Levelling the playing field for smaller businesses

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Central to the SCF is understanding the difficulty faced by SMEs and their respective routes to market. The Framework’s market intelligence reporting helps us understand how they compete and how clients can gain access to their skills and experience.

The Government has recently set out new reporting rules as part of a drive to increase construction industry spend with small businesses. The requirements are applicable to projects >£5m for a minimum package value of £25,000.

Levelling the playing field for smaller businesses

Protecting against Main Contractor Failure

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Carillon is obviously the first thing that people think about when supply chain failure is mentioned, but they are not unique and there have been many others in the last ten years not least Connaught and ROK, to name but a few.

The next question is ‘who will be next’ and there will be – to announce that in an article like this would potentially contribute to the risk of their potential failure. But currently there are a small range of significant construction companies that are facing some challenging times.

Protecting against Main Contractor Failure

 

Championing diversity in the industry

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Emma Bull, framework manager for ISG, international construction services company, and SCF framework partner, gives her take on the importance of diversity in the industry. Emma believes that the construction industry needs to do more to address the gender imbalance in our workforce, particularly for the next generation of construction professionals. Statistics show that less than 7% of students on construction courses in further education in 2015/16 were female. (Source: Destinations of Construction Learners in Further Education CITB June 2017).

Championing diversity in the industry

SCF Safety Forum – Exploring and debating “cable free” sites

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At the SCF Health and Safety forum Contractors safety advisors and professionals got together to discuss various safety issues and updates occurring on SCF projects, also updating each other on the recent incidents/accidents and discuss lessons learnt. A re-occurring trend on trailing cables was highlighted as a major contributing factor towards slips, trips and falls on construction sites.

SCF Safety Forum – Exploring and debating “cable free” sites

 

Outstanding Midas apprentice named the region’s best

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The outstanding commitment and dedication of a Shared Apprenticeships South West apprentice, working with Midas Construction has been celebrated with the presentation of a top industry award.

Adam Robertson was revealed as the winner of the construction industry Outstanding Apprentice of the Year accolade at the Bristol and Bath Apprenticeship Awards recently.

Outstanding Midas apprentice named the region’s best

NACF Market Intelligence Review 2017

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NACF partners capture market intelligence from trade packages across their projects. On a quarterly basis, information gathered by the contractors through their trade supply chain provides a snap shot of changes year on year, with a forecast for the coming year. The data provides a view of the possible factors that may affect projects going forward, and allow clients to understand any changes from the previous year. NACF brings together the UK’s largest Framework arrangements under a banner promoting good practice and efficiency in public sector procurement

Client Information: Asbestos

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“As part of the Southern Construction Frameworks Health and Safety Forum asbestos continued to be an area for concern. The vast quantities of Asbestos Containing Material (ACM’s) still prevalent in many buildings placing those that work in or around existing buildings at risk. It was agreed that although finally banned in 1999 the need for many clients to maintain and refurbish their existing portfolio of buildings means the risk of exposure remains. Taking this initiative and with the intention of informing potential Southern Construction Framework clients, our group produced a simple yet informative poster. Its aim to prompt questions around the possible presence of asbestos and to make clients aware of the need to have in place suitable survey information identifying the presence and condition of ACM’s within their properties before construction works commence.”

Steve George
Willmott Dixon Principal Health, Safety Manager and member of the
Southern Construction Frameworks Health and Safety Forum

SCF Health & Safety Forum tackles construction site dangers

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The Framework’s Health & Safety Forum is committed to working together and sharing best practice across all SCF construction sites. Nationally the construction industry has become increasingly concerned about buried service strikes, which at their most serious, can cause fatalities. Following the successful forum workshop on Avoidance of Buried Services held in Bridgwater last year, the framework contractors have developed an interactive course and toolkit, ‘Working Safely Around Buried Services Awareness’.
The course will be presented to all people working on SCF projects who may be breaking ground in the vicinity of underground services.

The requirement for this intervention was identified by supply chain companies who attended the Avoidance of Buried Services workshop. The partner contractors have listened to the framework’s supply chain and used their combined tier 1 principle contractor experience to develop an awareness course with supporting material to help those at the coal face. The briefing will ensure a consistent approach to safe working around buried services on all SCF projects.

The first ‘Working Safely Around Buried Services Awareness’ course will be held on the St Peters Secondary School site, Bournemouth in July. The aim is to undertake training sessions at regular intervals throughout the course of live SCF projects to ensure all people are equipped with the right knowledge, equipment and support to break ground safely.

Mark Mortell, HSQE Manager ISG Construction, said, “Digging in the vicinity of buried services continues to present a significant risk to our workforce. Damage to underground services can result in death, injury or material loss. As a team of tier 1 contractors our objective is to strengthen our existing systems by working together to improve the competency of the workforce working on SCF projects.”

Award nomination! – Southern Construction Framework

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This award category aims to showcase organisations committed to creating a flourishing climate for high-quality apprenticeship programmes in the built environment sector. Judges are looking for schemes developed by forward thinking employers that actively and innovatively develop a sustainable workforce through apprenticeships to construct and maintain the built environment. Equipping people with the skills, knowledge and confidence that provide a secure foundation for future successful careers is core to this category. More Information.

Watch this space – Judgement day 21st April

Finalist – Hampshire County Council for the Construction Excellence in London South East Awards 2016: Reading Primary School Expansion Programme – OneTeam Approach

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Judges will be looking for evidence of early involvement, selection by value, common processes and tools across organisations such as BIM, long term relationships, modern commercial arrangements and fair payment practices. Obvious benefits will include a less adversarial approach and use of an appropriate contract to ensure this, but judges will assess delivery on results achieved against client set measurement results and how workforce development has led to improved products or services and customer satisfaction. More information.

Watch this space – Judgement day 21st April