60
MARCH 2016 PRO INSTALLER
PRO BUSINESS
www.proinstaller.co.uk
NEW POWER
TO PROTECT
ELDERLY FROM
ROGUE TRADERS
A new industry accreditation has been launched for tradespeople to
help fight exploitation of vulnerable customers such as the elderly.
The O.A.P. Trustworthy
service is gaining popularity, at a time when
hardly a day goes by
without a ‘rogue trader’
story making it on to
the television about unscrupulous tradespeople who come into the
homes of the vulnerable and profit in any
way they can.
O.A.P. Trustworthy was
set up specifically to fight
this social scourge which
is prevalent in all areas of
the service industries from
builders and plumbers to
cleaners and mobile hairdressers.
Created in 2015, the
business says such rogue
traders take advantage
of the trust that is put in
them and give a bad name
to all the reputable agents
in the market. It wants to
help businesses stand out
from the crowd and show
their customers that theirs
is a brand people can turn
to with confidence, with
O.A.P.Trustworthy accreditation.
The national organisation
has been created to provide
a means for reputable and
responsible tradespeople
to show their commitment
to honesty, transparency
and exceptional customer
service.
In gaining O.A.P. Trustworthy accreditation,
tradespeople can show prospective customers not only
that they are proficient at
their chosen craft, but that
they can be entrusted to
work with vulnerable people - the elderly, the infirm,
and those with disabilities.
The O.A.P. Trustworthy
logo brings peace of mind
to potential clients and a
positive reputation to the
individuals and businesses
who wish to serve them.
Every tradesperson and
service provider registered
with O.A.P. Trustworthy is
tested for their suitability.
Background checks – including DBS (Disclosure
and Barring Service) – are
made, professional qualifications, insurance and
references are verified, and
every member is asked to
sign the O.A.P.Trustworthy
code of practice before
being welcomed to the
organisation.
A spokesman from the organisation said: “While the
police and Trading Standards work hard to tackle
the crooked and corrupt,
it can be difficult for those
who have suffered at the
hands of rogue traders to
recover from the experience
and learn to trust again.
These people are tarnishing the entire industry and,
most importantly, ruining
innocent customers’ lives.
“O.A.P Trustworthy exists
to accredit members, and
carries out relevant checks
to ensure tradespeople
actually are who they say
they are, and not unscrupulous individuals working
under false and dishonest
pretences.”
The organisation says the
best way to eliminate dishonest practices is to make
sure that reputable traders
fill every gap in the market
so that there is nowhere
for the unscrupulous to ply
their deceitful trades.
For more information on
O.A.P. Trustworthy, visit
www.oaptrustworthy.com
Carillion to start
£80million Leeds
tower works
Carillion has gained planning
for the £80million regeneration
of Tower Works in Holbeck
on Leeds’ South Bank.
Carillion will deliver
ten new buildings,
including 160 flats.
Work will now start in
June on bringing the
old industrial site back
to life with a mix of
homes, commercial
office space, retail
units and a cinema and
boutique brewery.
The development consists
of 90,000sq ft of commercial office space, 24,000sq
ft of A1 and A3 retail
restaurant and bar spaces
alongside a mix of one, two
and three- bed apartments
and town houses.
Councillor James McKenna, chair of the city plans
panel, said: “We are pleased
to see plans to regenerate
this historic part of Leeds
moving forward. The redevelopment of the Tower
Works site will create a
dynamic new hub for businesses, residents, visitors
and shoppers which will be
a cornerstone in the regeneration of the whole area.”
The site includes several
listed buildings, which are
being preserved as part of
the redevelopment – the
Engine House on Globe
Road, and the three ornate
Italian Towers.
Tower Works has been
designed by architects Jestico + Whiles and landscape
architects Oobe.
Source: Construction
Enquirer