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RealSense Partnership with Geldards Law Firm

RealSense Partnership with Geldards Law Firm

by | Jul 1, 2021 | Customer and Partner News, Blog, News and Updates

REALSENSE Partner With Geldards Law Firm To Deliver E-Learning

Introducing our partners – Geldards Employment team, and their HR service achieveHR.

Here at REALSENSE, we develop all our bespoke training and off-the-shelf online training courses in-house, so we are delighted to work in partnership with the employment team at Geldards law firm who support us in ensuring that the content of our Employment and HR courses is relevant, accurate and up to date. Legislation can change quickly, so having a partner with such extensive expertise guarantees that the content of our courses is always exactly right for our customers.Training staff is a central part of the HR function at Geldards, so our partnership enhances the offering of both our organisations, and ensures that our clients and customers benefit from a unique package of expertise.

Our online training courses and training videos for businesses cover employment, HR and Health and Safety and are complimented by Geldard’s achieveHR offering.

achieveHR is a flexible, tailored service that ensures all business HR needs are effectively managed, allowing employers to stay ahead of any changes in employment law. It enables day to day employment and HR issues to be self-managed, with the knowledge that the support of a senior solicitor is on hand if required, for advice or to deal with more complex issues. The advice they provide is customised to suit individual businesses and gives the benefit of a fixed price cost, where you can tailor your allocated hours to suit your business needs.

Both REALSENSE and achieveHR have worked closely together to develop quality and easy to understand training courses and content for staff training, as well as training reminders and certificates of completion.

Members and customers of both REALSENSE and achieveHR benefit from discounted packages of the partner company’s services.

Emma Tice is the partner in the Employment Team and founder of the achieveHR service. Emma said:

“Our exciting, market-leading partnership is sure to set achieveHR and REALSENSE apart. Both firms look forward to working together to improve training provision for their clients for many years to come.”

For more information about what either company can offer you, have a look at Geldards Law Firm or find out more about REALSENSE online training courses here, alternatively, give us a call today:

Geldards / achieveHR: 01332 378398

REALSENSE Learning: 01332 208500

Food Safety Week – Focus on Food Hygiene Training

Food Safety Week – Focus on Food Hygiene Training

by | Jun 17, 2021 | Food Safety, Health and Safety, News

14th June to 20th June is Food Safety Week, and as anything related to food immediately grabs my attention, I was interested in finding out more. This led me to think about why Food Hygiene Training is so important and what the Food Hygiene ratings mean.

We all know that when we go for a meal or get a takeaway, that the establishment tends to post their ‘food hygiene’ rating on a sticker on the door or window (and if you’re anything like me, you won’t eat there if they’re rated below a 4 or 5) but how many of us know what the Food hygiene ratings represent and what the venue must do to score highly?

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme

The Food Hygiene Rating scheme was established by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to rate food businesses within the UK based on their safety standards and hygiene levels. It applies to England, Wales and Northern Ireland with Scotland having their own system, the Food Hygiene Information Scheme.

Government advice states that all premises must ensure that:

  • food is safe to eat
  • they don’t add, remove, or treat food in a way that makes it harmful to eat
  • the food is the same quality that they say it is
  • they don’t mislead people by the way food is labelled, advertised, or marketed
  • they keep records on the traceability of food and show this information on demand
  • they withdraw unsafe food and complete an incident report
  • they tell people why food has been withdrawn or recalled, for example by using a leaflet or poster
  • they display your food hygiene rating (if they sell food directly to the public)

Food Hygiene Rating Sticker

When a new business supplying, selling or involved in the consumption of food opens, an Environmental Health Officer is sent by the Food Standards Agency to inspect the premises and they will award a Food Hygiene Rating reflecting the standards of food hygiene found on the date of the inspection by the local authority. The food hygiene rating is not a guide to food quality and are ranked from 0 – 5 (see below).

  • 5 – hygiene standards are very good
  • 4 – hygiene standards are good
  • 3 – hygiene standards are generally satisfactory
  • 2 – some improvement is necessary
  • 1 – major improvement is necessary
  • 0 – urgent improvement is required

Food Safety Inspections

At the Food Safety Inspection, the Environmental Health Office will check the following things:

  • how hygienically the food is handled – how it is prepared, cooked, re-heated, cooled and stored
  • the physical condition of the business –including cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation, pest control and other facilities
  • how the business manages ways of keeping food safe, looking at processes, training, and systems to ensure good hygiene is maintained. The officer can then assess the level of confidence in standards being maintained in the future

To achieve a Level 5 rating, businesses must meet all the criteria above. If they do not achieve this rating, the Environmental Health Officer will explain the actions they can take to improve their Hygiene Rating in the future.

The ratings can be found online and on stickers which are displayed at business premises. The back of the sticker and the online rating will also show the date of the inspection by the local authority’s food safety officer.

Many organisations like to undertake training to help them achieve and retain the Level 5 rating such as our Achieving Food Rating Level 5 Training Course.

Food Hygiene Training Courses

Food Hygiene Training for Employees

In addition to ensuring that the standards of their establishment meet Government requirements, by law food business operators must ensure that all food handlers employed by them receive the appropriate supervision and training in food hygiene.

Training must be relevant to the area they work in and will enable them to handle food in the safest way. Employers can offer a formal training programme or informal training, such as on the job training or self-study.

Many organisations choose to use online training courses for their staff training for the following reasons:

  • Online Food Hygiene Training is quick and easy to access
  • Employees can complete their training at a time to suit them
  • Employees receive a certificate at the end of their training.
  • Here at REALSENSE, all our courses give access to our unique Learning Management System Activbase which will also log all staff training records so that employers can monitor staff progress and always ensure staff compliance.

Our courses include Level 1 Food Safety training course and Level 2 Food Safety for the Catering, Retail or Manufacturing industry.

 

How do I know which training is most suitable for my employees?

LEVEL 1

Level 1 Food Safety Training is for all staff who work in a food production or retail business and who handle wrapped or low risk foods. This training covers the basic requirements of food hygiene and safety such as:

  • Food safety legislation
  • Contamination and potential hazards
  • How to keep work areas clean
  • Personal Hygiene

This course would be suitable for check out staff, those handling food in a warehouse, waiters or waitresses and other roles that deal with low risk or wrapped food.

LEVEL 2

Level 2 Food Safety Training is the most in-demand course for employees involved in the handling, preparation and serving of food. In addition to the areas covered in the Level 1 training, the Level 2 course:

  • Provides users with an advanced awareness of the dangers arising from poor food safety
  • Gives a thorough understanding of the relevant law and legislation
  • Makes learners aware of their legal responsibility when handling food
  • Ensures learners have a detailed knowledge of how to control and prevent contamination and risk.

The Level 2 course is used in many environments, including (but not limited to) restaurants, pubs, hotels, takeaways, supermarkets and retail environments, mobile food trucks, hospitals, schools, nurseries and by food and drink manufacturers.

We provide courses specific to the Catering, Manufacturing and Retail industries and can help ensure that all industries achieve Food Hygiene Safety Compliance.

For a free trial of any of these courses or for more information, please get in touch.

Level 1 Food Safety (Catering) Training

Level 2 Food Safety for Catering Training

Supervising Food Safety Level 3 Training

Achieving Food Hygiene Rating Level 5 Training

 

Pride Month 2021 – The Importance of LGBTQ+ Inclusivity in the Workplace

Pride Month 2021 – The Importance of LGBTQ+ Inclusivity in the Workplace

by | Jun 15, 2021 | Health and Wellbeing, News

June 2021 marks Pride Month, with celebrations and parades taking place around the world.

We can all show our support in different ways, including by educating ourselves and those who work with us.

Pride Month is celebrated every year as a tribute to those who were involved in the Stonewall Riots of 1969. On 28th June of that year, a gay club in Greenwich Village, New York, was raided by Police. The raid of club – The Stonewall Inn – led to rioting by staff, local residents and gay rights activists and as the riots progressed, this became a catalyst for the birth of the gay rights movement in the United States and around the world. The message was clear – protestors were demanding the right to be open about their sexual orientation and live a life free from prejudice.

After years of lobbying and other discrimination laws being passed, The Equality Act (2010) was agreed. The Act was introduced to legally protect people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society. Amongst other things, the Act states that that no individual must be discriminated against because of their sexual orientation. So, whether you’re gay, lesbian, bisexual or heterosexual, discrimination at work is unlawful and employers have a legal obligation to protect all their staff, avoid discrimination and provide a working environment that is free from prejudice.

Despite this, inclusion is still not a given and almost one in five LGBTQ staff have been the target of negative comments or conduct from work colleagues due to their sexual orientation. Clearly, there is more to be done and additional steps that organisations can take to help raise staff awareness regarding the inclusion of LGBTQ staff in the workplace. Below we share some examples of actions you can take this Pride Month and beyond to help create a working environment that is free from prejudice whilst demonstrating respect and inclusivity towards your LGBTQ Staff.

Know your staff

Be aware of the assumptions you make and be mindful of all people’s feelings. Staff who feel valued and accepted are happier and more productive. Take some time to learn about LGBTQ issues and gender identity and show your support for awareness days and support the local LGBTQ Community during Pride Month.

LGBTQ+ Policies and Procedures

An organisation’s policies and procedures should be relevant and easily accessible, and staff should be confident in implementing them. Ensure your policies explain how you as an employer support the LGBTQ staff in your organisation and take discrimination seriously. A clear Anti-Harassment and Bullying Policy should be made available to all staff and your policies on parental leave, benefits and so on should all be written inclusively.

Educate Your Staff About LGBTQ+ Equality

Ensure your business culture promotes equality and diversity and that all staff understand the behaviour that is classed as discrimination. The LQBTQ community can still face stereotyping and have assumptions made about them so try to ensure you use inclusive language in all communications and help your employees recognise that LGBTQ is an important part of your organisation’s values.

LGBTQ+ Training

Organisations that offer LGBTQ+ Training in the workplace alongside other Equality and Diversity training immediately demonstrate their commitment to inclusion and ensure that all their staff have access to the relevant information needed to create a fully inclusive workplace that is free from prejudice. If training is recorded through a learning management system, employers can keep track of their employees’ progress and quickly identify additional training needs.

REALSENSE have carried out extensive research to determine what employers can do to ensure they deliver a more inclusive workplace and we can provide your organisation with all the information you need.

Our powerful LGBTQ Awareness online training course covers:

  • Gender and Sexual Orientation Terminology
  • Law and Legislation, Harassment and Victimisation
  • Prejudice and Discrimination
  • Benefits of an Inclusive Environment
  • Assessment – employees taking this training course will complete an assessment to ensure that they understand the course content and to demonstrate their increased awareness of issues.

Let us help you to support your staff

You can find more information about our LGBTQ Awareness online training as well as our other HR and employment courses here. Alternatively, you can get in touch with us to discuss your needs, or just to ask for advice or support with the best way to train your staff.