When it comes to employee data privacy, businesses can never be too careful. Large organisations handle vast amounts of employee data each day. This data encompasses everything from health information to financial details and performance reviews.
Complex cyber threats are on the rise putting organisations at risk of a security breach. This can have devastating consequences for a business, including:
- Lawsuits
- Financial penalties
- A shattered reputation.
In this blog, we discuss the importance of HR software security and safeguarding employee data.
- Topic:
- Human Resources
A search for the phrase 'Labour VAT private schools' reveals millions of results online. If Labour wins the next election, which is due to take place on 4th July 2024, their proposal to implement a 20% VAT on private schools will no doubt leave school leaders questioning what this means for their financial operations.
This article explores the nuances of this proposed policy change, its potential impacts, and how independent schools might navigate the financial landscape in the face of such changes.
- Topic:
- Education
The tendering process in construction, also known as bidding, can be frustrating for both contractors and subbies. With time demands on already stretched estimating teams alongside a competitive field, it’s not surprising that mistakes in the construction tender process are common.
When it comes to improving bid-winning performance in construction tendering, the key is looking at the entire process.
In this blog, we are talking about internal construction tendering processes and procedures. Believe it or not, if they aren’t up to scratch, you could be missing out on a lot of new work for your construction business.
- Topic:
- Construction
The construction industry is traditionally known for its reliance on manual processes, siloed data and a slow turn towards digital transformation.
However, construction technology is currently experiencing a surge of innovation driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and big data.
By integrating these technologies into Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software, construction companies are poised to unlock a new era of efficiency, profitability, and risk mitigation.
- Topic:
- Construction
Access had the pleasure of attending and exhibiting at NHS ConfedExpo 2024 in Manchester last week. The event, in partnership with NHS Confederation, attracted more than 5,400 delegates over the two days and hosted over 150 sessions discussing key matters impacting the health and social care industry.
Having a CQC visit checklist in place allows all services within the health and social care sector to be prepared when it comes to CQC inspections.
In health and social care, the scrutiny of regulatory bodies ensures that the quality and safety of care services do not fall below a certain threshold. In England, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the regulatory body and it plays a crucial role in encouraging care services to improve while providing safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care.
CQC inspections are thorough assessments that are carried out to ensure care services are meeting the essential standards of quality and safety. To prepare for the inspections and to maintain or even improve standards, care services often carry out a mock CQC inspection. This is basically a rehearsal for the real thing and highlights areas that are doing well and areas that need to be improved before the real thing is carried out.
At The Access Group, we have over 30 years of experience working with care services across the UK and we know the importance of being prepared for regulatory body inspections. This article contains information on the importance of CQC mock inspections, what they are and how to carry them out correctly. With our help, we hope that you’ll feel confident and prepared with our CQC inspection checklist.
Loyalty programmes are like a secret handshake between your restaurant and your most valued guests. They say: "We see you, we appreciate you, and we've got something special just for you." And although customers are increasingly willing to sign up, the traditional route of generic rewards is no longer enough. Diners are more likely to stick with the place if it offers relevant and personalised rewards.
Recognising that consumers seek personalisation, operators should focus on integrating a loyalty programme with an EPoS system. Why? Because it can supercharge it with the customers' data – their choices, habits and even their birthdays for more tiered and tailored loyalty experiences.
We frequently hear from our customers here, at Access, who are looking to explore ways to get more out of their loyalty programmes and create experiences that meet demands. So, in this article, we'll explore how to set up a truly effective hospitality loyalty programme and discuss the benefits of integrating it with your EPOS system for deeper, authentic loyalty.
- Topic:
- Hospitality
Safeguarding elderly with dementia is essential for protecting the health, well-being and human rights of individuals that use the care system. These are usually the most vulnerable so need protection more than ever. In the UK, safeguarding is a vital practice to ensure that everyone, particularly vulnerable adults, children and young people, live lives free from abuse, harm and neglect.
We at The Access Group pride ourselves on the security and safety that our software has to offer. We have been working with care services throughout the country for the past 30 years and aim to improve the lives of everyone who utilise our platforms. Over the years, our experience has allowed us to create content like this that can be used to aid and protect people working and living in care.
The article delves into the intricacies of safeguarding, with a particular focus on dementia safeguarding. We will explore how to protect those affected by this condition and the policies and procedures you can put in place to support them and their carers.
Adult social care budgets are crucial in helping local authorities plan, commission, and deliver the social care needs of their community. However, restrictions and limitations from the Department of Health and Social Care Budget, as you will probably be aware, cause multiple challenges for local authorities to both improve their future planning as well as reach the increasing and complex demands of the community.
So, what is the budget for social care? How can budgets differ? And what are the best ways adults' social care budgets can be spent?
At The Access Group, we are aware of the challenges across the health and social care sector. We want to make it easier for local authorities to manage the challenges of commissioning social care, so budgets and resources can be spread further to prevent individuals going without the support they need.
Understanding budgets in health and social care isn’t always easy, especially as both autumn and spring budgets lead to changes in values, legislation, and responsibilities. Local authorities must be flexible in the services they deliver to ensure their responsibilities of the Care Act are consistently delivered to improve outcomes.
By the end of this article, you will know all the latest breakdown of adult social care budgets, including the targets and areas of improvement the government and the Department of Health and Social Care want your local authority to follow to achieve local, regional, and national targets.
This article will also break down some of the best ways to optimise the funding so no individual goes without the support they require and deserve by digitally transforming your processes and workflows for the best outcomes.
Local health and social care services are vital in ensuring individuals’ physical and mental wellbeing. Local authorities play a pivotal role in shaping health and social care services across the community.
As you are probably aware it is the role and responsibility of your local authority to ensure you’re your local population receives high-quality, efficient, and responsive care when they need it.
But how best can your local authority commission health and social care services? What are the challenges that need to be addressed? And how best can these challenges be avoided?
At The Access Group, we are aware of the challenges facing the health and social care market as well as the impacts limiting budgets and rising demands have on local authorities when ensuring the accessibility of health and social care services across the community.
We know that local authorities are aware that investing in digital solutions and local government software is a good step forward to commissioning and delivering better health and social care services in line with their responsibilities in the Care Act. But we also know from our recent Social Care Commissioning Report, that one of the biggest concerns when commissioning health and social care services is investing in technology that doesn’t work, in fact, nearly a fifth of respondents voted that as their biggest concern.
By the end of this article, you will know and understand the best ways your local authority can commission your health and social care services by overcoming the challenges faced by the market, as well as the importance of digitally transforming your services correctly to get the best return on investment.
