt. Some are finding new and innovative ways to deliver their regular service, some are diversifying to reach new audiences. Some are finding new ways that their loyal customers can continue to support them whilst their doors are closed.

A new website has been launched to offer a platform for all of these local businesses to share their updates in one place, for free.

Support Norfolk is a place for businesses and local residents alike to come together and find out how they can support each other. Visitors can search for updates by business category and then find out who’s offering the service they need, or indeed, how they can support businesses in other ways.

The not-for-profit website has been created by Example Marketing. They were looking for a way to offer help during the current crisis. Example owner, Emma Raines, explains:

“Being in business is often about adapting to adversity. All around us, businesses are doing that admirably, displaying ingenuity, courage and kindness. We want to make sure people hear about what’s going on. Our hope is that the site will help us all find ways to support each other, bringing all these fantastic business updates together.”

Are you a business owner? Have you evolved to fit the current climate? Perhaps you’ve introduced a delivery service, moved online, diversified? Or are there other ways that people can continue to support you – perhaps by buying a voucher or membership? Visit https://www.supportnorfolk.com/ and add your business for free today.

As the Government considers legal practitioners as key workers during the coronavirus crisis, Clapham & Collinge Solicitors are able to continue to support you with your legal affairs and, in particular, the making of Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorneys and any queries relating to a loved one’s death.

They can assist by providing telephone appointments reducing the need for face to face meetings in order to comply with the guidelines on safe social distancing. They are also able to guide you through the process of signing your Will, Lasting Powers of Attorney or other legal documentation.

For more information on their Will and Lasting Power of Attorney services, please visit their dedicated ‘Making a Will‘ and ‘Lasting Powers of Attorney‘ webpages.

For more information or to arrange a telephone appointment, contact Clapham & Collinge on 01603 693500, email enquiries@clapham-collinge.co.uk or visit: www.clapham-collinge.co.uk

There has never been a better time to support the NHS than right now.

As a seasoned recruitment professional and small business owner, I am fully bought into our community all working together to ensure that the NHS is fully supported.  Alongside the NHS it is all of our responsibility to ensure that businesses and employees remain supported and stable to ensure fast recovery in the future.  From a personal perspective, my Mum worked for the NHS for her entire life and even though she is now 70, she would still return if she could.  This is the main reason I am volunteering my services for this project and my driver to do what I can to support the NHS in such trying times.

Instead of furloughing staff, support your local health services with secondment to the NHS. 100% of pay costs covered.

Keeler Recruitment is proud to be working with Birketts Solicitors and East Coast Community Healthcare (ECCH), a Community Interest Company providing NHS community healthcare in Great Yarmouth and Waveney, to offer continuation of service contracts for your staff. We’re looking for skills including care support, porters, housekeeping, cleaning and administration. (full job specifications available on request) Full training provided so recent experience not essential. To find out more about how we can all work together to support our local community and the NHS please call Mark on 01603 851840 or email; mark@keelerrecruitment.co.uk

www.linkedin.com/company/birkettsllp www.ecch.org/we-need-you/local-employers-secondment-programme/ https://keelerrecruitment.co.uk/keeler-recruitment-nhs-jobs/

Last week I offered a complimentary team survey to help you understand how your team was feeling. As we have all seen, things are changing rapidly and I am sure for many of you the situation for your teams will have changed over the last few days. It is vital that as things develop we change and adapt too. To reflect these changes we have updated the survey with new questions so that you can find out how your teams are feeling whether they are working from home, have been furloughed, or continue to come into work.

It is so important through the uncertainty that we continue to understand how our teams feel to enable us all to make the right decisions for them and your business. We will continue to update the survey as the world around us continues to change. 

We have put together an update on the results of the initial survey which you can read by clicking here. If you would like your team to complete the updated survey questions, please either let me know or fill in your details on our website via this link.

Please feel free to share this link with other colleagues and friends who you believe would benefit from this free survey.

Judy Randon

e.    judy.randon@insight6.com

m.   07909 542737

Monday, 30 March 2020

Some of you may be wondering how the current crisis is affecting Probate.   

Here’s what we know: 

• Our People section of the MHA Larking Gowen website 

  Cindy Chaplin 

During the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis it is important apprentices are kept informed and not kept in the dark. Apprentices are part of our future, bringing fresh innovative ideas to businesses across the UK and beyond. 

To ensure this does not happen the Government is providing a package of support. This will help employers retain and support their staff including apprentices.

Please visit our website to find out how you can support apprentices during the COVID-19 crisis.

How we are supporting you and your apprentices

Learning and enrolments are now being undertaken remotely in order to support our wonderful apprentices, learners and employers. We will also be conducting face-to-face online appointments and online training and support We are open and available and will remain in continuous discussions with employers, who are fully supportive of our response and want to keep business as usual for our learners as far as possible. We thank our employers for their support at this time. Our aim remains to deliver high-quality training and to ensure that our learners are not disadvantaged and are able to continue their studies in these challenging times. 

You can contact Steadfast Training Ltd on info@steadfasttraining.co.uk for any further information, or contact your Trainer or Account Manager directly  

Keep Kind and Keep Safe

Remember all the Government advice during the current situation.

As with many other transactions, the current coronavirus pandemic has had a huge impact within the residential property sector. Many house sale and purchase transactions have been stalled, with individuals left unsure where they stand or what to do next.

Our residential conveyancing team are monitoring the situation closely, and experienced Conveyancing Executive Rachael Hughes provides answers to our most frequently asked questions here. Please note that we would treat every transaction based on our individual client’s needs and circumstances, and the situation is moving rapidly, so please do contact us directly if you have any specific queries at all. Call 10603 660 811 or email info@hatchbrenner.co.uk

Am I allowed to move house?

The Government issued guidance on Friday 27 March which advised people in the process of moving to delay where possible. Both buyers and sellers are being urged to approach timelines with practicality and flexibility to extend moving dates until the current social distancing, hygiene and lockdown measures have been eased. There may be exceptions in specific circumstances where the parties cannot agree to an extension, or the move is classed as ‘critical’ – it is best to explore this directly with your conveyancing lawyers.

I am due to move into a house which is currently empty. Can I still go ahead?

Yes, in these specific circumstances, the Government have indicated that moving may still be possible, if everyone concerned adheres to the relevant social distancing and coronavirus spread prevention guidelines.

I have coronavirus symptoms. Should I pull out of our house move?

Yes, absolutely delay, although this may not mean that you have to pull out completely. Anyone with symptoms, self-isolating or shielding from the virus, should follow medical advice and not move house for the time being. Once the isolation period has passed, there is no reason that you cannot work with your conveyancing solicitors and estate agent to agree delayed dates for your house move.

Our contracts have already exchanged. Are they still valid?

Yes. Conveyancing bodies including the Law Society, the Society of Licensed Conveyancers, the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, Bold Legal Group, the Conveyancing Association, and HM Land Registry have come together to agree a draft clause to amend any existing contracts when varying a completion date. This collaborative working is very encouraging and we expect to see more of this as the pandemic’s effects continue. We would exchange a written agreement to alter the existing contract, and either ask you to sign electronically, or for you to authorise us to sign on your behalf, to formally exchange documents.

If my completion date is extended, does it mean my mortgage offer will become invalid?

The majority of banks and building societies have announced an extension in mortgage offers to respond to the lengthening in overall conveyancing timelines – particularly where contracts have already been exchanged and completion dates agreed, where current mortgage extensions of up to three months apply. Depending on the specific lender, this could allow for a delay to the start date of the mortgage deal, or an extension of the mortgage deal at the end of its term.

What about my survey?

Again, the official advice is to delay any survey where possible to adhere to the latest coronavirus guidelines. We would help our clients and everyone in the transaction chain to understand the implications of the delay on the next steps towards exchange and completion.

I want to put my house on the market. What has changed? Can I still go ahead?

Whilst you can still put your house up for sale, you will not be allowed to let people into your house to view it. As seen across the industry, many estate agents are looking at innovative methods to operate and work from their homes given social distancing. We are able to recommend several trusted Estate Agent contacts who can talk you through your options.

Read more: Why choose us for your conveyancing?

Hatch Brenner Solicitors in Norwich has signed up to the Association of British Insurers (‘ABI’) COVID-19: Personal Injury Protocol (‘the protocol’).

The ABI has developed the protocol in response to the unprecedented challenge which firms across the personal injury sector are facing as a result of the spread of COVID-19. The protocol recognises that the pandemic provides opportunities for both claimants and defendants in personal injury cases to opportunistically gain an unfair advantage by, for example, taking advantage of missed deadlines.

The protocol includes:

1. An agreement that all limitation dates in all personal injury cases are frozen and claimants undertake to respond constructively to defendant requests for extension of time to serve a Defence;
2. An escalation process whereby any issue arising by a party’s failure to act in accordance with the agreement in 1. above and which cannot immediately be resolved between the parties is referred to an email and/or telephone ‘hotline’ specifically established for this situation; and
3. A commitment that the email and telephone hotline will be monitored regularly and referred to senior people within the respective organisations who will be able to make a swift decision as to whether the stance being taken should be adjusted in light of prevailing circumstances.

The immediate extension to the personal injury protocol took effect from 24 March 2020, for a minimum of four weeks, with a review to take place the week commencing 13 April 2020.

Colin Cook, Hatch Brenner Head of Dispute Resolution and Norwich Personal Injury Solicitor commented: “We fully pledge our support the ABI in their swift development of this protocol, providing a practical framework aimed at mitigating the impact of disruption to ongoing cases, and preventing opportunistic tactics by either claimants or defendants in personal injury cases during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Innovation and collaboration are key, and it is very encouraging to see so many insurers and law firms sign up so far. We must work together to continue to give our clients the help and support they need during these challenging and uncertain times.

“We expect to see continued temporary amendments to the overall litigation process to adapt to this unprecedented global challenge; particularly more general extensions to time periods, and other process suspensions to ensure ongoing access to justice for all.”

Colin Cook, Personal Injury specialist, is fully accessible during this time via phone and email via 01603 660 811 or colincook@hatchbrenner.co.uk. View his profile on our website here.