So What’s Happening?
SWH’s monthly newsletter January 2015
Ben’s Bit
2015 will be a significant year in the who have considered the Company’s history. On the 18th April 2015, various options. Devon South West Highways will be 20 years’ old. County Council now has a On that day in 1995 the Company was shortlist of three preferred formed as a joint venture between Colas delivery models. These will and Ringway after winning a bid to provide be evaluated over the coming Highway and Vehicle Maintenance for Devon weeks to determine the final recommendation County Council. This was one of the first to go to the County Council Cabinet meeting externalisations of a DLO in the country. At on 10th March. The three options being that time, Devon apparently had a failing considered are; firstly, the reforming of a DLO; DLO that posed a significant financial risk to secondly, a Collaborative Teckal (a description the Authority. The transfer of 468 employees of what this is included in the Devon Highways happened over night and I am pleased to Bulletin); and thirdly, a TMC with the option say that we still have over 100 working for of top-up contracts for specialist services, us. Today we have a total of 620 directly ie surface dressing, surfacing, etc. I would employed working for us, achieving a turnover emphasise that no firm decision has been of four times the size it was back then. made yet - as soon as we know the outcome we will let you know what this will mean to all It may come as a bit of a surprise to read of us working for Devon. in this month’s Devon Highways Bulletin, in particular, the future delivery options presented Following the unexpected decision to extend by Devon. Last year we were successful in the standstill period on the Surface Dressing achieving the remaining extensions to our tender, Devon announced on 19th January contract with Devon until March 2017. This is that the tender was being abandoned. The in no small part based on the success of our reason stated for doing so was that following VJV with Devon and our performance over the recent announcement of the Challenge the past years. This has allowed the Authority Fund proposal from central government, some breathing space to consider alternative Devon are now reviewing their approach delivery models for the service. Using to maintaining the County’s strategic road national guidance provided in the Highways network. Essentially they are putting together Maintenance Efficiency Programme (HMEP), a a Challenge Fund bid for resurfacing and range of delivery options have been identified bridge improvement works on the Strategic and analysed. network (A380 & A361), which targets £20M over the next three financial years. The Included within this month’s Devon Highways County have also informed us that they expect Bulletin is a report produced following to put out a new Surface Dressing competitive consultation with Council Members, tender during late summer 2015 for delivery particularly Scrutiny Committee Members, in 2016. Messages from SMT How You Can Help
2014 was another great year for the learning and development of our people as noted through the retaining of the Investors In People standard.
Despite this positive outcome unfortunately over the last two years we have seen a loss of over £32,000 per year in non attendance of employees on training courses. The £64,000 question is; can you help to reduce this for 2015? Below are some of the ways you can help:
• Agents & Managers - please read the monthly report and look ahead for potential problems and holidays and notify L&D as soons as possible, with enough notice it is often possible to make changes without incurring costs. • Agents & Managers - please read the weekly training report and notify L&D immediately if someone is unable to attend, sometimes last minute changes are possible. • Employees - if you receive Joining Instructions and are unable to attend please call L&D as soon as possible to let them know.
Please make every effort, where possible, to contact L&D on 01404 821508 please don’t just fail to attend - Thank you.
Keeping it Professional
In a bid to collaborate all of our signage, we are keen to ensure all signs, at head office in particular, are in keeping with our brand guidelines. BD has begun working with a designer and our Signs department to produce some branded signs that portray a positive and encouraging message and tone of voice. Please do get in contact with a member of our team before putting up any signs, as moving forward there will be a protocol to ensure we stay within our guidelines and keep on company message.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Vital Statistics Jan - Nov Jan - Nov 2013 2014
Days lost through sickness 3617 3370
Vehicle damage cost - via insurance £83,371 £76,878 claims Vehicle damage cost - SWH fleet or £109,610 £69,145 on hire vehicles
Stolen plant cost £22,315 £53,895
Fuel costs £2,856,000 £2,347,000 (diesel stored across SWH depots)
Days lost through lost time incidents 129 2
Lost time injury frequency rate 3.26 1.44 (target 3.0) Reportable accident incident rate 654 112 (target 600) Condolences
It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of Andy Nile, an esteemed colleague from Rydon Depot.
Andy, who was 49, had worked for SWH since April 1997.
Our deep condolences go to his family and friends.
To the Rescue
Once again we are proud to be reporting on the heroic efforts of our staff in what could have been a very tragic accident.
Thanks to James Moule and Mark Haslam, Area North Roadworkers, a man in his fifties had a miraculous escape after his car plunged off the road and into a 200 foot deep valley in North Devon. The accident happened on the Brayford Road (A399) at 11am on 6th January 2015. A Sea King helicopter, an air ambulance and fire crews were all involved in the rescue with our men keeping the victim warm and looking after him until the services arrived.
A massive thank you and well done to Jason and Mark who were on the scene after noticing unusual disturbance on the ground.
Christmas Jumper Day
Thank you to all those who participated in the Christmas Jumper Day shenanigans! It really was great to see so many people across the business embracing this trend, which has increased in popularity over the last couple of years. Gone are the days when your Christmas jumper knitted by your nan was neglected at the back of your wardrobe, now it’s something to wear with pride!
We hope you all had a very merry Christmas and wish you all the best for the new year. LONG STANDING SERVICE
Congratulations to Ted Skelton who celebrated an amazing 35 years service on 28th January.
Congratulations also to Christopher Abraham and Graham Snell who both celebrated a fabulous 25 years service on the 2nd January and 8th January respectively.
And finally congratulations to Dave Keeble who celebrated an impressive 20 years service on 16th January.
Operator Licence Compliance
One of the biggest potential risks to SWH is the loss of the Operative’s Licence. We currently have one of the best operator compliance scores in the country, which is made visible to all enforcement staff by a traffic light colouring system.
VOSA, now DVSA, manage vehicle legal compliance and vehicle safety. If a number plate is read by an ANPR camera or the registration number is put into the DVSA system, the information available will include details on tax, insurance, MOT and the compliance score of green, amber or red.
Operatives with an amber of red score will face regular checks on their vehicles, often on a daily basis.
In order to ensure that SWH continue to achieve a green score, everyone can help out in the following ways:
1. Regular inspection, repair and maintenance on vehicles carried out by SWH Workshops.
2. Driver daily checks and default reporting
By adhering to the above, operatives will be able to use their vehicles safely on the roads.
Please remember that if just one tyre is found to be worn by enforcement staff, this could well lead to a serious infringement Prohibition Notice being issued. This would then alter our compliance score to red for the following 6 months, as well as a £200 fine and points on the drivers’ licence. Updating all SWH Literature
Business Development is overhauling all of SWH’s literature – anything that the public or our competitors will see. We want to convey as positive than you expect. We do more • Event traffic management and professional public persona as possible. In order We do more • Cycling facilities than you expect. • Insurance works including • Car park surfacing • underpinning New driveways and access alterations (new, extensions and repairs) • • Signs and installation Driveway repairs, improvements, Drainage solutions • resurfacing and block paving to ensure we do this, any literature which is put in the Sustainable drainage • • Drainage solutions • • Site maintenance Natural stone masonry (block and brick walls) • 01404 821 500 Retaining walls • public domain needs to be in keeping with our identity [email protected] • Insurance works including underpinning guidelines, professional in appearance and accurate in content. 01404 821 500 [email protected]
swhltd.co.uk If you are aware of any out of date literature that needs refreshing, please speak to a member of the BD team and we will liaise with a designer to ensure we produce something bespoke for you.
If you are putting something together and need BD support, please get in touch. You can also find a selection of SWH logos on the intranet, these logos and only these logos should be used both internally and externally.
Thank you.
Starters & Leavers Dec & Jan Hello and welcome to:
Anna Morris Ed Lambert Proposals Writer Roadworker, Area West Sophie Jones Carol Brinson HR Administrator Administrator, Area East Patrick Hussey Sam Lake Roadworker, Ivybridge Roadworker, Traffic Unit Lee Bishop Roadworker, Area West
Goodbye and good luck to:
John Ashplant David Spry Mark Walter Gavin Patten Emily Bray Alex Freeman Keith Millard SWH National Further Skills Academy for to this, as Construction was part of SWH’s National Skills Academy pleased to offer a for Construction Programme, we have site visit to a group of committed to providing 5 meaningful work students on the ‘Reach’ placements to support candidates from programme, a supported disadvantaged groups who are struggling learning initiative at Bicton College. The to find work in the construction industry programme works with students with and 5 work placements for students in moderate learning difficulties between the Education. ages of 18 – 24. One of the qualifications the students are working towards is SWH has formed strong partnerships focused around planning and participating with local schools including Southbrook, in a work experience placement. a successful secondary special school for pupils, aged between 11 and 16, The government has pledged their support with varied complex needs and abilities in ensuring more adults with learning including moderate or severe learning difficulties find work. Similarly, SWH is also difficulties, social emotional and focused on ensuring young adults find behavioural difficulties and Autism. employment and we have recently become the 50th member of the 5% Club. This is an James aged 16 is a pupil from Southbrook initiative focused on creating momentum School with a keen interest in Mechanics. behind the recruitment of apprentices and He has moderate learning difficulties and graduates into the workforce. attends a college course at Exeter College studying towards an E3 level certificate In order to prepare the students from in vehicle management. This is part of a Bicton College for work, a group of 6 re-engagement programme that the school students visited a variety of different buys into in order to ensure that James has employment sites. They were given the a bright future in employment. The 2 week opportunity to talk to employees about placement at SWH has proved beneficial their daily duties, as well as being given to James as he instantly loved being in a guided tour of the premises. They were the workshop, gained confidence and also able to find out about different types of was made to feel part of the team. James work which might be available to them. performed so well in his 2 week placement, and because he enjoyed it so much and Later on in the academic year, these is keen to secure future employment he students will be writing to employers within is now working every Friday until further their own community to request a short notice. work experience placement. Having made visits to different work sites, they will be in Karl Attrell and his team at SWH a much better position to be able to decide Workshops have been very helpful in on the nature of the work experience they supporting this scheme by offering a would like to carry out. variety of work placement opportunities.
The students recently visited SWH, where they were given a site induction, followed by an overview of the various divisions that comprise the company. Special thanks to Dean Womack, John Matthews, Sheldon Roberts and Marion Hall who volunteered their services on this day. Compliments Thank you and well done to all for your continued efforts.
Area North
“Please pass on my thanks to Andy Morgan and his gang working at Bradninch. I was driving a mini bus with a number of disabled children on board and despite the road clearly being worked on the operatives stopped and moved the cones and let us through with a wave and a smile, this was very much appreciated”. Anon, Tiverton
Area South
“I just wanted to say thank you for the excellent work John Hutchings and Ashley Stoneman did yesterday”. Mike Moyse
“Just to say a big thank you to Ian Bingham for the loan of the signs and cones for the Ivybridge Christmas Festival. As always there was a fantastic attendance and the positive feedback suggests it was again a great success. We have already set the date for next year so if you could book us in again that would be great!”. Julie Gilbert, Ivybridge Town Council
“Your Parish Lengthsmen Eugene Cornish and Chris Abraham have been working on the road uphill from us for the past two days and have been doing a first class job clearing the grips, dragging the kerbstones and rocks from the stream where it’s shallow/choked and revealing the edge of the road that’s been covered in layers of mud for many months. the work they are doing is very much appreciated”. Dave Canon, Resident
“Your team Andy Grant, Colin Budd and Paul Jones did an excellent job re-laying/ surfacing pavements in Chudleigh recently making them far safer for pedestrians”. Peter Beale, Chudleigh
“What a lovely job Tony Attwood, Jack Bingham, Matt Berry and Pete Hoskins did with the fencing at Ashburton”. Anon, Ashburton
“Please relay mine and my neighbours thanks to Dave Keeble, Graham Snell and Ian Bingham for the repairs”. Ian Davenport, Resident
“What a pleasure walking on the new footway. I walked past through all weather and Malcolm Sweet and Steve Tart worked non stop to complete. I was told 2 weeks and they were finished in 8 days! ellW done chaps, gold stars”. Peter Beale, Chudleigh Compliments cont...
“Just a very, very big thank you from me to Roger Hales, Sam Gilpin and Mike Mirden for getting the re-proifle done on the kerb into my driveway to stop the rainwater flooding my house. Thank you for making this happen”. Anne England, Resident
“What a great pair Andy Gilpin and Kyle McManus were, they bent over backwards to help at both Totnes and Ashburton. Please can I book them for 2015!”. Redhouse Events, Totnes
“I wish to make known the infinate patience, goodwill, consideration, care, courtesy and politeness afforded me by your team of Steve Cassidy, Dave Peters, Dave Pearce and Phil Irish who worked on the repair of the collapsed wall on Broadlands. I was amazed by how whenever there could of been the slightest problem with my access along the works a member of the team would make sure that i was inconvenienced as little as possible, even if it meant whoever attended me was inconvienienced themselves! Their devotion to being so pleasant, cheerful and helpful was way beyond the bounds of duty. It was a real pleasure to have such remarkable treatment from SWH and the new work stands as testament to their skill. Well done indeed”. R.H Nicholls, Shaldon
2 compliments received for Darren Squirrell and Colin Budd including: “If everyone you employ are like Darren and Colin ity really is hard to see any room for improvement”. Sally Spreadbury, Ashburton
Area East
“Rob McGahey and Paul Frost were pleasant, clean and tidy when resurfacing the potholes in the lane adjacent to our home. They communicated regularly with us about the work. When my wife was taken ill and they found her lying in the middle of the lane they took great care to make her comfortable and keep her warm until the ambulance, that they had arranged, arrived. They showed consideration and concern through enquiring about her later in the day and I am very grateful for their mature attitudes”. R Montgomery, Honiton
4 compliments received for Neil Hanford, Phil Norman, Neville Matthews and Richard Berriman including: “Thank you to the team led by Neil, they were always courteous and helpful in dealing with any queries or concerns I had about the work”. M Mackay, Colyton Compliments cont...
“Once again we would like to thank SWH for their help in handling the road closure for our Christmas Fair. The event was a huge success, being much appreciated by our shopkeepers as well as our community in St. Leonards. We could not do it without you. Please pass on our thanks to Mark Bird, Neil Western and Andrew Mann”. Nigel Fitzhugh, St. Leonards
4compliments received for Alex Berriman, Phil Norman, Neil Handford, Gary Pike and Jamie Char-Richard including: “The works were carried out on a stone wall opposite our cottage. The gang were a very quiet, jovial and hardworking group, with only slight noise coming from the generator that was kept away from the building. Barriers and vehicles were moved when required to access our property. The men were at work most days at 8am and are a credit to your company. The new wall is a big improvement. Well done”. J Porter, Kilmington
Area West
6 compliments received for Kenny Woolacott, Tom Willoughby, Martin Carver and Lee Preston including: “Your team were excellent in every way, and very polite. They are a credit to SWH”. Mr & Mrs Wright, Residents
“Graham Sage and Josh Salt were very helpful and worked with us to ensure our grass areas were not marked and still managed to complete the work very neatly”. Resident, Bradworthy
“Both John Down and Norman Lidster were polite, helpful and hardworking. They did a thorough job at clearing the ditch and left everywhere tidy which was important as there was a lot of debris to clear. We need more people like these two”. Mr & Mrs Steer, Beaworthy
“Mark Bolt, Wayne Thorne and Graham Sage were very helpful and cooperative”. T Jones, Beaworthy Compliment Statistics December 2014
Division Number of compliments Number of compliments received December ‘14 received September - December ‘14 South (Ivybridge & Newton Abbot) 12 45 East (Exeter & Eastern) 14 35 North (South Molton & Tiverton) 2 8 West (Torrington, Tavistock & Okehampton) 9 87 Works are progressing well at the Science Park, Exeter, where SWH Civils is installing a Storm Tank.
We can confirm that the footprint of the new road has now been excavated and capped with stone at the Science Park in Exeter In order to meet the tight deadline for opening the road, key operations needed to be completed ahead of Christmas. Most importantly was the installation of a 100,000 litre storm attenuation tank.
The tank was craned into position on the 20th December leaving a few days to back fill and reinstate ahead of the festive break.
Poole Museum
SWH Build started refurbishment works on Poole Museum for Poole Borough Council on 5th January. The museum is located near Poole Quay
This rewarding project involves carrying out works to the 19th century brick built warehouse which is a grade II listed building. The building has undergone previous works to its entrance in 2007.
If you have a story or article that would suit this page, or any other feature in SWH’s monthly newsletter, please send content to Lisa Holder - [email protected] What is Social Media doing for SWH?
In the last six months SWH has established both a twitter account and a linkedin business profile. The purpose of these accounts is primarily to engage with the public, but also to spot potential business development opportunities and to promote/protect our brand.
Our following on twitter has increased significantly in the last couple of months, currently with nearly 170 followers to include clients, competitors, the media and even employees. We continue to promote significant projects won/completed, our CSR credentials and the progression of our people. We hope that our twitter engagement will not only potentially strengthen customer loyalty, but also monitor response and productivity. Most recently we have engaged with the likes of The Telegraph and Investor’s in People on twitter. If you are interested in seeing more, why not follow us? Or perhaps you would like to know more about twitter, or even how to set up your own personal account. If so, please feel free to speak to Lauryn Mann in Business Development. Our twitter ‘handle’ is SWH_i
The 5% Club @5PercentClubUK Check out our latest story in the @Telegraph about the milestone we reached with our 50th member! @ SWH_i
Invest in Plymouth @InvestPlymouth @SWH_i thanks for your support #buildingplymouth #investinplymouth
Paramount Personnel @Paramountperson Very proud of our colleagues at @SWH_i who probably saved this man’s
SWH also continues to publish stories, case studies and updates on our linkedin profile, which currently has over 260 followers and is growing by the day. If you have a linkedin profile set up, we encourage you to ‘like’ our business profile, with popular posts including a career progression story focused on Estimator, Lloyd Phelps and SWH Civils updates. Find us by searching for ‘South West Highways Ltd’. Getting to know you... This month we meet Sophie James, HR Administrator
Background I am originally from Abergavenny, South Do you have any favourite books/films/ Wales. I studied Human Resource bands etc? Management at Glamorgan University I mainly read fiction, I am a big fan of and was then fortunate enough to start Cecelia Ahern. I do not watch many films a Human Resource job for a Cake but I have recently got into Homeland…. Company based in Cardiff. Despite loving very addictive! the perks of having unlimited free cake, I made the decision to move to Exeter Do you have any pet hates? to live with my boyfriend, Marcus, who Loud eaters is based in Lympstone in the Marines. I moved to Exeter just before Christmas Do you have any pets? 2014 and was very lucky to secure a job I have a Jack Russell called Megan who at SWH HR department. lives at home in Wales with my parents.
Has SWH changed since then, if so how? If you were stuck on a desert island, I am still a newbie to SWH so unable to what three items would you take? say.. A book, cocoa butter (to make the most of the tan) and green tea. What does your average day entail? As I am new to SWH I am still undergoing What are your ambitions for the training. However, at the moment my future? average day involves starting at 8am, To eventually own a property in Devon handling queries and familiarising myself with Marcus. with the paperwork and all the faces at SWH. Welcome aboard Sophie What do you most enjoy about your job? No two days are the same.
And least? The endless amount of filing!
What do you like to do outside of work? As I have only recently moved to Exeter, Marcus and I are still getting our bearings of the city and surrounding areas. I have taken a liking to Exmouth beach and we are looking forward to spending more time there in the summer. In my spare time I go to the gym and shop….I love a bargain!