Chamber offices will adopt the WELL Health-Safety Rating with the help of Blueprint Interiors, headed up chairman by Rob Day (right)


Seal of safety for Chamber offices


The Chamber has signed up to a new building health and safety accreditation to ensure its offices have a recognised safety seal in time for the anticipated return of employees and visitors after lockdown. The organisation’s offices in


Chesterfield, Nottingham, Derby and Leicester will be assessed according to the WELL Health- Safety Rating. Established by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) public benefit corporation, it provides a third- party verified rating focusing on operational policies, maintenance protocols and design strategies to address a post-Covid environment. Office fit-out specialist and


workplace consultant Blueprint Interiors is working with organisations across the East Midlands to roll out the accreditation and the Chamber is the first to sign up. East Midlands Chamber chief


executive Scott Knowles said: “After such a considerable period


of working from home, we wanted to ensure we could display a certificate that is an internationally- recognised seal of approval that our workplaces are safe.


‘Businesses that achieve the WELL Health-Safety Rating seal have to demonstrate that they have met the highest health and safety standards’


“When Blueprint Interiors approached us, we jumped at the chance to be the first organisation in the East Midlands to sign up to achieve the WELL Health-Safety Rating and we will be encouraging all Chamber members to consider the reassurances this seal of approval can provide.” The WELL Health-Safety Rating was created with input from IWBI’s


WELL Building Standard and more than 600 experts within its Covid-19 Task Force, in addition to guidance developed by groups including the World Health Organisation. It helps building managers and


organisations address the health, safety and wellbeing of their people via 22 strategies, including sanitising spaces, assessing air and water quality, and communicating health and safety efforts. The accreditation is a visible


indication of confidence and trust as the WELL Health-Safety Rating communicates to everyone entering a space that evidence-based measures have been adopted and verified by a third party. Blueprint Interiors is a long-


standing Chamber member and patron. In 2017, the company completed the fit-out of the Chamber's Chesterfield head office, which was designed to provide more agile workspaces. It has also revamped the organisation's Leicester and Derby offices. It was this early foresight and investment


Partnership to boost recruitment


A new partnership between the Chamber and Business 2 Business (B2B), a Leicester-based employability company, will aim to boost recruitment across Leicestershire. The organisations have signed a memorandum of


understanding that involves a variety of schemes aimed at supporting employers to get more people into work during and after the pandemic. These include a collaboration on the Kickstart


scheme; skills development of the city and county’s current and future workforce; and joint bidding for future Department of Work & Pensions programmes that help people made redundant during the pandemic to find sustainable employment. Chamber deputy chief executive Diane Beresford


said: “We know many people have unfortunately found themselves out of work due to the economic impact of the pandemic, and it’s imperative we do all we can to support these people to find jobs as soon as possible.


32 business networkMay 2021


“With more than 4,000 employers in our membership, we’re in a great position to engage with the organisations that can offer these opportunities. “By linking up with B2B, which has an established


reputation in giving individuals the support they need to take advantage of job openings, we’ll be able to streamline and accelerate recruitment processes – allowing businesses to expand their business while increasing Leicestershire’s productivity and prosperity.” A long-standing Chamber member, B2B was set up


35 years ago to tackle unemployment and social exclusion. It recognised local people weren’t often able to benefit from jobs in the Leicester economy and has offered the additional support needed, such as upskilling and addressing barriers to employment. Veejay Patel, managing director of B2B, said: “We


get tremendous satisfaction from finding the right candidates for local employers, and watching their businesses grow and prosper.”


Diane Beresford


that enabled Chamber employees to adapt easily to work from home during the pandemic. The company is now advising


businesses in the region on how to achieve the WELL Health-Safety Rating.


Blueprint is also redeveloping its


own office in Ashby-de-la-Zouch to illustrate the benefits of safe and agile working, in a project called WorkLife Central. Founder and chairman Rob Day


said: “As people begin to plan their return to work, a lot of businesses are rethinking their needs and discussing how to create compelling reasons for their most valued asset – their people – to return to work safely. “Businesses that achieve the


WELL Health-Safety Rating seal have to demonstrate that they have met the highest health and safety standards, and therefore employees and visitors will feel confident knowing the space they are entering is managed by an organisation that believes in putting health first.”


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