North West Contact Centres Project Neil Turner DMS, Dip PHIEB, T.Eng (CEI) Project Manager

portfolio Work Voluntary Sector NWCCP Campaigns SME’s Acute and Primary Care Individuals

What I will cover;  Background to the project  Outline of the overall aim of the project  Objectives  Examples of Links to the Regional Economic Strategy and the Northern Way  Partnership delivery  Future focus

What is the reason for the project?  To improve health,safety and productivity in contact centres through innovative approaches to partnership working  To increase bottom line profitability  To address diversity, recruitment, retention and cultural issues

7 Key Objectives  To identify good practice to prevent ill-health  To improve environmental factors  To improve process and system  To address cultural issues  To address diversity, recruitment and retention  To promote partnership delivery  To provide a framework for support and networking opportunities

Some ‘non-boring’ facts and figures  The UK has over 4,300 contact centres and around 0.5million agent positions  It employs over 790,000 people as agents, managers, IT staff and ancillary workers – 2.83% of the employed in the UK  The NE, NW, Yorkshire and Scotland have over 3.9% of their employed population working in contact centres  Over 30% of contact centres experienced some growth over the last two years

Industry growth OOOOutbound EEEEntertainment and leisure SSSSales and Marketing RRRRetail and distribution IIIInbound LLLLocal authority and government agencies CONTACTBABEL statistical data source

Securing Health Together  Compliance  Continuous improvement  Knowledge  Skills  Support

Partner Links  Stress & Empowerment Case Study  University of Manchester  Display Screen Equipment  Argos, Inside Track  Hearing and voice protection  Royal Liver Insurance  Stress Assessments 

Action with Partners  Working with Merseyside Fire service on fire safety in contact centres  Developing a Slips, Trips and Falls guidance document with the assistance of enforcement officers, contact centre representatives and academic members  Producing information on procedures as best practice guidance notes

A ‘ton’ of Business Information for Contact Centres

Stress Awareness WWorkplace Health Information & Support Project (WHISP) provides: OOccupational health info. AAn OC Profile X Liverpool IID serious issues WWork related health info. EEvidence on workforce health awareness OOH provision statistics

Typical Stress responses

Partnerships in training Training Initiatives Contact Centres Local Authorities Academic Bodies Trade Unions Chambers of Commerce Business Links Government Agencies Voluntary Organisations

Totally Partner dependent  Disability  Multitasking and skilling  Exclusively yours Wellbeing project Wellbeing project  The Voice Groundwork & Jobcentre plus Ability net Argos Barclays Scottish Power

Support Framework DDelivered through WWorkshops NNetworking TTraining NNewsletters E TTelephone WWeb page

Agenda interfaces  Health, work and well-being - Caring for our future (2005)  Choosing health –making healthy choices easier (2004)  Stress in the workplace HSE review topic (2005/6)  Where wealth means health – illustrating inequality in the north west (2006)

Future Focus  Joint Stress conference with Chester City Council  NWCCP Success Celebration - April 2006  Workshops and training days  Dti newsletters  Emergency Services group  LAC 94/1 review  Exit strategy  Best Practice publication

And finally;  We intend to keep all partners informed  We welcome active participation and dissemination Website