Staff well-being and culture have rapidly risen up the priority list for many employers.  At the next Stray Ferret Business Club  we’ll hear from award winning employer, LCF Law, on how organisations can ensure their teams are productive and happy. 

The lunch event is lunch at Manahatta, on June 29th at 12.30pm. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

Yorkshire and the Humber attracted fifty one foreign investment projects last year, up from a total of 40 in 2021, according to consultancy firm Ernst & Young.

EY’s ‘attractiveness survey’ showed the region was the UK’s sixth-best performing. Its share of UK FDI projects increased to 5.5% from 4.0%, despite the UK seeing a 6% fall in project numbers.

The survey analyses the attractiveness of a particular region or country as an investment destination. It is designed to help businesses make investment decisions and governments remove barriers to growth.

The region’s strong performance was driven by growth in key sectors, including machinery and equipment, utility supply, and health and social work. sales and business services, manufacturing and logistics.

Stephen Church, EY’s North Market Leader, said:

“Amid a strong year for the North on FDI, Yorkshire and the Humber’s results stand out as exceptional. After a few years of falling project numbers, it’s very encouraging to see the region deliver a significant increase in projects and a strong performance on investment attractiveness relative to the rest of the UK. A positive performance on FDI-supported jobs in 2022 suggests Yorkshire has been able to do well not just on project volume, but on project value too.

“With sustainability and climate change high on investors’ agendas, clean technology is an increasingly important investment focus, providing the UK with the opportunity to play to its regional strengths. Expertise in manufacturing and utilities – key sectors here in Yorkshire – will be crucial to any efforts by the UK to establish itself as a place where clean technology is not just deployed, but also developed and built too.”

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Vida Court, the third care home of Harrogate-based specialist dementia care provider Vida Healthcare, has been rated as Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

All of Vida’s three specialist care homes have now been awarded an Outstanding rating.

The inspection highlighted the exceptional dementia care that is provided. Staff’s exceptional creativity when following best practice guidance was applauded. Person-centred care is prevalent throughout the service, and this includes how people wish to be cared for at the end of their lives and approaching difficult conversations.

Sharon Oldfield, Vida Court Home Manager at Vida Healthcare, said:

“We are extremely proud of the Vida Court team. It is a privilege to work with people who are so focused on enriching residents’ lives and providing the highest quality of care. We are delighted that our inclusive and open working environment, alongside the hard work and creativity of our team has been recognised by the CQC.

“We are committed to developing, promoting and implementing innovative methods of care to deliver an outstanding service to our residents”.

James Rycroft, Managing Director at Vida Healthcare, commented:

“The commitment of the team at Vida Court, highlighted in the inspection report, is what makes our service outstanding. Securing an Outstanding rating for all of our care homes is an incredible achievement, and really sets us apart from other care home operators in the UK. Our staff are our greatest asset and I would like to thank them all for their dedication. “

Vida Court has recently opened a specialist unit to support people living with Huntington’s disease.

Staff at Vida Court celebrate the homes CQC Outstanding status

It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club!

The second in our series of networking events in association with The Coach and Horses in Harrogate is an After Work Drinks event on February 23 from 5.30pm. Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district, get your tickets now by clicking or tapping here.

Karen Crampton, a live-in carer at Carefound Home Care in Harrogate, has received the home’s PLATO award for her work with dementia sufferers.

The PLATO award is named after the company’s values – personalised, local, accountable, together and outstanding.

Karen earned the award for helping people living with dementia to live safely at home.

Carla Hainsworth, registered brand manager at Carefound Home Care, said:

“Some of the examples of [Karen] going above and beyond as a live-in carer are amazing and her efforts have directly helped prevent her clients being admitted to hospital …”

“She’s taken clients on day trips to the seaside and to see their loved ones who live further away, held tea party celebrations and even applied for a platinum wedding anniversary surprise message from the King.”

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Bill Plant Driving School wins national awards

Bill Plant Driving School, based in Ripon, has won two awards at the 2023 Intelligent Instructor Awards.

The organisation was named training provider of the year, as well as national driving school of the year at the UK-wide award-ceremony.

Bill Plant also took home the same awards in 2019 and 2020.

CEO Adam Pumfrey said:

“We are humbled to be recognised as not only the best national driving school for learner drivers, but also the best driving instructor training provider in the UK. For us, both of these awards go hand-in-hand”.

In the national driving school of the year category, Bill Plant overcame two of the biggest names in industry, Red and AA Driving School.

The company now has more than 820 instructors who have access to continuing professional development courses and a dedicated support team.

Mr Pumfrey said:

“Our driving instructor training academy, operated by a team of highly experienced trainers with a relentless focus on quality, has led to the development of a nationwide network of world-class driving instructors”.

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

Harrogate-based dementia care provider Vida Healthcare has launched a leadership programme to help advance the careers of its staff.

Vida has a team of 470 employees across three care homes. The new aspiring leaders course is designed for staff who are looking to advance their careers in the company and move into leadership or management roles, or those in management who wish to refresh their skills and knowledge.

Programme leader Helen Daly, Vida’s learning development manager, said:

 “My aim as the coordinator of our education initiatives and programmes at Vida Healthcare is to ensure a clear focus on clinical leadership and a robust evidence base to deliver positive outcomes.

“We launched the ALP to give every voice at Vida the chance to be heard, and to invest in our colleagues with crucial career development opportunities at a time when many sectors are struggling to support their people.”

A total of 24 members of staff have already completed the programme.

Ms Daly added:

“Becoming a manager has always been considered the natural next step for any individual who is progressing in their career. However not all managers are born with the ability to be great leaders. Some of the best only excel once they’re taught the skills they need to oversee a complex and dynamic workforce.

“We provide opportunities to learn new management skills and learn how to support other team members in their own career development.

“We launched the ALP programme to support our employees in management roles and hone their skills, particularly those who are new to a more senior role and may feel the pressure to perform well but lack the training they need.”

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Verity Frearson wins double gold

Matthew Stamford and James Verity who collected the awards in London.

Harrogate estate agent, Verity Frearson, has won double gold at this year’s Best Estate Agents Guide Awards, which recognises achievements in the UK estate agency sector.

Verity Frearson, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, was one of only 2% of agents in the UK to be recognised.

The gold awards were given for the company’s success in both sales and lettings.

Director Matthew Stamford said:

“We are delighted to have been recognised as one of the top 2% of agents in the country, for our work on both sales and lettings of properties in and around the Harrogate district.

“Our company’s link to Harrogate stretches back 100 years – we have always had a solid market position, and it’s awards like this that remind us, what amazing work our team does.”