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- 2. 2. New Staff 3.Introduction from chief executive 4&5. The 2nd Annual Urban Futures Staff Conference 6. Interview with Charlene Greenaway 7. Business Advice Case Study: Janie Bailes - Janie Pet Services 7. Interview with Conny Nasmythe - HR at Urban Futures 8. Apprenticeships at Urban Futures 9. Apprenticeships at Outward—Then & Now 10&11. Haringey Education Business Partnership 11. Booster Plus 2 and Raise project 12&13. Interview with Dave Wyatt — Chairman of the Board of Directors of Urban Futures 13. An update from Russ Patrick 14. Current Offers and Services 15. New Uxbridge Office 16. Connect with Urban Futures Urban Futures welcomes new staff Charlene Greenaway - Director of Operations Conny Nasmythe - Human Resources Advisor Gordon Keenan - Head of Business Development John Hilton - Head of IT Bally Singh - Business Manager Wembley Ben Haynes - Trainee Admin Joel Ekperigin - Trainee Admin Natasha Wilson - Team Senior Advisor David Fosuhene - Employment Advisor Kunle Bakare - Employment Advisor 2
- 3. 3 This is nowour 4th edition of the staff and customer newsletter so hopefully you are all familiar with the format and layout and are thinking of making a contribution to future editions. Remember this is your chance and opportunity to have a say your views are important so don’t stay silent. Autumn is nearly upon us and we have had a very busy Summer period here at Urban Futures. A number of changes have happened throughout the organisation from top to bottom and we have even changed offices in Uxbridge! So a huge welcome to our new Director of Operations Charlene Greenaway, who started with us in mid April 2013. She has already had a major impact on our service delivery and all for the better, particularly at our HQ in Wood Green where much of the ‘clutter’ has now disappeared and the inter activity between staff and customers is much improved. A number of staff have gone to pastures new and we wish them every success in their future careers. This has meant that we have welcomed a whole array of new staff as well and some were in time to make our 2nd Annual Staff Conference which was held in July in west London at the Premier Inn. This Conference, like our newsletters, is an ideal way for all of the staff to get together to discuss business planning and we will continue to develop these communication methods year on year. Over the coming months and subsequent newsletters, we intend to raise the profile of the Urban Futures Board Members and their crucial role in the governance of the organisation. They have the task of ensuring that everything we do meets the founding Aims & Objectives of the company (remember we are a ‘not for profit’ organisation and social enterprise) as well as ensuring that our finances are sound and that we are meeting our costs and producing surpluses. Their perspective on life, the development of the company and their own personal careers will be illuminating for all. We will also increasingly raise the profile of our sister company, Haringey Education Business Partnership (HEBP). They share our offices here in Wood Green and although a small staffing team they certainly punch above their weight here in the London Borough of Haringey. We believe they are a fantastic complimentary service provider to Urban Futures and they deliver services to over 2,000 Haringey school children. They deserve to have their praises sung! So if you’re a customer with us then let us help you to either retrain, get a job, or upskill your knowledge so you can move on to better things. You are the reason we exist and we need to know that you are happy with our services. And if you’re a staff member, remember you are the company asset that supports and helps our customers to achieve their goals so please ensure that you are talking to the right people in order to deliver that quality service. Let’s make sure we can all make a difference to each other’s lives. Steve Delaney, Chief Executive.
- 4. On Monday 15th July2013, staff members from across all eight Urban Futures offices convened for the second annual staff conference. The theme for the conference was ‘Delivering Best Practice through Quality Services’. Cllr. Del Goddard, a board member and vice chair for Urban Futures was the compere for the conference. The main aims and objectives of the conference were namely: · Continuing to understand the business and contributing to plans in an ever evolving working environment by delivering a quality service · Recognising and understanding best practice in the delivery of an employer led service (e.g. Heathrow Retail Academy) · Understanding and taking responsibility for your personal role in the success of the organisation. The main subject areas covered in the conference included a company update by Steve Delaney which featured an introduction to Urban Futures, the current Vision, Mission and Objectives and what the company presently delivers. The update also detailed what has happened within the company over the past year and focused on what direction the company is heading in. Karima Sakhi; the manager for the Heathrow Retail Academy and Antoinette Mitchell; Recruitment Account Manager explained 4
- 5. Urban Futures’ rolewith the Academy and highlighted the valued relationship Urban Futures has with the Academy. The new business plan for 2013-14 was also shared for the first time and details on the new upcoming pensions scheme were explained by Urban Futures new HR manager Conny Nasmythe. All staff took part in four workshops to allow the opportunity for staff to contribute towards the business plan and the direction of the company. Topics included Business Planning for Welfare to Work Services; led by Richard Penny, Business Planning for Young People Services; led by Derek Wheeler, New Products (employability or other); led by Antoinette Mitchell and Quality Service Provision – Why we need it; led by Anita Garrard. From top to bottom/left to right: Steve Delaney – CEO of Urban Futures, Richard Penny – Operations Manager (Welfare to Work), Anita Garrard (standing) – Training & Quality Manager, Michael Locke – Business Advisor, Del Goddard – Vice chair for Urban Futures and compere for the conference. 5
- 6. Q: Charlene Greenaway,welcome to Urban Futures, how are you settling in? A: Have settled in well. Everyone has been really welcoming and responsive, which has made settling in much smoother Q: What is your official job title here at Urban Futures? A: Director of Operations Q: Fill us in on your day to day tasks. A: No day is ever the same, so I do not have day to day tasks. More like day to day priorities! A typical morning involves me answering lots of emails, daily catch up with direct reports, meetings/telephone calls with stakeholders/ external contract managers, MI analysis, setting the priorities for the day and coming weeks, and of course responding to anything urgent which needs my attention. I then focus the afternoon on planning and development – i.e. – How do we manage and identify talent? Do we have the correct systems in place to manage performance? Q: What did you do before Urban Futures and what made you decide to join? A: I worked for Working Links for 10 years, starting on the front line as a consultant (Advisor position here), and rising to National Operations Manager for Work Choice. During those years I have worked in Admin, Finance, Employer Solutions (Employer Engagement here), Engagement, Business Manager etc. and worked on a number of contracts in the industry. Q: How are the projects you’re involved in currently doing? A: Now that’s a really big question! Some of the contracts have several challenges, however we are now beginning to turn those contracts around and back into strong performance. I am also working on producing MI for the business and can already see the impact it’s having on not only managing performance, but assisting with planning for performance. Q: How would you sum up your managerial style? A: Highly demanding, but highly supportive. I enjoy developing people and am always striving for perfection. I am a visionary leader, with a keen eye for detail. Q: What are the best things about working at Urban Futures? A: The people and variety of contracts. No one day is the same. It’s a great feeling when you are in an organisation that’s passionate about what they do, and you are open to new ways of working. Even better - head office is 10 minutes away from home. Q: If you won £10,000,000 what would you buy first? A: I would be booking a sandals holiday and annual leave… For more Information please contact Charlene.greenaway@urbanfutures.org.uk 6
- 7. Urban Futures provide dedicated businesssupport functions to help customers, both employed and unemployed start up their own businesses with our dedicated business advisor; Michael Locke. Case Study - Janie Pet Services Janie provides a dog walking, doggie daycare and holiday pet sitting service. She also tends to any other pet requirements such as feeding etc. She previously worked for RBS in the foreign payment client services department but was made redundant. Janie decided to work with animals after volunteering in a Bear Rescue centre in China for Animals Asia. She studied canine behaviour and wolf ecology years ago and decided to create a business from what she knew best. “Michael Locke was an incredible mentor... I realised I really could do this. Michael encouraged me and taught me all I needed to know, so that I went from being apprehensive and cautious, to being confident and successful!” In a years’ time, Janie hopes to have an even larger client base and to maybe expand even further with training and move to a bigger house so she can have 'dog quarters'. For more Information please contact michael.locke@urbanfutures.org.uk 7 Q: Conny Nasmythe, welcome to Urban Futures, how are you finding it so far? A: Thank you, I’m doing pretty well at the moment, things have settled down well I think. I have more or less met or at least spoken to everyone in Urban Futures via email at some point over the last 4 months. Things are now at a point where I have now stopped looking stunned and feel very enthusiastic about my future work here. Q: What is your official job title here? A: Officially, my job title is HR Advisor. Q: What did you do before Urban Futures and what made you decide to join? A: I've always wanted to be somewhere where I could have a greater input into the daily workings and changes within a company. When previously working for a charity, I realised that I quite liked the community programme arena. The opportunity to work at Urban Futures presented itself at the right time, I was looking for an organisation where I could utilise my skills and learn lots more. I had a limited knowledge of work programmes and community projects, but the appetite I have for organisational culture, balanced with wanting to help individuals understand their organisation better made Urban Futures appealing to me. Q: What are the best things about working at Urban Futures? A: The variety in my day. I could be talking about what cakes to bake (for those of you that know) and then dealing with an employee’s serious question on contract content or congratulating staff on the new arrivals within their families then dealing with a breach of contract. Working for UF and supporting the staff who are the organisation’s greatest assets can be challenging on a general level but extremely rewarding by seeing the results take shape. For more Information please contact conny.nasmythe@urbanfutures.org.uk
- 8. In April 2013,Urban Futures secured a contract with the Skills and Funding Agency (SFA) to deliver the apprenticeship programme for anyone currently not in education, employment or training and between the ages of 16-18. The programme was secured because of Urban Futures previous success in delivering the apprenticeship programme through lead providers. The majority of apprentices were sourced from the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) website. Apprenticeships offer young people a structured pathway into the world of work through supported training, on-site mentoring and vocational qualifications. So far, Urban Futures has hired nine new apprentices through the scheme across our six offices. Roles include trainee administration, receptionist roles and compliance work. 8 Q. How did you apply for the position? A. Granville from HEBP came to Haringey 6th Form where I went to college to talk about work experience. I applied for work experience with HEBP by sending my CV to Granville. I was successful and worked there for 2 weeks. In January 2013, Granville contacted me again about apprenticeships at Urban Futures. I came for an interview and successfully got the job which led to an apprenticeship. Q. What were you doing before the apprenticeship programme? A. I was in Haringey 6th Form College studying Business Level 2 Q. How are you finding working at Urban Futures as an apprentice? A. I’m finding it really enjoyable working as an apprentice and it has also helped me to learn more skills and build my confidence. Urban Futures also sourced apprentices for five different companies doing a variety of roles; these companies include Compupaye, Resources for Autism, London Care, Relocate-me and Intertops For more Information please contact Karanjit.paul@urbanfutures.org.uk
- 9. In August 2012,Urban Futures on behalf of Outward (A North East London care charity) were asked to source 20 apprentices within the health & social care and business administration sectors. Urban Futures apprentice coordinator Karanjit Paul and marketing team member Aaron Sands started sourcing candidates using primarily the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) website where many candidates applied for the positions. After an influx of interest, on the 14th September 2012, Urban Futures held an information day about Outward and what the company offers. Over 30 candidates arrived for the meeting. We held an in-depth information session explaining what Outward does, what they offer, their services and how Urban Futures will support them through their apprenticeship if successful. Urban Futures stayed in contact with all the candidates during the time period between the information day and the forthcoming interviews with Outward. On the 23rd October 2012, Outward held a process to determine which candidates would be hired. This included a candidate introduction where they were spilt into 4 groups to partake in a group exercise which culminated into a presentation from each group on their specific topic. Finally, after the group exercise, individual interviews were conducted to determine the final candidates. Out of the 25 candidates, 18 were hired for Outward and started work on the 19th November, 2012. After 10 successful months, all 18 apprentices are still happily working at Outward with the support of Urban Futures. Urban Futures have supported these apprentices by providing National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) training twice a month at our Wood Green office where they meet an assessor to complete coursework and take functioning skills and NVQ exams. We have also supported these apprentices by providing them with NUS and oyster card discounts. 9
- 10. The Haringey EducationBusiness Partnership seeks to connect young people with the world of work through development of learning opportunities that inform, inspire and prepare them for their future life and work. This is achieved through the delivery of a menu of education-business activities which develop young people’s knowledge and understanding of the world of work whilst enhancing their employability skills. A common and key factor is that all activities are delivered in partnership with and through business and community organisations. HEBP’s priority has always been to develop bespoke programmes and opportunities that meet the specific needs of the curriculum, young people and our partners in the business and wider community. The HEBP team currently consists of (from Left to Right) Nurcan Ali (Office and Project Administrator), Sherry Anadie (Work Experience Manager), Talent Ramsamy (Work Experience Co-Cordinator) and Granvile Barrand (Manager of HEBP). HEBP currently provide the following services… Work Experience - A period of time, usually one or two weeks, spent working in a company and undertaking the activities of a young worker. Interview Skills - Young people attend a company for a 'real' interview and get feedback on their performance, prior to leaving school and applying for jobs or college places. Enterprise Challenge - Young people, supported by a business person, learn about and undertake 10
- 11. the processes involvedin setting up and running a business. Careers Fair - An event at which young people are able to meet and talk to representatives from local employers, training providers and further education colleges. Health & Safety Accreditation - As part of the preparation for work experience, young people study a course leading to the British Safety Council Level 1 Award in Health & Safety at Work. Pre Apprenticeship Programme - An ESF project managed by the London EBP Network, helping young people to learn about and access apprenticeships. Innovation Fund - The Innovation Fund Round 2 is funded by the DWP over a three year period from November 2012. The Fund is designed to provide enhanced support to the most disadvantaged young people in society and requires projects to focus on innovative ways of addressing the issues and barriers that make young people more at risk of becoming long-term NEET. Participants are aged 14/15 years and can link with the project through into further education, work and/or apprenticeships. For more Information please contact Granville.barrand@hepb.co.uk Urban Futures are delivering 2 new ESF based employability projects. The RAISE project is sub -contracted to Urban Futures by Eailing, Hammersmith & West London College. Urban Futures are the Prime Contractor for the Booster Plus programme. Urban Futures also sub contract part of the project to the Selby Trust and Newlon Fusion. ESF employability support programmes are targeted at those considered to be economically inactive (people who are not seeking work or are not available to start work immediately). Urban Futures’ element of the programme targets people from ethnic minority communities living in the London boroughs of Barnet, Brent, Camden, Ealing, Enfield, Hackney, Hammersmith & Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Hillingdon, Islington, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest. Through the programme each individual will receive a minimum 6 hours personalised IAG support with the aim of guiding them into sustained employment for at least 1 full year. There are also opportunities for participants to gain work experience and qualifications through job placements, further training and education and vocational courses whilst enrolled on the programmes. For more Information please contact alaric.williams@urbanfutures.org.uk 11
- 12. Q. You holdthe position ‘Chairman of the Urban Futures Board, what does that entail? A. The role can be broken down into several parts in addition to the general responsibilities of the board – To attend and chair the 4 board meeting we have each year and attend the policy and resource committee meetings where we review in more detail the company’s financial performance and forecasts. I have a responsibility to ensure that we have a board that is composed of the right people to help the business drive forward and meet its objectives. It’s also important that I’m available for both Steve & Garba to call and talk to about issues. Q. How many board members are there? Who are they? A. There are currently 8 board members although we are looking to increase that by another one or two. Dave Wyatt – Chairman of the Urban Futures Board Del Goddard – Vice chair UF – LBE councillor (Cabinet member) John Gray – Managing Director Diamond Build Huw Jones – CEO North London Chamber of Commerce Paula Jeffery – CEO Enfield Voluntary Action Peter Butler – Origin Housing Steve Delaney – CEO of Urban Futures Garba Sani – Director of Finance, HR and Central Services of Urban Futures Q. What are a Board Member’s responsibilities? A. It is the board’s responsibility to set and agree the strategy for the business and make sure it operating in line with the overall objectives that the company was set up to do. It is also responsible to make sure the company is a financially viable business and is operating in a legal and compliant way and that it has the right management in place to ensure it meets these objectives. Board members also represent and promote UF interests in the wider community. 12 Pictured L to R - Del Goddard - Vice Chair of UF and Dave Wyatt - Chairman of UF.
- 13. Q. You alsowork with another company, who are they, what position do you hold and what do they do? A. I work for GE Lighting which is part of a division of General Electric (USA) which is a huge multinational company that has sales of $147billion and employs over 300 thousand people that makes from Jet engines to medical scanners and light bulbs to financial services. I am the Operations Finance manager for our Lighting business in Europe Middle east and Africa which means I have financial responsibility for all our factories warehouse and inventory in the region. We manufacture and sell all forms of lighting from household bulbs to roadway and street lighting and industrial to automotive. Q. Urban Futures is larger than ever before and soon to have more than 100 staff members, with that in mind where do you see the company in five years time? Looking forward 5 years is a bit like guessing the lottery. I think we need to learn from the past that guessing out so far is almost impossible if you looked back over the last 5 years would we have predicted all that has happened, government may change who knows where unemployment will be and what schemes will be in place. I think we have to focus on having an organisation that is flexible and skilled that are continuously up to date on programs and technical schemes so that UF are able to exploit opportunities as they appear. In addition we have to continue to enhance our reputation for delivery, service and being a great partner to work with so we are the first people think of calling when an opportunity arises. Russ Patrick, former Director of Operations for Urban Futures left the company in March 2013 to take up a two year placement with the Voluntary Services Overseas in Northern Uganda working with and supporting young people. “Hope all is going well with Urban Futures. The organisation I work with in Uganda was asked to tender for something that didn't really exist but hopefully it will all work out in the end. The centre in Uganda is getting its act into gear over its training. Their outreach centres are literally fields in the middle of nowhere so collecting data is fun! We are getting loads of kids into the centre after school as there are no play facilities. We have put up a volleyball net and got a couple of footballs and a Frisbee so we are popular. Hardly any of the kids will progress to secondary school at 14/15 as the schools are bad in Uganda and they can't afford the fees so all the kids playing here are our future trainees. We now have 10 chickens, 2 goats, 2 pigs on their way, and two good vegetable gardens. Also, working on some tree nurseries too - hopefully someone in the West will pay us for carbon offsetting. Also, we’re trying to get VSO to donate something to an Annual Business Award for the best trainee's business plan, the sums needed over here are tiny. To put that in perspective, if Urban Futures wanted to donate £100 that would be 400,000 Ugandan Shillings and would set up a business!” 13
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- 15. Contact: aaron.sands@urbanfutures.org.uk or robert.prague@urbanfutures.org.uk Alternatively, you cancontact by telephone on 020 8352 5900 or via the website and other electronic connections detailed. Interview with the new Head of IT—John Hilton Interview with the new head of business development— Gordon Keenan The new Urban Futures Annual Report 2012/13 Latest Urban Futures Services & Offers Training case studies Go for It! - A new programme from Urban Futures Here at Urban Futures we welcome input and ideas from all staff and customers. If you have any ideas for articles of interest or new design formats then please forward these to the marketing department. What to expect from our next edition Newsletter coming soon… Our Uxbridge Office has moved to: Boundary House, Cricket Field Road, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 1QG. Phone Number: 01895 544 333 15
- 16. www.urbanfutures.org.uk www.urbanfuturesjobs.org.uk www.facebook.com/urbanfutures www.twitter.com/urbanfuturesuk Email: info@urbanfutures.org.uk Urban Futures,Unit A012, The Chocolate Factory, Clarendon Road, Wood Green, London, N22 6XJ Urban Futures is a company registered in England & Wales. Company registration number: 04131420.