Member News

Norwich based insurance broker, Alan Boswell Group, has been shortlisted to win the accolade of ‘Independent Broker of the Year’ at the annual Insurance Times Awards. The awards, highly regarded in the insurance industry, will see the local broker compete against two other finalists for the most prestigious award at the annual event.

Amongst the factors which saw the company shortlisted for the awards are the Group’s bespoke schemes which include a market-leading insurance policy for Broads based boats and highly rated landlord products which helped gain the broker the title of ‘General Service Supplier of the Year’, at the annual Landlord and Letting Awards.

But it is the decision of the Group to place their reputation in the hands of their customers by signing up with, independent review company, Feefo that really sparked the interest of the judges. The self-confidence that the Group has in its service provision was justified when their clients bestowed upon them a service score of 98%.

This positive feedback has established the broker in a strong position and by the end of the year they are expected to achieve ‘Gold Partner’ status with Feefo.

Lee Boswell, Marketing Executive at the firm, said: “We’ve had a great year and it felt like the right time to finally see what our customers truly thought of us. The testimonials we have received are absolutely outstanding.”

The broker recently received the ‘Overall contribution to apprentices and workplace learning’ award from City College and twenty two staff have passed a total of twenty eight Chartered Insurance Institute exams in the past twelve months alone, which signifies the training and development opportunities continually provided to its staff.

“By providing training we’re investing in our people.” commented Lee. “This equips them with the knowledge to provide the right advice for our clients whilst helping them personally develop at the same time. We’re very proud to have a staff retention rate of over 90% so it looks like we’re getting it right.”

Also very active in the community the company took part in a ‘Business in the Community’ programme. Designed to support local students at the Open Academy in Norwich, Alan Boswell Group accepted work-experience students and helped them develop their skills and CV writing to get them work ready.

The company also raises significant amounts for local charities and were awarded ‘Supporter of the Year’ at the annual Smiles Awards run by, local charity Nelson’s Journey. They are also set to raise over £10,000 for their current Charity of the Year, Break.

“Building trust within our community, improving the knowledge of our staff, having the best products and providing exceptional customer service. These are the fundamentals of our business and we’re thrilled that the combination of all these factors has been recognised by our peers.” stated Lee.

The awards will take place on 1st December at Battersea Evolution in London.

Regional & City Airports completes deal to guarantee winter and summer sunshine flights for Norwich International Airport

Regional & City Airports (RCA), the leading UK regional airport operator, has strengthened its strategic relationship with Flybe to introduce year-round scheduled holiday flights at Norwich Airport with seats available for booking from early November following the release of Flybe’s 2016 Summer schedule.

The partnership, which involves significant investment from both parties, will see the return of scheduled sunshine flights to Norwich for the first time in almost a decade.

Year round services from Norwich Airport to Alicante and Malaga will start in March 2016 in time for the Easter getaway, with the addition of Geneva expected later in 2016.

Sir Peter Rigby, Chairman and Founder of RCA owners Rigby Group, said: “Since taking ownership of Norwich Airport a year ago we have been firm on our commitment to invest in the future of the site. Today, with a milestone agreement guaranteeing the continued operation of scheduled winter and summer holiday routes from the airport, we have underlined that determination with some very concrete results.

“I am confident that this announcement, which provides tangible proof of the exciting future facing Norwich, will be just first of many positive developments.”

Andrew Bell, who heads up RCA (Regional and City Airports) the airport management division of Rigby Group PLC and owners of Norwich, said: “This is a tremendously exciting time. For nine years the issue of reviving scheduled sunshine flights from Norwich has been the number one priority issue raised by our customers, and to see them return from 2016 will be hugely welcomed across the region.” Richard Pace, General Manager of NAL, commented: “Ever since Rigby Group acquired Norwich Airport it has been our stated aim to protect existing routes while establishing new ones, and today’s announcement underlines that commitment. Not only does this partnership secure scheduled holiday flights from Norwich, but it also provides a firm foundation from which to build for future expansion.”

The partnership will see one of Flybe’s Embraer 195 aircraft return to the skies, and planning is already underway to maximise its use by the airport. The initial destinations will be available for booking next month, and RCA plans to investigate the possibility of adding additional routes where there is sustainable demand.

BBA Digital Media had the great pleasure to work alongside one of Norwich’s most exotic nightlife locations, Mantra Club & Lounge. Together we created a fantastic new video advert to increase brand awareness for their Saturday nights ‘The Saturday Club’ in a new and innovative way.

The advert was displayed in front of our captive audiences at two different locations: one being at Carrefour Health & Fitness, located at Longwater, and the other screen located at 24/7 Fitness at the Riverside complex where audiences are both active and sociable.

The ad was put together by our creative partners JMS, who took clips from life inside the nightclub and used it to create a 10 second eye catching video. The results speak for themselves, and are being enjoyed by our 10,000+ norwich audience each week.

Movement attracts: a displaywith motion advertising grabsthe attention easier and gets more of a response. Research says 72% of consumers recall advertising on digital screens, 86% of consumers say digital screens are noticeable and 80% of consumers find digital advertising screens to be informative.

The Chancellor George Osborne recently announced that paid parental leave is to be extended to working grandparents, who will be able to look after newborns so that their parents can return to work, making grandparents eligible for paternity leave benefits. The government hope to introduce legislation to implement this is 2018.

The plan would extend the current system of Shared Parental Leave, where both parents can share up to 52 weeks of leave. Families will also be allowed to share Statutory Shared Parental Pay which is currently £139.50 a week, or 90 per cent of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower.

Research shows two million grandparents have given up a job, reduced their hours or taken time off work to look after their grandchildren. More than half of mothers rely on grandparents for childcare when they first return to work after having a baby.

Peter Lawrence from the Human Capital Department cautiously welcomed the change: “Grandparents will be a kind of “dad’s army” looking after the home front, and this should allow working parents to continue their day jobs, helping ensure business continuity”.

To contact Peter, and to find out more about the Human Capital Department, go to their website here: https://www.humancapitaldept.com/index.html

TaxAssist Accountants the national network of small business accountants has been awarded with ‘5 star franchisee satisfaction’, based on positive feedback from its network of 200 franchisees.

Karl Sandall CEO of The TaxAssist Group comments “I’m absolutely thrilled that TaxAssist has been granted this special honour for the third year in a row. It’s always pleasing to receive positive feedback from our fantastic network of franchisees, but rest assured, we will not be resting on our laurels. We take note of each and every comment that is made and will use this feedback to help us identify areas to further improve network performance and growth.”

The Franchise Satisfaction Benchmark is provided by Smith & Henderson, a leading independent franchise consultancy. It works by inviting existing franchisees to participate in an anonymous online survey which asks them 31 questions about their franchise ownership experience. The objective is to identify and understand how the franchise is performing through the eyes of its franchisees. This report covers the critical areas of training and support, product and services, marketing, franchisee-franchisor relations, stewardship and rewards.

Using a consistent methodology, the franchise is assigned an overall FSB score and the highest performing franchisors will be recognised later in the year, in the 2015 Best Franchise Awards, sponsored by RBS.

For more information please visit www.smithhenderson.com

This year’s Salary Survey has now closed – thanks to everyone who took part. We received over 2,000 responses and heard from people across the country (and beyond!). We’renow analysingthe resultsand combiningthemwith data from our own candidate interviews. The end result will be a high-quality brochure containing detailed market analysis as well as comprehensivesalary data.

Want a sneak peak at the results?

We observed strong hiring trends among companies respondents work for – 54% of respondents stated that the number of people at their company had increased in the last 12 months, with only 22% saying numbers had fallen.

However, we also found that 40%of respondents believe that their companydoes not employ enough staff.

The final Salary Survey brochure will be released in early-January 2016. Interested to see the current Salary Survey in the meantime? You can find ithere.

LSI Architects has been named in Building Magazines top 150 Consultants. The Practice came in at 113th out of 150, and 46th in the top 50 Architects.

The annual list compiled by Barbour ABI, sister company of Building, is ranked according to total chartered staff.

Partner David Andrews said “We’re delighted to once again be named in Building’s Top 150 Consultants. Building Magazine is one of the construction industry’s most respected and widely read publications and so to receive this recognition is something we are rightfully proud of.”

On the announcement of the top 150, Building commented that “Among this year’s top 150 consultants, optimism reigns supreme. Although by no means forgotten, the depressed years of recession are definitely gone, with 67% of the top 150 feeling optimistic about the UK’s economic outlook, and 58% expecting trading conditions to improve over the next year.”

The most effective tool an animal shelter has when it comes to getting pets adopted is the actual animals themselves. Battersea Dogs & Cat Home created a brilliant digital ad campaign that had dogs following potential owners from billboard to billboard (Digital Signage) as they walked through Westfield shopping centre in London.

The objective of the campaign was to highlight Battersea Dogs & Cats Home’s continued mission to rehome its dogs, using innovative technology to engage emotionally with passing shoppers.The interactive advertisement was able to track the location of individual people as they moved thanks to a RFID chip-enhanced flyer and sensors setup throughout the mall. Depending on where they were or what direction they were walking, specific clips were played on various digital displays to create the illusion the dog was trying to follow them home.

Theterm‪#‎LookingForYou was used‬helping raise awareness across different social media platforms. Thecampaign was created by ad agency OgilvyOne, the brains behind the #LookUpcampaign designedforBritish Airways which had kidspointing up and following actual planes as they flew over London.

SaxonAir Charter Ltd based at Norwich International airport is pleased to announce the official partnership with Norwich City Football Club as the preferred air travel provider for the club having been supplying aircraft charter services to Norwich City FC since the company was formed over eight years ago.

SaxonAir’s charter service provides dedicated aircraft for individuals and groups of people to travel to destinations otherwise not served by airliners. Flying with SaxonAir enables customers to travel to their own schedule with people they want to fly with, not forgetting the ability to work or completely relax en route.

Alex Durand, SaxonAir CEO said “We are delighted to develop our relationship with Norwich City Football Club, as we welcome their return to the Premier League. Our partnership enables us to enhance our services to the club, players and staff, and also to develop travel options for supporters. We also welcome the initiative from the club to work closer with partner businesses to collectively strengthen the profile of Norwich and the local region.”

SaxonAir are based from headquarters at Norwich Airport, with aircraft located in Norwich, London and other key European cities.

Steve Hobin, Norwich City Football Club’s Head of Partnership’s says “We are really pleased to build upon our already great relationship with SaxonAir. The partnership see’s the clubs first team and backroom staff fly to a selection of away fixtures using aircraft based at SaxonAir’s headquarters at Norwich International Airport. He goes on to say “Our geographical location lends itself to flying to away games when travelling long distances to give the team the best possible preparation. As the partnership grows we are looking to work closely with the team at SaxonAir to extend their great services to our supporters and commercial business partners”.

One of the key issues to determine in the context of an outsourcing or re-tendering exercise is identifying those employees who will transfer under the provisions of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE).

If a service provision change occurs, the employment contracts of those “employed by the transferor and assigned to the organised grouping” automatically transfer to the new service provider on their existing terms. Any individuals who are temporarily assigned to that group are not included, but what about those who might be absent at the time of the transfer?

In a recent decision, BT Managed Services Ltd v Edwards, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) decided that an employee on long-term sickness absence was not assigned to an organised grouping of employees and therefore did not transfer under TUPE.

Background

The claimant had been off work for over five years with a serious cardiac condition and there was no indication that he would ever be capable of returning to work. He remained on the payroll of a particular unit, which subsequently transferred to a new employer.

An employment tribunal held that the claimant’s employment had not transferred on the basis that he did not contribute to the economic activity of the relevant grouping of employees and was therefore not assigned to that grouping for the purpose of a service provision change under TUPE.

EAT decision

The EAT agreed with the employment tribunal and dismissed the claimant’s appeal.

In order to be assigned to an organised grouping of employees, it is necessary for there to be “some level of participation” by the employee, or an expectation of future participation. The EAT drew a distinction between an apparently permanent inability to work (as in this case) and temporary absences, including maternity leave and ordinary sickness absence. To be assigned to an organised grouping required more than a “mere administrative or historical connection”. It was a question of fact to be determined taking into account all the relevant circumstances.

Consequences of the decision

There will be relatively few cases where an individual remains employed in circumstances where there is no prospect of a return to work. In the majority of cases, an employee even on long-term sick leave will have some prospect of a return to work and is therefore likely to be assigned to the relevant grouping.

Following this decision those who remain employed but, having been assessed as incapable of work, are in receipt of permanent health insurance benefits are unlikely to be regarded as assigned to the organised grouping of employees for TUPE purposes. However, advice should be taken in any particular case.

The case is a reminder to all those acquiring staff as a result of a TUPE transfer to be alert to the risk that there may be employees who may be absent at the time of the transfer and who appear out of the woodwork at a later date.

Proper due diligence carried out prior to the transfer should highlight the existence of any such individuals, and appropriate provisions included in the contractual documentation in order to apportion liability between the parties to the transfer.

Join the experts from Birketts at the forthcoming HR Forum, “The mysteries of TUPE and outsourcing revealed”, who will guide you through a typical outsourcing exercise and highlight the key legal issues as well as practical considerations you should take into account.

The HR Forum will be held on 11 November 2015 from 2pm – 5pm at the Holiday Inn Norwich, Ipswich Road, NR4 6EP. For further details and booking instructions, see our events page.

Has the company you work for increased participation in sport and physical activity through workplace health programmes? If so why not nominate them for a Sports Award. Nominations for this year’s sports awards close on Friday 9 October so don’t miss your chance – nominate today. www.activenorfolk.org/sportsawards

We recently had an exciting opportunity, commissioned by Gecko Creative, to produce four promotional films for Abellio Group’s Stansted Express. Each video showed an entire customer journey, inbound and outbound in either first or second class.

The videos were to be aimed predominantly at international users of the train, so there was no speech or text involved in the main videos as it had to be understandable to everyone regardless of language. Everything needed to be shown clearly, and portray the high standard of the cabins and service that you would come to expect.

Filming in Stansted Airport and London Liverpool St presented a bit of a challenge, as they are both busy environments and on top of that we only had a very limited amount of time to film everything. (There’s always at least one helpful member of the public who decides it’s his duty to wave at the camera!) By using a tight-knit 4 person crew we were able to work at speed with minimal disruption, covering a lot of ground in a short amount of time.

Shooting everything from the point of view of a passenger was a bit of a tricky one to negotiate, and getting the correct angles involved some contortionism from both the cameraman and actor involved! A Red 4K camera was used to enable us to time-ramp certain elements during post-production, quickly conveying distances.

It was a long three days of filming but well worth it to see the end result, we’re proud to have made videos that clearly convey all the key points of the customer’s journey in beautiful HD.

And now as a follow up we’re currently producing a series of 6 x 30 seconds cut downs with on screen text in multiple languages for Facebook as drivers to the main Stansted Express website, and to play out on smaller monitors and ticket machines in the airport. Phew!