CIC webinar on support for self-employed

We have another webinar tomorrow (Wednesday 15 April) at 2pm, all about support for the self-employed and freelance workers during the age of the coronavirus.

It will be led by Charles Homan of UHY Hacker Young and Brian Berry, Chief Executive at the Federation of Master Builders.

Register in advance for this webinar here.

There will be more webinars organised by CIC in the coming weeks, looking at the biggest issues in construction in the age of coronavirus:

• Thursday, 23 April (pm) – Turnaround and Recovery
• Monday, 27 April (pm) – Mental Health and Wellbeing
• T.B.A – Construction Contracts in the Age of Coronavirus
• T.B.A – Professional Liability in the Age of Coronavirus
• T.B.A – Dispute Resolution in the Age of Coronavirus

You can catch up on our first webinar, the impact of coronavirus on jobs in construction and the built environment, here.

Please click on the following link to the survey https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/82DVM5Q

It will only take around 2 mins to complete.

Please share this survey among your own networks so that we can get the widest spectrum of engagement and achieve useful results to feed in to the Construction Leadership Council’s work.

Coronavirus business support hub

A new Coronavirus Business Support Hub is now available at gov.uk/business-support

The hub brings together key information for businesses including on funding and support, business closures, your responsibilities as an employer and managing your business during coronavirus.

The hub also includes information for self-employed people and sole traders.

Personal Protective Equipment Hub

A new hub containing guidance on personal protective equipment (PPE), and infection prevention and control (IPC) is now available, containing information for both health and social care settings and other workers and sectors.

The hub also links to the Cross-government UK-wide PPE plan to ensure that critical PPE is delivered to those on the frontline. This includes a new ‘Make’ strategy of encouraging UK manufacturers to produce PPE. We would welcome support from manufacturers who wish to offer their production facilities where they can meet the required specifications for use by the NHS and care sector. New offers can continue to be made via www.gov.uk/coronavirus-support-from-business.

Mental Health Support

Industry mental health charity Mates in Mind is working in partnership with CECA to deliver free mental wellbeing workshops. These workshops are aimed at employees; and managers (including supervisors). The live online workshops will take place on 15,16, and 21 April, and will be delivered by trained mental health practitioners. Delegates will be able to see and interact with the tutor and with each other:

Mental Wellbeing Workshop for Employees (45 minutes)
• Understand how the current environment impacts our mental health and wellbeing
• Identify ways in which to spot issues in ourselves and our colleagues
• Explore how to look out for your own wellbeing as well as our co-workers Furth
• Understand how to support someone in crisis and have a better understanding of relevant professional support services available to us.

Mental Wellbeing Workshop for Managers (60 minutes)
• Identify the pressures facing their teams during the current climate and identify how they can affect their mental health
• Recognise how managers can spot the signs and issues and know what to say and do
• Identify how to help someone in crisis
• Provide details of organisations and support services that can provide help, information and advice
• Provide some guidance on what managers / supervisors can do to look after their own mental health

Anticipating level of interest, places are initially limited to 2 delegates per organisation. We have confirmed that furloughed employees are allowed to take part in this training without affecting their furloughed status. Book your place here.

Support the fight against coronavirus

The Construction Leadership Council is in touch with NHS London Hospitals Trust to help the NHS with urgently needed PPE.  A summary of the equipment required is as follows:

• FFP3 Respirator Masks
• Full Face Visors (disposable)
• Full Face Visors (reusable)
• Safety Goggles/Glasses
• Hand Sanitiser
• Full Body (Hazardous Material) Suits
• Logistics/Transport support

If you are able to provide some of these essential pieces of equipment, please get in touch with Graham Watts (gwatts@cic.org.uk).

COVID-19 Construction Industry Taskforce

An industry Task Force is working with BEIS and Government ‘to protect the current and future of the construction industry.’ Any members or recipients with information, data and/or ideas that may be helpful to the work of this task force please contact the CIC Chief Executive on gwatts@cic.org.uk .