The smallest companies often face challenges of time , resources and a shortage of health and safety expertise , so the British Safety Council is inviting small and micro-sized organisations ( under 50 employees ) and small charities ( under 100 employees ) from across the world , to join it as Supporters . Small and medium-size enterprises account for 47 per cent of private sector turnover and 60 per cent of the sector ’ s workforce .

It is a very diverse group of businesses , since they include both sole traders and companies . Almost 82 per cent of SMEs are micro businesses , with under ten employees . These figures demonstrate the complexity of the sector and the inherent pressures these organisations face in tacking workplace health and safety risks .

The Supporter offer is one of the initiatives which the British Safety Council is launching in 2017 to celebrate 60 years of its campaigning activities and its contribution to improving the safety and health of workers in Britain and abroad . Supporters will enjoy a range of services and benefits , free of charge , for 12

months , to help them manage health and safety risks in their organisations . A Supporter will receive :

• A limited-edition Supporter logo , which they can use to show their commitment to health and safety

• Access to a 24 / 7 telephone helpline with practical guidance and technical advice

• Free places for all employees on the British Safety Council ’ s General Health , Safety and Environmental Awareness e-learning course , ideal for inductions

• Online risk assessment templates that include general risk assessment , fire and manual handling

• Digital edition of the monthly Safety Management magazine

• Electronic posters and guides that focus on themes such as stress , lone working and manual handling

• Opportunities to meet and engage with experts and peers tackling similar issues in their sector at the British Safety Council ’ s events and seminars .

The offer is being supported by other membership organisations , including the NCVO , which champions the voluntary sector , and NAPIT , a membership association for the building services industry .

Information about the British Safety Council ’ s Supporter offer is at https :// www . britsafe . org / become-a-supporter /

For more on the 60th anniversary , visit https :// www . britsafe . org / celebrating-60-yearsbritish-safety-council

The New Communities Partnership is a public-private alliance launched by Kier Living , The Cheyne Social Property Impact Fund - managed by UK-based investment manager Cheyne Capital - & The Housing Growth Partnership ( a joint venture between the Homes and Community Agency and Lloyds Banking Group ). The partnership will provide local authorities and housing associations with a delivery model for building new homes on their own land , giving them the option to choose between sale and / or rental developments , and offering scope for affordable development . With traditional developments only having delivered an average of 11 % of affordable housing over the past three years , the partnership will provide a differentiated model that will increase the

amount of affordable homes built , with scope for up to 50 % of each site to offer affordable development opportunities .

‘ Homes available for rent will include discounted and market-rent solutions to address housing challenges faced by key workers ’

Working with the partnership , public sector organisations will be able to determine the appropriate mix of tenure for their site , including rental homes and homes for sale , in a model designed to meet the needs of their specific communities , without the need for grant funding .

Homes available for rent will include discounted and market-rent solutions to address housing challenges faced by key workers , the disabled and the elderly , while homes to be built for sale will include discounted sale units to help first time buyers get on the housing ladder . Public sector clients will also have scope to derive a revenue income from their land , whilst developing in a socially responsible way that will offer local apprenticeships , wider employment and sustainable , economic benefits for communities . The collective expertise of the partners offers an end-to-end development solution that includes procurement , funding , site assembly , construction , sales , management and maintenance .

www . kierliving . co . uk

Installers are still using traditional methods when it comes to finding new customers – despite the rise of digital marketing . This is according to a recent survey where more than half ( 60 %) of installers questioned said their primary way of attracting new customers is by word of mouth . Just 21 % of installers said their website was their main method of generating leads . However , the report found that once a company had been recommended to a consumer ,

Jeremy Brett , director .

most searched online to check their accreditations and verify the company ’ s past work , meaning a top-performing and informative website has a vital role to play . These statistics come from the Consumer Protection Association Annual Installer Industry Report . The CPA commissioned Insight Data to carry out the survey , which questioned more than 12,000 installers .

For more , please call 01462 850064 or visit www . thecpa . co . uk