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< PreviousBDMA TRAINING NEWS 10 LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT Supporting the development needs and career progression of our individual members is a core aim of the BDMA. Throughout this past year, and despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, we have maintained our focus in this area – developing and delivering online instructor-led training courses and examinations to ensure members get continued, and enhanced access to learning and development. Since announcing our first-ever online training course in October 2020, we have consistently delivered a digital programme of learning. As a result, demand for our virtual training offering continues to grow. In our first year, we have delivered 35 training courses with 324 candidates having been trained and assessed. Thank you to those members who have undertaken training with us this year. As detailed on this page, we are now pleased to release our training and examination calendar for 2022. The BDMA’s e-Academy The e-Academy is full of content rich materials, which aim to support members in their own personal development journey. In line with the evolvement of our online training, we have just added the following eight courses to address some key issues associated with working from home. • Ensuring good mental health when remote or home working • Managing your own personal development when remote or home working • An introduction to resilience when remote or home working • Establishing an effective work-life balance when remote or home working • Security essentials for remote or home working • Protecting your privacy when remote or home working • Leading effective remote meetings • How to communicate when working remotely or from home These new courses will be free for BDMA members until the end of July 2022 and can be accessed through the BDMA store. If you are a new user and need to create an account, please visit www.bdmaacademy.learnupon.com To view all our training dates, please visit: https://bdma.org.uk/training-and-education/#training-calendar UPCOMING DATES FOR 2022 Insurers and Loss Adjusters Virtual Training & Examination 11th – 12th January 5th – 6th April 5th – 6th July 4th – 5th October Senior Technicians Virtual Training 13th January 9th June 8th September 1st December Claims Technicians Virtual Training & Examination 8th – 9th February 10th – 11th May 9th – 10th August 8th – 9th November Technicians Virtual Training 8th – 9th March 7th – 8th June 6th – 7th September 29th – 30th November The Correct Use & Interpretation of Moisture Meters – Classroom Training 29th March 13th September BDMA Virtual (Zoom) Examinations All Categories 21st January 28th January (Market Harborough) 25th February 25th March 24th June 23rd September 16th December Specialist Restorers 7th March 6th June11 SPECIALIST CONTENTS RESTORATION Call 0800 019 9990 for a no obligation quotation www.harwellrestoration.co.uk Supporting BDMA members throughout the UK InsurancePOST Claims Awards 2020 WINNER Proud nominees for: Business Continuity Awards 2020 BIA Awards 2020 Documents Books Photos Artwork Ceramics Antiques The Revival Company Revival is a UK-wide, independently owned disaster restoration company. Our complete fire and flood restoration services are available 24/7 to help homeowners and businesses get their properties and contents back to their pre-loss condition. Our ability to respond quickly, together with our technicians’ expertise, means we keep disruption to the lives of customers to a bare minimum and we deliver value and peace of mind to insurers and their intermediaries. How does being a BDMA CORPORATE ASSOCIATE benefit your organisation? Training and development programmes are incredibly important for Revival to maintain its consistent, high-quality service across all its branches. We ensure that all Revival staff are trained and well-managed by carrying out regular skills assessments, knowledge gap analysis and appropriate training for all staff tailored to their roles within the organisation. The BDMA training courses are a key part of our skills development programmes, helping us achieve our high levels of customer satisfaction and NPS scores of over 80. As a corporate associate member of the BDMA, Revival has access to its educational materials, training courses, technical and research papers and publications and journals of standards dedicated to best practice within the industry. The invaluable BDMA courses support our continuous training programmes and include technical skills such as Construction Design Management and Health & Safety (including asbestos) through to Claims Management and softer skills such as Conflict Management. As many of the BDMA courses are available online through the BDMA’s e-Academy they are very accessible and flexible, which has meant that we have been able to maintain training throughout the pandemic and can fit training around staff’s work schedules. corporate Associate Showcase corporate Associate Showcase12 GUEST FEATURE GUEST FEATURE Ayman Abu Dabat For Atlas Restoration’s Ayman Abu Dabat, learning and development is not just a ‘nice to have’, it’s a matter of professional pride and commercial importance. For anyone facing the need to undergo surgery, the stress of the situation is eased by the reassuring assumption that whoever is wielding the scalpel knows precisely what they are doing. In the case of surgeons, it’s an assumption that’s well-founded. As well as undertaking extensive training early in their careers, they are expected to complete a minimum of 250 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) every five years as part of a mandatory revalidation process, according to The CPD Certification Service. Of course, not all industries place the same level of CPD demand on practitioners as medicine. But in some industries, those requirements are simply non-existent – even for roles where there is a need to manage or control difficult situations and up-to-date knowledge is critical in achieving the best possible outcome. Damage management is a case in point, but for Ayman Abu Dabat of Atlas Restoration, there is no question of CPD being optional. Ayman is a true believer in the benefits of learning and development, having seen the benefits that continuous training has brought to him and his company. “Knowledge is power. In this industry, if you don’t have the knowledge, there’s a lot that could go wrong,” he says. Atlas originally started out as a cleaning contractor, maintaining office buildings, but was continually faced with questions about water damage restoration and repair issues. Ayman recognised the importance of acquiring the right knowledge to enable him to answer these questions with confidence, and was relieved to discover the BDMA, ultimately working his way to BDMA Technician accreditation status. By 1999, the company had ceased undertaking cleaning work to focus full time on restoration, and Ayman actively shares his learnings within the team through internal training. He is clear that acquiring the right skills was fundamental to Atlas’ transformation, but he also says it’s a matter of integrity. “It’s not honest if you’ve been asked to do a job and you’re not qualified. You’ve been trusted by the loss adjuster, the insurer or the policyholder, so you need to have the knowledge. It’s already a stressful situation where damage is involved, and you’ve been asked to take that headache away. For me, personally, it’s really important.” Keeping that knowledge base topped up through CPD is crucial, says Ayman, to avoid the risk of things going wrong and then having to face potential legal ramifications or reputational damage. In addition, when it comes to dealing with sensitive situations or materials, such as Artex ceilings, mould or thermoplastic tiles, up-to-date processes ensure risks are minimised for the technician, the policyholder and the environment. In today’s information age, policyholders are also equipped with their own knowledge, which can lead to sharper questioning of technicians and even requests for strip out on the basis of readings from a conductive meter purchased online. However, restoration professionals can assert their authority when armed with professional qualifications and equipped with the appropriate technology, says Ayman. For example, demonstrating various readings, using thermal-imaging cameras and identifying any underlying property issues can illuminate the true situation to the policyholder and provide the basis to move forward. It’s about showing that you understand the property, communicating the rationale behind your assessments, and proving that you have the skills to resolve the puzzle that policyholders are struggling with, he says. And it's at these points that an investment in CPD really pays off. “Sometimes we go in and there’s major strip out happening, the policyholder is supposed to move out, and you see that there’s actually nothing wrong with their floor. You explain why and they’re over the moon because you’ve made their lives a lot easier. That’s where you get a real sense of pride and satisfaction.” THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE \ advertorial KNOW YOUR SKILLS Training and development programmes provide many benefits. They enhance team performance, boost productivity, reduce employee turnover and improve company culture. They also help to ensure consistency of approach and service. Any business that doesn’t invest in staff learning and development may save money in the short-term, but the long-term impact can be costly in terms of recruitment costs, failure demand and customer complaints due to poor performance. A good learning and development infrastructure should create a positive culture within the business and a virtuous cycle of good performance, motivated employees and satisfied customers. David Shimwell, Divisional Director for Revival, explains how Revival supports learning and development across its restoration network. Revival has branches all over Great Britain and we strive to maintain a consistent, high- quality service across all our branches. We are exceptionally proud that throughout 2021 Revival has consistently delivered world class customer NPS of 80+. To help achieve these high levels of customer satisfaction we ensure that all Revival staff are trained and well-managed by carrying out regular skills assessments, knowledge gap analysis and appropriate training for all staff tailored to their roles within the organisation. Since MA Group acquired Revival in 2019 it has invested heavily in a learning and development infrastructure called ’Know Your Skills’. This infrastructure has been designed to provide all Revival branches with a consistent method of assessing and recording individual skills and competences against a desired profile and then providing them with the tools and support to ensure any training and knowledge gaps are filled. The system is based on a competency management model for all Revival branch employees. The system includes: • A Competency Catalogue that sets out the competencies and skills required for each role within Revival. Some competencies apply to all staff (e.g., the Revival ethos and customer management), and some competencies are specific to certain roles (e.g., drying techniques for technicians). Each competency also has levels ranging from basic to expert and these are mapped to the levels of knowledge needed for each role. • A Training Catalogue that gives information about each available training course (description, content and outcome) and for whom it is appropriate, when and where it is held and the organisation that provides it. Some courses are provided in house while others are provided by specialists such as the BDMA, Flood Consultancy and the CII. • A User Guide setting out how to monitor and assess employees’ learning and development, how to record the information and how to arrange training. The system allows for individual assessments to be recorded in a live format so we can easily collate and analyse skills and competences by employee, by branch and at a national level. This allows us to understand the skills and capacity available across the network and the training and development needs. Each branch assesses every Revival employee against the desired competencies and skills set out in the Competency Catalogue on a bi-annual basis. This allows the branches and their employees to know the difference between their current competency levels, where they need to develop these competencies and focuses training and development where it is needed. Every six months we carry out performance audits of Revival branches to check on quality and performance including SLA performance, process adherence and compliance. We also check that the ’Know Your Skills’ infrastructure is being used correctly and that training is being identified and delivered where needed. Our ’Know Your Skills’ framework is used throughout MA Group, not just at Revival branches. To find out more please go to our website www.magroup-property- claims.com ADVERTORIAL 1314 GUEST FEATURE GUEST FEATURE PASS WITH FLYING COLOURS Kerry Bhella For most organisations in damage management, training and accreditation is essential in ensuring everyone within the business is consistently flying the flag for professional standards. For some organisations, training is perhaps an area that can get overlooked or undervalued. For others, such as Rainbow International UK, however, the commitment to skills goes more than skin deep. The company currently represents the largest employer within the BDMA membership, and it has a clear strategy to empower franchisees to run their businesses in the right way. And that means there’s a lot to learn. “The amount of stuff our staff need to know is phenomenal,” says Operations Director Kerry Bhella. “I’ve worked in many franchise businesses over the years, but damage management is really complex – we’re expecting a lot from our people.” Further to the training provided by third parties including the BDMA, Rainbow also has its own skills programme run by Training Manager, Ron Rookledge. Previously driven through face-to-face teaching, the offering is now a blend of classroom and online learning, with the company having grasped lockdown as an opportunity to revamp its digital portal, powered by Zing. Live since December 2020, the new My Gateway system hosts over 1,000 learning modules, some of which are mandatory for franchisees and their staff. The portal features video tutorials and materials on core damage management topics as well as more responsive content, such as ‘Toolbox Talks’ that answer technical queries from franchisees. Broader business issues are also covered to ensure compliance with FCA regulation and to upskill teams in areas such as data protection, customer service and environmental and social governance (ESG). There is a mix of assessment formats, including some which allow voice input – a deliberate move to reduce the level of friction for staff who are uncomfortable with writing tasks. “Classroom training will remain a vital part of the mix,” says Kerry. Not only does it facilitate practical demonstrations and enable people to get hands on with equipment, but it is also important for recognising and supporting team members with any literacy needs. “It’s all about being able to showcase competency,” Ron explains: “For someone who’s dyslexic, for example, when we’re face-to-face we can go through the theory from a practical perspective, and they can demonstrate their knowledge through practical application and use of the equipment.” 1415 guest feature GUEST FEATURE Ron admits that initial attitudes to learning can vary from person to person, but its value and importance is accepted by all. It is particularly rewarding, he adds, to see those with only scant industry experience, quickly building their knowledge to become confident, capable, qualified damage management technicians. “They walk away with some pride in the badge that’s on their chest because they know it stands for something. It’s having that knowledge base – that foundation – to then be able to deliver the service that we’ve promised.” This commitment provides an indication of how the push for learning and development is matched by a strong pull from insurance clients, who expect internal standards to be validated by external accreditation at an industry-wide level. BDMA technician training, for example, is a pre-requisite for certain key accounts along with BDMA administrator training for head office personnel. These skills might already be present among the company’s 549 technicians, but BDMA training provides a complementary ‘rubber stamp’ that whatever is learned in-house is in line with best practice. In a self-regulated industry, this is important to show clients the sector’s commitment to uphold professional standards. Kerry concludes: “It’s about the industry working together. It’s making sure we set those standards and follow those standards. It then gives credibility to everybody.”For the insurance sector, the area of environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) continues to grow in significance. But how will this impact on those in the wider supply chain? The BDMA looked to uncover some answers in its latest webinar. Among the many three-letter acronyms used in the financial services industry, there is one whose stock has risen significantly in recent years: ESG. From its origins in the sphere of Corporate Social Governance, ESG has grown to encompass the various environmental, social and ethical policies that companies must have in place to ensure their activities are conducted with consideration for both people and the planet. Today, ESG is playing an increasingly central role in guiding corporate conduct as financial organisations grow ever more aware of their responsibilities as global citizens, particularly given the urgent situation regarding climate change. Beyond surface deep, these strategies are driving deep-rooted shifts in policy and behaviour that are being felt throughout the entire insurance supply chain. Against this backdrop, the BDMA gathered key stakeholders and opinion formers from across insurance to understand more about how ESG is influencing the sector’s evolution, and how the damage management sector can ensure it is keeping pace and moving in step. Sabine VanderLinden, CEO and Managing Director of Alchemy Crew, is an InsurTech expert who supports insurance clients in addressing their ESG challenges by facilitating connections with agile start-ups. She pointed out that “sustainability’s not just about climate change”, explaining that organisations should be taking a broader view of ESG that encompasses the transition to renewable energy sources but also reflects on people’s health and wellbeing and supports better diversity and inclusion. Sabine highlighted that in retail sectors, consumers – and younger consumers in particular – are questioning the credentials of incumbent service providers on these fronts, and actively taking their business elsewhere if the answers they receive are not satisfactory. In this context, newer entrants to the market, born with ESG in their DNA, present appealing alternatives. “The Gen Zs are really looking at their carbon footprint and are demanding energy-efficient products. They are actually making choices in the banks they are selecting on this basis,” said Sabine. Matt Hillyer, who leads the Customer Proposition and Data Team within Zurich Resilience Solutions, acknowledged that ESG has become a “top focus for most insurers”. He said the issue is being addressed on two fronts: internally, through limiting consumption and waste, reducing travel, and increasing energy efficiency and recycling, and externally, through encouraging and incentivising the right behaviours among organisations and individuals – part of which includes building back greener after losses. Of course, introducing change of any type also introduces a degree of uncertainty, and when you are looking to make significant steps driven by ambitious ESG strategies, that uncertainty is amplified. Insurers are, therefore, seeking to get a clear handle on their ”transition risk”, said Sabine, with an understanding of the potential vulnerabilities that might be exposed in any move away from existing practices. Matt agreed: “Underwriters want to have assurance and insight around the risks that they face. Sustainability presents new risks for them; new areas they need to understand about.” He cited as examples the higher costs associated with electric vehicle fleets and employing sustainable building approaches. As a result, insurers are looking to enhance surveys and introduce new gradings, while also exploiting telematics data and IoT technologies to predict loss events, reduce energy wastage and improve resilience. Ian Gibbs, National Technical Manager at Sedgwick, said the direction of travel from insurers on ESG is clear, and the restoration sector is welcoming the opportunity to join them on the journey to drive change throughout the supply chain. Ian pointed out that damage management firms, like insurers, are also looking at their own operations to see where they can save carbon. Through its links to Business in the Community, Sedgwick, for example, is working with Recycling Lives and Paint360 to re-use paint and avoid it going to landfill. “We can’t save the planet on our own, but we have to find little things that make a difference and then spread this throughout all of our work,” said Ian. The sector still has some way to go, he said, but the pandemic has acted as a catalyst for the adoption of more sustainable business strategies. Remote monitoring, for example, reduces the fuel burden associated with travelling to a job and can also provide the means for a better flow of information, potentially accelerating response times and making damage mitigation more efficient. “Everyone has realised that we don’t need to do things like we used to,” explained Ian. “I think it would have taken us three or four years to move to more remote monitoring and more virtual visits than it would have done if the pandemic hadn’t happened”. TURNING ESG AIMS INTO SUSTAINABLE STRATEGIES 16 Webinar report Webinar report17 Webinar report Consideration of the environmental and personal impacts of a job are also rising to the surface when it comes to decision making around drying and repair. Avoiding strip out and using more efficient drying equipment, for example, can reduce the impact on energy consumption and waste creation while limiting the often-hidden personal impact. The panel were then asked whether, in giving to the environment, there was not also a price to pay in terms of the additional time to complete the job or additional financial costs? More to the point, would these concessions be something that insurers would be willing to accept? Michael Cooper, Business Development Director at Richfords Fire and Flood, argued that, in fact, the damage management sector was faced with a “golden opportunity” as ESG continues to scale the insurance agenda. Sustainability and cost saving, he argued, go hand in hand. “We know one of the most expensive things we can do in terms of cost is to put a technician in a van and send them somewhere – that’s also one of the most expensive things we can do in terms of carbon,” said Michael. As well as fuel costs, building products also continue to be subject to sustained inflationary pressure, meaning that both site visits and replacement materials carry a growing cost burden in environmental and financial terms. This plays into a future focused on ‘smart’ restoration. Richfords’ ‘Big Deal First Visit’ strategy aims to deliver this by undertaking as much as possible in the first engagement with a customer, from survey and damage limitation to drying measures and, crucially, the installation of remote monitoring. Decommissioning then happens at a later date, with strip-out and visits all kept to a minimum. In a project with one insurer, the drying process was recorded as being 17% faster. The ESG benefits of this approach are multiplied when restoration is carried out through a filter of flood resilience. Educational programmes, including those delivered by the BDMA, are helping to reinforce this message among policyholders, rewiring the thinking around claims to focus on how a property can best be restored from an ESG perspective. As Ian Gibbs of Sedgwick summarised: “Understanding the resilience of a building after a flood means you reduce the strip out. When you build back better with the help of Flood Re, you invest in properties and make them more flood resilient in higher risk areas, then the next flood – which is inevitable in some areas – will result in minimal or no strip out.” Looking to the future, it is of course crucial that such messages, which underline the inherent sustainability of modern restoration, are both understood and championed by insurers. As such, the panel agreed it is partly down to the damage management sector to demonstrate their appetite and capabilities when it comes to supporting ESG goals and answering the changing demands of today’s consumers. NEEDTOBEFCAAUTHORISED ASALOSSASSESSOR? 08006889934 www.citrusfunding.co.uk Matt Hillyer Zurich UK Sabine VanderLinden Alchemy Crew Ian Gibbs Sedgwick Michael Cooper Richfords Fire & FloodWith a large proportion of the loss adjusting workforce heading towards retirement, talent pipelines and staff development are crucial. For Sedgwick, it’s all about helping people find the right path. One of the perpetual challenges facing a people-based business is the business of finding good people. They are notoriously hard to come by and, arguably, even harder to retain. In the loss adjusting sector, people pressures are a live issue for employers, who have to manage the fluid situation of people leaving and joining the business while ensuring there is continuity of service on behalf of insurance clients. Some firms may answer this challenge using tactical options, such as headhunting, but other firms place greater emphasis on recruitment, retention and succession strategies. For Sedgwick, external talent is certainly a factor in the mix, but the company has a clear philosophy to “grow its own,” says Peter Farrelly, Managing Director of Commercial Claims. The logic behind this emphasis is sound: managing major and complex claims is, by definition, a complicated business that not only requires skill and experience, but also the ability to operate at a high level under a variety of pressures. Understandably, when knowledgeable, trusted people then leave the business, either moving elsewhere or through retirement, the gap they leave behind has an indelible footprint. Finding a direct, like-for-like replacement is not only difficult but increasingly costly. To address this issue, Sedgwick has implemented a learning and development strategy – Pathfinder – which, rather than offering “training for training’s sake”, aims to elevate people across the company based on analysis of the skills gaps that are likely to emerge in the future. As individuals expand their skillsets, they are presented with tangible opportunities to move within the business, including the potential to move between commercial and home claims departments. Currently, just under a third of the company’s 600-strong commercial claims workforce are actively engaged in one of the nine strands the programme has to offer. This includes 13 individuals who joined the two-year graduate scheme in September as well as administrative staff, loss adjusters and those on the MCL Protégé stream – a development programme for up-and-coming practitioners working on major and complex loss. Peter underlines that Pathfinder is not about bestowing exclusive opportunities on a privileged few, but rather seeking to remove barriers to personal development for those with ambition and potential. Social mobility and inclusion, he says, are central tenets. 18 GUEST FEATURE GUEST FEATURE DF&A Laboratory Analysis • In-house independent testing • Gravimetric analysis - quantitative and accurate information on moisture content • Ion chromatography - for a full chemical fingerprint of a material sample For a copy of our testing solutions brochure or to discuss your next project: 0800 876 6626 info@davisfrench.co.uk Get the right answer on rising damp. Every time. Peter Farrelly PATHWAYS TO SUCCESSIONThis can be seen in the case of Paul, a 45-year-old Glaswegian who, while employed as a bus driver, studied for a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Despite not being accepted on the graduate scheme, Paul was invited to join an intensive training programme, having impressed with his enthusiasm and interest in the business. In his first few months he has already completed courses on interpersonal skills and qualified with Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters (CILA). “We don’t want barriers,” says Peter. “If the appetite is there, if the commitment to the time and effort is there, then absolutely there is room to participate.” There is no doubt that devising and implementing such a structured framework for personal development is an investment in time and effort. However, the fruits of those endeavours can be seen in the company’s performance against KPIs and client expectations. Failing to deliver in these areas would leave Sedgwick without much of a business at all, Peter points out. A further benefit is the ability to imbue entry- level candidates with consideration around issues such as damage resilience, customer service and environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles – areas that, today, are fundamental to a definition of loss adjusting that goes beyond indemnity alone, says Peter. When dealing with people, however, there is also an inherent risk that your investment could be lost if they decide to leave. This is, of course, true but Peter says, “We’re mitigating this risk by making Sedgwick a great place to work; a place where all colleagues can benefit from well-orchestrated training and development programmes which really do lead to meaningful career progression opportunities”. Or, as Virgin’s Richard Branson puts it so well: “Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don't want to”. 19 guest feature GUEST FEATURENext >