Next phase of £22m housing improvement scheme gets underway in Salford

The next phase of major improvement work to thousands of homes across Salford has begun.

A £1.9 million investment scheme to revamp a further 250 properties in Seedley and Charlestown has now got underway following the transfer of 8,500 homes from Salford Council to housing association Salix Homes earlier this year.

Emanuel Whittaker has started improvement work on almost 100 homes on the Meadowgate Estate in Seedley while building specialist A Connolly has begun work on 150 homes on the Gerald Road Estate in Charlestown.

The first phase of improvement work, which started in April, is now nearing completion and has seen 400 properties on the South Ordsall Estate and the Tootal Road Estate in Weaste undergo much needed improvements.

Mark Foster, head of investment at Salix Homes, said: “The first phase of our significant investment programme to social housing in Salford has been a resounding success with almost 400 homes transformed and modernised, so we are now delighted to be starting work on the next phase of our project which will ensure a further 250 families and individuals in Salford have the new and improved homes that they deserve.

“We are confident that our ambitious regeneration plans for our homes and communities will help deliver a housing service that Salford can be proud of for generations to come. “

In March this year the properties formally transferred from Salford Council to Salix Homes after tenants voted in favour of transfer – a move that will unlock a £75million investment over the next five years.

The improvement work to homes on the Gerald Road and Meadowgate estates is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

John Gallagher, contracts director at Emanuel Whittaker, added: “Our commitment to the investment programme is demonstrated with the opening of a new Emanuel Whittaker office in Salford where we can create even more jobs and training for local people. Tenants on the Tootal Estate are thrilled with their refurbished, modern homes and are giving us 100 per cent satisfaction scores and we are looking forward to starting on Meadowgate and replicating that success.”

Simon Harrison, managing director at A Connolly, said: “Gerald Road Estate in Charlestown will be another excellent refurbishment scheme for us to deliver on behalf of Salix Homes and further extends our track-record for improving the homes of residents in Salford. Community will be a big focus for us and we’re also keen to support the local pound and will continue using local companies and employing local people where possible.”

Former nursery nurse achieves a construction first

A former nursery nurse who swapped the playroom for the building site has become the first person in the UK to achieve a ground breaking new construction qualification.

Rachel Howarth (25) is an employee of Oldham building and refurbishment company Emanuel Whittaker and has made history after achieving an NVQ Level 3 in External Wall Insulation at Salford City College’s City Skills Sixth Form Centre.

Lee Bradbury, Health, Safety & Environment Manager for Emanuel Whittaker, said:  “It’s no surprise that Rachel has become the first to qualify.  In her career with us to date, she has been keen to develop and learn new skills and is a great asset to the company.”

Rachel, from Salford, originally trained in childcare, but decided on a career change after being made redundant from her job as a nursery nurse.  She said: “I only went into childcare because I didn’t know what to do when I left school.

“My granddad was a plasterer and I was always into DIY growing up and so after I was made redundant I was happy to join Emmanuel Whittaker as an apprentice plasterer. There is lots of laughing and banter with the lads – I love it.”

After completing her plastering apprenticeship, Rachel was keen to take advantage of the new qualification which was developed by North West regeneration consortium, Procure Plus, who worked with various partners to develop the criteria for the qualification before receiving approval from Ofqual.

Mark Wilson, Regeneration Manager at Procure Plus, said: “Developed in partnership with Salix Homes, this qualification will go a long way to ensure that Rachel and many others have the desired skills to support our industry’s mission in providing robust insulation that significantly reduces carbon emissions.”

Rachel has been honing her skills at Salix Homes’ multi-million pound improvement projects on tower blocks across Salford, including Floral Court in Broughton and Riverbank and Newbank Towers in Greengate.

Mark Foster, head of investment at Salix Homes, added: “Salix Homes was keen to launch this new qualification and generate a workforce of home-grown talent who could deliver this specialist skill and we’re very proud that Rachel is the first to qualify. She is a fantastic role model and a real ambassador for women in the construction industry.”

The UK has approximately 26 million homes and it is estimated that around half of these are not insulated properly with heat escaping through walls, ceiling and windows.  As energy prices continue to increase, wall insulation has never been so important.  The Level 3 NVQ in External Wall Insulation addresses a skills gap within the construction industry, as, prior to its creation, there was no available progression route for Apprentices completing the Level 2 qualification.

Salford City College’s City Skills Sixth Form Centre works closely with partners in the construction industry to deliver bespoke, industry-standard workshops which allow students to develop their skills in a professional environment.  Andrew Hallsworth, Work Based Learning Delivery Leader at Salford City College, said:  “We are pleased to have played a part in Rachel’s success and the delivery of this qualification, which has created new avenues of progression for Apprentices within the construction industry.”

We’ve got Gold!

Emanuel Whittaker has been awarded the prestigious Investors in People Gold standard,  joining the top 7% of accredited organisations across the UK who believe in realising the potential of their people

Managing Director, Clive Newton said:  “We have successfully completed a demanding assessment process across several days. As well as looking at our administration and operating systems, the process included interviews with myself, senior managers, office staff and site staff from every rank.

“The company scored 186 out of 196 and I am so proud of all our people who work to the same high standards day in, day out.  This gold award is a tribute to how the company is managed at all levels and reflects on the positive ethos and attitude of our employees.”

Investors in People is a management framework for high performance through people. Its prestigious accreditation is recognised across the world as a mark of excellence and it champions best  practice in people management determined via a rigorous and objective assessment to determine performance.

Susan Holt, the assessor from Investors in People said: “Emanuel Whittaker achieved its goals through its positive and consistent people practices.  Everyone is valued for their contribution and the sense of team along with the commitment to business goals is strong across all roles.  It was a privilege to share in the company’s positive culture and be involved in their achievement of Gold.”

This new gold standard will join the company’s other quality accreditations which include Committed2Equality (gold), Construction Skills (Platinum), EN ISO 14001:2004 and  ISO9001:2008.

Human Resource Manager Anna Whittaker was responsible for leading the Investors in People process.  “We are absolutely delighted with this recognition,” she said.  “The gold standard will ensure we maintain and recruit great staff and will also demonstrate to our existing and new clients that we have the best people working at Emanuel Whittaker.”

Salford church celebrates new kitchen

Emanuel Whittaker and Salix Homes have come to the rescue of a cash-strapped Salford church.

Like father, like son

It’s National Apprenticeship Week this week and as usual we are celebrating our commitment to training young people with a variety of initiatives including talking to our youngest apprentice, 16 year old Josh Rose about his experiences.

Josh lives in New Moston and attended Oasis Academy, Oldham where he left with five grade B GCSEs.  Despite his academic success however, he didn’t want to go to college and instead decided to follow in his dad’s footstep to become a joiner.

“I knew I wanted to be a joiner when I was ten,” said Josh.  “My dad would sometimes take me to work with him and I really enjoyed watching him.”

And Josh has not only followed in his dad’s career footsteps but also in his training footsteps because dad Jonathan also learned his trade as an apprentice with Emanuel Whittaker!

“The company came to our school to talk to us about apprenticeships,” said Jonathan, “and a week after leaving school I started with them.  I was 15 when I started my City and Guilds in joinery.”

In fact Jonathan liked Emanuel Whittaker so much he remained with the company for 16 years.  He was keen that Josh try to get an apprenticeship with the company he believes can’t be beaten when it comes to training.

He adds: “My time with Emanuel Whittaker was fabulous and I look back with great fondness.  The company had a reputation then for being one of the best places to do an apprenticeship and that reputation is just as deserved today.  I was thrilled when Josh got a place.”

Josh is currently learning his craft on a project with First Choice Homes Oldham where he works with an expert team installing new kitchens.

“I am a hands on type of person and so a full time college course didn’t really appeal to me,” said Josh.  “I am getting so many different experiences working in the real world which I think is  important.  It’s lovely to see how the tenants, the customers, appreciate their new kitchens and I am working with a great team who have made me feel very welcome.”

Josh goes to Oldham College every Monday to fulfil the theoretical side of his apprenticeship and develop his new skills.  He hopes to have a basic carpentry and joiner qualification in two years and then may decide to take advanced skills.

“I think apprenticeships are a great idea,” said Josh.  “I am being paid to learn and I am mixing with lots of different people, colleagues and customers.  I am learning a useful skill and I am confident that I will get a full time job when I have finished.”

Government figures show that 90% of apprentices stay in employment after finishing their apprenticeship and 83% said their ability to do the job and their career prospects had improved.  Emanuel Whittaker is proud of the fact that the majority of its apprentices are employed full time either in house or with one of our approved sub-contractor partners.

Last year, Emanuel Whittaker made The Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers List which is compiled annually by the National Apprenticeship Service in partnership with City & Guilds. It recognises excellence in those businesses that employ apprentices and that can prove an exceptional contribution to apprenticeships.  We will continue our commitment to training young people for many years to come.

To find out more about the benefits of apprenticeships go to www.apprenticeships.gov.uk