Clients Comments

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

VVB ENGINEERING SERVICES

VVB Engineering Services was formed in 1993 and offers complete project solutions ranging from design, construction, installation, commissioning and maintenance of all M&E systems.  The company employs a workforce of over 250 and operates in the construction, rail, road, commercial/retail, water/utilities and airport sectors.

Phil Latimer, Health and Safety Quality and Environment Manager, has had Helmsman Safety Services deliver tailored courses such as CDM Awareness and Environmental Awareness for Project Managers. The courses were organised to ensure employees are up to scratch with the latest rules and regulations and are aware of their managerial and on-site duties.

Philis  impressed with the level of service he has received and said  “All of the presentations have been very professiona, and they supply certified courses – nothing tin pot. If I ask for a course to be organised they’ll do it, tailor it to our needs and never disappoint.”

“We’ve invested in our staff to give them career development and show our customers we believe in best practice. Thanks to Helmsman for a very professional and reliable service - we’ll definitely continue to use your services!” says Phil Latimer.

OAKLAND BUILDING SERVICES

Oakland is a specialist office refurbishment contractor to the public sector. They employ five people and subcontract work out to a further 50 specialists. The company was established in 1996 and the management team has recently created a strategy to expand the business. Oakland decided to work with Helmsman to help them through the bureaucratic nightmare of reviewing and creating the necessary documents and accreditations to tender for large-scale, long-term projects.

Kathleen Hegarty, General Manager, explains: “We have a five-year plan to expand the business but we needed to review all of our current policies and decide what we needed to do to reach the next level. Helmsman has been a great support through this process.”  She added: “They have a very calm and methodical approach, which has relieved pressure at crucial moments. Helmsman helped us with a major tender, the paperwork involved was vast, but it was reassuring to have external advice to ensure we didn’t make any mistakes.”

COUNTRYSIDE PROPERTIES PLC

Countryside are an award winning house builder whose ethos is around creating sustainable developments. Wendy Colgrave, Finance Director, said "For 10 years, Helmsman co-ordinated and managed every aspect of training and development from receiving the needs identified by the PDRs, through to reporting to various committees and senior directors.  Helmsman dealt with sourcing and contracting training courses, their administration and evaluation, recording all aspects of staff training and Health and Safety, handling claims required by the Construction Industry Training Board and CSCS Card applications.

LINFORD GROUP

Linford is a group of specialist contractors whose main expertise isin heritage buildings. Simon Linford, Chief Executivesaid  - 'Through outsourcing all of our training to Helmsman Services means that we don't have to employ a full time training officer; freeing up head count and staff costs. The team at Helmsman are always available if we need them and are focussed on delivering results. When you consider outsourcing, you should be aiming to get a better service, and pay less. Our decision to outsource our training to Helmsman has definitely had the results we were looking for'.

BREYER GROUP PLC

Breyer are a fast growing company with two main businesses, one being in roofing and the other in refurbishment of outdated housing stock. Paul Harman, Health & Safety Manager - 'For the past two years we have outsourced all of our training to Helmsman Services. Following rapid growth within the organisation; training and training administration became an extremely time consuming task. By outsourcing all of our training to Helmsman, we have freed up our time to focus on other areas of work'.

F J FRENCH LTD

FJ French have used Helmsman's services to deal with all of their training administration for the last five years. FJ French greatly value the service that Helmsman provides them with and by outsourcing all of their training requirements, they can focus their attention on their core business. In addition, the Helmsman team ensure that all grant applications are submitted to maximise claims and they also deal with applications for CSCS Cards.

Managing Director, Stan Bakowski commented 'Working with Helmsman ensures that we are always up to date with any new legislation, training requirements and grants. Helmsman's in-depth industry knowledge is something we could not match in house.

Our annual contract with Helmsman ensures that, following an annual briefing, all of our training needs are satisfied from the planning and booking through to the delivery and evaluation. The team at Helmsman are professional and always go the extra mile to ensure our needs are met.'

CONNEELY DRY LINING

Conneely Drylining are specialists in interior finishes and exterior facades. With fifteen full time staff and anywhere from 50 to 200 subcontractors, Conneely decided to outsource all of their training needs to Helmsman four years ago.

Michael Cockerton, Finance Director explained 'With no personnel staff in-house it became increasingly difficult for us to keep track of the frequently changing safety legislation and regulations. Over the past four years we have outsourced all of our health and safety services to Helmsman, and they have become an integral part of our team. In order to run an effective business, training is paramount. Therefore to have Helmsman completely managing our training function ensures that we are compliant.'

Conneely have found that the largest benefits are that they can rely on Helmsman to speak to all other relevant bodies and agencies, so that they don't have to and also respond to calls from employees and suppliers as part of the Conneely team ensuring that it is a seamless process. In particular, Michael Cockerton identified that Helmsman have developed their own sophisticated software systems that are not available externally but are essential for the smooth running of any training programme. The software also ensures that Helmsman have all the information about Conneely and its employees at their fingertips and are able to pass full details about training onto them, at the touch of a button - which is especially useful for tendering purposes.

W A HILLS

W A Hills have been providing innovative building solutions for the past 75 years across London and the South East. They work in all areas of construction including offices, residential, education, retail, leisure, healthcare and industrial and usually handle contracts ranging from £500,000 to £15m. Helmsman Health and Safety Services have worked with W A Hills to ensure that all of their health and safety needs are met. They have organised SMSTS, Scaffold Inspect courses and provided first aid training, for up to 12 employees. Helmsman Safety Services handle all aspects of health and safety training, from finding an appropriate location, to delivery and then evaluation of the success and usefulness of the course.

Shelley O'Rourke from W A Hills commended Helmsman Safety Services on their slick handling of an often complicated task: "We know how important it is to keep on top of health and safety requirements and Helmsman Health and Safety Services are incredibly good at what they do. They keep the process nice and simple and have really taken the hassle out of what is quite a time consuming and tricky part of the business."

BENTLEY-COL

Bentley Col

Bentley-Col is a small building and maintenance contractor that employs up to 14 people. They undertake general building work, but needed specific paperwork to ensure they could bid for new work, and keep their existing clients.

Helmsman has arranged for Bentley-Col Ltd to gain a new health and safety policy, risk assessments, asbestos training, waste carriers license, and organised for approval of their services by EXOR.

Lee Galley, Managing Director, Bentley-Col, is delighted with the service he has received from Helmsman. He says: “By getting the new documentation in place we’ve put ourselves at a competitive advantage as few contractors have been through the process. We can now bid for new business and ensure we continue to service our existing clients as they too have upgraded their safety requirements.”

He added: “We’re all too busy to arrange paperwork and training courses, so it’s great to have the professional and trusted support of Helmsman.”

CARE INDUSTRY

REGARD PARTNERSHIP

The Regard Partnership operates over 120 care homes and supported living services for people in England and Wales. The organisation supports people with learning difficulties, mental health problems and acquired brain injuries.

The company was formed in 1994 and has experienced rapid growth, employing over 1500 people. Over the past six months, Gemma Rawlins, Training Co-ordinator, Regard Partnership, has worked hand-in-hand with Helmsman to deliver first aid training, manual handling and ABI courses for 300 people.

She says: “Helmsman are absolutely brilliant! They were recommended to us by another organisation, and have helped us through difficult times. Helmsman always accommodates our needs, they’re really helpful, friendly and reply to my emails promptly – I couldn’t ask for more.”

PLUME AVENUE NURSERY

The Plume Avenue Nursery was established in 1972 to offer day care for the under 5s. The nursery cares for up to 50 children on a daily basis and employs 22 staff. Plume has been working with Helmsman for the past eight years to deliver its paediatric first aid and health and safety courses to all of its staff members.

Jean Catley, Proprietor, Plume Avenue Nursery, is really pleased with the level of service and quality of training she receives from Helmsman.
She explains: “Everyone at Helmsman is so friendly and efficient. Their courses are also very good. We had to close the nursery for two days to do the latest first aid course, but we all thought it was time well spent. The trainers provided really clear explanation and made it appropriate to our line of work, we all really enjoyed it.”

YOU TRUST

The You Trust provides supported living, domiciliary care and other services to the disadvantaged in the South of England. Vanessa Steenton, Learning & Development Manager - ‘Since the YOU Trust started working with Helmsman early in 2007 they have been continually impressed with the service Helmsman offer. The Helmsman Services team recognise us as a customer and their levels of customer service are excellent. They are quick to respond to our queries and we genuinely feel valued by Helmsman and confident that they are providing us a value for money service'.

WOODLANDS RESIDENTIAL HOME

Woodlands Residential Home for Ladies is an independent residential care home exclusively for ladies that aims to provide a personal service with exceptional levels of care. The home provides 24 hour care to residents and has a very low staff turnover, meaning that all staff are trained to the highest level and residents always see a familiar face.Helmsman Safety Services have worked with Woodlands Residential Home for Ladies for over 3 years, and have handled all aspects of their health and safety training for their 30 plus employees. They have booked and delivered courses including fire safety, moving and handling, first aid, health and safety and infection control, and dealt with all of the relevant paperwork, organisation and legislation involved in health and safety matters.

Julie Wells, home manager, has been consistently impressed with Helmsman Health and Safety Services' adaptable and efficient service: "Helmsman Safety Services have always been happy to fit training in around our schedule, trainers will come in at 8:30pm on a Sunday night to train our night staff, not many companies will do that! We have used the same trainer every time and have been very happy with the high standard of training received and the friendly and helpful approach from all of Helmsman Health and Safety Services' staff."

CHOICE SUPPORT

Choice Support have been supporting people with learning disabilities for over 25 years. They offer a wide range of services including a large number of registered homes, supported living projects, outreach services, day activities and housing management all over the UK. Choice Support have over 1000 support workers in East Anglia, all of whom are trained to the highest standards.

Choice Support have been working with Helmsman Safety Services for over two years and have booked all of their mandatory courses through them. These courses include first aid, moving and handling and fire safety and have been booked for over 1000 employees. Katia Ardila, who handles all training matters at Choice Support has very much enjoyed working with Helmsman Safety Services, and appreciated their helpful and flexible approach: "I have found Helmsman Safety Services to be very good at what they do, and always willing and able to help. We have booked courses for a large number of people through them and they have always run smoothly. The Helmsman team are very flexible and always put our needs first. It takes the stress out of health and safety training."

CLACTON FAMILY TRUST

The Clacton Family Trust was founded in 1976 as a residential care home for children. It is now a residential facility that provides specialist care for young adults with a varying range of difficulties who need constant care and learning support with the aim of reintegration with the community. The Trust has 3 properties, designed to feel like home rather than an institution and 56 employees providing care and help.

Helmsman Safety Services have been working with Clacton Family Trust for over 2 years and have booked a wide range of courses through them including fire safety, epilepsy awareness and food hygiene. In addition to delivering the courses, they ensure that all qualifications are in date and handle all of the paperwork involved. Laura Clark, Finance Manager at Clacton Family Trust has found Helmsman Safety Services easy and efficient to work with: "I have always found Helmsman Safety Services to be extremely helpful and highly efficient. If we have any questions or queries that can't be answered straight away, we are told when we can expect a response. Using Helmsman's services has proved to be cost effective for us, and we also like that courses can be booked on short notice with no extra hassle."

BROOKLANDS CARE HOME

Brooklands

Based in Leigh-on-Sea in Essex, Brooklands, is an established care home for the elderly, as well as patients recovering from operations, and those with dementia. The care home is set in spacious grounds and offers 29 single rooms and eight double rooms all with en-suite facilities.
Bindhu Varghese, Care Home Manager, took over the running of the site in September 2009. Within seven months, working alongside Helmsman, all 50 staff have been given mandatory training courses, and Brooklands now has all the necessary documentation to ensure it meets its legal requirements.

“The courses have been wonderful. The trainer is very good; he is very helpful, knowledgeable, and gave everyone enough time to take in the information,” remarked Bindhu Varghese.

OFFICES AND OTHER INDUSTRIES

ADRIAN FLUX INSURANCE SERVICES

The national insurance broker, specialising in motor cover, has been a customer of Helmsman Safety Services since January 2010 and have been thoroughly impressed with the advice and training they have provided. Adrian Flux has grown substantially in the past few years so it was essential for them to work with a company who could fulfil all of their health and safety requirements in a professional and competent manner.

These requirements were unique to a large operation residing in listed buildings in Norfolk but says the Health & Safety Co-ordinator "Helmsman understood the business and produced a bespoke package tailored to our exact needs. Prior to delivering their package they visited our site and carried out thorough inspections and discussed numerous procedures with us. They have since provided us with some excellent training which has been a massive benefit to the staff and in-turn the business. Helmsman's knowledge and experience in this area has been fantastic and was very evident from the movement they partnered up with us and have always been on hand to help us with any issues or questions we have."

Adrian Flux are extremely happy with the decision to work with Helmsman and hopefully they can build on othe relationship in the forthcoming years as our their business grows even more.

TK TECHNICAL SERVICES

TK Technical is a company offering a range of niche training courses to the construction industry. From time to time the company is requested to offer additional courses, such as first aid, and so had to find experienced professional support to ensure they meet their clients’ needs. TK Technical employ Helmsman Safety Services to deliver training courses on an ad hoc basis, much of their work has been to deliver first aid courses for construction workers at the Olympic site.

Wendy Owers, training Co-ordinator explains: “Over the past 12 months we’ve run about 20 courses for over 200 people with Helmsman and they have always provided a very professional service and never let us down. They always solve my problems and create a training programme specific to our needs.”

PLESHEY FORGE

Pleshey Forge

Pleshey Forge specialises in the manufacture of architectural steel works and decorative items, such as gates, railings, fencings and balustrades. The company has been based in Chelmsford, Essex for the last 35 years and employs eight people.

Last August, Director Ian Clements wanted to move the outsourcing of this health and safety to a different supplier as he wasn’t happy with the level of service being provided, so he turned to Helmsman. He says - "We’ve received excellent service from Helmsman, they’re always quick to respond to our emails and have kept us up-to-date with the latest regulations. They’ve also supplied training courses in first aid, working at heights and asbestos awareness.

“We need the necessary documentation to ensure we abide with best practice, can tender for large contracts, and can keep our guys safe on site. Helmsman helps us achieve our goals,” says Ian Clements.