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Volume 1 – May 2018 THE Standard collaboration: the route to superior consumer solutions Page 6 the big issue - the rising costs of escape of water claims Page 10 EMBRACING health & safety standards as an industry Page 1401303 262101 | www.realiamarketing.co.uk IT’S NOT ABOUT US, IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU. Let’s talk about how we can help you. Call Jonathan on 01303 760713 or email jonathan.pratt@realia.coInsurance Charities Awareness Week is the 25-29 June. Sign your office up to receive a complimentary display box, helping us ensure no one eligible for our support misses out. Employers of any size can take part, just email us with your name; company name; the number of employees in your company; and your contact details. You can find out more on our website. marketing@theinsurancecharities.org.uk www.theinsurancecharities.org.uk Charity registered in England & Wales no. 206860, Scotland no. SC047527 and Isle of Man no. 1230. A company limited by guarantee. Registered in England no. 74461, at 3rd Floor, 2 St Andrews Hill, London EC4V 5BY, and in the Isle of Man no. 006098F, at First Floor, 10-12 Prospect Hill Douglas IM1 1EJ 03 CONTENTS Notes from the Chairman & Events Diary 05 Inside the Head of Jonathan Davison, our Strategic Development Director 06 Collaboration: The Route to Building Superior Solutions for Consumers Commercial Loss 07 Opinions and Expertise from the Executive Board Residential Loss 08 Opinions and Expertise from the Executive Board Specialist Loss 09 Opinions and Expertise from the Executive Board The Standard Insight (Feature) 10-11 The Big Issue – The Rising Costs of Escape of Water Claims Our Industry in Action (Case Study) 12-13 Utilising Targeted Drying Equipment to Deliver Residential Leak Solutions Learning & Development 14 Embracing Health and Safety Standards as an Industry The Benefits of BDMA Membership 15 Being Industry Recognised with a BDMA Membership BDMA Award Winners in Focus 16-17 Sponsor Showcase 18 Edge Equipment Hire New BDMA Members 19 BDMA Enquiries & Correspondence The BDMA, Harborough Innovation Centre, Wellington Way, Airfield Business Park, Market Harborough LE16 7WB Phone: 01858 414278 | Email: info@bdma.org.uk Website: www.bdma.org.uk Keep up with us on social media… @TheBDMA @TheBDMA BDMA (British Damage Management Association) * DISCLAIMER: The BDMA accepts no responsibility for the views expressed by contributors within The Standard. Advertisements are accepted at the discretion of the editor and The BDMA and do not imply any endorsement of goods or services. Editorial Enquiries Olivia Miller olivia.miller@realia.co Advertising Sales Paul Williamson paul.williamson@realia.co Design & Production Realia Marketing paul.williamson@realia.co 01303 262101 The Standard is published quarterly by The British Damage Management Association. The Standard is written in collaboration with our members, showcasing industry thought leaders and success stories to the wider community. We are delighted to present the opportunity for our members to broadcast their expertise to the broader insurance industry by submitting opinion pieces and case studies for inclusion in The Standard. Please feel free to submit your content for consideration. 04 Raising Industry Standards The British Damage Management Association (BDMA) facilitates technical and corporate training, technical support and advice on standards and represents its members’ interests in the public, industry and commercial domains. Accreditation is at the heart of the BDMA’s structure and sets the standard of how professionals in damage management and related sectors can prove their competence and commitment to delivering industry best practice. Accredited Membership is achieved by examination and is open to all who work in this field. Associate Membership is available to those with an interest in damage management who do not qualify for accreditation. Corporate Associate Membership status is open to any organisation wishing to show support for the BDMA and the damage management industry. Corporate Accredited Membership is available to organisations who meet strict criteria and have a specific percentage of staff who are Accredited Individual Members, in the relevant categories. Online learning Our e-learning and online education resources can be accessed via the new BDMA Learning Management Portal, The BDMA Academy. Members can download a Course Catalogue at: www.bdma.org.uk/bdma-lmp Upcoming training courses in 2018 6 th June – Market Harborough Core Damage Management – Senior Technician Refresher 4 th - 5 th July – Blackburn Core Damage Management – Technician Our structured training courses can also be delivered in-house along with bespoke training designed to meet your requirements and schedule. www.bdma.org.uk/training-and-education BDMA Masterclasses Directors Simon Ford (Chairman) chairman@bdma.org.uk Adrian Jolly John Thompson Mike Waterfield 01858 414278 Emails to: info@bdma.org.uk unless otherwise stated. Strategic Development Director Jonathan Davison strategicdevelopment@bdma.org.uk 01858 414278 Executive Committee Members & Constituencies Greg French DM Practitioners (Commercial) commercial@bdma.org.uk Phil McVay Claims Practitioners claimspract@bdma.org.uk James Parsons Insurance Technicians instechs@bdma.org.uk Kathryn Rodgers Specialists specialists@bdma.org.uk Support Personnel BDMA Administration Sophie Bennett Office Manager info@bdma.org.uk 01858 414278 Marketing Paul Williamson Realia Marketing paul.williamson@realia.co 01303 262101 Through partnership working and involvement in industry wide initiatives, the BDMA executive is also informed by the Association’s relationship with The Association of British Insurers (ABI) and the Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters (CILA). The BDMA Executive from April 2018 Specialist Restoration – Thursday 5 th July 2018 10am to 3pm – Newport Pagnell We are holding a Specialist Restoration Masterclass, hosted by ‘Legend Brands’ who are the manufacturers and suppliers of the ‘Dri-Eaz’ range of restoration equipment. The session will give insight into: • The value of specialist restoration •What can be achieved in different areas of specialist restoration •What general damage management practitioners can do to maximise the chances of successful restoration. The masterclass will allow technicians to expand knowledge, which can be applied to future work. To sign up for this Specialist Restoration Masterclass please contact: info@bdma.org.uk Interested in hosting a BDMA masterclass in the future? Find out more about masterclass and event opportunities with the BDMA by contacting us via: info@bdma.org.uk05 DARTFORD - UK Specialist Removals and Storage Experts for the Insurance Industry Doree Bonner has been providing removal and storage services since 1929 and more specifi cally to the insurance industry since 2006. Our 12 years’ experience enables not only our Management Team and Administration Staff, but also our Operatives to work with the empathy required to reassure the mover during their time of adversity. Helping your customers move on... We are already working with many of the UK’s leading disaster recovery companies, loss adjusters, accommodation agents and insurance related builders. 01322 552069 For more details please contact: corporate@dbonner.co.uk | www.doreebonner.co.uk Welcome to the very first edition of The Standard, the new quarterly magazine from the British Damage Management Association (BDMA). Owned and created by the BDMA, The Standard’s mission is to bring into focus the interests of practitioners and members working in the damage management and wider industry. You can expect to gain industry training and education insight, receive advice on standards and explore the specialised work and skills of fellow professionals working in the sector. Our overarching theme for the May edition is collaboration, a topic that stood out as imperative to the speakers and attendees of The BDMA Conference in November last year. We are celebrating the importance of a collaborative approach across the claim supply chain, and hope that you find this issue an informative and interesting read! We are delighted to present the opportunity for our members to broadcast their expertise within future editions of The Standard, so please do submit your opinion pieces and case studies for consideration. Simon Ford, Chairman, BDMA. Notes from the Chairman Upcoming Industry Events The British Claims Awards 2018 London, 7 th June 2018 www.claimsmag.co.uk/british-claims-awards Airmic Conference 2018 ACC Liverpool, 11 th -13 th June 2018 www.airmicconference.com Facilities Show 2018 London ExCel, 19 th -21 st June 2018 www.facilitiesshow.com The Claims Awards 2018 London, 21 st June 2018 www.postevents.co.uk/claimsawards The Insurance Charities Awareness Week, 25 th -29 th June 2018 www.theinsurancecharities.org.uk British Insurance Awards Royal Albert Hall, 4 th July 2018 www.insuranceawards.com The Flood Expo NEC Birmingham, 12 th -13 th September 2018 www.thefloodexpo.co.uk Claims Club Summit London, 27 th September 2018 www.postonline.co.uk/events06 inside the head inside the head Collaboration. An action that is so inclusive, yet so often underestimated. It is a buzzword in our industry, which is sometimes taken for granted without the commitment. However, collaboration really is crucial in today’s marketplace. Real valuable information can only be gained through effective collaboration and knowledge sharing. Information is power and leads to more conscious decision-making within the supply chain and better consumer-friendly solutions. The need for collaboration goes hand in hand with increased consumer expectations and their need for real-time information when making a claim. Smart technology has therefore led to a demand for a more aligned partnership approach between the insurer, damage management professionals, suppliers and consumers themselves. Together, our members have the capabilities to afford significant value through knowledge sharing, intel gathering, data capturing and face-to- face customer support and advice. With the need for a little less talk, and a little more action, the BDMA is equipped to help the industry go the extra mile… The BDMA’s role The BDMA aims to be a focal point for communication, training, standards, transparency and professionalism. This cannot happen without engaging and supporting a wide range of parties and stakeholders. Collaboration is at the heart of the BDMA, and key to our progression, values, aims and objectives. Through our relations across the damage management sector, the wider property insurance industry, professional trade bodies, academics and more, we are proud to set an example for collaboration and share knowledge between parties. We are a conduit of communication for the wider supply chain, and we have added value for stakeholders through the various industry actions we have undertaken. For example, The Property Flood Resilience Action Plan 1 , which we will reference further. Moreover, we support the Business In The Community (BITC) and its Business Emergency Resilience Group (BERG) 2 , which helps businesses and communities recover from crises such as flooding. The BDMA stresses the importance of a wider collaborative approach to training, education and documentation, thus enabling a wider audience to further recognise professional activity and be in a better position to make efficient decisions to afford more appropriate solutions for consumers. In turn this has a positive impact on TCF and the claim life cycle. These principles are aligned with our aims for progression in the industry, such that in 2015 we worked with The BSI to develop the BS12999 3 , the British Standard for Damage Management. It provides a code of practice and common framework that can be followed by damage management practitioners and acts as a source of reference for third parties, incident owners, businesses and members of the public. In correlation with the BDMA’s very own standards, we are actively advocating a route to better solutions for consumers. The supply chain’s role Insurers have a need and demand for a more collaborative approach with various parties within the supply chain. Our members are meeting this need which is great to see. An example of value through collaboration is how we have seen the supply chain working in partnership to deal with flooding and burst pipe incidents. There has been a wealth of educational and technical information gathered and shared amongst the wider insurance industry and the public. The collaborative approach is very much complemented by the close working relationship the BDMA has with the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters (CILA), insurers, adjusters and brokers. Another has been the approach taken by the supply chain to handle surge events. It is encouraging to see regular meetings and communications between insurers and their supply chain. This enforces a greater way of working in partnership and information sharing. This goes to show that working together we are stronger and are positioned to provide better solutions for consumers. Collaborative working has further been supported by The Property Flood Resilience Action Plan and organisations such as the BRE 4 and BITC BERG. The further development of insurer portals, increased consumer information, more sophisticated surge plans, community meetings, and consumer-facing information and advice available has led to a far more informed and streamlined industry-wide offering. The informed dialogue across the supply chain boosts and inspires the industry to continuously do better, so together we must make it an upward trend from here. After all, this is the route to building superior solutions for consumers. References 1 Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. (2016). The Property Flood Resilience Action Plan. [online] Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affair. Available at: https:// www.bre.co.uk/filelibrary/Centre-for-Resilience/Property-Flood- Resilience-Action-Plan.pdf [Accessed 24 Apr. 2018]. 2 Business in the Community. (2018). Business Emergency Resilience Group. [online] Available at: https://www.bitc.org. uk/campaigns-programmes/communities/business-emergency- resilience-group [Accessed 24 Apr. 2018]. 3 BDMA (British Damage Management Association). (2015). BS12999 - BDMA (British Damage Management Association). [online] Available at: http://www.bdma.org.uk/standards/bs- 12999/ [Accessed 24 Apr. 2018]. 4 BRE Group. (2018). BRE Flood Resilient Repair Home. [online] Available at: https://www.bre.co.uk/floodhouse [Accessed 25 Apr. 2018]. Jonathan Davison (Strategic Development Director of the BDMA) Collaboration: The Route to Building Superior Solutions for Consumers 07 COMMERCIAL LOSS COMMERCIAL LOSS What trends are there in commercial claims right now? Greg French: •There is a struggle within the commercial claims sector to recruit project managers with the required knowledge and experience (especially in contamination and drying). This is certainly affecting the ability to respond to surge situations, for example collapsed roofs and burst pipes which have been particularly in demand through winter and early spring 2018. Some restoration companies have not had the capacity and have had to turn down work due to a lack of staff. There has been a struggle to employ personnel due the nature of training and expertise required to fulfil the job requirements. They need the right people, with the right levels of expertise. This is essential when dealing with large businesses within major industries, which is likely in the commercial sector. A balance within the staff levels of restoration companies is also vital, to allow capacity to deal with surge and business as usual. A shortage of staff of course affects the whole supply chain. The industry finds it hard to recruit the right people but enhancing the skills of those already in the industry would help to fill the void too. Education is critical to continuously upskill within the industry, to develop more qualifications and higher standards of restoration. How is collaboration a benefit to the commercial loss supply chain? Greg French: •Damage management professionals work well alongside insurers on jobs to achieve cost-effective solutions, which is of course one of our end goals. Nevertheless, there is always room for improvement. Moving forward better communication will lead to more understanding and practicality across the supply chain. Phil McVay: •Collaboration has a really positive effect on claim life cycle. It clears many obstacles by bringing those in the supply chain closer together to work more time and cost effectively, which ultimately helps to increase customer satisfaction. Collaborative working is currently a key theme in the wider insurance industry and everybody is striving to develop their collaborative approach. Opinions & Expertise from the BDMA Executive Board The BDMA can help you find your ideal candidate and achieve your hiring goals across the wider insurance industry. The recruitment section of the BDMA website is designed to support those in the damage management and associated industries by showcasing available job opportunities. RECRUITMENT Contact info@bdma.org.uk to find out how you can advertise via the BDMA website. Take a look at current vacancies by visiting: www.bdma.org.uk/recruitment08 RESIDENTIAL LOSS RESIDENTIAL LOSS What trends are there in residential claims right now? James Parsons: •March 2018 saw a surge of burst pipe claims, and there has been a lot of questions over the appropriate levels of strip-out to be undertaken. I have had a 100% increase in claim volumes over March 2018. I have tried to make a conscious decision to advocate a lower level of strip-out and for customers to embrace drying where practicable, rather than moving straight to removing the render from walls as we have in years gone by. The aim has been to restore power, and to get drying kits into properties as soon as possible to control the environment and hopefully reduce secondary damage. In surge we tend to see a lot of dehumidifiers and air movers, but I have been keen to explore other methods of drying to achieve quicker drying timescales. •Fires in timber constructed properties and greater damages arising due to construction type. A recent fire I visited involved a large block of flats entirely of timber construction. Walls, ceilings, cladding and everything else was timber with no concrete in the structure. The fire had consumed the entire block. I am finding it challenging to accurately quantify the likely differences between brick built vs. timber constructed properties in terms of damage extent and repair costs. It does appear to me that timber-framed properties unsurprisingly suffer greater damage due to fire. They are also more challenging to repair when the timber load bearing part of the frame is caught in the fire and needs cutting out and reinstating. •Modular housing (permanent modular construction) is also on the radar. How will they perform in the event of claims arising? How will they be repaired and who repairs them? Is this the revival of prefabrication construction? Time will tell! Adrian Jolly: •The perception is that current supply chain arrangements have become fragmented over recent years. Whilst delivering much needed work volumes, individual surge events seem only to mask this overall fragmentation. The supply chain has seen many new ‘network’ providers, and these providers reflect an increasing level of diverse backgrounds including loss adjusting, survey validation and now innovative new independent groups. This has naturally prompted traditional providers to focus on innovative technological solutions of their own. As the market continues to evolve, supply chain partners working closely together with the support of technology, is key to an enhanced customer journey. How is collaboration a benefit to the residential loss supply chain? James Parsons: •I look to do joint site meetings with all specialists that I need to consult with. This then gives us the chance to examine, challenge and explore options on how best to progress the claim. By meeting together on-site I find that it removes endless emails and calls that typically bounce ideas back and forth. The current obstacle is the work load of each participant’s diary and trying to find a date and time when you can all get together – however where there’s a will there’s a way. I also seek to ensure that each specialist communicates with all in the supply chain, which ensures visibility to the progress being made. Adrian Jolly: •True collaboration between supply chain partners is key to ensuring that the customer journey remains a positive experience. Increasingly, technology and in particular modern technology, underpins relationships within the supply chain and this trend will only increase. A key factor in ensuring supply chain success is the establishment of trust between all respective partners. Whilst such trust does of course have to be earned, without that trust, supply chain arrangement will function erratically and generally lead to failures in the customer experience and complaint issues arising. OPINIONS & EXPERTISE FROM THE BDMA EXECUTIVE BOARD Sponsorship The BDMA offers a number of sponsorship opportunities aimed at organisations wishing to promote their support for the Association. Find out more about becoming a sponsor by emailing info@bdma.org.uk or calling 01858 414278. Gold Sponsors Edge Equipment Hire Silver Sponsors Legend Brands Europe Service Master Clean Bronze Sponsors CRL Fire & Flood Damage DBK Drymatic Humidity Response Ltd Ideal Group Response CleanSafeRestoration and conservation of artwork and antiques FIRE, FLOOD AND ACCIDENTAL DAMAGE RESTORED •Operating nationwide •PACR and ICON accredited conservators •Conservation reports produced Telephone: 01228 915 231 info@fineart-restoration.co.uk www.fineart-restoration.co.uk FOLLOW US AT /fineartrestore @fineartrestore 09 SPECIALIST LOSS SPECIALIST LOSS What talking points are there in specialist claims right now? Kathryn Rodgers: •An ongoing issue in the specialist sector is the need for us to increase awareness across the industry of the value that specialist restoration can bring to claims. When considering the cost of restoration vs. replacement, the savings that restoration can bring are significant. A further consideration is that replacement is not always an option. The opportunity to restore is then overlooked as a solution, and therefore ends up being a missed opportunity. Moreover, items that would generally require specialist restoration can be of significant personal importance to policyholders. Restoration of these items can significantly improve a policyholder’s claim experience. Specialist restorers are rarely a focus when insurers are procuring restoration solutions. This is understandable as specialist restoration is not necessarily required on every claim and there are so many areas of specialism. However, this means that there can be gaps in the supply chain and when the need for specialist restoration presents itself, there can be lengthy and costly delays identifying an appropriate specialist restorer and the appropriate method of stabilisation to prevent further damage. Principal damage management contractors have specialist restoration partners that they can call upon and appoint to a claim when there is a requirement, and they often do. However, there is further education required to increase awareness with damage management contractors, as well as insurers, on what can be achieved in specialist restoration, the value it can add to a claim and how to act quickly to ensure damage and claim costs are minimised and that a successful restoration outcome is achieved. How could we collaborate more? •BDMA members can make a big difference. They are uniquely placed to see the need and opportunity for specialist restoration. They will be on-site with the policyholder and can liaise with their specialist restoration contacts about the options for restoration and bring these to the attention of insurers. BDMA members can build relationships with fellow professionals in the field on an ongoing basis. Having relationships established before a claim arises will ensure that damage management practitioners, loss adjusters and insurers can act quicker when it comes to involving specialist restorers in the process. It’s then that the value can be fully demonstrated. FROM THE BDMA EXECUTIVE BOARDNext >