Tuesday, May 22, 2012

WESTMINSTER “THERE’S NO MONEY FOR CARE IN SEFTON” MEETING CONTRAVENES “NO MONEY IS NOT AN EXCUSE” HIGH COURT RULING.

SEFTON CARE ASSOCIATION
PRESS RELEASE

May 22, 2012.

WESTMINSTER “THERE’S NO MONEY FOR CARE IN SEFTON” MEETING CONTRAVENES “NO MONEY IS NOT AN EXCUSE” HIGH COURT RULING.

Sefton Care Association (SCA) has been told “there is no money” to pay for the shortfall and backdating of care fees frozen by Sefton Borough Council – in direct contravention of a High Court ruling that says “no money is not an excuse”.

Members of SCA met with Care Minister Paul Burstow, John Pugh MP, Sefton Borough Council Chief Executive Margaret Carney and other officials in Westminster, but before SCA could put its case, the “there’s no money” line was delivered.

“As soon as that was said we realised that not only was our meeting a waste of time, but also that the situation had not been properly researched,” said Dan Lingard of Sefton Care Association.

“As the meeting was conducted under Chatham House Rules, we can’t say who said there was no money – but it was said nevertheless.

“Sefton Council has already defied a High Court ruling and told care home owners and the borough’s vulnerable that it will be freezing care fees for both 2011/12 and 2012/13, a dispute which led to SCA committee members being invited to Westminster to discuss the issue.

“But it’s clear there was no intention of arriving at any sort of a conclusion in that meeting which would be of any benefit to people needing care, or care home owners and operators – especially when we were told ‘there’s no money’.

“But what people in the meeting seemed to have lost sight of is that the High Court ruling in November 2011 said that lack of resources is no excuse for not fulfilling care obligations.”

In paragraph 90 of the ruling, His Honour Judge Raynor QC, sitting as a judge of the High Court, quoted an earlier precedent and ruling: “In paragraph 46(2) of his judgment in the Forest Care Home case, Hickinbottom J stated: ‘In deciding whether a person is in need of care and accommodation, an authority is entitled to have regard to its own limited financial resources. However, having set that threshold and found that a particular person surpasses it, an authority is under an obligation to provide care and accommodation in fulfilment of its section 21 obligations (under the National Assistance 1948), which is a specific duty on the authority owed to an individual, not a target duty: lack of resources is no excuse for non-fulfilment of that obligation…’

“The Claimants (Sefton Care Association) submit that the evidence in this case shows that the decision to freeze fees was taken for budgetary reasons alone or at least to an improper extent, without there being any attempt to balance other factors against the need for financial savings.”

Dan Lingard said: “In other words, no money is not an excuse – care obligations must be fulfilled, and they are not being fulfilled by a freeze in care fees, which, given inflation and other factors, means that not only have care fees been frozen – they’ve actually fallen.”

Judge Raynor ruled that Sefton Council should not have frozen 2011/2012 payment levels to elderly people in care in the borough, and that it did not pay due regard to the actual cost of care in making its unilateral decision. He directed Sefton Council to enter into consultation with local care homes, and to reassess care payments for the 2011/2012 financial year – and establish the actual cost of care by which care fee rates could be set.

But Sefton Council not only ignored the February 9, 2012 deadline to respond, it has also said it will freeze care fees retrospectively, and for the 2012/13 financial year as well – meaning that care fees have been static despite the Retail Prices Index rising nearly 12% in the three years since care fees were last increased.

Ends

For further information:
Iain Macauley 07788 978800
@SeftonCareAssn

BRITAIN’S MOST DANGEROUS ANIMALS ARE … BOXER DOG PUPPIES.

GADGET-COVER.COM
MOBILE PHONE & GADGET INSURANCE
PRESS RELEASE

May 22, 2012.

BRITAIN’S MOST DANGEROUS ANIMALS ARE … BOXER DOG PUPPIES.

It’s official – Britain’s most dangerous animals are boxer dog puppies.

That’s the finding of www.gadget-cover.com, the UK’s longest-established mobile phone and electronic gadget insurance provider, which says that the combined teeth and slobber content of a boxer chewing on a mobile phone are fatal – to the phone.

“Puppies, generally, are the animals most cited when claims are made for pet-inflicted damage to mobile phones, iPods, satnavs and other electronic gadgets – but breeds such as boxers, which slobber more than most, result in more moisture damage, which is generally fatal for a phone,” said Carmi Korine of Gadget-Cover.

Puppies chewing on phones are the most common claim, followed by cats chasing them around table tops before knocking them on to hard floors. Wagging dog tails also do their fair share of damage by launching gadgets across rooms from low surfaces, but some claims are difficult to prove.

“We’ve had claims for people who say their snake has swallowed a phone, while others have claimed their parrots have cracked phone screens or peeled off covers, and we have had a claim that a pet monkey stole a phone and in playing with it ended up dialling a number in South America which stayed connected until the battery ran out, and ran up a bill of hundreds of pounds.

“We were speculating that he was phoning home.”

Of animal-related claims made in the first four months of 2012, these were the most frequent:

  1. Puppies chewing phones or gadgets, 29%.
  2. Adult dogs fetching phones for owners, 22%.
  3. Dogs knocking phones onto hard surfaces or into liquid, 19%
  4. Cats knocking phones onto hard surfaces, 13%.
  5. Incidents involving horses, 9%.
  6. Incidents involving fish tanks, 6%.
  7. Other, 2%.

www.gadget-cover.com is part of Supercover Insurance, the UK’s longest-established insurer of mobile phones and high-intrinsic-value consumer electronics. Launched in 1995, the company offers theft, loss and damage insurance, as well as up to 3GB gadget content backup, for laptops, PCs, satellite navigation equipment, MP3 players including iPods, and other such communication, storage and gaming equipment.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley
07788 978800

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

SEFTON COUNCIL IGNORES HIGH COURT RULING – AND FREEZES CARE FEES FOR A THIRD YEAR


SEFTON CARE ASSOCIATION
PRESS RELEASE

May 8, 2012.

SEFTON COUNCIL IGNORES HIGH COURT RULING – AND FREEZES CARE FEES FOR A THIRD YEAR.

Sefton Council has defied a High Court ruling and told care home owners and the borough’s vulnerable that it will be freezing care fees for both 2011/12 and 2012/13.

Now Sefton Care Association says that as many as 50% of care homes in the borough may be forced to close, generating massive worry and uncertainty for the families of the area’s frail and vulnerable.

Senior council officers dropped the bombshell to care home owners despite a judge telling the local authority in November 2011 that it must make a decision on reassessment of care fees paid to the most vulnerable people by February 9, 2012.

In a Judicial Review in the High Court in Manchester, His Honour Judge Raynor QC ruled that Sefton Council should not have frozen 2011/2012 payment levels to elderly people in care in the borough, and that it did not pay due regard to the actual cost of care in making its unilateral decision. He directed Sefton Council to enter into consultation with local care homes, and to reassess care payments for the 2011/2012 financial year – and establish the actual cost of care by which care fee rates could be set.

But Sefton council says it will freeze care fees retrospectively, and for the 2012/13 financial year as well – meaning that care fees have been static despite the Retail Prices Index rising nearly 12% in the three years since care fees were last increased.

Sefton Care Association, which represents a large proportion of care homes in the borough, says the implications are massive – not just locally, but potentially nationally as a care-fee-freeze precedent has been effectively set, with local authorities likely to stump up the cost of more Judicial Reviews rather than find the cash to increase care fees. Legal bills for a Judicial Review are a fraction of the shortfall in care fees.

Council officers have also told care home owners that an independent report into the cost of care in Sefton, commissioned by Sefton Care Association and carried out by highly-respected research organisation Laing & Buisson, was “deficient” and that council officials “questioned the significance and reliability of the report”.

But Peter Moore of Sefton Council also then told care home owners that “the report provides more data than our own spread sheet did”.

However, Mark Gilbert of Sefton Care Association, said: “Laing & Buisson (L&B) is the foremost research organisation in the sector, recognised by all levels of government – up to and including ministerial level – as being a provider of accurate, independent and unbiased research.

“The key issues are not just the cost of care, but also homes gaining a reasonable return on capital investment so enabling essential maintenance and upgrading of property and equipment essential for the wellbeing of elderly residents.

“There’s a big gap between the cost of providing care and the level of funds Sefton Council currently allocates: families and those in care are struggling to afford the shortfall between Sefton’s current funding provision level, and the cost of care – care homes are doing everything in their power to bring costs down.

“L&B provided information for four categories of care home client support. Typically, nursing care for a frail older person – many of whom require 24/7 support – has, according to L&B, an actual weekly cost of £626, or £699 if we include a 13% return to cover the cost of maintenance and improvement of the care home. But Sefton Council’s currently frozen weekly care fee rate is £510. It is down to the individual client or their family to make up the difference; care home owners have reached a point where there is simply nothing else to cut.”

Ends

For further information:
Iain Macauley
07788 978800

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

UK PPP EXPERTISE DEMAND GROWS IN PERU: MCBAINS COOPER MEETS MINISTER

MCBAINS COOPER
PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY
PRESS RELEASE

May 2, 2012.

UK PPP EXPERTISE DEMAND GROWS IN PERU: MCBAINS COOPER MEETS MINISTER.

London-based international property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper is making front page news in Peru after being involved in a Ministerial-level meeting over planning of a $10 billion investment in the country’s infrastructure.

McBains Cooper’s growing presence in Latin America as a go-to public sector advisory body saw McBains’ London-based international director Anthony Coumidis – who also leads the consultancy’s engineering and sustainability team - join representatives of Citibank and Credit Suisse in a meeting with Peru’s Finance Minister Luis Miguel Castilla Rubio in London’s Guild Hall; Peru is to invest the $10 billion in PPP projects over the next five years, underlining the Latin American economy’s development potential.

Anthony Coumidis says there’s a growing flow of demand for UK construction consultancy expertise in Latin America for both public- and private-sector related projects, with an especially positive forecast for Public-Private Partnerships.

“Every region of the world has a different way of going about doing business, and Latin America’s way is a complex mix of the pedigree of professional expertise you have, who you know and what languages you speak. Latin America has a deep-seated enthusiasm for UK professionals and our expertise in professional services – so our involvement in such projects becomes compelling because of both our experience and our team’s international makeup,” said Anthony Coumidis.

This expert status has already led to a construction and development programme in Mexico advised upon by McBains Cooper being named amongst the top 100 infrastructure projects in Latin America.

The Mexican Government’s Public-Private Partnership programme of prison developments has been given the ranking by one of the region’s leading business magazines – America Economica.

McBains Cooper‘s Latin American operation, based in Miami and led by Santiago Klein, Managing Director of McBains Cooper International, has now been invited to make a presentation about the programme to the Latin American Infrastructure Forum in Lima, Peru, in May 2012. McBains Cooper was technical advisor to the Mexican Ministry of Security which project-managed the developments.

Santiago Klein said: “We’re a long-established UK company, with on-the-ground presence and local business experience in several Latin American countries – and that makes us of great interest to the decision-makers.

“We have vast experience across Latin America on both inward investment support and PPP bids and contracts; we have a compelling proposition to businesses and organisations across Latin America – and Peru is a strong candidate for development.”

Ends

Further information:
Iain Macauley
www.mcbainscooper.com @McBainsCooper

Notes.
McBains Cooper
McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Glasgow, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Lima (Peru), Miami and Mexico, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

Monday, April 23, 2012

NEW ENERGY EFFICIENCY RULES: A FIFTH OF PROPERTY IN LINE TO BE EXCLUDED FROM RENTAL AND LEASE MARKET.


MCBAINS COOPER
PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY
PRESS RELEASE

April 23, 2012.

NEW ENERGY EFFICIENCY RULES: A FIFTH OF PROPERTY IN LINE TO BE EXCLUDED FROM RENTAL AND LEASE MARKET.

A fifth of commercial and residential property may be excluded from the rental and lease market as soon as 2015 unless owners move to comply with energy efficiency rules.

Legislation is already in place which states buildings with a rating of F or G on their Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) cannot be let out after 2018 without works having been carried out to raise the rating level.

But property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper says it has reason to believe the measure may actually be introduced as early as 2015 as part of the UK’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions – something which ties in with the government’s track record of bringing forward some elements of new legislation.

“It might be considered an asset, but it may actually be a liability – and sooner than expected; in summary, if a commercial or residential property doesn’t comply, and its owner for whatever reason wants to switch it to being let out after the anticipated deadline, then he can’t. The owner can, however, renew existing leases, but that owner is potentially exposed should tenants decide to move out of an F- or G-rated building after the deadline date,” said Anthony Coumidis of McBains Cooper.

“We estimate that around one in five buildings fall into the F/G EPC category, including many listed or historical properties. Property owners therefore have only around 1,000 days to raise the efficiency ratings of F/G level buildings, or face them having to stand empty. In some cases, planning permission may be required, which, bearing in mind upgrade designs may need to be drawn up, can mean months of delays before work can actually start.”

In a bid to partly reduce the potential cost impact of the new EPC rules, the government’s “Green Deal” plan comes into operation in October 2012 - the basic concept being that residential and commercial property owners will be encouraged to upgrade the thermal values of the building fabric and to introduce higher efficiency, or renewable-based, HVAC (heating, ventilation, air-conditioning) technology.

Under the Green Deal, the capital cost of the approved works can be covered in the form of a loan which will be repaid over a set time period as an additional sum on the property’s energy bills.  The Green Deal finance is attached to the property rather than the occupant, and if a building is sold or let, the liability for repayment of outstanding Green Deal finance will fall upon the new incoming owner or tenant.

“But for some commercial properties in particular, the most appropriate and cost-effective means of upgrading efficiency ratings may not fall within the Green Deal criteria. What’s more, some owners and tenants may be uncomfortable with what is essentially a loan secured on their property - and may wish to fund improvement work direct,” said Anthony Coumidis.

Ends

Further information:
Iain Macauley
07788 978800 
@McBainsCooper

Notes.
McBains Cooper
McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Glasgow, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Lima (Peru), Miami and Mexico, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublinwww.mcbainscooper.com



FAMILY LAWYER COMMENTS ON THE “THREE-YEAR DITCH”.

GEORGE DAVIES SOLICITORS LLP
FAMILY LAW TEAM
COMMENT

April 19, 2012.

FAMILY LAWYER COMMENTS ON THE “THREE-YEAR DITCH”.

Commenting on NetMums www.netmums.com study into early marriage failures, family lawyer Kim Aucott, of George Davies Solicitors LLP www.georgedavies.co.uk, said:

“Marriage sustainability moves with the times. Having children used to be a sign that couples were ready to settle, the environment around them was conducive to that, and that they’d done their sums and worked out that with some economies they could cope with the cost of kids.

“But the fact is that the environment is choppy, the financial sums don’t add up, and far from settling things down, the arrival of a baby in the 21st century can heap stress upon stress for people enduring tough times.

“In our recent experience, the average length of a relationship before it ends in divorce is more like five or six years, with most of the couples whose marriages break down likely to have lived together for two or three years beforehand.

“Bringing up a child can be physically and emotionally draining in the UK, and with 21st century work demands in what is acknowledged to be the most stressful working environment in Europe, this can often result in couples struggling to spend quality time with each other – so the results of this study are not surprising.”

Ends

For further information:
Lindsey Farrelly
0161 234 8802
07717 177609

Iain Macauley
07788 978800

Notes to editor:
About George Davies Solicitors LLP: George Davies Solicitors LLP is a 19 partner law firm based in the heart of Manchester. Established more than 70 years ago, the firm provides an extensive range of legal services to a national client base. Recent awards and accreditations include ratings in independent legal directories - Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners UK; Winner of the Pro Bono/Community Initiative Award, Trainee of the Year Award and shortlisted for Medium Law Firm of the Year, Partner of the Year, Corporate/Commercial Team of the Year and Private Client Team of the Year at the 2012 Manchester Legal Awards; Winner of the Medium Law Firm of the Year 2011 in the Manchester Legal Awards; Winner of the Managing Partner of the Year award at the 2011 LawNet Awards; Winner of the Innovation in Dealmaking award and shortlisted for Corporate Law Firm of the Year at the 2011 Insider Dealmakers Awards; Winner of the North West Employment Team of the Year in the Corporate INTL Magazine Awards 2010; adviser on the Deal of the Year sub £5million at the 2010 Insider Dealmakers Awards and is one of only five legal firms in the country to hold the Investors in People Silver standard.

MCBAINS COOPER MEXICO PRISONS PROJECT NAMED IN LATIN AMERICAN TOP 100


MCBAINS COOPER
PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY
PRESS RELEASE

April 16, 2012.

MCBAINS COOPER MEXICO PRISONS PROJECT NAMED IN LATIN AMERICAN TOP 100.

A construction and development programme in Mexico advised upon by property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper has been named amongst the Top 100 Infrastructure Projects in Latin America.

The Mexican Government’s Public-Private Partnership programme of prison developments has been given the ranking by one of the region’s leading business magazines – America Economica.

McBains Cooper is based in London, but has a Latin American operation based in Miami, and has now been invited to make a presentation about the programme to the Latin American Infrastructure Forum in Lima, Peru, in May. McBains Cooper was technical advisor to the Mexican Ministry of Security which project managed the developments.

Santiago Klein, managing director of McBains Cooper International, says there’s a steady but growing flow of demand for UK construction consultancy expertise in Latin America for both public and private sector related projects with an especially positive forecast for Public-Private Partnerships.

“Every region of the world has a different way of going about doing business, and Latin America’s way is a complex mix of who you know, what language you speak and the pedigree of professional expertise. Latin America is dominated by two languages and a deep-seated enthusiasm for UK professionals – so we tick lots of boxes,” said Santiago Klein.

“We’re a long-established UK company, with on-the-ground presence and local business experience in several Latin American countries – and that makes us of great interest to the decision-makers.

“But crucial to the whole process is the who-you-know: in Latin America the deals are done between businesses and organisations who know and trust one-another, which is fundamental to protecting the integrity of the contract - and a general rule of thumb is that it’s necessary to have an in-depth understanding and business intelligence of the local markets to be successful in the region.

“We have vast experience across Latin America on both inward investment support and PPP bids and contracts – we have a compelling proposition to businesses and organisations not just in Mexico, but much further afield in Latin America.”


Ends

Further information:
Iain Macauley
@McBainsCooper

Notes.
McBains Cooper
McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Glasgow, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Lima (Peru), Miami and Mexico, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublinwww.mcbainscooper.com