by Clair Mooney | 13 Jan, 2022 | Main News Feed
The CLC Site Operating Procedures have been republished to provide up to date guidance for sites in response to the Omicron variant. The Site Operating Procedures ‐ Version 9 incorporates the following key changes:
- A revised introduction to recognise that working with COVID‐19 is now ‘business as usual’ for the industry
- Appropriate language to reflect the current situation on site, for example ‘managing’ rather than ‘restricting’ numbers of workers
- Removing out of date references to when to go to work, shielding etc.
The Build UK COVID‐19 flowchart also continues to be updated in line with the latest rules on self‐isolation. Anyone who is asymptomatic and receives a positive lateral flow test in England is now no longer required to take a PCR test, guidance for the rest of the UK is available through the FIS COVID-19 Hub.
Download the CLC Site Operating Procedures here
by Clair Mooney | 13 Jan, 2022 | Main News Feed
Paul Cossell, Vice Chair of ISG, has been elected as the new Build UK Chair. Paul has served as a Director on the Build UK Board since September 2020 and replaces Andy Steele, who stepped down in November 2021.
Commenting on his appointment, Paul said:
“It is a privilege to be the new Chair of Build UK. I believe passionately in the value of a powerful voice representing our industry at the highest levels. Throughout the pandemic, as we tackle the multi‐generational challenge of building greener, better and faster and the associated need to attract the brightest and best talent into our industry, Build UK has proved to be a dynamic force for transformational change.”
by Clair Mooney | 12 Jan, 2022 | Main News Feed
One of the biggest lessons 2021 taught us is just how important HR and Health & Safety compliance is for keeping your business and your people safe.
To help start 2022 on the right track, FIS Associate Member and HR and employment law specialists Citation, have pulled together their essential HR and Health & Safety pointers to help you get a handle on your business’ compliance from the very start.
DOWNLOAD: https://tinyurl.com/fis22checklist
Learn some essential points from both an HR and Health & Safety perspective to help get a handle on the foundations of compliance, including:
- • Important updates to documentation such as contracts and handbooks
- • Reminders about recruitment, performance reviews, training and onboarding
- • Reviewing and updating risk assessments, plus other assessments such as fire risk and legionella
- • Essential testing and training, particularly if procedures have since changed.
Your FIS member benefit
If you’d like to chat about how Citation can help with the HR and Health & Safety side of your business, just give them a call on 0345 844 1111, or fill in their call-back form and they’ll get right back to you. Quote ‘The Finishes and Interiors Sector’ when enquiring to access your member benefit.
by Clair Mooney | 11 Jan, 2022 | Main News Feed
With COVID‐19 continuing to have an impact on projects across the UK, Build UK has updated its guidance on Managing COVID‐19 within Contracts. It offers practical advice on dealing with the effects of COVID‐19 within existing and future contracts in a collaborative, fair and cost‐effective manner.
by Clair Mooney | 11 Jan, 2022 | Main News Feed
The prompt payment threshold for suppliers bidding for Government contracts above £5 million per annum will be increased again from
1 April 2022. In accordance with updated
Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 08/21, suppliers will be required to show that they
pay 90% of invoices within 60 days and have an action plan in place to achieve the required standard of 95% in future, otherwise they risk being prevented from bidding. Currently a company can still pass if they pay 85% of invoices within 60 days and submit an action plan, and the Cabinet Office is continuing to take a phased approach with the threshold being
“ratcheted up over time until it reaches 95%”.
by Clair Mooney | 11 Jan, 2022 | Main News Feed
After nearly two years dedicated to steering the Scottish building sector through the worst crisis in its history, the Forum has changed its name to reflect its expanded remit and ongoing collaborative vision for the future.
The unique alliance of trade associations and professional bodies has been rebranded as the Construction Industry Collective Voice (CICV), putting more emphasis on its shared focus and willingness to tackle the many other issues currently facing the construction industry in Scotland.
The move has been hailed as a “natural evolution” for the body, whose range of work now includes Brexit, net zero, supply chain, employment and skills, project bank accounts and the launch of a dedicated Green Home Festival in 2022.
Alan Wilson, CICV Chair and Managing Director of electrical trade association SELECT, said:
“The New Year is a time for new beginnings and this change of name is a logical step for a body which has exceeded expectations in every department.
“As we have all seen recently, the pandemic can still surprise us, but the strong feeling across the organisation is that it is time to move on from purely Covid-related activity and turn our collective attentions to many other pressing matters.
“This new purpose will be underpinned by the teamwork and togetherness which the CICV has generated, as well as the sharing of ideas and information which has worked so well and which has produced such good results.
“By retaining the CICV initials which have become so well known across the industry, the body can maintain its respected profile and build on the unprecedented collaboration and co-operation which has changed ways of thinking and working across the built environment.”
Iain McIlwee, Chief Executve of FIS, which is a member of CICV said:
“What an amazing group, Construction Industry Collective Voice (CICV) is and an example of something good that has come out of the pandemic era – a real beacon of hope. For me the CICV epitomises what can be achieved if there is a desire to collaborate, good people step up and lead and everybody mucks in. We are proud to have played our part, grateful to colleagues for their support and look forward to working with CICV to help drive positive change in the construction sector in Scotland”.
In another first, the body has also created a new position of Vice Chair, with the inaugural post being filled by Fiona Hodgson, Chief Executive of the Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers’ Federation (SNIPEF). Fiona said:
“I am delighted and extremely honoured to take on this important role and help steer the ongoing work of the CICV through this natural evolution.
“As we move on at this time, it is worth reflecting on the remarkable co-operation and collaborative working which the organisation has fostered in an industry which previously has been seen as very competitive, and even confrontational.
“One of the great lessons of the pandemic months has been that we are much stronger together and it will be in that spirit that we now devote our efforts to securing the future of a great industry and all the people in it.”
Ms Hodgson added:
“The new name recognises that we have become the authoritative voice for the sector, speaking strongly on its behalf and fighting for the future of all its disparate elements.
“Our members operate throughout Scotland’s built environment supply chain, and the organisation is still attracting new members, so it is clear that there is a healthy appetite for the services which the CICV will continue to offer as we move forward in 2022.”
Since its creation, the CICV has maintained a steady supply of information and practical advice to the sector as well as carrying out surveys, hosting webinars and speaking directly to Scottish Government on a wide range of issues.
Its free resources included vital updates on commercial, employment and health and safety matters, delivering a strong pipeline of relevant, practical and easy-to-understand information that helped steer the sector through the darkest days of the pandemic. The CICV is now committing these considerable joint resources to the long-term health and sustainable growth of a sector which is a major economic multiplier, employing around 175,000 people in Scotland and contributing £21.5 billion to GDP.
