Add your voice to Government thinking…
SELEP is undertaking a second business survey, which seeks to go beyond their initial survey, which was focussed on understanding immediate impact. They are seeking to understand the ongoing pressures on businesses and how the new measures and guidance is affecting activities not just in the short term but also for future planning and operations. They are therefore inviting businesses from across the South East area to complete a short survey.
Please take time to complete the survey HERE, which should take no more than five minutes. This is an opportunity to ensure that your views directly inform Government thinking and their next steps and any future investments and programmes Government or South East LEP may develop, with partners across the South East to support our business communities.
Business Hub Support…
The SELEP Growth Hub offers a completely free and impartial service; their business navigators are available for free discussions via phone, webchat or email to answer your questions and concerns, as well as point you in the right direction for external or government advice. To obtain help from this source, the starting point is this online form.
Business Support Helpline…
The Government’s dedicated business support helpline has switched to a new FREEPHONE number to provide further business support. It can now be accessed on: 0800 998 1098 Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm. You can also contact them by email: enquiries@businesssupporthelpline.org
Government Webinars: making your workplace COVID secure…
The UK Government, in consultation with industry, has produced guidance (click HERE) to help ensure workplaces in England are as safe as possible during the coronavirus pandemic. Join a free webinar, hosted by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, to find out more about how to make your workplace COVID secure.
The webinars, that run between 27 May – 2 June, cover a range of different types of workplace settings, which are allowed to be open – click HERE for details. Many businesses operate more than one type of workplace, such as an office, factory and fleet of vehicles. You may need to use more than one of the guides / webinars as you think through what you need to do to keep people safe.
If a business is legally allowed to open, they must be COVID secure; to prepare for this they should prepare a risk assessment. Where a business employs less than five people a risk assessment doesn’t have to be written down. The Government has provided full advice which can be found on the following links…
- Restaurants offering takeaway or delivery
- Offices and contact centres
- Factories, plants and warehouses
It is expected that non-essential shops will be able to re-open on 1st June, specific advice is available HERE
Should local businesses require further advice on preparing risk assessments, you can email foodhs@rother.gov.uk