Category: Intelligent Operations

Our response to Covid-19 has taught us a lot about what is needed when assessing risk and planning emergency response. I certainly wouldn’t have expected any incident to result in 18 months of response, with recovery to follow! This pandemic has brought attention to the Emergency Planning profession and highlights how the decisions we make to mitigate impacts are increasingly reviewed and critiqued. As such, we’re always looking to learn and improve the way we do things. 

Setting up Covid testing sites across the boroughs saw us arranging deliveries and cleaning of portaloos, and while not something I’d ever expected to spend so long working on (and hope not to again!) it does remind me how wide-ranging a day at work can be and the importance of being prepared for whatever gets thrown our way. The experience we’ve all had since March 2020 will inform many changes, and schools particularly have an important role to play in both protecting children when an incident occurs, as much as educating them in the importance of emergencies and being resilient. 

I think there’s an easy emphasis placed on the impact of disasters, rather than the easy and small steps we can all take to best prepare ourselves. 

Smart School Services

Emergency Planning is keen to support schools in developing and exercising their business continuity and emergency incident capabilities. 

If you would like to know more about our Emergency Planning services, please book a meeting with us to discuss your needs.

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Head to Head

If we have piqued your interest in Smart School Services, why not meet with our head team to see how we can work together. To arrange your Head to Head, or for any other enquiry, simply fill in the contact form and we’ll be in touch shortly.

The Covid 19 lockdown forced the closure of most of our property portfolio, reducing the need for all but essential maintenance across our sites. We had to adapt our service as lockdown progressed so our FM teams and contractors were tasked with making our core sites covid secure, whilst striving to maintain our pre planned maintenance schedules. Supporting the urgent need within the community for Covid19 testing, we set up Covid LFT test centres, and supported mobile testing units at Wandsworth, by providing the staff to run the sites.

As we are now beginning to open up and get back to some form of normality, we are faced with new challenges ahead.

The construction leadership council has recently warned that cement, some electrical components, timber, steel, and paints are all in short supply, citing “unprecedented levels of demand” that are set to continue “for the foreseeable future”. The present material supply problems stem from several factors, the most notable being that construction industry projects have surged since lockdown began easing, leading to high demand for materials. 

Furthermore, with demand increasing across the globe and the UK importing many of its raw materials, not only is demand outstripping supply but prices of materials are also rising. The ONS is projecting a rise in material prices, with certain materials, such as timber, expected to more than double during the year.

Smart School Services

Facilities Management Services advise that schools plan for the short, medium, and long term.

This is where our primary focus is on ensuring compliance and not profit making, as we strive to ensure best value. We are dedicated to supporting the schools manage their Reactive, Planned, Preventative, & Remedial Maintenance works.

Sustainability, reducing energy consumption, and becoming net zero carbon by 2030, is at the forefront of the Councils agenda. We can assist schools by offering advice and information about energy management and sustainable options to reduce carbon emissions. 

We have planned major projects towards achieving net zero carbon in our operational buildings, and we are carrying out energy audits in schools. Our team can also help with funding applications for de-carbonisation projects.

If you would like to know more about our FM Services, please book a Head to Head meeting.

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Head to Head

If we have piqued your interest in Smart School Services, why not meet with our head team to see how we can work together. To arrange your Head to Head, or for any other enquiry, simply fill in the contact form and we’ll be in touch shortly.

With students and teachers back in the classroom the temptation may be to go back to how our classrooms were before the pandemic. However, the lockdowns, bubbles and online learning has left a legacy and a very real opportunity to move our classes and teaching forward and harness all the technology that has flooded our school communities over the last year. Schools have found that they have more devices than ever before. The DfE, Wandsworth Local Authority, Power to Connect and private donations have increased the number of connected devices in our schools and our learners’ homes. With this influx of technology comes the need to review and assess the infrastructure we have in our schools, to maximise the benefit of these additional devices and the increased traffic on our wireless networks. The following points should be explored by schools to ensure that they are confident and appropriately supported to be able to sustain the exciting technology and computing boom.

Keeping Connected

Your learners have eagerly come back to the classroom and have developed a whole new set of skills. Distance learning has allowed students to access more resources, more frequently from more places. This thirst for online research and independent study can be channelled through effective teaching, but like any organisation, schools are only as good as the tools they have to teach with. The increased use of streamed video clips is one example of additional pressure and stress on your wireless network. Wandsworth Schools ICT Support can visit your school, assess the infrastructure is appropriate for the increased number of devices and the increased amount of use on your network.

One to One Devices

With the increased number of devices returning to classrooms some schools have decided that certain groups are to be taught 1 to 1 with a device per pupil. Having hundreds of eager learners all surfing and researching in one place at once puts an enormous strain on the school’s wireless network. As a school you know which classrooms and which pupils are likely to receive the devices – but have you checked the strength and capability of the connection in these specific areas? The Wandsworth Schools ICT Support team is available to visit and test your school’s wireless access points to ensure the signal strength is capable of supporting the new fantastic hardware in all areas of your school and not leaving children and staff frustrated where devices cannot get online.

Collaborative Learning

With your new connected devices learners will be working together more – sharing ideas, presenting demonstrations and collaborating on documents. These social platforms will allow teachers to be creative in the classroom and with assessments, allowing students to relay back their ideas regardless of where they are in the school. For this exciting new way of learning to succeed and for your school to grasp the potential of children studying together with devices they intuitively understand, your school must have a robust, reliable and secure wireless network. Wandsworth Schools ICT Support can provide an extensive health check on your existing network. You will receive a comprehensive report detailing how and where improvements can be made to ensure your learners and staff can enjoy the full benefit of a fit for purpose wireless network.

Wireless Service

The Wandsworth Schools ICT Support team offer a fully managed Wireless Support Service.  From the initial survey, we will report on the current health of your existing network, make recommendations on improvements that can be made and where to invest your money to ensure that you have the best possible wireless network to meet your specific requirements.  We are able to offer a complete school wireless network refresh, helping you through the procurement process by obtaining quotations to guarantee high quality wireless hardware that is appropriate for your schools at excellent prices.  As a Local Authority team we are able to undercut our competitors and we have high quality expertise in the design, implementation and support of wireless networks.  Our dedicated team of ICT professionals are at the ready to ensure that any wireless issues you experience are covered and for complete peace of mind, we will help, advise and support you through every step of the process.

Book your
Head to Head

If we have piqued your interest in Smart School Services, why not meet with our head team to see how we can work together. To arrange your Head to Head, or for any other enquiry, simply fill in the contact form and we’ll be in touch shortly.

Most of us have experienced challenges during the Covid pandemic in relation to many issues including anxiety about the virus itself, missing social interactions with family and friends, feelings of isolation and the impact on how we work.

For some individuals their mental health has deteriorated during the last year due to Covid, so it’s important to not only recognise this in yourself and others and to consider what actions can be taken to improve mental wellbeing.

The MIND charity has done some amazing work, particularly over this year in relation to support and advise during the pandemic. Their webpage ‘Coping with mental health during Coronavirus’ gives great tips which we can all take on board in relation to improving our mental health including talking to people you trust, thinking about your routine,  thinking about your physical health, making a care box and much more. Why don’t you take a read and consider what small changes you could make in your life to support your health and wellbeing during the pandemic and beyond.

Also maintained school have 6 months free access to the Employee Assistance Programme, paid for from central Children’s Services Directorate.

Smart School Services

Occupational Health is committed to supporting staff in relation to their health and wellbeing. Our staff have a wealth of experience and knowledge in all aspects of health and the effect on work so we’re here to advice on how best to support an individual who may be experiencing difficulties.

If you would like to know more about our Health and Wellbeing services or the Employee Assistance Programme, please book a Head to Head meeting.

Book your
Head to Head

If we have piqued your interest in Smart School Services, why not meet with our head team to see how we can work together. To arrange your Head to Head, or for any other enquiry, simply fill in the contact form and we’ll be in touch shortly.