Westminster Compliance

Great news from Jill Poet of The Responsible Business Standard.  She has been shortlisted for the Leader of the Year award in the Business Green Leaders Awards. Quite an accolade as this award is national and for businesses of all sizes!  Westminster Compliance is a big fan of the work that Jill does as her organisation offers an affordable quality accreditation for small businesses which can really help an them to win valuable points when bidding for public or private sector contracts.  Have a look at their website www.ResponsibleBusinessStandard.org.uk for more information.

We wish Jill all the best.

Most people in business have heard of ISOs – the quality assurance accreditation awarded to organisations as proof of excellence in administrative processes, environmental practices and lots more besides.  A relative newcomer to the quality assurance field is The Responsible Business Standard.  When an organisation achieves this Standard, it demonstrates that it operates efficiently and ethically, meets and exceeds legislation and always considers its impact on people (the workforce, the community and society at large) and the environment.   The Standard has been developed by the Organisation for Responsible Businesses (www.orbuk.org – have a go at completing the responsible business questionnaire) and as one of their certified consultants, I assess organisations applying for the accreditation.  One of the reasons I am so keen on this Standard is the fact that it is so affordable (particularly when compared with ISOs) and that it recognises the fantastic work carried out by so many SMEs and social enterprises.

This Friday, 11th November, sees the presentation of The Responsible Business Standard GOLD award to Heart Test UK.  Their Directors, Denise Hughes and Professor Jean McEwan, will receive the award from the MEP Richard Howitt at The Regency Clinic in Brentwood.  The Standard is available at three levels: gold, silver and bronze so achieving gold at their first try is a fantastic achievement!  Sadly I have a prior engagement, but my colleague Charlie Lack will be attending and, no doubt, enjoying the refreshments being provided.  Huge congratulations to Denise, Jean, Jeanette and Tracy at Heart Test UK (www.htuk.com) – have a wonderful day!

So can I take it that NASA doesn’t do risk assessments?

In my excitement at becoming a Certified Orb Auditor, I didn’t explain clearly enough how ORB and The Responsible Business Standard work and this has caused some confusion.  Apologies to anyone who misunderstood my last post.  Below is what it should have said!

“I have just become a Certified ORB Auditor and very happy I am too.

ORB is the Organisation for Responsible Businesses, a membership organisation with a very impressive directory for their members. Please visit www.orbuk.org.uk for more information about basic membership which requires you to complete an online self-assessment questionnaire which in itself can act as a great SWOT analysis and signposting tool.

What really excites me is that on a higher level, ORB has now developed a new, auditable accreditation for small and medium sized businesses. The reason this is lighting up my days is because I think The Responsible Business Standard is something that businesses have needed for a very long time.

ISOs and similar standards are out of reach for many excellent businesses: they don’t have the resources, the time, the people or the money.  But that DOESN’T mean they can’t cut the mustard.

Why should a lack of an accreditation such as ISO 9001 mean that a business can’t successfully run a local authority contract?  But that’s frequently the case.  Many commissioners and procurement officials demand evidence of ISO accreditation before awarding work to an organisation.  Fair enough for large contracts (over £157K) which are subject to EU legislation.  But crazy for lower value pieces of work.

Now The Standard has come along to fill the gap. For a very reasonable cost, around £450, a business can be audited against The Standard and by gaining certification at bronze, silver or gold level it provides clear evidence that the company is operating as a responsible business. The Standard has been validated by Anglia Ruskin University and is already making waves among the procurement fraternity. I urge you to look at the website www.ResponsibleBusinessStandard.org.uk. ORB are not in this for the money – but your organisation could be.”