DWF, the global provider of integrated legal and business services, has recruited several new hires across its Scottish offices in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Directors, Katherine Doran and Emma Peveril, have recently been appointed to the Construction & Infrastructure and Real Estate teams respectively.
Katherine has joined the Glasgow office from HFW. An expert in construction law, she has particular expertise in renewables, heavy engineering and infrastructure and specialises in dispute avoidance and dispute resolution. Katherine is an accredited specialist in construction law by the Law Society of Scotland.
Real estate specialist Emma Peveril has moved to DWF’s Edinburgh office from DLA Piper. Emma specialises in real estate disposals and acquisitions; leasing; real estate finance and onshore wind projects.
The latest appointments follow on from the arrival of Ursula Currie, a senior associate in the Dispute Resolution team and a sustained period of growth in our Insurance teams including the appointment of Eileen Sherry, Kirsteen Picken, Kris Kane and Lucy McMeekin, as senior associates.
In addition, there have been several promotions across the Scottish practice. These include Ashleigh Farrell and Ferga McKay, both promoted to directors in Real Estate in Glasgow, Calum Raine who is now a senior associate in Real Estate and Sarah Cunningham, an associate in Dispute Resolution.
Caroline Colliston, executive partner of DWF in Scotland (pictured) said: “I am delighted to welcome our latest new colleagues to the business and to celebrate those who have been promoted in recent months. Their valuable contributions to our business will enhance and help us grow many of DWF’s key sector and practice area teams in Scotland and internationally as part of our one-team full service approach.
“As a global and progressive legal business, we play an important role in helping our clients to innovate, grow and prosper and our people are at the centre of everything we do.”
Commenting on the ONS Labour Market statistics for May 2022, BCC Head of Economics, Suren Thiru, said:
“Although payroll employment continues to rise and the unemployment rate is falling, the headline figures more reflect several distorting factors, including rising economic inactivity, rather than the reality on the ground.
“Record jobs vacancies highlight the perilous hiring crunch facing businesses. With rising economic inactivity confirming that the UK workforce is shrinking, labour shortages are likely to persistently drag on UK growth by stifling firms’ ability to operate at full capacity.
“Although total earnings growth rose sharply, the robust headline figure more reflects strong bonus payments rather than a meaningful improvement in underlying wage growth. Despite recruitment difficulties, the damage to firm’s finances from soaring inflation and rising national insurance will limit the extent to wages can continue rising.
“While demand for workers is currently strong, the squeeze on firms’ finances from soaring energy bills, surging inflation, and the increase in national insurance is likely to weaken recruitment intentions and weaken wage growth in the near term.
“An emergency budget is urgently needed to give firms the breathing space to recruit and retain staff, including reversing the recently introduced National Insurance increase until at least the next financial year.”
Former Head of Department at Historic Environment Scotland joins Bield
A HOUSING and care specialist with more than 800 employees has hired a Director of People and Organisational Development (OD) as it looks to deliver a new strategy around staff wellbeing and performance.
Nikki Ritchie has been appointed by Bield Housing and Care to help position it as the employer of choice in the sector, while targeting increased staff development and retention and the delivery of industry-leading levels of service.
She brings more than 20 years of senior-level experience to the role, serving most recently as Head of OD, HR and Learning and Development at Historic Environment Scotland, where she’d spent more than 10 years. Before that she spent close to 10 years working in a number of HR roles within the Scottish Government.
The newly created role will involve everything from how to resource the organisation to
overseeing health, wellbeing and staff development, with her first challenge being the creation and delivery of the new, far-reaching people strategy.
Nikki, who is from Tranent, said: “To have been given an immediate high priority job that will touch on every aspect of the organisation is a privilege.
“Bield has long had a top reputation in the sector and brilliant people working within it. It’s been a very challenging few years for so many and we want to put the organisation in the best possible position to thrive.
“Our people are at the heart of everything and we look forward to sharing some of our new initiatives very soon.”
The Edinburgh-headquartered charity’s new people strategy will bring renewed focus to working and developing within Bield, strengthening employee experience and supporting Bield’s staff to be successful for its tenants and customers. The strategy will be launched over 2022.
Nikki added “The new strategy will look to combine Bield’s strong values of kindness and inclusion whilst bringing it to life through simplifying current strategies and working closely with staff and tenants.
“The roles I’ve worked in have all revolved around bringing a positive impact to the people of Scotland. I’m really looking forward to implementing that with the older generation to ensure they have the best possible experiences at Bield.”
In addition to the years of expertise, Nikki has achieved postgraduate qualifications in both HR and employment law, and was key in delivering Historical Scotland’s first people strategy in 2017 and developed an award-winning health and wellbeing programme during her time there.
Dr. Lynne Douglas, Chief Executive at Bield Housing and Care said: “It’s an exciting time for Bield to welcome on board such an experienced new director with an incredible amount of expertise in her field.
“We’re looking forward to taking the next steps at Bield in looking to improve everything related to staff and tenants.”
Bield has been providing high quality housing and related services in Scotland for over 50 years, promoting a “Free to Be” ethos that allows older people to live independent lives.
Bield is a registered charity dedicated to providing flexible housing solutions and support for older people. Bield Housing and Care has around 180 developments across Scotland, providing independent living for those over 50 years old around the country.
To find out more about Bield, visit https://www.bield.co.uk/housing-and-other-services or follow on Facebook @bieldhousingandcare and Twitter @BieldScotland.
Edinburgh College has been confirmed as one of six venues across the UK, and the only Scottish college, to host WorldSkills UK 2022 National Competition Finals in November.
WorldSkills UK sees the country’s top students and apprentices compete in a wide range of competitions for medals and a potential place at a global WorldSkills finals event in France in 2024.
Designed by industry experts, WorldSkills UK competitions help young people grow personally and professionally by developing their technical and employability skills, as well as shining a light on the skills potential across the UK. The finals are the culmination of a seven-month process including regional heats and intensive training.
The College is hosting eleven finals at its Granton Campus, including Forthside building, during the week commencing Monday 14 November. Students and apprentices will descend on Scotland’s capital to participate in the following finals: Bricklaying, Carpentry, Foundation Skills: Woodworking, Furniture and Cabinet Making, Joinery, Painting and Decorating, Plastering, Plastering and Drywall Systems, Roofing and Tiling, Stonemasonry, Wall and Floor Tiling.
The week culminates with a live medal ceremony broadcast presented by Steph McGovern who will reveal who winners are from her Packed Lunch studio on Friday 25 November.
Young people across the region will be able to attend competitions and experience the spectacle of the finals at Granton Campus, and drop-in to events showcasing what the college offers as well as gain careers advice and the opportunity to talk to employers and industry experts.
People who cannot attend local events will get the chance to follow things online through a special broadcast featuring live finals action, as well as interviews and advice from previous winners, experts and career advisors.
Other venues across the UK hosting finals are as follows: Barking and Dagenham, Belfast Metropolitan, Blackpool and the Fylde, Cardiff and Vale, and Middlesbrough colleges.
Edinburgh College Principal Audrey Cumberford said: “We’re thrilled to have been selected as one of six venues to host finals of WorldSkills UK. We’re looking forward to welcoming students, apprentices, visitors and other stakeholders to our Granton Campus in November.
“Skills competitions like WorldSkills UK are enormous spectacles and provide a platform for skilled students to thrive, and for other young people and those perhaps looking to change jobs to learn more about careers which these highly-skilled disciplines provide. WorldSkills sets the bar extremely high with globally recognised standards and businesses increasingly looking to employ students reaching the heights the standards set.
“More than that, in the context of plugging future skills gaps and the requirement for more skilled workers to be produced to meet national targets across a range of issues including house-building, sustainability, digital infrastructure, to name a few – it is vital that we continue to highlight skills training with events like these.”
WorldSkills UK Deputy CEO Ben Blackledge said: “We are really excited to be taking the show on the road with finals hosted by colleges across the UK. We hope witnessing the drama of the finals live will inspire young people to keep developing their technical and employability skills.
“With 62 finals spread over six venues there should be something for everyone, but we will also be providing loads of online content for people who are unable to get to one of the host venues that week. We are looking forward to producing our special broadcast with live action and top tips from industry experts and careers advisors. We are also delighted to confirm that Steph McGovern will be doing the duties on awards night and revealing the winners live from her Packed Lunch studio.
“With skills at the heart of UK government plans to level up and rebuild the economy, we are delighted to be playing our part and giving more young people the opportunity to explore the many opportunities and careers that high-quality skills offer.”
• The REF 2021 results confirm the high quality of Queen Margaret University’s (QMU) research, its strong global reach, and the positive impact that its work is having in addressing many of the world’s most pressing social, economic and cultural issues.
• QMU submitted research to REF 2021 under seven themes (REF 2021 Units of Assessment). REF 2021’s expert peer review panels have confirmed that QMU has world-leading or internationally excellent research in every one of these themes.
• QMU’s research was rated as world-leading in 6 out of the 7 REF Units of Assessment to which the University submitted work.
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Results from the Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), published on the 12th May 2022, have clearly shown that Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh (QMU) is delivering research with a strong reach and impact globally. REF 2021’s expert peer review panels have confirmed that QMU has world-leading or internationally excellent research in every one of the REF 2021 Units of Assessment to which the University submitted work.
The REF 2021 is the system of assessing, through peer review, the quality of research in UK higher education institutions with the aim of securing the continuation of a world-class, dynamic and responsive research base across UK higher education.
QMU submitted research to REF 2021 under seven themes (REF 2021 Units of Assessment) resulting in the following highlights:
• In Speech and Language Science, 75% of QMU’s research impact was rated as world-leading or internationally excellent. The results confirm QMU’s Clinical Audiology, Speech and Language Research Centre’s reputation as an internationally renowned research facility (with 70.6% of its research outputs rated as world-leading or internationally excellent).
• In Global Health and Development, 75% of QMU’s research impact was rated as world-leading or internationally excellent. This highlights the significant contribution that the University’s Institute for Global Health and Development is making towards improving the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable populations, including refugee communities.
• In Communications, Cultural and Media Studies, 100% of QMU’s research impact was rated world-leading or internationally excellent. This confirms the successful application of QMU’s inclusive and empowering communication models. One example of the University’s work in this area is developing peer to peer communication methods in young people.
• 100% of QMU’s research impact in Nursing and the Allied Health Professions was also rated world-leading or internationally excellent. This includes work improving person-centred care in healthcare, and creating equality of opportunity for athletes with disabilities.
• Submitting for the first time in Business and Management Studies, 50% of QMU’s research impact in this area was rated internationally excellent.
• In Psychology, 50% of QMU’s impact was rated world-leading.
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Professor Richard Butt, Deputy Principal of Queen Margaret University, said: “The REF 2021 results confirm the high quality of Queen Margaret University’s research, its strong global reach, and its positive impact. It demonstrates our passion and drive to act as a force for good in the world, helping to shape a better future for us all. Our research challenges conventional thinking, helps to shape policy and practice, and underpins delivery of solutions and changes which make a real difference to people’s lives.
“Tackling real world issues, our research helps understand and improve refugee integration in Scotland and abroad; develops health financing systems to support countries affected by war or a pandemic; shapes policies that tackle the obesity crisis; provides frameworks to improve the delivery of a person-centred approach in healthcare; improves peer to peer communication in young people; and creates better equality of opportunity for athletes with disabilities who seek to compete in international sporting events.
“REF 2021 helps confirm Queen Margaret University’s global influence achieved through its multiple collaborations with UK and international bodies. Our work with organisations such as the Red Cross, World Health Organization, World Bank, European Commission, European Parliament, Brazilian Government, Federal Police and NGOs and the International Paralympic Committee ensures it has global reach through the development of policies and practices which deliver real change for different groups of people all over the world.
“In the UK, our research work with the Scottish and UK Government, third sector organisations and public bodies, such as the Home Office, Department of International Development, Food Standards Agency, Scottish Trade Union Congress, Scottish Legal Complaints Commission, BACS Payments UK, as well as creative agencies such as Creative Scotland and the Arts Council of Wales, has direct and positive impact on the functioning of organisations, their policies, processes and the people they serve. In addition, our multiple collaborations with universities in the UK and abroad significantly multiplies the impact of our research work on individuals, communities, organisations and countries.”
QMU has a proud history of empowering women though education and career progression. With 67% of staff submitted to REF 2021 being female. QMU has clearly been able to demonstrate its continued commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion in research careers. The submission showcases the excellent work of talented researchers across all stages of their career, and those from whom QMU has been a springboard, allowing them to continue the successful development of their research expertise and career ambitions at prestigious universities across the globe. It also demonstrates the University’s commitment to progressing an inclusive, collaborative and interdisciplinary approach and ability to respond to global challenges while enriching society.
Professor Butt concluded: “The results from REF 2021 confirm that QMU has world-leading or internationally excellent research in every one of the REF 2021 Units of Assessment to which we submitted work. These results reflect the culture of interdisciplinary, collaboration and ambition that we have developed in our researchers. Our community of researchers and learners together create diversity in the way we think and tackle research, collaborate across the different disciplines to identify solutions to real world problems, and are all integral to fostering a supportive and dynamic research culture which drives excellence. Our results are about more than individual areas of research – QMU values the collective endeavours of all our contributors to REF 2021 and their combined capacity to develop transformative research which makes a difference to everyday life.”
Katherine Metcalfe, Partner and HSE law expert at Pinsent Masons –
The Scottish Government’s cladding remediation programme continues to generate law reform with the announcement yesterday that the Single Building Assessment (SBS) programme will be expanded.
The pilot SBS scheme, designed to replace the EWS1 external wall assessment process in Scotland, came at a high cost in terms of time and demand, resulting in changes to the process.
The UK Government earlier agreed a scheme with major developers to fund the remediation of unsafe cladding in England – and Holyrood now also wants to take action to deal with the costs of remediation of existing buildings.
It has agreed with Homes for Scotland to develop a Scottish Safer Buildings Accord with their members and the broader sector, which replicates the English scheme.
The Scottish Government has indicated that it will use powers at its disposal to bring developers to the table if required, and will also take on the role of procuring surveys, with fire engineers conducting surveys and taking responsibility away from home owners and factors.
However, the English Building Safety Act 2022 will have other implications for cladding in Scotland. The Act establishes a new, UK-wide, construction products regulator with stronger powers to undertake market surveillance and testing, and to require the withdrawal of unsafe products from the market.
A new liability relating to construction products installed on residential buildings which result in homes being unfit for habitation will also apply in Scotland. This liability is targeted at manufacturers who make false or misleading statements about the suitability of their products for a particular purpose. However, the wide drafting could trip up others involved in the design and construction of buildings.
For new projects, construction firms in Scotland will also need to consider how changes to cladding regulations which come in to force next month could impact new and ongoing projects. Legislation has been introduced to ban the use of the highest risk cladding and combustible materials in buildings above 11 metres tall.
The reforms, which will come into force on 1 June, will also ban the highest risk metal composite cladding materials from any new building of any height – with replacement cladding also required to meet the new technical standards.
Firms have just over two weeks before the legislation is due to come into force and so will need to carefully consider how the changes impact their pipeline of projects to ensure they remain legally compliant.
New cladding systems on high rise blocks of flats are currently required to use non-combustible materials or pass a large-scale fire test called a BS 8414. If the cladding passes the test – even when it contains combustible materials – it can be used.
But the new building standards legislation removes the option of a BS 8414 test, completely banning combustible materials from use on domestic and other high-risk buildings above 11 metres. The combustible cladding ban will apply to all buildings with a storey 11 metres or more above the ground, as well as high risk buildings like hospitals, entertainment venues and residential care homes.
Edinburgh Napier University’s research power has been highlighted in a wide-ranging assessment of research quality in UK universities.
The activity at the University assessed as “internationally excellent” and “world-leading” by the Research Excellence Framework (REF) has leapt from 53 to 68 per cent since the last time the exercise was carried out in 2014.
And the University’s research power metric, which takes into account the overall quality of the submission and the number of researchers whose work was submitted, rocketed from 250 to 718. The feat gave the University top ranking among the Scottish modern or post-1992 universities.
Edinburgh Napier was also the top Scottish modern for research impact.
The improved ratings are all the more remarkable after the University chose to submit the work of more than 250 researchers, up from under 100 last time around, showing the strength and depth that now exists across research areas.
The REF – the UK’s system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions – is undertaken by the four UK higher education funding bodies: Research England, the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW), and the Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland (DfE).
A total of 157 UK institutions participated in the exercise, which is used to inform the allocation of around £2 billion of research funding per year. The thoroughness of the exercise is designed to provide accountability for public investment in research, demonstrating its benefits and impact.
REF 2021 – for which submission deadlines were extended due to the Covid-19 pandemic – assessed 21 per cent of Edinburgh Napier’s activity as world-leading and 47 per cent as internationally excellent.
The University’s improved power rating should now see research funding increase as it takes significant strides to grow its reputation as a research-focused institution as well as a teaching one.
The research submitted covered a wide range of academic disciplines, from environmental science and computer science to built environment and social policy. It included projects focusing on mangrove and seagrass conservation, cybercrime-busting technology, offsite construction solutions, cardiovascular health and police stop and search policy.
Of the 13 units of assessment (UoAs) submitted, Edinburgh Napier improved in every single one.
Professor Nick Antonopoulos, the University’s Vice Principal of Research and Innovation, said: “I am delighted to see these REF results firmly placing Edinburgh Napier as the Number One Modern in Scotland, both in research power and impact. This is the outcome of the tireless, collaborative efforts of our academic and professional services staff over the past seven years, for which I am truly grateful.
“These outcomes, and in particular the fact that nearly 70 per cent of our research has been evaluated as internationally excellent or world-leading, provide the best possible confirmation that Edinburgh Napier delivers excellent research with substantial real impact, nationally and internationally.
“These achievements are even more remarkable when we consider the funding that Edinburgh Napier has been receiving, and clearly illustrate that as an institution we deliver considerable additional value for money in research and innovation.”
Firm advises the low carbon assets-focused investment company on new portfolio of renewable energy generation assets
Burges Salmon has advised long-standing client Bluefield Solar Income Fund (BSIF) on the acquisition of a 93.2MWp UK-based solar and wind portfolio and its entry into a new £200m revolving credit facility, bringing its total portfolio of assets to 766MWp.
The new solar and wind portfolio is BSIF’s largest acquisition to date, consisting of fifteen solar photovoltaic plants with a total installed capacity of 64.9MWp and four wind farms with a total installed capacity of 28.3MWp. It represents the third acquisition of operational assets BSIF has made in the last 12 months. The acquisition is financed by a new £200m revolving credit facility provided by RBSi and Santander UK which has refinanced existing arrangements and supports the groups ambitious growth plans.
BSIF is a fast expanding UK focused investment company, primarily investing in the acquisition and long term management of low carbon assets. It has an enviable position in the renewable energy market with an eye firmly on growth – BSIF chair John Rennocks, said the company continues to assess “a strong pipeline of opportunities across both primary and secondary markets” – as the world’s energy markets move away from fossil fuels towards a low carbon and sustainable future.
The Burges Salmon team working on the deal was led by partners Jonathan Eves (Corporate) and Victoria Allsopp (Banking & Finance), along with associates Bethan Penrhyn-Jones and Luke Addison, senior associates Peter Dunn and Chris Herford and solicitors Benjamin Edwards and Harrison Folland, all from the firm’s Energy team. The firm also provided support across the full spectrum of expertise including Projects, Real Estate, Planning, Construction and Engineering, and Corporate Tax teams.
Baiju Devani, UK Investment Director at Bluefield Partners LLP, Investment Adviser to Bluefield Solar, says: “This is a hugely exciting acquisition for Bluefield Solar Income Fund, adding a substantial number of highly regulated solar assets as well as operational wind assets to the company’s portfolio. It was brilliant to have the Burges Salmon team working with us again on both the acquisition and the expansion of the RCF – their advice, dedication and expertise throughout the process was instrumental in helping us get to a successful close.”
Jonathan Eves comments: “This strategic acquisition is BSIF’s largest operational portfolio expansion to date, marking a fantastic opportunity for the company and enabling it to further its growth targets. This is a landmark renewable energy sector transaction for our long-standing client and we look forward to continuing to partner with BSIF as it achieves its growth aspirations.”
